Everything should be rosy in the Wednesday garden, right? You would be wrong.

Despite the strong start, the underlying numbers are a growing cause for concern heading into the international break.

Expected goals (xG) has its critics, but it remains one of the clearest indicators of chance creation and territorial dominance. And right now, there are alarm bells with Wednesday’s xG figures.

Wednesday have posted inferior xG to Peterborough United, Wigan Athletic and Stockport County in their past three matches. They somehow escaped with five points but only because those opponents failed to convert gilt-edged chances. That luck won’t last forever.

Stats, of course, are not everything. Far from it.

But Wednesday have not passed the eye test either. Supporters have been vocal about the dip in performance levels since the 7-2 demolition of Bromley.

Henrik Pedersen is not blind to their shortcomings. He knows the team is not perfect and has repeatedly called for patience after a summer overhaul of unprecedented scale. Bedding in 18 new players will take time and Wednesday have shown character and resilience to grind out results in this transitional period. Pedersen remains confident the team will sharpen up with more training time and expects their attacking cohesion to improve over the next three to four weeks.

“We have had a good start to the season,” centre-back Di’Shon Bernard told The Wednesday Word. “Before the season, I think we would have snapped your hands off to be where we are now. We can only get better.

“All the new lads have gelled pretty quickly, especially the attacking players. They’ve got goals already which is always good. Once they get their confidence, they are ready to fire. We can’t get carried away but we’re definitely aiming high.”

The problem is that Wednesday’s identity remains unclear. What exactly do they want to be? A strong pressing side? More possession-based?

A youthful-Wednesday team were outplayed, outfought and outthought by a League Two side for 55 minutes last Tuesday. Yes, Pedersen made eight changes. Yes, key players were rested. But that does not excuse a desperately poor first half. Salford changed their entire XI and were quicker, sharper and more cohesive. It was embarrassingly one-sided. Wednesday were second best in every department.

Salford had nearly four times as many shots and registered 28 touches in the Wednesday box compared to 17. That imbalance feels unsustainable.

There was a reaction after the break. Pedersen’s changes paid off and Wednesday got the job done. Everyone knows going deep in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy is not the priority. Promotion is.

But sooner or later, Wednesday must start performing better - or the results that have papered over the cracks will begin to turn.

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Here are four talking points after the Hillsborough clash:

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Henrik Pedersen’s team enter the clash on the back of a four-match unbeaten run. Although Wednesday were held to a frustrating goalless draw with struggling Wigan Athletic last time out, the result was enough to keep them top of the embryonic League One table.

Supporters can buy tickets on the West Lower Stand for all home fixtures moving forward. A statement on the club’s website read: “We’re calling on Wednesdayites to make the difference and bring the noise from all sides of Hillsborough!”

Pedersen has received a huge boost with the news that Yan Valery has shrugged off a minor knee injury. It is highly likely Valery will keep his place at right-back. The rest of the back four should remain unchanged. They will need to be at their best: Stockport have scored a league-high tally of 16 goals.

Barry Bannan, Callum Slattery and Billy Mitchell should all retain their places in midfield. Fans favourite Bannan has been operating deeper alongside Mitchell and is still searching for top form while Slattery may revert to the No 10 role, having struggled to make an impact from the left flank against Wigan. Expect Manchester City loanee Jaden Heskey is set to return to the matchday squad and bolster the bench.

Having watched his side fire blanks in three of their five home matches this season, it will be fascinating to see whether Pedersen decides to rejig his forward line for arguably their toughest test to date. Kieran Morrison caused Wigan plenty of problems with his speed and direct running, particularly in the first half. He deserves to keep his place.

Improving Wednesday’s output on the left hand side features high on Pedersen’s priority list. There is no like-for-like replacement in the squad for Louie Barry. The former Stockport man and experienced full-back Max Lowe are huge losses. Harry Gray impressed in a late cameo but is not a natural wide player. Jamal Lowe and Davis Keillor-Dunn can also operate from the left and drift into central areas to wreak havoc, but Pedersen may lean towards Gray, who has produced promising moments there earlier in the season.

