It has been a period of doom and gloom for Sheffield Wednesday, but their fortunes may be set to turn around in the upcoming campaign.
The Owls have sunk back into SkyBet League One, after finishing the most recent season on zero points courtesy of a crushing point deduction, young squad, and off-the-field torture.
However, the bad times are now firmly in the rearview mirror. The new ownership group, led by US businessman David Storch, has breathed new life into Hillsborough and buoyed the hefty Wednesday fanbase with bright prospects.
And, football finance academic Kieran Maguire agrees with the optimistic view of the blue side of Sheffield’s chances for the 2026/27 season.
A financial seal of approval for Sheffield Wednesday:
The host of The Price of Football podcast spoke exclusively with the Football Lowdown. He covered a range of topics with League One Lowdown co-host Jamie Johnson, including the sorry state of Leicester City’s current position, and his lofty expectations for the Owls.
Kieran said: “The good thing is that [Dejphon] Chansiri is no longer there. His competence issues were very concerning, so that is behind them”
Chansiri was the bleak cloud that cast the entire club into darkness, with the missed payment of staff a continued issue during the latter stages of his tenure.
But, with bright skies on the horizon, things are looking up for Sheffield Wednesday.
Kieran added: “In a certain way they are in a fantastically strong position.
“They have sold an amazing amount of season tickets, you’ve got to give the fans credit for sticking with them. So, that is a positive.”
More than 20,000 Owls fans have already booked their place to be in the Hillsborough stands for what is set up to be an immediate return to the second tier.
Boss Henrik Pedersen remains in post after guiding an inexperienced team through a more than tricky period, and now has the chance to build a squad of his own with a number of current talents exiting the club.
“The manager can effectively recruit who he wants, because there are not that many players rolling over into next season in terms of contracts,” Kieran said. “So, there is the opportunity to mould the squad as they see fit.”
Kieran Maguire gives the Owls his stamp of approval:
There may be a lot of work to do between now and the start of the campaign in early August, but Kieran is optimistic about the Owls’ immediate future.
He said: “The new owners are saying all of the right things, they are not inheriting any debts. The unpaid taxes, the unpaid amounts to local supplies, that is the problem of the administrator.
“That ultimately is an ex issue, as far as Chansiri is concerned.
“So on the back of that, I think they and Leicester are the two clubs you would expect to be promoted. Oxford United, I think, are in a very different financial environment.”
The U’s were the other team relegated from the Championship, after falling the wrong side of a tense battle with the likes of ex-Premier League sides West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers.
Their financial situation is different to that of the Owls, and by extension Leicester City, with a smaller fanbase and tighter budget. Though, they can still expect to challenge at the sharp end on their return to the third tier.
Switching focus back to the South Yorkshire outfit, Kieran summarised: “I can see Sheffield Wednesday storming that division, if they get the football side of things right.”
Only time will tell if the Owls do get the ‘football side of things’ right, but their finances are in good order. And, that is a far cry better than the state the club has been forced to endure over recent times.
