Owls wise up

The money men at Hillsborough all breathed a huge sigh of relief today when another eight players were struck off the club’s wage bill – although Chris Turner took no pleasure in the task.

Goalkeeper Paul Evans, defenders Ashley Westwood, Danny Maddix and David Burrows, midfielders Trond Soltvedt, Phil O’Donnell and Simon Donnelly and utility man Tony Crane have all been told they have no future at the club.

Owls fans have watched in despair as their side slid out of the top flight and then, humiliatingly, into Division Two – while carrying players on Premiership wages which helped to financially cripple the club.

When asked to identify the biggest single factor in Wednesday’s sad decline, former boss Terry Yorath pointed to the signings of four players who gave questionable value for money.

Wednesday’s demise could never be pinned on just four players alone – none of whom will start next season with the club – but a quick look at the statistics underlines the point Yorath felt he had to make.

O’Donnell and Donnelly were signed in the summer of 1999 by Yorath’s predecessor Danny Wilson on free transfers from Celtic.

They were followed by Dutch striker Gerald Sibon and Belgian striker Gilles De Bilde. Sibon arrived from Ajax for £2m (€2.8m) and De Bilde joined from PSV Eindhoven for £3m (€4m).

All four players were handed whopping four-year contracts which cost the club a combined total of £3m (€4m) a year.

At the end of the quartet’s first season at Hillsborough Wednesday were relegated and a crippling wage bill meant rebuilding was limited for later managers.

Sibon was easily the most successful of the four.

He won the club’s player of the year award and scored 43 goals in 150 appearances before returning to Holland with Heerenveen in January.

The other three did not give such good value for money.

De Bilde departed after one further season.

He made 68 appearances and scored 15 goals.

Attacking midfielder Donnelly, 28, started 30 games for Wednesday during an injury-ravaged four-year stint in South Yorkshire.

He came on 32 times as a substitute and scored eight goals.

Countryman O’Donnell, struck down by thigh, knee, calf and finally ankle injuries during his time at Hillsborough, did not play a single game this season.

In four years he started 15 games for the Owls and came on as a sub in 10 others.

His last match in a Wednesday shirt was in December 2001 – a 5-0 home defeat by Norwich.

Now, with the high earners gone and Turner in charge, Wednesday are looking forward to a new dawn – and are determined not to be stung again.