John Hemmingham

Hemmingham started playing music at football matches in 1993 when he took a bugle to a Sheffield Wednesday match away at Everton's Goodison Park and played the fanfare to Aida.[4] The action was noticed by local newspapers and after a phone call to Hemmingham from Sheffield Wednesday manager, Trevor Francis,[5] Sheffield Wednesday then hired Hemmingham and group of Sheffield Wednesday supporters to form an official club band which became known as the "Kop Band".[6] Although the band became popular, Hemmingham and the Kop Band have been banned from Steel City derby rivals Sheffield United's stadium, Bramall Lane a number of times. In 2002, they were banned from Bramall Lane because Sheffield United were concerned that playing music might lead to "unsafe crowd movement" and "unacceptable structural movement" by Sheffield United's safety officer.[7]

In 1996, Hemmingham, along with the Kop Band, were invited by the head of The Football Association, David Davies to form a supporters band for the England national team in time for UEFA Euro 96.[8] Hemmingham accepted and the Kop Band became known as the England Supporters Band. Since then, Hemmingham claims he has not missed an England game.[9] As well as being viewed as the leader of the band, Hemmingham is also the managing director of them.[10]

After being offered a recording deal by Virgin Group chairman, Richard Branson,[11] Hemmingham and the band released The Great Escape theme tune as singles for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.[12] The England Supporters band then started received backing from commercial sponsors. In 2002, the band was sponsored by British newspaper, The Sun who paid for the band to fly to Japan for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In 2006, the band were sponsored by Leicester-based company Pukka Pies, becoming known as the Pukka Pies England Band.[13]

In 2010 publishers, Peakpublish announced they had signed a deal with Hemmingham for him to write two books about the formation of the England Supporters Band and his experiences with them. The books were called The Story of the England Supporters' Band[11] and Playing for England.[14]

Hemmingham has also led the England Band to other sporting events. In 2008, Hemmingham took the band to Beijing, China during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics to support Team GB[5] however they were not permitted to enter the Beijing National Stadium with their instruments and instead played on the streets of Beijing.[15] In 2012, during the London 2012 Summer Olympics it was announced that the England Band would be supporting both the Great Britain men's national field hockey team and the Great Britain women's national field hockey team during their matches at the Olympics.[16] Hemmingham has also taken the band to Las Vegas, United States as well as the City of Manchester Stadium to support Manchester boxer, Ricky Hatton. They have also attended Rugby sevens matches to support the England national team.[5]