Darren Moore’s pal in the stands, dodgy karaoke and energy on the bus – Sheffield Wednesday fans have injected new life into promotion scrap

As has already been discussed on these pages this week, the defiant post-match roar that grew and grew from the away end at New Meadow last Saturday was a moment to behold. It served to draw a line under the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion and turned heads forward.

That’s been a mantra of Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore in recent weeks; the play-offs beckon and with the raw, unbridled passion of the Owls support behind them, that promotion to the Championship is very much in their own hands.

It was felt at Shrewsbury as it was felt in more relaxed setting at the club’s end of season awards dinner the next day at Hillsborough, where supporters mingled with the squad and extended the bond of feeling between terrace and changing room.

That double-dip of unity has left the players buzzing heading into their final league game against Derby on Sunday and then the white-knuckle play-off pandemonium that follows. This, Moore said, had been a very big week.

“I had a good friend of mine that came down and was in the away end,” he grinned. “I got him a ticket and he sent me video footage of the supporters behind the goal, so I had it from the pitch perspective and from the stands as well. The energy was fantastic, electric.

“He sent me three videos; before, during and after the game. And the vocal support was excellent, especially the one at the end when the players came over. It was really special.

“That followed into the awards dinner on the Sunday and the energy in the room, the players receiving their awards and everything, there was a real camaraderie between the players and the supporters. It was a great night and that had all accumulated from Shrewsbury.”

Not seeking to labour a point made in a previous article, there was more than a little sense of trepidation from some of the players as they wandered towards the New Meadow away end to complete their thanks to those that had made the trip to Shropshire. Given results elsewhere, a bittersweet win indeed; what would their reaction be?

Fears allayed and then some. It was powerful. Watching the players leave the field they seemed to have grown in those minutes.

And it was a feeling the players carried off the field, into the showers and onto the motorway back home.

“There was a wonderful feel-good factor on the team bus on the way back up,” Moore continued. “I thank the supporters for that because they brought that feel-good factor to the players.

“The word they used was ‘energy’, that the fans came with this energy. You had to feel it. I was there and I felt it.

“When the players came into the changing room afterwards we spoke about them being totally with us and that we were going all the way with them. The boys really felt it at the end of the game.

“They jumped back onto the bus with a spring in their step. It was spoken about on the bus on the way back up.”

The awards dinner followed and garnered a similar feeling of growing momentum. Liam Palmer was the belle of the ball, deservedly picking up the main clutch of top gongs for a stellar season. He dedicated his season to long-serving Owls employee John Murray in what was a further nod to the sense of togetherness Moore has spoken about since his very first press engagement as Wednesday boss.

The Star has chatted to people who were there on the evening and were told of a jovial and relaxed atmosphere, with players actively engaging with the select group of supporters present, many going out of their way to do so. Players were encouraged to let their hair down and though their absolute professionalism should be stressed – no players had much to drink – a handful stayed until the end.

Will Vaulks’ erm, ‘charming’ karaoke effort? A less-than pitch perfect rendition of Robbie Williams’ Angels that may have had a few wishing for someone to take the midfielder out with one of his trademark crunching tackles. With a couple of days to reflect and rest his ears, Moore was positively Cowell-esque in his appraisal. There’s work needed on that front, he smiled.

But the evening was everything Wednesday could have wanted it to be.

“The supporters were able to get the character of the players and the players were able to engage with the supporters,” said the Owls boss.

“Everything we have tried to bring to the football club in terms of that togetherness, all as one, was evident at Shrewsbury and at the awards. It was a pivotal moment for players with supporters and supporters with players. It felt as one on the night, it was such a wonderful atmosphere in the room.

“I’m sorry for the ones that couldn’t be there, but you speak to the fans that were there, it was really special.”

What becomes of Sheffield Wednesday over the next fortnight – and hopefully three weeks – is of course on the players and staff at Sheffield Wednesday.

But what’s clear from Moore’s glowing assessment of the past week is that those players have been reinvigorated. The feeling is that terrace roars and dinner dances have had a major impact on what lies ahead.

Wednesday’s fan base continues to be the most powerful force the club has at its disposal.

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