THERE was no hint, when he first watched the Wanderers as a five-year-old, that little Joe Worsley would grow up to be anything more than your average football fan.

But there is nothing average about a man who finds himself on the receiving end of mocking chants from the packed Shed End at Stamford Bridge.

For the record, the Chelsea fans were not exactly poking fun at Joe, but at Sheephead, the comic character he portrays on Soccer AM, Sky Sports' Saturday morning show that has been a must for a certain breed of footie fan for the past decade.

But as far as football allegiance is concerned, Sheephead and Joe Worsley are one and the same - committed Wanderers fans - hence the "Sheephead, Sheephead, what's the score?" taunts as Chelsea, trailing 1-0 at half time, bounced back to beat Sam Allardyce's Whites 5-1.

In fact, Wanderers fans started it, goading Chelsea-mad Soccer AM presenter, Tim Lovejoy, after Stelios had rocked Mourinho's men with his first half goal.

"I was amazed they picked us out," Joe said. "I was at the game with Tim and I was crowing at half time. Then they did that to us."

Considering he started following Wanderers in the late 70s - his dad used to stand him on a wooden stool in the Burnden Paddock - Joe has suffered a disappointment or two down the years. So it would take more than a five-goal thumping to wipe the smile off his face.

After all, this is one of the people responsible for putting the fun into football.

His topless weather man character is just one of the regular features of Soccer AM that has attracted a cult following among fans, players and managers alike. Jose Mourinho is said to love the three-hour show, although Manchester United have famously refused to let their players co-operate.

Sheephead, who announces his slot with the message: "Topless Weather, in association with 'Gravy'. Oooh, northern boys love Gravy," has been a popular member of the show, which is fronted by Lovejoy and co-host, Helen Chamberlain.

But there is more to Sheephead and Soccer AM than off-the-wall gags. Light-hearted campaigns, such as "Save Chip" championed the right of every hen-pecked bloke to watch football on TV and, picking up on a comment of Crystal Palace boss Iain Dowie, they helped get the word "bouncebackability" entered in the Oxford dictionary.

And, like football, it's a team effort.

"We have a meeting every Tuesday morning and chuck a few ideas around," said Joe, who also produces Sky's Friday night Soccer AM All-sports Show.

"We all love football and all get our heads together and come up with a variety of jokes, gags and sketches. Everyone you see on is part of the production team."

Born and raised in Bolton - his father, Duncan, played cricket for Lancashire and for Bradshaw and Heaton in the Bolton League - Joe broke into TV production seven years ago when he did some unpaid work for Sky.

"I'd never heard of Soccer AM but they gave me a trial period and, for some reason, seemed to like my face," he said. "Now I'm so busy it's like being a hamster in a wheel. But I love it."

London-based, Joe does not get to see as much of Wanderers as he would like - only getting to the Reebok when visiting his parents in Blackrod - but he is delighted to see his team doing so well. Still, he has fond memories of less successful times.

"Sam's done a briliant job getting us into Europe," he said, "but I was just as big a Wanderers fan when we were hopeless.

"You really had a feeling of being a true fan when we used to lose 70 per cent of games.

"You always wondered what would happen next. Now we've stabilised, it's not quite the same."

l "Soccer AM2 - The Top Goals of All Time" DVD, released to mark the tenth anniversary of the Saturday TV show, is on sale now at £19.99.