Pedersen has four options for the lone striker berth: Jamal Lowe, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Mason Burstow and Ali Al-Hamadi. Lowe was quiet last time out, Keillor-Dunn is still settling and Al-Hamad’s form has been inconsistent. Stockport’s defensive frailties could see Burstow keep his place. His pace and movement may stretch the visitors and open up space for others.

With the six-loanee rule, one attacking loanee must miss out. A late decision will be made on Al-Hamadi’s availability after the striker suffered a foot injury in training this week. If Pedersen decides not to risk Al-Hamadi, Heskey is in line to take his place on the bench.

Predicted Owls line-up vs Stockport (4-2-3-1): Lumley; Valery, Santos, Cooper, James; Bannan, Mitchell; Morrison, Slattery, Gray; Burstow.

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He has made a catalogue of defensive blunders. He scored an own goal against Bromley. He lost his place in the starting line-up for Wednesday’s goalless draw to Wigan Athletic.

Ricardo Santos was preferred to Otegbayo at centre-back yesterday. The former Swansea City man was one of Wednesday’s standout performers, completely justifying Henrik Pedersen’s call to start him alongside Liam Cooper.

Fatigue eventually caught up with Santos after an injury-hit opening to the campaign, forcing Pedersen to withdraw the big defender in the 74th minute and send on Otegbayo his place. This move did not go down well with the home crowd. Some fans booed the decision.

Confession time: I didn’t hear the boos. And several fans on social media have suggested the fans’ disgruntlement could have been aimed at Pedersen for taking off Santos rather than Otegbayo coming on.

But if the jeers from a vocal minority of fans were directed at Otegbayo, what exactly do people think that’s going to achieve? Is giving a player personal stick magically going to make him perform better?

“Of course, it’s tough for him when the fans are doing this,” Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield. “He’s working a lot to come back to the level he wants to be. He’s fighting.

“We have to support him. He’s a young player and he’s doing all he can.”

And that’s the point. Otegbayo is not going out there deliberately to make mistakes. He’s trying to do his best for himself and Wednesday. His brilliant last-ditch challenge at the death helped Wednesday record their first league clean sheet of the season.

Because Otegbayo made his Wednesday debut more than two years ago, it is easy to forget he’s still only 21. He has experienced highs and lows in his Wednesday career. And the skeleton squad Pedersen had at his disposal last year meant he had little choice but to overplay Otegbayo and several other young players.

None of this excuses the lapses in concentration. Otegbayo does need to improve and sharpen up his decision-making.

“He’s learning and he has to learn because it’s a high level where we are now and he has to increase,” said Pedersen. “He has to work every day. His teammates support him really well.” He has backed Otegbayo to come good.

Supporters pay their hard-earned money and are entitled to their opinions. Many have already made their mind up on Otegbayo and feel he will never be good enough to help take Wednesday to the level they want to get to. Some see him as a liability.

Booing opposing players is par for the course. Booing your own player? It’s wrong. It’s counter productive. Getting on Otegbayo’s back is going to do little for his confidence levels.

Footballers getting flak from their own fans is nothing new. It’s a growing trend, but that doesn’t make it right.

It has certainly not helped Otegbayo that the players around him have constantly changed. Injuries to Max Lowe, Sil Swinkels and Santos has meant there has been no continuity in selection in defence.

Otegbayo is not perfect – if he was, he wouldn’t be playing for Sheffield Wednesday - but the criticism of him has gone over the top. Nobody goes out intending to make mistakes.

While Otegbayo is wearing a blue and white shirt, he deserves support. Get behind him. Give the kid a break.

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It was not a sexy buy but a necessary one. Santos, a big, strong, imposing figure, boasts a wealth of experience and has a strong record of performing in the upper reaches of League One.

“He has the physical profile to cope with the demands of this division - pace, strength and aerial presence - while also possessing the technical quality to contribute in possession,” said sporting director Simon Wilson after Wednesday signed the towering centre-back for an undisclosed fee from Swansea City.

Injuries limited Santos to just one appearance for the Swans - and he has endured a frustrating start to life at Hillsborough. A minor knock sustained in the Bromley demolition job kept the Cape Verde international out of their away wins at Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United.

