'What a guy' - Sheffield Wednesday owners hits right notes with ex-players after previously being ignored
Small gestures are going a long way at Hillsborough...
A Sheffield Wednesday legend says it is ‘fantastic’ to feel valued by the club’s ownership again.
Dozens of former Owls attended a special event held at Hillsborough recently where they got to meet new owners David Storch and Michael Storch, chief executive officer David Bruce and sporting director Simon Wilson to hear about their future plans. The invitation was greatly appreciated and was in stark contrast to how they were largely ignored under previous owner Dejphon Chansiri.
It was only a small gesture but it went a long way toward making them feel loved again by the club they served. As part of the strategy to re-engage with former players, club icon David Hirst will host his own matchday event known as ‘Hirsty’s Social’ in a new modern space at the stadium.
“I went to a meeting with a number of ex-players to see the chairman down there - what a guy,” Mel Sterland told The Star, via Casino Groups. “He came across absolutely magnificent, fantastic. The other owner who was there before was a complete waste of time. He let the players down. He let the fans down. He didn't do anything right for that football club. Every football club I've been to I see ex-players around the ground talking to people. I don't know if he thought the ex-players wanted a job there or or whatever, but he just disrespected everybody.
“This new owner's come in and he loves the history of the football club, which is important. He loves the fans. He's getting proper players in. He's got proper people in. He's not just running the football club himself. It is all magnificent. It's all great for the football club. It is exciting.”
Storch revealed that on the day they took over the club he went into Chansiri’s old office and found trophies, plaques and historical memorabilia. That did not sit right with him and he has tasked the club with making sure they are accessible to all.
“They were sat there in an office where one person could see them,” he said. “I have challenged David Bruce to create a history room, where fans can come by to see and contribute to the telling of the history of this club and its past accomplishments and its past records. It’s pretty remarkable, it’s something we should be proud of and it’s something we should build upon.”