THE GROUND
Hillsborough
Sheffield
S6 1SW
Hillsborough has been home to Sheffield Wednesday since it opened in 1899.
The ground currently holds 39,732 and many of the structures have remained unchanged for decades, albeit it is now an all-seater stadium.
The ground is infamous for being the venue for one of the world’s greatest sporting tragedies when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death on the Leppings Lane terrace as The Reds played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup Semi-Final.
Away fans are currently housed on that same, now all-seater, end of the ground and the normal allocation is 3,700 in the upper tier.
The biggest ground in The Championship, Hillsborough hosted World Cup games in 1966 and European Championship games in 1996.
THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Hillsborough is approximately 170 miles from Griffin Park by road.
Most drivers will head to the ground from the M1 – from junction 33, take the A630, A57 and A61 to meet the A6102 that leads to the ground.
It is also possible to come off at junction 36 and take the A61 towards Sheffield, drivers can then turn on to Leppings Lane.
There is no specific parking at the ground so drivers will have to park in nearby roads or private car parks.
The nearest station is Sheffield, which is more than three miles from Hillsborough.
Supporters can catch the Sheffield Supertram from Sheffield station to Leppings Lane which is next to the ground.
Sheffield station is served by East Midlands Trans, from St Pancras.
The Supporters’ Association will be running coaches to every game this season – details of times and prices will be announced in due course.
THE FIXTURES
Brentford will play Sheffield Wednesday at home on Tuesday October 21.
The Bees then travel to Hillsborough on Tuesday April 14, their last scheduled midweek away game.
THE RECENT HISTORY
Sheffield Wednesday overcame a poor first half of the season to secure Championship football for 2014/15.
The Owls will therefore begin their third season in the second tier in just under three weeks.
The Owls, like their Sheffield neighbours, have suffered a fall from grace in the last decade or so.
They spent most of the 1980s and 90s in the top flight – winning the Rumbelows Cup in 1991, beating Brentford en route, and losing in two cup finals in 1993 – but were relegated in 2000 and have never been back.
They dropped in to the third tier in 2003, but bounced back by winning the League One Play-Offs in 2005, beating Brentford in the semi-finals.
However, they failed to build on that and after four seasons in the lower reaches of The Championship they went down in 2010, drawing 2-2 with Crystal Palace on the final day of the season when a win would have kept them up.
They almost went down again in 2011, sitting four points outside the relegation zone in late March, but recovered and got themselves clear of the drop zone.
They were promoted a year later, beating neighbours Sheffield United to second place, and secured their place in the second tier in 2012/13 despite being in the relegation zone in December.
Things looked even worse last year as they won only one of their first 16 games.
Dave Jones was sacked at the start of December and Stuart Gray took over.
He led The Owls away from danger, mainly with an eight-game unbeaten run in the depths of winter, and they finished 16th despite winning only one of their last eight games.
THE MANAGER
Stuart Gray has been in charge at Sheffield Wednesday, officially Head Coach, since December 1 2013.
He was part of the coaching staff under former boss Dave Jones and stepped up when the former manager was sacked.
The 54-year-old featured at Aston Villa and Southampton, among others, during his playing careers.
He moved in to coaching at Southampton and, after a short spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, worked under Jones and then Glenn Hoddle.
He managed Southampton for a short time and has been on the coaching staff at clubs including Villa, Crystal Palace and Wolves.
He had two years in charge at Northampton Town and joined Wednesday, under Jones, in 2012.
THE TOP SCORER
Chris Maguire scored ten goals in all competitions for Sheffield Wednesday last season, nine of them in 27 Championship appearances.
The 25-year-old Scotland international started out at Aberdeen and then moved to Derby County before arriving at Wednesday in 2012.
He only played ten games in his first year with The Owls, and had a loan spell at Coventry City, but was more involved last term.
Maguire can play either as a striker or a winger and has also featured for Kilmarnock and Portsmouth on loan.
THE KEY MEN
Sheffield Wednesday have had a large turnover of players during the close season, with many of those involved last term moving on.
Former Brentford loanee Miguel Llera, who played 22 Championship games in defence, and fellow defender Réda Johnson, who played 19 games, were among those to leave.
Also exiting Hillsborough were midfield player Jermaine Johnson, who made 27 league appearances in 2013/14, American international Oguchi Onyewu, who played 18 games, and another former Brentford loanee, Martin Taylor.
They have kept hold out goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, who played 35 games last season, right back Kieran Lee, who made 26 Championship appearances, and centre half Lewis Buxton.
In midfield The Owls offered a contract extension to Player of the Year Liam Palmer while José Semedo, who played 22 games last term, and Jérémy Hélan, who made 43 appearances, and Giles Coke, who was involved 28 times in The Championship, remain on board.
Winger Michail Antonio scored four goals in 27 appearances and Austrian striker Adthe Nuhiu ended the season with eight goals in 38 games.
The Owls have signed Sam Hutchinson after a successful loan spell and brought in goalkeeper Kieran Westwood from Sunderland but Benik Afobe and Damián Martínez have returned to Arsenal after spending time on loan and Leon Best is back at Blackburn Rovers after a short loan.
THE FIRST MEETING
October 5 1935, Football League Division One – Brentford 2 Sheffield Wednesday 2
Brentford line-up: Mathieson; Bateman, Poyser; McKenzie, James, Watson; Hopkins, Robson, Holliday, Scott, Fletcher
Brentford goal scorers: Robson, Scott
Brentford, newly promoted to the First Division, draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
THE LAST MEETING
April 28 2012, npower League One – Brentford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2
Brentford line-up: Moore; Logan (sub Norris), Osborne, Dean, Balkestein (sub Bean); Forrester (sub McGinn), Douglas, Diagouraga, Bidwell; Saunders; Donaldson
Subs (not used): Thompson, Legge
Brentford goal scorer: Donaldson
Miguel Llera headed in a second half corner as Sheffield Wednesday beat Brentford at Griffin Park to take a large step towards promotion.
THE MEMORABLE DAY
December 11 2004, Coca-Cola League One – Sheffield Wednesday 1 Brentford 2
Brentford line-up: Nelson; O’Connor, Sodje, Turner, Frampton (sub Myers); Tabb, Talbot, Hargreaves (sub Rankin), Salako; Burton, May (sub Rhodes)
Subs (not used): Julian, Harrold
Brentford goal scorers: Rhodes, Burton
Ten-man Brentford scored two goals in the last ten minutes to pull off a smash-and-grab win at Hillsborough.
THE ODDS
Sky Bet is offering 33/1 on Sheffield Wednesday winning The Championship next season.
Those who back The Owls can get ¼ of the odds if they finish in the top three.
Every bet you make with Sky Bet benefits Brentford FC – click here to see the Championship market.