But Santos made a welcome return to action against League One strugglers Wigan Athletic. Gabriel Otegbayo made way for the experienced centre-back, dropping to the bench. It was not a big surprise Henrik Pedersen opted to take Otegbayo out of the firing line. Otegbayo has struggled for consistency since breaking into the first team set up, making a string of high-profile errors leading to goals.

Mistakes happen and it’s how quickly Otegbayo learns from them that will define his Wednesday career. Like all young players, he must be given the time and space to grow at his own pace. It’s a squad game and Pedersen will have been delighted with the attitude Otegbayo showed when he was introduced in the final quarter of an engaging contest. His brave late block saved Wednesday a point.

Santos’ inclusion, meanwhile, saw him reunited with Liam Cooper at the heart of Wednesday’s rearguard. It took the big defender less than a minute to make his presence felt, shoving Sonny Perkins to the ground as the Wigan striker tried to latch on to a ball down the right-hand channel. A huge cheer reverberated around three sides of Hillsborough after Santos’ perfectly legal shoulder barge as the ball drifted harmlessly out for a goal kick. He’s a big unit and it was a passage of play that underlined his power and strength in physical duels.

Santos and Cooper, passed fit to start after recovering from the facial injury he suffered in the battling win at Peterborough United, had their fair share of defending to do in an open, entertaining first half. Given their early season struggles, it would have been easy for Wigan manager Gary Caldwell to set his team up in a low block and to look to play on the counter attack but his players attempted to take the game to Wednesday. They gave as good as they got and the Santos-Cooper pairing were tested. It took some desperate last-ditch defending to prevent Wigan from getting on the scoresheet. Their leadership and organisational skills at the back will be pivotal in Wednesday’s promotion quest.

It was important for Santos to get minutes under his belt and put in a solid showing. Competition for places is set to hot up at centre-back, with Sil Swinkels and Di’Shon Bernard edging closer to first team returns. Santos, making just his second league start, underlined his worth, producing a superb block to thwart Jenson Weir from close range after the restart as Wigan enjoyed a good spell of pressure.

Pedersen emptied his bench in search of attacking inspiration, but Wednesday lacked cohesion and ideas in the final third. Oh, how they could have done with Louie Barry’s creativity to break down a stubborn, well-drilled Wigan outfit.

Although it was a frustrating afternoon, Pedersen can take some comfort from seeing Wednesday record their first league clean sheet. It will have to be the first of many if they are to achieve their objectives.

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For a side still carrying the scars of last season, that is some statement.

Let’s not pretend everything is perfect. Everyone can see the weak points. Wednesday haven’t kept a clean sheet since Bolton in the Carabao Cup and the injuries at the back are piling up. Ricardo Santos, Max Lowe, Sil Swinkels and Di’Shon Bernard all missing at Peterborough? That’s a full defensive unit wiped out. The frailties are real and they will cost them at some stage.

And let’s be honest: Wednesday haven’t played well for 90 minutes yet. They’ve had spells - good spells - but they’ve also ridden their luck at Leyton Orient, Wycombe and Peterborough. But here’s the thing: they’re winning. They’re grinding. They’re finding answers while trying to integrate 18 new players after a summer that ripped the squad up and rebuilt it from scratch. The Oldham pre‑season debacle feels like it happened in another lifetime. The Pedersen‑out brigade? Very quiet now.

Pedersen himself knows the score. “It’s a good beginning but things can change quickly,” he said. He’s right. But he also talks about culture, connection, character - and you can see what he means. Wednesday didn’t just sign bodies; they signed personalities who look like they actually want to be here. That matters.

“We had a top pre-season but we have also got a lot of players who joined us after pre-season,” he said. “We need to bring everyone up to a level and we need to then have a much stronger connection. We will grow and work with the group. We must grow through the season and be much stronger than we are now.”

Pedersen deserves his due. Arise could easily have binned him after relegation. Plenty of fans wanted exactly that. Keeping him was the biggest call the new owners have made - and right now, it looks inspired. He’s earned credit. He’s earned trust. He’s earned the right to shape this team properly.

But how good are Wednesday, really? That’s still up for debate. Only one of their four wins has come against a side in the top half. They’ve put down a marker, yes, and will be overwhelming favourites to brush aside bottom-of-the-table Wigan Athletic this weekend -but the real examination arrives next week when promotion rivals Stockport County come to Hillsborough. That’s when we’ll learn something meaningful.

