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Kop that! Sheffield Wednesday band strikes up again.
SHEFFIELD Wednesday will welcome back the Kop Band to Hillsborough for Saturday's match against Swansea City after an absence of four years.
The Kop Band - while not everybody's cup of tea - has been famous in English football since the early 1990s when the brass ensemble played at all Wednesday games, home and away, going on to play for the Owls for 13 years.
Following numerous requests from some supporters to reintroduce the band, Wednesday has responded by inviting the ten-piece brass ensemble back.
Having last played at Hillsborough in 2005, the band – all of whom have remained season ticket holders in various parts of the ground – will be back on the Kop on Saturday.
Wednesday chairman, Lee Strafford, said: "We are looking forward to welcoming the band back to the Kop because they had become synonymous with our club. We know that opinion on the band is divided but this is another example of the club re-establishing relationships with Wednesday family members.
"We feel it is right to welcome the band back initially as a one-off and see what develops from there. I would liken it to welcoming back a long lost cousin; we will just have to wait and see how we get on."
The Kop Band will return to Hillsborough playing popular songs including The March from Aida and Honolulu Wednesday for the Swansea game on Saturday (March 21).
The band gained international recognition in 1996 with their official instalment as the band of the England national team, playing at every England game since. They have gone on to become boxer Ricky Hatton's official band and have also performed for the England Rugby Union team, GB Rugby League team, and at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for the GB women's hockey team in an official capacity.
Sheffield Wednesday manager, Brian Laws, said he is looking forward to their upcoming performance at Hillsborough: "Wednesday fans always create a fantastic atmosphere whether we are playing at home or away but I have never experienced the band during my time as manager and I look forward to having their backing from the Kop.
"I am sure the band will only enhance the atmosphere at Hillsborough and I think the players can also be spurred on by the sound that they create from the Kop."
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
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