Editing Sheffield Wednesday F.C. (section)

==Nickname, kits, crest and traditions==

===Nickname===
In their early years, the club was nicknamed The Blades, a term used for any sporting team from the city of Sheffield, famous the world over for its cutlery and knives. That nickname has been retained by Wednesday's crosstown rivals, [[Sheffield United]].

Although it is widely assumed that the club's nickname changed to The Owls in 1899 after the club's move to Owlerton, it was not until 1912, when Wednesday player [[George Robertson (footballer, born 1885)|George Robertson]] presented the club with an [[owl]] mascot, that the name took hold. A monkey mascot introduced some years earlier had not brought much luck.<ref>{{cite book
| title = One Hundred Years at Hillsborough
| last = Dickenson
| first = Jason
}}</ref>

===Kits===
{{Commons|Sheffield Wednesday F.C. kits}}
{{Football kit box
 | align = right
 | pattern_la = _thinnavyhoops
 | pattern_b = _thinnavyhoops
 | pattern_ra = _thinnavyhoops
 | leftarm = FFFFFF
 | body = FFFFFF
 | rightarm = FFFFFF
 | socks = FFFFFF
 | shorts = FFFFFF
 | title = The Wednesday's home shirt of 1871. It is assumed that these were the original colours used by the team.
}}
Since its founding the club has played their home games in blue and white shirts, traditionally in vertical stripes. However, this has not always been the case and there have been variations upon the theme. A monochrome photograph from 1874 to 1875 shows the Wednesday team in plain dark shirts,<ref name="Romance of the Wednesday">{{cite book|last=Spalding|first=Richard A.|year=1997|title=Romance of the Wednesday|publisher=Desert Island Books|isbn=1-874287-17-1}}</ref> while the 1871 "Rules of the Sheffield Football Association" listed the Wednesday club colours as blue and white hoops.<ref name="Football in Sheffield" /> A quartered blue and white design was used in 1887 and a blue shirt with white sleeves between 1965 and 1973.<ref name="Club Colours">{{cite book|last=Bickerton|first=Bob|year=1998|title=Club Colours|publisher=Hamlyn|isbn=0-600-59542-0}}</ref> Wednesday's socks have been predominantly black, blue or white throughout their history.

The club's away strip has changed regularly over the years. Traditionally, white was the second choice for many teams, including Wednesday, although the club has used a multitude of colours for its change strip over the years, including yellow, black, silver, green and orange.

===Crest===
Since 1912, the owl has become a theme that has run throughout the club. The original club crest was introduced in 1956<ref name = "crest"/> and consisted of a shield showing a traditionally drawn owl perched on a branch. The [[White Rose of York]]<ref name="olderbadge">{{cite web|title=1962 – Football Clubs and Badges card Sheffield Wednesday |publisher=Mike Duggan |url=http://mikeduggan.tripod.com/otheritems/trade/country/ocgreatbritain.html |access-date=17 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227170515/http://mikeduggan.tripod.com/otheritems/trade/country/ocgreatbritain.html |archive-date=27 December 2007 }}</ref> was depicted below the branch alluding to the home county of [[Yorkshire]] and the [[wikt:sheaf|sheaves]] of Sheffield ''(Sheaf field)'' were shown at either side of the owl's head. The club's [[Latin]] motto, ''Consilio et Animis'', was displayed beneath the shield.<ref name = "crest"/> This translates into English as "''By Wisdom and Courage''".<ref name="motto">{{cite web|title=Facts and Figures |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday official website |url=http://www.swfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoricalStatistics/0,,10304~390134,00.html |access-date=6 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417084026/http://www.swfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoricalStatistics/0%2C%2C10304~390134%2C00.html |archive-date=17 April 2008 }}</ref>

The crest was changed in 1970 to a minimalist version designed by a local art student, and this logo was used by the club, with variations, until 1995, when it was replaced by a similar design to the original crest. It again featured a traditionally drawn owl perched on a branch although the design of both had changed. The sheaves were replaced by a stylised ''SWFC'' logo that had been in use on club merchandise for several years prior to the introduction of the new crest. The [[Yorkshire Rose]] was moved to above the owl's head to make way for the words ''Sheffield Wednesday''. The word ''Hillsborough'' was also curved around the top of the design. The club motto was absent on the new design. The crest was encased in a new shape of shield. This crest remained in use for only a few years, during which several versions were used with different colours, including a white crest with blue stripes down either side and the colouring of the detail inverted.<ref name="badge">{{cite web|title=The Club Crest|publisher=A. Drake|url=http://www.btinternet.com/~a.drake/owls/misc/badge.htm | url-status=dead |access-date=11 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018045258/http://www.btinternet.com/~a.drake/owls/misc/badge.htm | archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref>

In 1999, the minimalist version was brought back, albeit inside a crest, and with the addition of a [[copyright symbol]] in 2002.<ref name="crest">{{cite web|url=http://www.footballcrests.com/clubs/sheffield-wednesday-fc |title=Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Crest & Club History |publisher=Footballcrests.com |date=27 November 2003 |access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref> In 2016, new owner Dejphon Chansiri again changed the club crest, opting for a similar design to the 1956 badge.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

<gallery>
File:SWFC pre-1970.png|{{center|1956–1973}}
File:SWFC1972logo.png|{{center|1973–1995}}
File:SWFC early-90s.png|{{center|1995–1999}}
File:Sheffield Wednesday.svg|{{center|1999–2016}}
File:SheffieldWednesday2016logo.png|{{center|2016–present}}
</gallery>

===Mascots===
[[File:Ozzieowl.jpg|thumb|right|Ozzie Owl, the primary club mascot]]
Over the years Sheffield Wednesday have had several [[Owl]]-themed matchday [[mascot]]s. Originally it was Ozzie the Owl and later two further Owls, Baz & Ollie, were added.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} All three were replaced in 2006 by Barney Owl, a similar looking owl but with more defined eyes to make it look cuter. Ozzie Owl was reintroduced as Wednesday's main mascot during the home game with Charlton Athletic on 17 January 2009.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} The current mascots are Ozzie and Barney Owl. In 2012, Ollie Owl also made his return to the scene, as the club announced him Mascot for the Owls work with children in the local community.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}