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There haven’t been many notable days at Hillsborough in the last 30 years.
D A miraculous return against Peterborough. Play-off semi-final win against Brentford And Brighton (What happened to them?)
Saturday was significant. A sold-out crowd, ready to celebrate the end of a nightmare and the beginning of something new.
“A club reborn,” it said on the scoreboard.
There was a completely different mood around. People were laughing and stopping to talk about their hopes for the future. Optimism filled the air. It felt very different to Sheffield Wednesday.
The crowd of 33,750 was the biggest in the entire Championship this season and speaks volumes for the passion that still exists for this club. With 30 minutes to go before kick-off, the stands were full of people singing and chanting.
Then, the introduction.
new Chairman David Storch Welcome to the pitch. A great roar shook Hillsborough. Another followed as he announced into the microphone: “Today we’re giving the club back to the fans.
“This is your club. I want you to know that we will work tirelessly to be the best stewards you can be.”
More cheers.
“You have no idea what a huge job this has been,” added Storch, before praising a number of people from the SWFC Supporters Trust, including his son Michael, Tom Costin, Asher Simmons, Clive Bates MP and James Silverwood.
He introduced former Sunderland executive David Bruce as chief executive – the kind of experienced figure the club needed.
A video on the big screen confirmed the return of the much-loved “old badge” – the familiar owl logo that made the club so instantly recognizable before it was removed by former owner Dezfone Chancery.
Badge changes are the kind of crowd-pleasing open goal that Chancery often misses.
Next up on the big screen was the 15-point tally they expected to be dropped on Wednesday for next season due to EFL guidelines relating to coming out of administration. The crowd was not aware of the EFL’s decision not to impose cuts.
One by one, the numbers are ticked off and each cut off point being moved was cheered by the home crowd.
As the total became nil and the fans realized there would be no penalty, Hillsborough heard the loudest roar in a long time.
You can experience relief from 12 months of pain, sadness, stress and depression. Supporters punched. Some cried.
I thought of the two fans, Dean and Alex, who contacted BBC Sheffield the day before the game.
They lost their mother in January and said their father, one of Wednesday, was struggling. Saturday was his 73rd birthday. He was to be promoted along with many others at Hillsborough.
It’s never just a game, right?
to close all, The Owls won the championship for just the second time and claimed their first league win at home for 376 days.
Club-hero Liam Palmer scored the winner in front of the Kop. It was almost scripted – and it makes you wonder what will happen next in this story.
After the game an elderly gentleman sitting near the press box approached me. I said hello and asked if she was okay.
“I am now,” was his reply.
He left with a smile, wondering if his club could give him some joy again in the future.
