Current Internationals

 As of April 2025, Sheffield Wednesday boasts several players who have represented their countries at various international levels. Here’s an overview of the current internationals in the squad:

🧤 Goalkeepers

• James Beadle – Regularly features for the England U21 team.  
• Pierce Charles – Made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in October 2024 and has since earned six caps.  

🛡️ Defenders

• Di’Shon Bernard – Represents Jamaica at the senior level.  
• Ryo Hatsuse – A recent signing from Japan, previously played for Vissel Kobe.  

⚙️ Midfielders

• Shea Charles – On loan from Southampton, he is a Northern Ireland international.
• Stuart Armstrong – A seasoned Scotland international with extensive experience in the English leagues.  

⚡ Forwards

• Jamal Lowe – Has been capped by Jamaica since 2021.  
• Iké Ugbo – Represents Canada at the senior level, having switched allegiance from England in 2021.  

Famous Sheffield Cricketers

1. Tom Marsden (1803–1843)

• One of the first great professional cricketers.
• Born in Sheffield.
• Famous for playing “single wicket” matches (one-on-one contests), which drew huge crowds.
• Played for Sheffield Cricket Club, which was effectively Yorkshire’s leading team before the county system was formalized.
• Known for his big hitting — he once scored 227 runs in a match, an extraordinary feat at the time.

2. Michael Ellison (1817–1898)

• Another important Sheffield figure.
• A solid player for Sheffield and Yorkshire sides.
• More importantly, Ellison helped found Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1863.
• He was Yorkshire’s first official club secretary and played a key role in organizing cricket in Sheffield and the wider county.

3. Joseph Rowbotham (1831–1899)

• Born in Sheffield.
• A talented all-rounder — both a good batsman and bowler.
• Played first-class cricket for Sheffield and later for Yorkshire when the county was formally created.

4. Roger Iddison (1834–1890)

• Though not born in Sheffield, he captained the first official Yorkshire team, which often played in Sheffield early on.
• Key in the transition from Sheffield Cricket Club to the more organized Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Context:

• Sheffield Cricket Club was basically the powerhouse team in Yorkshire until Yorkshire CCC was founded in 1863.
• Bramall Lane, now known mainly for football (Sheffield United), originally opened as a cricket ground in 1855 — first for Sheffield Cricket Club, then for Yorkshire matches.
• Sheffield produced many players who would play in “North vs South” games — the top showcase matches of 19th-century English cricket.

Sheffield in the Second World War

 

Sheffield United players who died in WWII:

• Ernest “Ernie” Jackson
  
• Played for Sheffield United before the war.
• Served in the Royal Navy during WWII.
• Died when his ship was sunk in 1940.
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• Jack Pickering
  
• Important note: Jack Pickering, a Sheffield United legend, served in WWII but survived.
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Sheffield Wednesday players who died in WWII:

• Tommy Walker
  
• Played for Sheffield Wednesday and later Middlesbrough.
• Served in the RAF during WWII.
• Killed in 1945 in an air crash in England, just months before the end of the war.
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Other Sheffield-connected players:

• Fred Keetley
  
• From a famous Sheffield footballing family (the Keetleys played for both Sheffield clubs).
• Fred served during WWII, but records are unclear whether he died during the war or shortly afterward from related causes.
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• Amateur/works team players (e.g., those playing for Sheffield steelworks teams like Hadfields FC, Firth Brown FC, etc.)
  
• A large number of young footballers from the Sheffield Works League enlisted in the forces, especially the RAF and Army, and many were killed — but again, these were often semi-professional or amateur players.
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Some wider points:

• Because WWII was a longer total war and many footballers were older professionals by 1939, fewer prime first-team players died compared to WWI.
• During WWII, football leagues were suspended, and regional “wartime leagues” were played instead — so lots of players guested for other clubs or joined military teams.
• Sheffield Wednesday and United both heavily contributed players to the war effort, especially in the RAF and Royal Navy.

Sheffield Football at Wa

 Sheffield Wednesday players:

• Edward “Ned” Doig – Legendary goalkeeper for Sunderland and Wednesday.
  
• Died during WWI (not directly on the battlefield — he died of pneumonia in 1919 after wartime service).
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• Willie Layton – Played full-back for Sheffield Wednesday.
  
• Served during WWI; survived the war but died shortly after in the early 1920s — his health was badly affected by the war.
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• James “Jimmy” Speirs – Although better known for captaining Bradford City to FA Cup success, he had links to Yorkshire football (and was on the radar of Sheffield clubs).
  
• Killed in action in 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele.

(Directly registered Sheffield Wednesday players who died in action are few, but many served.)

Footballers from Sheffield or linked closely to Sheffield who died in WWI:

Sheffield United connections:

• Harold Keetley – Played for Sheffield United’s reserves. Killed in action during WWI.
• Walter Whittaker – Goalkeeper who played for several clubs including Sheffield United (briefly), and later Clapton Orient. Died during wartime service.

Hallam FC and other Sheffield Clubs:

• Private Albert Milton – Former Hallam FC player. Killed at the Battle of the Somme, 1916.
• Private George Lake – Played youth football around Sheffield before moving to London clubs. Died in 1918.

Works and Local Teams:

• Many men who played in the Sheffield Works League (a very strong amateur/semi-pro competition linked to Sheffield’s steel industry) served in WWI. Clubs like:
  
• Firth Brown FC
• Vickers FC
• Hadfields FC
• Cammell Laird FC
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  lost dozens of players and workers to the war. Sadly, detailed player-by-player death records for these clubs are harder to trace because they were semi-professional or amateur, but factory memorials list them.

General Football Battalion (17th Middlesex) members from Sheffield:

• The “Footballers’ Battalion” included several Sheffield players and fans.
• Names specifically tied to Sheffield Works teams include:
  
• Private Fred Gibson (played locally; killed in 1917)
• Corporal Tom Worthington (Sheffield amateur leagues; killed in 1916)

Important Context:

• Unlike southern clubs (like Clapton Orient), Sheffield Wednesday and United did not lose whole first-team squads — because when war broke out, many northern clubs were more working-class and their players often had war-related industrial exemptions initially (e.g., steel production was critical).
• However, younger reserve players, trainees, and local league players enlisted heavily and were lost in significant numbers.

Memorials:

• Sheffield United has a plaque at Bramall Lane remembering players and staff lost in WWI.
• Sheffield Wednesday has commemorations for players who served.
• Hallam FC honors their former players who fell during the Great War.
• Sheffield’s City War Memorial also lists many footballers among the names.

Sheffield United players:

• Joseph Wostinholm Jr. – Son of United’s early club secretary; though not a first-team player, connected heavily to the club and died during the war.
• Ernest Needham – One of United’s greatest players.
  
• Important note: Needham served in WWI but survived — he died after the war.
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