Tears, a countdown roar and an updated Owl: Inside Sheffield Wednesday’s big day as SWFC are reborn
The roar that rolled around Hillsborough as the points deduction countdown hit zero shook the rafters of the old girl. Saturday was the day that Sheffield Wednesday was reborn.
David Storch stood in middle of the pitch, blue and white Jordans on his feet and with tears welling up in his eyes as chants of ‘USA! USA! USA!’ rained down upon him. The proof will be in the pudding with regards to his ownership of this once great football club alongside Michael Storch and Tom Costin, but Arise couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.
Goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and stalwart, Liam Palmer, secured victory, and made sure that Henrik Pedersen’s battered and bruised boys wouldn’t become the first team in the history of English football to finish on zero points. But football wasn’t very important on Saturday.
A big Hillsborough afternoon
This stadium has seen some big days over the years. In recent memory there’s Wycombe Wanderers for promotion, the Miracle against Peterborough, as well as Arsenal and Huddersfield under the lights. They were all ‘I was there’ moments, and this weekend another was added to the list.
If you looked around the ground during Storch’s introduction, you’d have seen tears all over the place. Grown men sobbing as they sang. ‘We’ve got our Wednesday back’. On the field was David Hirst, forgoing his son’s promotion party at Ipswich Town – in which he scored – to be part of the celebrations at the club where he’s still worshipped to this day.
Howard Wilkinson was there, too, as was Carlton Palmer and Michael Vaughan and so many others who’d so often been made to feel unwelcome by the previous regime. Clive Betts MP, a man who has fought so hard for his football club, was name-checked by the new man in charge, as well as James Silverwood of the Supporters’ Trust and Owls mad Creative Artists Agency executive, Asher Simons. Deserved recognition for the role played in this battle.
Lost in the noise of it all, possibly, was the relaunch of a new and improved Owl. Robert Walker’s classic from 1973 is back, but has been tweaked by Sheffield brand agency, Peter & Paul. In line with Arise’s plans to work with local companies, P&P were brought on board to help with the re-brand – and they won’t be the last local business to benefit from this new dawn. Those owed by the last owner will get their 25p on the pound, too.
His words have been fantastic, and his first actions haven’t been too shabby either. But he’s made clear that he wants to be judged on what he does, not on what he says
Storch, speaking shortly after his arrival at Hillsborough, was heard discussing how ‘actions speak louder than words’. His words have been fantastic, and his first actions haven’t been too shabby either. But he’s made clear that he wants to be judged on what he does, not on what he says, and is putting together a background team that he feels can do that. David Bruce, the new CEO, is at the forefront of it – and comes with an impressive CV.
As the players took to the field for the final time, surrounded by their friends of family, Storch and Co watched it from the stands. They could’ve gone down, nobody would’ve minded – but instead they let those who’ve slogged their guts out for the last 10 months get their flowers and, for some of them, say their goodbyes. Arise had had their moment earlier, stepping away felt like a classy move.
In the director’s box an elderly gentleman – maybe in his late 80s or early 90s - approached the club’s new owner, and grasped the American’s arms tight, with both hands. From above you could tell that he was thanking him, and all I could think about was how that supporter had almost seen his football club disappear after watching them for the best part of a century. I had to walk away, crying on the job isn’t ideal.
It’s been suggested that Arise want to be criticised, they want to know when they’re doing wrong – and how they can improve. The fans, they say, will be at the heart of what they’re doing. The word ‘Reborn’ adorned the big screen as fans finally filtered out of S6, inflatables in hand, and as the club’s 160th anniversary approaches it’s unlikely to be the last we see of it.
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