Sheffield Wednesday’s David Stockdale spotted chopping hair at Hillsborough party

You see, the Owls’ promotion was done, the trophy was lifted, but there was still one thing that ‘Stocko’ had to settle amidst the celebrations in Sheffield following their return to London.

The experienced shot-stopper has been a big part of the Wednesday squad this season, but it’s not just on the field that he’s connected with people in and around the club – and one man that he’s got close with is partnerships manager, James Todd.

So close, in fact, that on Wednesday night he could be seen grinning, cowboy hat on his head, with a clump of hair in his hand.

‘Toddy’ thought he might get to keep his hair after Peterborough away – but alas…

Towards the back end of the season at a kit sponsor dinner we decided that he’d cut my hair if we got promoted,” he explained to The Star. “It looked like we weren’t, then they picked up again and he didn’t forget.”

It all started when Stockdale arrived, long before he’d even made his first appearance in Wednesday colours.

“In a nutshell, Stocko took an executive box off us this season – he bought it for his family to use. We got on immediately, and in preseason he made me get up in front of the squad – water bottle in hand – and sing. I went for Backstreet Boys.

“We’ve had a good relationship all the way through, we’re a similar age too. We’ve both got kids and stuff.

“So we had this deal, and the other day he was running around the town hall looking for scissors. He wanted do it on the balcony, but he didn’t find any and I managed to keep myself scarce.”

“My colleagues Hannah and Millie didn’t help, they were off looking for scissors as well – you know – poking the bear. They eventually found some at Hillsborough, during the afterparty, and you’ve seen the video so you know what happens next.

“I’d said to him, ‘I’m 35, I can’t really rock a man bun anymore’, but part of the stipulations I laid out were that he’d have to contribute to a charity – so he’s putting some money into Rio Spurr’s charity fund, and that makes it all worth it.”

Why the cowboy hat, you may ask? Well a while back Stockdale had said to Barry Bannan that he’d ride a horse to Hillsborough if they got promoted. He couldn’t get a horse, so a cowboy hat had to suffice as their victory parade passed through the city.

It remains to be seen whether ‘Stocko’ will still be a Wednesday player next season as his contract comes to an end, but even if he leaves he’s certainly left his mark on the club in more ways than one.

Who knows, maybe there’s even a career in hairdressing waiting for him once he does decide to hang up his gloves. But probably not.