5 hours ago
2
There haven't been too many significant days at Hillsborough over the past 30 years.
The miracle comeback against Peterborough. Play-off semi-final victories against Brentford and Brighton (whatever happened to them?).
Saturday was significant. A sold-out crowd, ready to celebrate the end of a nightmare and the start of something new.
"A club reborn," it said on the scoreboard.
There was a totally different mood around the place. People were smiling and stopping to talk about their hopes for the future. Optimism filled the air. It felt very unlike Sheffield Wednesday.
The 33,750 crowd was the biggest in the whole of the Championship this season and speaks to the passion that still exists for this club. With 30 minutes to go until kick-off, the stands were full with people singing and chanting.
Then, the introduction.
New chairman David Storch was welcomed on to the pitch. A huge roar shook Hillsborough. Another followed when he announced on the microphone: "Today, we return the club to the fans.
"This is your club. I want you to know that we will work tirelessly to be the best stewards on your behalf."
More cheers.
"You have no idea what a huge task this has been," added Storch, before praising a number of individuals including his son Michael, Tom Costin, Asher Simmons, Clive Betts MP and James Silverwood from the SWFC Supporters Trust.
He introduced former Sunderland executive David Bruce as chief executive - the kind of experienced figure the club has needed.
A video on the big screen confirmed a return to the much-loved "old badge" - the familiar Owl logo that used to make the club so instantly recognisable before it was removed by former owner Dejphon Chansiri.
The badge change is the kind of crowd-pleasing open goal that Chansiri so often missed.
Next on the big screen they put up -15 - the number of points many expected Wednesday to be deducted for next season because of EFL guidelines relating to coming out of administration. The crowd weren't aware of the EFL's decision not to impose the deduction.
One by one, the numbers ticked away and each deducted point being removed was cheered by the home crowd.
As the total turned to zero and fans realised there would be no penalty, there was the loudest roar Hillsborough has heard in a long time.
You could feel 12 months of anguish, sadness, stress and desperation being released. Supporters punched the air. Some cried.
I thought about two fans, Dean and Alex, who contacted BBC Sheffield the day before the game.
They lost their mum in January and said their dad, a Wednesdayite, had been struggling. Saturday was his 73rd birthday. He was at Hillsborough to be uplifted with so many others.
It's never just a game, is it?
To cap it all off, the Owls won for just the second time in the Championship and claimed their first league win at home for 376 days.
Club-hero Liam Palmer scored the winner in front of the Kop. It was almost scripted - and it makes you wonder what'll happen next in this story.
At the end of the game, an older gentleman who sits near the press box came up to me. I said hello and asked if he was all right.
"I am now," was his reply.
Off he went with a smile, contemplating that his club might bring him some joy again in the future.
