When the parachutist landed on the roof

[Rodleydave]

Seem to remember there were other pre game events... blokes on stilts...clowns...
have I remembered right... was there anything else on that memorable day.
August 2008

[jedi_master]

Stephen Jordan scored a cracking own goal as I recall, but I can’t remember any other ‘entertainment’.

After all the excitement in the summer, and that horrific showing at Hillsborough just before this - I thought we were getting relegated.

[Hibsclaret]

Wasn’t it chico time to go? Not sure if I’m remembering correctly

[Sean Dyche's Watch]

I recall the PA announcer advising fans that the parachutist had been taken off the roof, so the game could start.... but the parachutist was still on the roof! The game started.... with the parachutist still on the roof.... He was safely brought down by the Fire Service during the first half was in progress.

[Sean Dyche's Watch]

Wasn’t it chico time to go? Not sure if I’m remembering correctly

Chico's appearance at Turf Moor was the previous year - October 2007.

[Sean Dyche's Watch]

It did seem to take a long time for the Fire Service to be able to get him down, but I understand that to be lack of access to the back of the Cricket Field Stand due to match day parking.

Were there announcements made in the stadium appealing to people to move their vehicles if they had parked there?

[Jimmymaccer]

Wasn’t part of it that the roof was of the same construction as the long side and probably not safe to walk around on?

[wilks_bfc]

It did seem to take a long time for the Fire Service to be able to get him down, but I understand that to be lack of access to the back of the Cricket Field Stand due to match day parking.

Were there announcements made in the stadium appealing to people to move their vehicles if they had parked there?

Wasn’t there also a cricket match going on as well?

[Sean Dyche's Watch]

Wasn’t there also a cricket match going on as well?

Quite possibly!

[Sean Dyche's Watch]

Wasn’t part of it that the roof was of the same construction as the long side and probably not safe to walk around on?

I'm sure I've read somewhere there is/was asbestos in the roof material. I'm very surprised the fans below weren't evacuated, especially with the risk of falling debris.

[Super Teds]

It did seem to take a long time for the Fire Service to be able to get him down, but I understand that to be lack of access to the back of the Cricket Field Stand due to match day parking.

Were there announcements made in the stadium appealing to people to move their vehicles if they had parked there?

Yes! It was bizarre, they started reading out the reg nos of some cars blocking the way. I think we kicked off around 4 with him still on the roof and watching the cricket. My memory also says we lost 3-0 with two own goals. I had the moment he landed on the roof caught on film, another incredible day out at the turf!

[giveusaB]

Some footage of the incident.

https://youtu.be/sCM0tP19_pQ

[Shappie]

Brilliant chant from the longside too

“Fathers for Justice”

[mkmel]

I was at that game and if my memory serves me well we were playing Ipswich

[Fretters]

I heard he broke his leg which wouldn't have aided getting him down. Results wise, what a weird start to the season, considering we went up in the end.

[claretburns]

Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Burnley
Burnley 0-3 Ipswich

First two games that season, who'd have thought then we'd be finishing it with promotion at Wembley.

[Fretters]

Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Burnley
Burnley 0-3 Ipswich

First two games that season, who'd have thought then we'd be finishing it with promotion at Wembley.

I think we had a 0-0 after that. It was a few games until we clicked, anyway.

[Goobs]

Didn't Remco Van Der Schaff play the Wednesday game and then never played for us again or something like that?

[claptrappers_union]

I'm sure I've read somewhere there is/was asbestos in the roof material. I'm very surprised the fans below weren't evacuated, especially with the risk of falling debris.

Luckily there wasn’t any fans directly underneath. There was just a smattering of Ipswich fans at the other side.

Paul Fletcher made the videographers delete any footage of it.

[wilks_bfc]

Didn't Remco Van Der Schaff play the Wednesday game and then never played for us again or something like that?

I don’t think he even played the full 90mins. Wasn’t he subbed if at half time?

Wonder if we ever find out the full story of what happened with him

[claretburns]

Didn't Remco Van Der Schaff play the Wednesday game and then never played for us again or something like that?

Yeah, apart from a few friendlies.

We were in a battle with Cardiff for his signature and won or rather lost in the race to sign him.

[claretburns]

I think we had a 0-0 after that. It was a few games until we clicked, anyway.

Sure we drew 0-0 with Plymouth and Palace before winning our first game away at Forest with that free kick and penalty double from Grezza. From there the League Cup campaign kicked into action and we never looked back.

[ClaretTony]

I recall the PA announcer advising fans that the parachutist had been taken off the roof, so the game could start.... but the parachutist was still on the roof! The game started.... with the parachutist still on the roof.... He was safely brought down by the Fire Service during the first half was in progress.

That was brilliant when they made that announcement, we could all still see him stood on the roof.

People who were parked on the cricket ground left on request to move their cars so the fire service could get the vehicles up to the stand. Once they'd moved their cars, they were refused re-entry back into the ground.

You couldn't make it up what happened that day but at least it brought an end to all the ridiculous pre-match entertainment.

[ClaretTony]

Didn't Remco Van Der Schaff play the Wednesday game and then never played for us again or something like that?

Yeah, apart from a few friendlies.

We were in a battle with Cardiff for his signature and won or rather lost in the race to sign him.

Remco played in friendlies before the season and kicked off at Sheff Wed. He was substituted after 59 mins and we never saw him again. When we won at Coventry in October he was one of the named substitutes but it wasn't him, it was Stephen Jordan. Not sure what would have happened had Jordan come on.

[jedi_master]

Yeah, apart from a few friendlies.

We were in a battle with Cardiff for his signature and won or rather lost in the race to sign him.

I asked Robbie Blake about VDS as this has been something that has intrigued me for years. He said, put simply, that he was just crap. Nothing more, nothing less.

Still strikes me as odd even after that in that we gave him a three year contract. Fishy in the extreme.

[claretburns]

Reading online VDS was a good player and played a few times for PSV in the early 2000s before being injured against Newcastle in UEFA Cup and was never the same player.

[ClaretTony]

I asked Robbie Blake about VDS as this has been something that has intrigued me for years. He said, put simply, that he was just crap. Nothing more, nothing less.

Still strikes me as odd even after that in that we gave him a three year contract. Fishy in the extreme.

Not saying he was with us long but it was Eddie Howe who eventually released him

[Fretters]

VDS was our highest player during our first Premier League season, wasn't he?

[fidelcastro]

VDS was our highest player during our first Premier League season, wasn't he?

6 feet one, but I'm sure we had one or two others who were taller.

[ClaretTony]

VDS was our highest player during our first Premier League season, wasn't he?

If you add the word 'paid' after highest, then yes he was.

[Fretters]

Haha, oops!

[Inchy]

Diego Penny also played his one and only game that season. Way out his depth. Even more out his depth when he came on in the premier league when Jensen faked injury after letting in a soft goal