What started as a hobby has snowballed into something with the potential to be a really popular business
Football-themed model creator Damian Kennedy’s pint-sized models from around the iconic Hillsborough stadium have been catching eyes online recently.
His work is garnering plenty of attention on social media with Owls fans wanting to get their own version of his work as a souvenir in their house.
Damian Kennedy poses with his Sheffield Wednesday-themed models.placeholder image
Damian Kennedy poses with his Sheffield Wednesday-themed models. | Damian Kennedy
Damian, who works full-time as an IT project manager, started making models in February 2024, due to the emotions he was feeling when his boyhood club Everton started to edge closer to their move to a new stadium.
He told The Star: “There were a lot of emotions leaving Goodison Park after 133 years of memories there. As football fans we got attached and many people wanted something to remember it by before we moved on to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“I’d seen different types of models, but thought I’d like to give it a go myself. I’d always had a passion for art at school which I think came from my dad and how competitive I was with him as a kid.
“After I made my first model, my sister wanted one more than my dad asked for one. Then suddenly a friend wanted one and before I knew it the whole thing kind of snowballed a bit for me.”
And Wednesday fans have been vocal about his creations on social media.
Steve Johnson commented on X: “These are really incredible.”
Cole described them as the “Best thing I’ve ever seen.”
While another, Duncan Eyre, who has already placed an order said: “They are brilliant, is that mine I spy at the back?”
Damian decided to start a small business called Model Turnstile shortly afterwards and now has a website where he takes requests from fans of a whole range of different football clubs, including Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Patrick Thistle and most recently Sheffield Wednesday.
He even produced models for Everton’s all-conquering 1984/85 team, which won the league and European Cup Winners trophy.
Damian Kennedy pictured front and centre alongside Everton's iconic 1984/85 squad.placeholder image
Damian Kennedy pictured front and centre alongside Everton's iconic 1984/85 squad. | Damian Kennedy
He added: “It’s all handmade - I don’t really do it for money. just the satisfaction of reproducing something articulately. The affiliation football fans have for their teams is really amazing. I enjoyed making a model of the old Baseball Ground that Derby County used to play in.”
Describing the process he goes through, he added: “The basis of the models is extruded polystyrene, very light weight pliable. I carve all the bricks individually - they’ve all had to be the right size to fit. Lots of different materials all come together and then I paint them by hand using acrylic paint and varnishes.
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“When I first started one would take a week - but now I can do five or six a week.”
Damian Kennedy in action putting together a model of Hillsborough Kopplaceholder image
Damian Kennedy in action putting together a model of Hillsborough Kop | Damian Kennedy
Damian’s newest Sheffield Wednesday themed models can be ordered either by messaging him on his X page or alternatively if you are looking for something specific you can fill in a request form on his website.
The average price of a model is around £150 to £160 but varies dependent on the size and time it takes him to complete.
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