Performing for Sheffield United’s Player of the Year Awards
Most football supporters dream of one day sitting in the directors’ seats at their club.
I never imagined I’d experience it because Sheffield United had hired me to perform.
Born and raised in Sheffield, supporting the Blades was never really a choice in our family. My dad was a Blade, which naturally meant I became one too.
So when Sheffield United invited me to perform at their 2015 Player of the Year Awards, the event immediately carried a very different kind of meaning.
This wasn’t simply another booking.
This was my football club.
Breakfast with the Chairman
The day began long before the evening performance itself.
My dad and I had been invited as guests for breakfast with the chairman before the final match of the season, and I remember us both arriving suited and booted far earlier than we normally would on a Sunday morning.
There’s something slightly unnatural about wearing a suit while trying to eat breakfast, but neither of us were about to miss the opportunity.
As we were shown into the room, I quickly realised it wasn’t just club officials present. Several former Sheffield United legends were there too, including players I had grown up hearing about as a supporter.
It all felt slightly surreal.
Then the chairman entered the room.
Instantly, he reminded me of an old-school headmaster - authoritative but welcoming at the same time. He shook our hands, introduced himself and joined the room naturally as breakfast began.
Throughout the morning there were conversations, stories and plenty of football discussion floating around the tables, but what I remember most clearly was my dad.
I could tell he was proud.
At one point he said to the chairman:
“Just wait until you see what he can do later.”
That moment has stayed with me ever since.
Matchday from the Directors’ Seats
After breakfast, we were escorted to the directors’ seats at Bramall Lane for the afternoon match between Sheffield United and Chesterfield.
As lifelong supporters, seeing the club from that perspective felt completely different.
Football suddenly becomes quieter from those seats. You notice details you never see as a regular supporter. Conversations between directors, hospitality staff moving around the stadium, former players chatting casually in corridors - it feels like stepping briefly behind the curtain of something that had always been part of your life from the outside.
Thankfully, Sheffield United won the match too, which certainly helped the atmosphere heading into the evening celebrations.
The Evening Awards Ceremony
The Player of the Year Awards itself took place later that evening at Sheffield City Hall in front of more than 500 guests.
The event was black tie, professionally staged and hosted by the late Harry Gration, one of Yorkshire television’s most recognisable and respected presenters.
My role across the evening was split into two parts.
The first involved performing mix and mingle entertainment during the champagne reception for players, coaching staff and invited guests before dinner.
The second was a short after-dinner stage performance following the awards presentations.
I remember one of the directors jokingly telling me beforehand:
“If it’s going badly, cut it short.”
It probably wasn’t intended to affect my confidence, but I remember quietly deciding at that moment that I was going to make absolutely certain the performance landed well.
Performing for the Club I Supported
One of the most interesting aspects of the evening was how differently the performances felt psychologically.
Normally, when you perform professionally, there’s a degree of emotional separation from the audience.
This felt different.
I wasn’t simply performing for a corporate client or private audience. I was performing for players, staff and supporters connected to a club that had been part of my life growing up.
That added pressure changes your focus completely.
Fortunately, everything connected beautifully on the night.
Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett
One of the standout moments involved ITV quiz personality Mark “The Beast” Labbett from The Chase.
Known publicly for his intelligence, confidence and imposing personality, he became the perfect participant for the style of psychological entertainment I wanted to create.
With the help of my good friend and AV technician Tim Smithies, we had rigged a GoPro camera above the performance table so the entire ballroom could experience the close-up demonstrations live on the large screens around the room.
Tim is one of those rare people in live events who instinctively understands exactly what is needed without overcomplicating anything.
As the performance progressed, I repeatedly revealed Mark’s thoughts and predicted his decisions several times in succession, each phase escalating the reactions from both Mark and the audience.
What began as curiosity quickly turned into full-room laughter and disbelief.
The atmosphere in the room shifted completely.
A Personal Finale
For the finale, I invited Sheffield United stadium announcer Gary Sinclair onto the stage.
Rather than ending with something large or theatrical, I wanted the final moment to feel personal and emotionally grounded.
The routine centred around Gary thinking about somebody from his past before I gradually revealed the identity of an old school friend he was focusing on.
The reaction was immediate and genuine.
At the conclusion, Gary simply looked towards the audience and said:
“That’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen.”
Moments like that are always the ones that stay with you longest.
Looking Back
As memorable as the performances were, what stays with me most about the day now isn’t necessarily the stage show itself.
It’s sitting beside my dad at breakfast.
It’s walking into Bramall Lane through the directors’ entrance.
It’s experiencing Sheffield United not simply as supporters, but as invited guests because of something I had built professionally.
Football, family and career rarely collide in such a strange and meaningful way.
For one day in Sheffield, they all did.
