Hirsty's, a belter view and Red Sox inspiration : Inside Sheffield Wednesday's 'Mr Q' experience
Sheffield Wednesday’s northwest corner has been reimagined this season. Our man Alex Miller took in the ‘Mr Q’ experience on Saturday.
It’s a grand old thing, you know.
Wandering in a group behind matchday host Daniel Pudil to take in the sights of a sunny Sheffield Wednesday warm-up ahead of a near sell-out Hillsborough clash, that’s the thing that strikes. The old girl has still got it.
As a member of the group of eight invited to take in the fancy, funky ‘Mr Q’ experience at S6 on Saturday, the day brought a whole different perspective to a Star reporter now into his eighth season covering what can gladly no longer be described as the barmiest football club in Britain. With fan debates now set on selection and set-up rather than matters surrounding the institution’s very existence, there’s a sense of reassurance that something cool might be happening on the grander scale.
Having offered that coverage from the press box at the south side of the ground, it strikes that this remains one hell of a stadium, one that reeks of history and heritage. And then there’s the new-fangled Mr Q Dugout. It’s an incredible place to watch the game, with an incredible view to boot.
Nestled in the previously absent space between the North Stand’s lively T1 crew and the away supporters on-high in the West, a seat in the Mr Q dugout is perhaps the most out-there of Wednesday’s new age hospitality offerings and delivers more than one of the stadium’s finest views. The experience takes in the warm cuddle that is a pre-match pint in Hirsty’s Social and on-the-ground access to a matchday otherwise impossible. On a day that saw a morose atmosphere embroiled in a largely flat Owls performance in a goalless draw with Stockport County, it was above all things a great deal of fun.
Making use of the previously barren North West corner, the ‘Mr Q experience’ is in no small part the brainchild of James Todd, the long-time Owls employee whose job has been realigned a touch in the last few months to become the club’s Head of Partnerships, alongside CEO David Bruce and the wider commercial team.
The idea behind the Mr Q experience is inspired in no small part by the ‘Green Monster’ seats located right on top of the iconic left-field wall at the Boston Red Sox’s iconic Fenway Park - a place that sits close to the heart of chairman David Storch and has been mentioned as a reference point when it comes to the regeneration of Hillsborough.
“It was a bit of an off-the-cuff conversation with David Bruce,” Todd said on how it came about. “We got our heads together and we looked at that northwest corner and thought, ‘hmm, what can we do with that? Can we look at American models where they do things a bit differently?’ We looked at Boston and other venues around America.
“And so we came up with a bit of a concept of a fancy dugout in the North West corner, which is an area of the ground that's not been utilised for a good, what, 15 years or so, maybe longer.”
Mr Q joined Umbro, Fibrely, Wolf Competitions and NOCO in becoming the club’s principal partners this season. A major drive behind commercial agreements has seen a steep uprise in revenue alongside those in hospitality - all of which increases Wednesday’s spending capability even under continuing recruitment restrictions.
The branding of the corner itself, which is free to season ticket holders chosen out of a weekly draw that can be entered for no charge, is part of a wider partnership with Mr Q that also includes sponsorship around the ground and a back-of-shirt placing. The partnership came about quickly, with Todd recalling a whirlwind in turning things around in time for the season opener.
“There was going to be quite a few challenges with costs and things like that so we took it to market almost straight away,” he said. “It was about selling the dream and getting a sponsor on board and getting them to buy into the idea and the concept. Once we did that, it was about bringing it to life and getting it built within a two or three week time frame.
“They wanted to work with the club and we've been talking to them on and off for a few years anyway. It’s a fantastic deal for the club not just as back of shirt sponsor, but also a corner dugout partner... And it's a great way of engaging with 25,000 season ticket holders every match day because it is a straightforward upgrade your season ticket to become a Mr Q winner that weekend.
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“Everyone's loving the experience. And then a cherry on the cake is getting legends like Daniel Pudil involved who seems to be having a good time as well. That's fantastic.”
Greeted by Pudil from the off and treated to a free drink and a meal while listening to an entertaining turn by David Hirst and on this occasion the Czech himself, the shift in buzzing energy at Hirsty’s is a long way removed from memories of the old 1867 Lounge, loved by many but remembered by many more for long and painful evenings of Dejphon Chansiri fan forum dread.
Natural light bounds into the room from previously obscured double-pan windows and a snazzy layout encourages a good time. Football is played on a number of large screens - on this occasion West Ham’s comeback draw with Millwall - with a DJ playing tunes throughout.
Fed and watered, the experience takes you down the tunnel at S6 and to within touching distance of the players as they head out to their warm-ups. You’re taken around the ground to view the warm-ups up-close from in front of the North Stand and then to your seats. There’s further food and refreshment offered at half-time and with Pudil in situ, the insight of a former international footballer is on-hand throughout the game. It’s an experience indeed.
Having covered hundreds of matches at Hillsborough, having covered events and been in meetings all from the South Stand set-up, the realisation dawned as we were led across the ground that this was the first time this reporter had ever been to its north side and seen the grand old thing from an alternative post.
A better view of the Kop and the flag and the thousands within. A closer look at the grass from a view unventured, sunshine in the eyes. A wander into the open ends of the North and a visit to the troughs in the gents. And then of course the clock; that impressive, iconic clock. Hillsborough has still got it. With important improvements to infrastructure taking place away from the public gaze and the hospitality offering revitalised, the feeling is that the old girl is being dragged closer to modernity.