Last season was a slog. A bruising, joyless slog. Wednesday were the Championship’s punchbag. Everything was about survival and damage limitation. It sucked the life out of the place.

Pedersen talks about building a winning culture. That doesn’t happen overnight. There will be bumps. There will be off‑days. They will drop points when you least expect it. But they’ve made their best start in 30 years - and Wednesdayites deserve to enjoy it. This is what football is supposed to feel like. It’s about enjoying the journey. It’s about enjoying the ride.

Wednesdayites have finally got their club back.

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It’s been a tough year for the 19-year-old. He burst onto the scene with some brilliant performances in incredibly difficult circumstances, and his celebrations at Portsmouth endeared him to supporters in a way that only vein-popping fist pumps into the travelling fans can do.

When Weaver first arrived amongst the first team, I was asked by Wednesdayites what I liked about him. And it’s not just that he’s good on the ball, or that he’d throw himself in front of a bus if it had a football in the windscreen. What really stands out with the centre back is the way that he carries himself.

Being thrust into a relegation scrap at the heart of a defence being peppered is quite the baptism as far as football goes. But it didn’t take long for him to be raising his voice at players almost double his age, and there’s a joy about the way that he seems to love the art of defending. You can see it with the way he celebrates every block and tackle.

There are a lot of good footballers around, but not all of them have the same mentality and work ethic as Weaver. Not many would have overcome what he’s had to overcome to get to this stage. It’s why Wednesday must get the next steps in his young career right.

His all-action cameo at Wycombe marked a first game back in almost a year, and he looked like he’d never been gone. We know that Wednesday have already started discussions over an improved contract after exercising his one-year option, but things appear to have stalled on that front.

Arise seem to be more proactive than the former owner – and that bodes well. I just hope that now the transfer window is done they can focus on making sure that the potential stars of tomorrow at Hillsborough are looked after and made to feel respected in a way that Dejphon Chansiri consistently failed to do.

I’m not sure we’ll see Weaver in the XI against Peterborough United on Saturday, after his lay-off it could still be a bit too soon. But I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I’d love to see his minutes increase as time goes on, and with the likes of Liam Cooper and Ricardo Santos to learn from, Ernie Weaver could really go from strength to strength.

Wednesday need to make sure that the next chapters see him remain in the blue and white stripes that he’s been wearing since childhood.

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On the plus side, Arise have made them cheaper than Dejphon Chansiri, and they’ve reduced the amount of categories down to three – A, B and C. The downside, though, is that – in my opinion – the top tier prices are still too expensive, and honestly, I’d prefer they’d just got rid of categories altogether.

The club will say that you can mitigate the high prices by buying a season ticket or an ‘All Wednesday’ membership, and that’s all well and good – but £46 for a League One fixture is far too much money.

For balance, £34 for a Cat A game on the Kop means that they’ll never be higher than that, and £27 for Cat C in the same stand isn’t a bad price in my eyes. In 2018/19 - in the Championship - a Cat G game was £20 wherever you sat, for instance.

Wednesday will point to the fact that they’ve sold over 24,000 season tickets, and that there’s effectively a 10% decrease across season tickets, shirts and memberships. There’s also the fact that the new owners have spent £6m over the summer in order to get Hillsborough and the training ground at Middlewood Road to a standard closer to where they should be.

It’ll be interesting to see where games fall this season, too. If there are a lot of Cat A clashes, for instance, then grievances over prices will – rightly – increase. It wouldn’t take long for a membership to pay for itself, but that’s also sort of beyond the point. Cat B on the Kop, I believe, will be around the £30 mark.

I do think that £34 for a ticket in the away end is too much for Bradford City fans to be paying, absolutely… Especially for a game that’s on Sky. Many Championship teams are charging less.

But I also think there will be 30,000+ at that game regardless, and sadly, I also think it’s going to be a price similar to that which Wednesdayites will be paying often this season as well – they’re paying £30 at Leyton Orient, and sold it out.

