Iconic Wednesday era committed to print for first time
- dh0357
- 40 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Vertical Editions are delighted to announce the arrival of Dom Howson, the former Sheffield Wednesday writer for The Star in Sheffield and Yorkshire Live, to the Vertical stable.
Dom's first book, Carlos Had a Dream, will be published in 2026 and will chart the remarkable Carlos Carvalhal era, which saw him become the first foreign manager in the Owls' long history when he arrived in the summer of 2015.
The Portuguese transformed the culture at Hillsborough, turning Wednesday into promotion contenders with a style of football that wowed Owls fans and took them as close to a return to the Premier League as they have been since relegation at the turn of the Millennium. So far, it is the closest they have come.
Dom was at the coalface for every moment of it, every high and low and every cough and splutter in his position as the Owls reporter for Sheffield's daily newspaper The Star. The 2015/16 season, he maintains, was the most exhilarating he covered in all his time following the club's fortunes.
Now, for the first time, the story of that season will be committed to print, with an estimated release date of May 2026 and featuring exclusive insight from the main players of that era - including Carvalhal himself.
The hardback book is now available to pre-order, with any fan doing so before the end of January 2026 able to get their name, or that of a loved one, printed in the book.*
"For many years, I had the privilege of reporting on Sheffield Wednesday for the Sheffield Star and Yorkshire Live," Dom mused. "I witnessed the highs and lows, the frustrations and the fleeting moments of joy that come with following the blue and white wizards across the country.
"Everything changed in 2015. When Dejphon Chansiri bought the club, it marked a watershed moment in Wednesday’s modern history. One of his first major decisions was to appoint Carlos Carvalhal, the club’s first foreign manager. Under Carvalhal’s charismatic leadership, Hillsborough experienced a transformation few could have predicted.
"The Owls played with flair, ambition and heart in Carvalhal’s debut season, producing football that reignited belief and carried Wednesday to within touching distance of Premier League glory.
"The journey to Wembley captured the imagination of a fanbase long starved of success and Carvalhal brought the fun factor back to S6. For me, it was the most exhilarating season I covered in all my years reporting on the club.
"This book sets out to provide the definitive account of that campaign: the background to Chansiri’s takeover, the tactical and cultural impact of Carvalhal, the rise of cult heroes such as Barry Bannan and Fernando Forestieri and the emotional crescendo of their run to the Championship play-off final.
"It was the closest Wednesday have come to returning to the top flight in a quarter of a century. More than a story of matches and milestones, this book aims to capture the emotions, the voices, and the memories of those who lived throughout one of the most compelling chapters in Sheffield Wednesday’s history."
*One full name per book ordered, Vertical Editions reserve the right to omit any inappropriate entries at their sole discretion.