Living next to Sheffield Wednesday is 'exciting' but locals have the same problem

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To plagiarise the famous American insurance jingle, residents in Hillsborough would say ‘Like a good neighbour, Sheffield Wednesday is there’.

They are one of the best known football clubs in the world, Sheffield is the home of football and the city’s teams hold a lot of weight in the English football pyramid.

But what is it like to live and work with Sheffield Wednesday as your neighbour, where thousands flock from across the country to watch football just across the road from you?

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Houses on Leppings Lane next door to Hillsborough Stadium.Houses on Leppings Lane next door to Hillsborough Stadium.
Houses on Leppings Lane next door to Hillsborough Stadium. | Dean Atkins

We spoke to residents living and working on the streets around Hillsborough Stadium to find out what it’s like having a football club next door, and the good and the bad that comes with it.

Mohammed Shabir has the the proprietor of S & S Stores since 1988. He’s seen the area change around him and he’s seen how different it has become.

“If it wasn’t for the matchdays, I would not exist here,” he told The Star. “It’s brilliant for me... it’s great for business.”

Hillsborough Stadium seen next to a home on Parkside Road.Hillsborough Stadium seen next to a home on Parkside Road.
Hillsborough Stadium seen next to a home on Parkside Road. | Dean Atkins

S & S Stores is located right on the corner of Vere Road and Penistone Road, putting Mr Shabir mere metres away from Hillsborough Stadium. He said the area has changed dramatically.

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“This is one of those cities now where it is all about supermarkets,” he said. “Think about it. The other side of Hillsborough there’s Morrisons, Aldi, Tesco, Home Bargains. There’s Sainsbury’s and big Asda.”

The junction of Leppings Lane and Fielding Road, close to Hillsborough Stadium.The junction of Leppings Lane and Fielding Road, close to Hillsborough Stadium.
The junction of Leppings Lane and Fielding Road, close to Hillsborough Stadium. | Dean Atkins

He points out the shop window, directly opposite him, across Penistone Road, towards a construction site. It’s going to be the area’s second Aldi - directly next to him.

However, he doesn’t seem too deterred by it. As we chat, customers come in, buying milk, paracetemol, and Pot Noodles. He seems to know them all.

I catch 29-year-old Simon Lennox as he leaves his home on Fielding Road. He bought the house two months ago and has been renovating it ever since.

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Simon Lennox only recently became a neighbour to Sheffield Wednesday.Simon Lennox only recently became a neighbour to Sheffield Wednesday.
Simon Lennox only recently became a neighbour to Sheffield Wednesday. | National World

He said: “I’m surprised at how non-disruptive it is. [Sheffield Wednesday] have done a great job minimising the disruption.”

Mr Lennox said the club are good neighbours and he had very little to complain about, but he, Mr Shabir and others I spoke to all have one specific complaint - parking.

“Parking is the worst bit. It can be a nightmare,” said Jim, a 25-year-old living on Winster Road.

The tightly packed streets around Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground.The tightly packed streets around Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground.
The tightly packed streets around Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground. | Dean Atkins

Mr Shabir said: “The only downfall is when they shut the roads off at both ends and they don’t believe you live here. You have to prove you live there.”

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He said it isn’t even fans who cause the problem, but gameday stewards.

“Stewards park on matchdays early to avoid the road closures. You can see they’re stewards because they get out the cars and put on their yellow jackets,” he added.

But if that’s the only issue, they say life next door to Sheffield Wednesday is absolutely fine.

“I would say they’re good neighbours,” Jim said. “We were quite pleasantly surprised. I’m not into football, but it is quite exciting to hear the noise. It isn’t too long and is quite rare.”

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If there was one thing to take away from the visit, it was that Hillsborough is a community.

Standing in Mr Shabir’s shop and seeing him interact with his customers, some of whom worked for the football club around the corner, it shows another tight-knit Sheffield neighbourhood.

Parking may be rough, but they’re all very happy where they are.

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