Personally I don’t think any fan in League One should be paying more than £30 for a ticket. Leicester City have tickets at almost £50 for their Cat A matches, whereas Reading’s highest price is £31 and they’ve got no categories at all – that’s pretty much ideal if you ask me.

It’s great that prices are down across the board, Arise deserve credit for that. The only issue is that they were exorbitant to begin with, so even with a decrease the highest prices still feel too much. Hopefully Cat A is saved for very special occasions.

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David Storch and Co have hit all the right notes since taking over from Dejphon Chansiri, bringing good vibes back to Hillsborough as they look to improve everything around the club - from the squad to the training ground to the stadium and beyond.

New signings have been - largely - welcomed with open arms, and a well-organised preseason trip to Central Europe went down a storm as fresh faces settled in and this ‘reborn’ Wednesday started to take shape.

But it doesn’t take long for the mood to shift in football. A heavy defeat to Oldham Athletic, with arguably the strongest XI fielded this summer so far, saw pressure heaped on manager, Henrik Pedersen, from some quarters, and the players knew that it wasn’t good enough.

Captain, Liam Palmer, took to social media afterwards to say, “Thanks for your support across the two games yesterday! Embarrassing result, pre-season or not. Nowhere near good enough. Huge wake-up call. Work to do, we’ll be ready.”

Personally, I’ll be judging things a little bit further down the line. The work needed to put together a cohesive team after such a massive overhaul cannot be underestimated, and there probably is some realism needed about how this season might start for the Owls.

That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be expectations, of course. Players are talking of pushing for promotion, so it’s natural for the fans to desire the same. I do, however, think that - as has been called for elsewhere at the club - patience is required.

What also doesn’t help, I don’t think, is when further fuel is added to the negative fire. Yesterday was a good example of this, with Begbies Traynor administrator - and Wednesdayite - Kris Wigfield taking a swing at Ike Ugbo after his departure for Apollon Limassol…

“Getting rid of characters like this from the Club is just as important as any signing,” Wigfield said on Twitter.

“When even in the bleakest of financial circumstances, a high-wage earner shows such entitlement for the money they receive and such contempt for the supporters that were literally paying his wages- you have no chance… Good riddance.”

Ugbo bit back, of course, but for me, I don’t think either grievance should be aired publicly. Both sides will believe that their truth is the truth, but without every single fact available it’s impossible to properly pick a side.

The striker’s truth was this: “I hate having to give this man any attention, but when people choose to speak publicly, correct the record once. I won’t explain private matters for entertainment. Those who know the truth know my character… Some people mistake a position for authority and an opinion for fact.

“One of the first things this man did as admin was try to fine me over rulings which made no sense to me. The way I was questioned about my prescribed medication showed me everything I needed to know. I’m sure there’s plenty of time now to focus on being proud of the boys week in, week out. That’s the last I’ll speak on the past.”

That wasn’t the end, though. This morning Wigfield took to Twitter again - this time to explain that he felt that the right time had come for him to step away from the platform.

“I’ve got 4.5k followers, nearly all of them fellow Wednesdayites,” he said. “I’ll always give an honest and forthright view, even when it’s controversial (which it often is). But I also prefer a quiet life away from work, and I firmly believe my opinions should never have any chance of influencing the future of SWFC.

“With that in mind, I think this account has served its useful purpose and reached a natural end. It’s time for me to do what I enjoy most, quietly supporting Wednesday alongside my friends and family, firmly in the background.

“Thank you to everyone who has followed me and taken the time to read my posts. WAWAW.”

It all felt very unnecessary, and will not have gone down well internally at Wednesday. Arise and their new executive team have worked incredibly hard to try and push the Owls away from the toxicity of the past, and last night felt like a step backwards through no fault of their own.

Wednesday need more time to settle; they also need further recruitment. Everyone at the club knows what’s expected, and what they hope to achieve come the end of the season. They also know that none of that is going to be easy.

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We all know the limitations in place for Wednesday at their training base in Hillsborough. We know that space is limited, and that without moving there’s no room to change that. That doesn’t mean you should just leave the rest of it to fall into disrepair, though.

‘When we reach the Premier League’ was always Dejphon Chansiri’s response. That’s when he was going to improve the stadium. That’s when he was going to fix things at the training ground. Improving the matchday experience of the fans could wait – indefinitely – just like the players’ need for a professional-looking place of work.

Not all of you will have had the opportunity to wander through the entrance at Middlewood Road, even fewer of you will have seen inside the buildings that reside there. It’s safe to say that they’ve needed a bit of tender love and care for quite some time.

Chansiri always said that he didn’t care about PR, about what people said about him, but what he didn’t seem to get was that it wasn’t just him that he was making look bad. He did make some slight improvements to the TG, but they were few and far between - and never purely for aesthetic purposes.

Within a couple of months of taking over, Arise have moved to freshen up almost every single element of this battle-worn football club of ours. Pictures of the training ground upgrades were the latest to be released, and though – in the grand scheme of things – it won’t have cost much, it makes a world of difference.

Put aside the new gym facility that David Storch has confirmed that they’re working on, Middlewood Road now looks like you’re stepping into a proper facility again. You’d speak to players from the 80s, and they’d tell you how little the place had changed from their time there. Old photos of the place confirm it.

Arise, meanwhile, do give a shit about how things look. They care how the club is perceived, they care what new signings see when they first pull into the entrance. They aren’t going to wait until the international glare of the Premier League shines on them to make sure the club looks and feels like a proper outfit.

There’s an old adage that says, ‘Dress how you want to be addressed’. It feels like Arise and Co. are taking that very seriously.

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It’s 33 days until the Owls’ League One campaign gets underway against Leyton Orient, and the only annoyance around the start of the season is the fact that the seemingly fan-hating folk at that broadcaster have decided that Wednesday’s first home game should be played on a Thursday evening.

Yes, more new players are needed, and yes, there’s a bulk load of stuff that still needs sorting out behind the scenes, but this football club is starting to feel normal again. And I can’t really give greater praise than that.

We’ve sold players for profit to avoid losing them for free in 12 months’ time – going head over heart when that’s exactly what was needed. Players who we wanted to keep were engaged with and re-signed, allowing at least bit of continuity going into the new campaign. The talented Will Grainger, who could quite easily have had his head turned, has been tied up on a long-term deal, too.

We’re striking deals for players that make actual sense rather than either throwing money at our problems or relying on free agents or loans. There’s finally a feeling that there’s a plan in place rather than throwing darts while blindfolded.

Elsewhere, Hillsborough is being given the tender loving care that it’s needed for decades, and brand new matchday experiences like Hirsty’s Social should be up and running for the start of the 2026/27 campaign. We’re even getting contract lengths confirmed…

The home kit has been well-received, and the turnaround time in the circumstances is a minor miracle in itself. It’ll be worn for the first time against Hallam FC tomorrow night, and news of the away and third kits isn’t thought to be too far away. All of them have a proper front-of-shirt sponsor that actually brings value to the club, and there’s an extra boost on the sleeve as well.

Umbro’s double diamonds are back, and the Megast is getting the sort of refurbishment that a fanbase as dedicated as this one deserves, and soon there’ll be a sparkly new Owl on the side of the Kop and by reception. Local companies are being used throughout, too, with Wednesday pushing millions back into the Sheffield economy.

After the absolute train crash of a preseason last time out, Wednesday will be making use of state-of-the-art facilities just outside of Budapest in Hungary, before heading into Austria to face Stoke City in Vienna. All of that comes on the back of a week at England’s St. George’s Park, while care is being taken to get Middlewood Road to the best place that it can be – which has involved paying for the youth teams to use Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park instead.

A CEO and a Sporting Director were hired, and we’ve actually heard from both of them. There’s a sense of transparency at S6 now that we could only have dreamed of under the last owner, and David Storch & Co deserve lots of credit for that. They effectively had a blueprint of what not to do left behind, and so far they’re doing the exact opposite.

Fans are being taken into account. They’re being seen as supporters again - no longer just customers… Arise asked us to judge them on what they do rather than what they say, and there can’t be too many complaints on that front.

There are a few weeks to go yet, but we actually feel pretty prepared for the start of a new season. Who are you, and what have you done with Sheffield Wednesday?

It was early into Dejphon Chansiri’s tenure as owner of Wednesday that he opted to get rid of the stylised Owl that had become so synonymous with this football club of ours. