The Sheffield Wednesday game that was the ‘loudest thing I’ve ever heard’ according to ex-Liverpool man..
Former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper, Chris Kirkland, recalls a specific game for the Owls that was the ‘loudest thing’ he’d ever heard.
Kirkland joined the Owls as a free agent in 2012, going on to make almost 100 appearances in Wednesday colours before his exit three years later. The former Liverpool shot-stopper played a big part for the club in the years following their promotion out of League One, and became a firm fan favourite for his efforts on the pitch.
Speaking in the latest episode of the All Wednesday show, the 43-year-old covered a whole range of topics from his painkiller addiction that started whilst with the Owls, to the incident against Leeds United and the charity work that he does now to keep himself busy – he even explained his feeling of ‘relief’ when Keiren Westwood came in and took his place. But he has many fond memories from his spell in South Yorkshire, and spoke glowingly of a Wednesday pre-match ritual.
It gives you tingles…
“And some!” he replied when asked if his time at S6 lived up to expectations. “The first time I was on the pitch and I heard ‘Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday’ it was just… wow. Every game, actually, I’d turn to face the fans, to see the passion that they have. I was fortunate to play at at Liverpool during ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, and nothing compares to that, but when they sing that at Sheffield Wednesday, oh my God it gives you tingles. You feel honoured to be on the pitch, honoured to be at Sheffield Wednesday, honoured to be experiencing that.
“The fans took to me from day one, too. Look, you have to play well, you have to start well obviously. I think a lot of people were skeptical when I signed, the fans would probably say that too, but wanted to start well – and I think I did. I always tried to conduct myself well on and off the pitch and I think the fans appreciated that.”
But there’s one game in particular that stands out, he says. And that game was on May 4th, 2013, as goals from Steve Howard and Leroy Lita handed them a 2-0 victory that secured their Championship status on the final day of the campaign.
“I loved the Middlesbrough game at the end of the season, when we ended up staying up,” he recalled. “I remember the atmosphere of that game, and I’ve played in some with amazing atmospheres, but that one was right up there. From start to finish. They knew what was at stake so were obviously a bit nervous like we were, but they got us over the line that day. It was packed to the rafters, and I think without them that day we’d have come unstuck.
“The ‘Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday’ before that game I still remember to this day. My daughter was in the crowd, my wife was there, we had friends there, and they still talk about it. It was possibly the loudest thing I’ve ever heard, and it gave the lads such a boost to hear it.”
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