Even the most ardent Wednesdayite wouldn’t argue that the celebrations for the 150th anniversary were not an unqualified success. Those shirts turning up late, the watch fiasco and, lest we forget, the front dropping off that big cake. So – albeit after 150 years and one day – it fell to Matt Exton and the All Wednesday film to save the year. And chuffin’ ‘eck did he land it.
An excited troop of Wednesdayites had made their way to The Showroom for tonight’s premiere (if we can use the word premiere – knowing that Steve and I had been filmed by Matt for the film my 13 year old daughter asked if there would be a red carpet that we would walk down “in a little black number with tape holding your moobs in place”). There was an air of proper anticipation as we popped down a pint and then took our seats.
The event was hosted by Mark Clemmit who brought a really nice vibe to the event, explaining that he was a disappointed man when we beat the mighty ‘Pools in that div one play-off, chatting to (an understandably emotional) Matt and then inviting Tom Lees up on stage to say a few words (the skipper spoke really well despite making the schoolboy error of talking about playing for “Sheffield” – you can take the boy out of L**ds…).
And then we were on to the film itself. Steve and I met up with some mates in the Fat Cat afterwards who asked what the film was about. Steve nailed it better than me by explaining that it was about supporting Wednesday from a wide variety of angles. There was a totally engaging cast-list of Wednesdayites young and old (including Matt’s dad); the oldest reminiscences going back to - I think - 1961 but much of the focus settling on a period from the Boxing Day Massacre through to somewhere around 2012.
There were loads of totally beguiling high points – the best for me being the guy who described him and his mates managing to get into the Wednesday celebration party in a London hotel after the 1991 League Cup win (“this bloke said you can’t come in here but this other guy put his arms around us and said ‘they’re with me’”) – cue brilliant shots of Phil King leading the singing as a copious amount of pop was potted.
Importantly Matt did not dodge some elements of tragedy and sadness but crucially allowed his speakers to allude to the power of the Wednesday family flowing around the people who are suffering after even the harshest of happenings.
Us Trucks types were also featured – Steve and I were shown sat in the taproom of the Barracks explaining that we were turning out the paper copies of the fanzine in the best of times in terms of the personalities we were working with (Di Canio, Sibon, Warnock et al) as well as showing off our swipes at the Richards/Wilson relegation tag-team and Dave Allen. And yes – I’m a pillock for using the word “zeitgeist”.
Outside afterwards it was lovely to be approached by a guy who still has – and treasures – his original copies of WOTMT and then to have a bit of a chat with Lee Bullen who really is an enduring star in the Wednesday firmament.
So, three hours after we finished watching I just wanted to congratulate Matt Exton on a wonderful piece of work that quite rightly earned him a standing ovation from a massively impressed and very much moved audience. I sent a tweet from the post-film pub saying that All Wednesday had rescued the 150th celebrations. My understanding is that the film will now be made more widely available but if the Wednesday hierarchy have half an ounce of common-sense they will push it for absolutely all they are worth.