‘I hear the chairman was buzzing!’ – The Sherlocks’ Brandon Crook on living the dream with Sheffield Wednesday

Crook has been going to Sheffield Wednesday games since he was a kid, watching from the stands as the Owls rose up – and fell down – the footballing pyramid.

So when Wednesday’s marketing department got in touch with him about a project regarding the new shirt, his ears pricked up a little bit. There was no way he was saying no…

“It came about through a friend of sending me a message on Instagram,” Crook told The Star. “He was asking if it was ok to pass my number onto Liam Dooley (SWFC’s Chief Operating Officer).

“I knew Liam anyway, because he came to a gig of ours in New York a few years back - he’s a really top man, and as you can see he makes things happen! I’m buzzing that he is in the position he is in now, because he really does have the club’s best interest at heart and things are only going to go in a positive direction from now on.”

And it does feel that way, with a wave of positivity flowing around the club on the back of a number of new signing, the new kit – and the launch video itself – was incredibly well received by the Wednesday faithful. And, according to the drummer, Owls chairman, Dejphon Chansiri, was also a fan.

He went on to say, “The turnaround for this launch was super quick. He gave me a ring whilst we were in the studio in Manchester, and basically told me the concept of the launch and asked if we wanted to be involved… As a massive Wednesday fan it wasn’t even a question!

“So we filmed it on the Thursday afternoon, and it was launched the Friday morning. They were amazing people to work with, and I hear the chairman was buzzing with the launch too!

“For me, it was a massive honour - and if I’m being truthful, I don’t think the scale of the weekend I’ve just had has sunk in yet properly… I started watching Wednesday when I was about 13 when my uncle took me to a ‘Kids for a Quid’ game, then I got the bug and followed them since.”

Plenty has changed since then. Crook has grown up, is part of a successful band with his brother – and lead singer – Kiaran, and now their new single, ‘Falling’ is the soundtrack to the start of what feels like a brand new era for SWFC.

And it sounds like they might have some new fans on the pitch as well after teaming up with the likes of Liam Palmer, Andre Green and Chey Dunkley at Kelham Island’s The Steelworks.

Crook went on to say, “Genuinely, the players were all proper sound, as you’d expect. It was a laugh but really professional in the same sense. Joe Wildsmith was a good laugh and was digging the tunes. A few of the players have followed us on Instagram since the launch, too.

“One of my best mates, Sean Dyson, is a massive Wednesday fan, and I knew he would be buzzing… I spoke to him literally just before the launch the Friday morning, and was like ‘Get ready for this mate, it’s massive!’ The turnaround was that quick I don’t think I had time to tell him anyway!

“Plus we wanted to keep it a big secret for the big reveal! It could not have gone better timing-wise either with Tramlines at the weekend.”

Wednesday aiming for new coach appointment ‘sooner rather than later’

Speaking of Tramlines, we asked, how was that? On stage, right outside Hillsborough, new Wednesday shirt on his back… It must have been special?

“Yeah, it was incredible,” he enthused. “When I was walking out I thought ‘This is going to be special’ - and our dressing room was one of the boxes at Hillsborough too, which was incredible! We basically were looking out over Hillsborough pitch the whole day before we went over to Tramlines to play the main stage.”

So it was quite the day for the Wednesdayite, who – in a few weeks – went from recording in a studio in Manchester to rocking out Hillsborough Park with ‘Sherlocks 21’ on the back of the new Owls shirt before anyone else even had their chance to get hold of one.

But here’s the big question – home or away? Blue and white or pink?“I am a traditionalist…” he said. “And I’ve always been about the blue and white stripes. It’s what we are about, and I’m not a massive fan of when we don’t have them.

“The feedback on this new home strip has been nothing but incredible, it’s the best kit we have had in years! It’s absolutely unreal! And there is a massive buzz around the club at the minute – so bring on the new season!”

That new season gets underway on August 7th away at Charlton Athletic as life in League One begins for Darren Moore and his Owls, and everyone will be hoping that they’ll be doing the opposite of Falling as they eye an immediate return to the Championship after what has already been an exciting summer.

So lastly, any final words from Brandon?

“Big love to everyone who is getting behind The Sherlocks... And, we’re all Wednesday aren’t we?”

Moore explains Wednesday absentees as Paterson misses Owls win