Facebook football groups are a great way of expressing fans’ opinions for many reasons and The Wednesday Sing! is one of the many established over Facebook.
The Wednesday Sing! is a Sheffield Wednesday fans group and has been for nearly ten years now.
Over time the group, which has received great attention from celebrities and footballers, has gained over twenty thousand budding Sheffield Wednesday fans which many regular compose opinion post, comments and shares in the group.
The group seems to be, the first go to place for the fans to communicate.
Statistically the group has seen two-thousand new posts in the last month.
Like many things there is a creator behind the group.
Dato Khan of Sheffield cut the ribbon to the group’s establishment online, nearly ten years ago.
Mr Khan life-long fan of Sheffield Wednesday fan, moved to Sheffield (Fir Vale) when he was just two years old prior to his father serving in the British army and ever since has found a fond attachment with the club.
Mr Khan said: “When I was eight years old my older brother took me to Hillsborough with him and his mates. I can still remember walking on to a packed Kop no roof (like there is now) and no seats. It was just a hill.”
Though years on from that what made the former Owls’ employee make this blossoming fan group?
Originally the group was made ‘as a small group of personal friends’ who Dato worked with, with the intention of sharing information to eachother, Mr Khan also revealed he ‘picked up on news that some would call exclusive.’
Gradually the group members started adding friends and family of their own who wanted to opt in on the news.
These members then added their friends and relatives, soon the domino effect was in full progression and the group hit one- thousand members in a few months.
Mr. Khan continued to produce content for the group and it soon paid off as the group hit the second major landmark of two-thousand owls, soon the group had to input some sort of security.
This is when group creator, Khan began adding admin.
Now almost a decade down the line the group has gone through checkpoints at light-speed seeing at least two thousand new members every year.
Mr Khan said: “After smashing through ten thousand, then fifteen (thousand, then twenty (thousand) we are now on twenty one point four thousands, it’s so heartwarming to know fans still trust TWS and are still joining us.”
He also implied that it ‘can be difficult’ to keep on top of the group.
As expected ‘there can be many meltdowns and rule-breaking’ but Mr. Khan gave assurance that he has always ‘kept pretty strict.’
It’s not just the creator of the group who’s identified the fantastic progress of the group the group also receives the popularity vote from many members.
Liam Theaker member of the group for nearly four years said: “It’s brilliant to see how the group has flourished, now there is more members than before it gives me assurance its the place to come for in the know news.”
Additional to thousands of blue-blooded fans, the group is also home to many celebrities and club associated people.
This list includes ex-goalkeeper Chris Turner, club legend Terry Curran, current Owls’ full back Liam Palmer and Lee Bullen (coach).
It’s not just work behind the screen though that Mr. Khan has done on behalf of the group.
The group every year ‘visit sick fans in hospital and take them chocolates and the TWS flag’ and speak to the patients about football.
Additional to this, a few years ago, a son of a terminally ill woman got in touch with Dato stating she wanted to meet Dejphon Chansiri before the ‘inevitable’ happened.
Mr Khan then got into contact with the Sheffield Wednesday chairman, who drove straight to the hospital to greet her.
The togetherness of the group has been recognised throughout the years by Dato.
He said: “The one thing I love about TWS! is when we need to get together for certain issues like a cancer patient or death, the support is unimaginable.”
Mr Khan seems adamant to keep the group’s passionate work going for years onwards.
He said: “ As long as I’m able, and Facebook allows us.. there will always be The Wednesday Sing! to bring us together in the good and bad times.”
If you’re a Sheffield Wednesday fan and want to join the group, Facebook search ‘The Wednesday sing!’
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