Sheffield Wednesday’s curious need to name two keepers on the bench explained
Sad circumstances led to Sheffield Wednesday naming two goalkeepers on their substitutes bench in their defeat at Birmingham City. Watch more of our videos on Shots! and live on Freeview channel 276
The Owls named both Devis Vasquez and youngster Pierce Charles on the bench, which prompted a curious reaction from supporters with senior players such as Michael Smith and Lee Gregory left out. Owls boss Danny Rohl explained after the match – which Wednesday lost 2-1 – that a family bereavement for John Buckley meant he was unable to take his place in the matchday squad.
With Charles having travelled to the Midlands as a 19th man, he was named in the remaining slot. “We had a family issue for John Buckley overnight,” Rohl told The Star. “In this case sometimes football is not at all important and that is the reason I sent him home to his family. It was very important.
These are humans and that was the reason I took a second goalkeeper on the bench because we had a squad of 18 players and three goalkeepers.” Wednesday took the lead late in the first half through George Byers and showed plenty of good performance but saw themselves pegged back when Juninho Bacuna’s strike fizzed through a crowd of Owls bodies. The second half was far more even, with Jordan James netting the winner on 81 minutes.
It leaves Rohl’s side 10 points short of the safety places at the foot of the Championship table after Huddersfield Town took a draw from their clash with Southampton.
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