The 15-year secret of viral superstar ‘Tom the Chesterfield fan’ – whose emotional rallying cry helped inspire Sheffield Wednesday comeback classic

‘Tom’ is a regular caller to BBC Radio Sheffield, whose emotional call last week prompted a surge of energy within the Sheffield Wednesday fanbase in the days leading into their improbable play-off semi-final second leg mission against Peterborough United.

Three goals, then Liam Palmer, Callum Paterson and Jack Hunt; pandemonium on the terraces. The match lives on in Wednesdayite celebrations several days on and will live long in the memory of not only those who were there, but the many who tuned in on television or on the radio, Owls-affiliated or not.

One man – not Owls-affiliated – who did watch the match with interest was ‘Tom’, who within hours was being inundated with social media messages of thanks from Wednesdayites for a brace of calls to Radio Sheffield’s ‘Football Heaven’ programme that set the hair on the back of the neck standing rigid.

Hi initial call was quickly shared on Wednesday forums, dominated Twitter hashtags and filled Facebook pages. The message – that centred on Chesterfield’s spirited but ultimately failed National League play-off clash with Notts County – spread far and wide but particularly hit hard with those of an Owls persuasion.

The message? That while his dream was over, even at four-nil down, Wednesday’s was not; “Never give in, never give up. You never know.”

A few days on, ‘Tom’ is being described as an unsung Wednesday hero.

Before we climb into that, a revelation. Though he has been calling into Radio Sheffield as ‘Tom’ for around 15 years, his actual name is John Connaughton. He’s a 44-year-old sales manager.

A misheard debut phonecall all those years ago had him saved in the system as Tom, a name that he has cheekily gone by ever since.

“It’s a strange thing,” John chuckled, allowing The Star to break his deep, dark secret of a decade-and-a-half. “They got my name wrong all those years ago and I’ve just let them go with it. Ilike it, I think it’s funny and I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of it. It’s my sense of humour.”

Sheffield Wednesday isn’t a club that means a great deal to John one way or another, but he is delighted to have played just a small part in rousing a fanbase that in turn roused the players into one of the great football achievements.

“I called up and wanted to say my piece on Chesterfield and how much effort they’d put in down there,” he explained.

“I thought I was only going to be on for a couple of minutes, but then I could feel myself getting emotional, my voice started going.

“The twist in the tail has been that last part of my call. The Wednesday fans were ringing in or texting saying they’d rip their tickets up or they weren’t going. Something inside of me couldn’t have it. If someone right there had given me the opportunity to have my chance with Chesterfield back, I’d have done anything. I couldn’t understand it; just don’t give in.

“Lo and behold, they went and did it. I’ve spoken to people who said fans were talking about my call in the ground – it’s mad! People have said they went to the ground because of what I’d said. It’s crazy!”

As if his opening call wasn’t enough, John followed-up with a second on the day of the match – just hours before kick-off – which went some way to further inspiring the Owls masses.

Together with an inspired pre-match video message from Darren Moore played out across the ground that ended ‘Come on, let’s go’ and prompted a fierce war cry of response from the Hillsborough terraces, it made an undoubted impact.

“I rang up on Thursday to thank Rob and anyone who had commented, because it had meant a lot,” John said.

“Rob asked me if I had a message for the Wednesday fans going later that night and I said ‘Imagine if they got a goal in seven minutes’ – well they scored in seven minutes!

“They scored at the right times and kept it going and my word what an atmosphere.

“There’s been messages I’ve seen that have been about my call and saying ‘I don’t know who you are, but thankyou, thankyou, thankyou’ – like I’d put the ball in the back of the net!

“The Wednesday thing was just incredible. Bonkers, really.”

Score goals himself he didn’t, but in turning at least a section of the Wednesday fan base away from the abject disappointment of a 4-0 defeat at Peterborough United six days later, a Chesterfield fan with no skin in the game played his own supporting role in something truly, truly bonkers.

It’s a praise for Tom – or is it John?

READ MORE:

Desperate sprints, dark secrets and no regrets: Meeting the Sheffield Wednesday fans who left historic Peterborough United clash early

Darren Moore’s embrace with former Sheffield Wednesday striker an iconic moment on an evening of iconic moments

Sheffield Wednesday man makes big statement that might confuse Celtic and Rangers fans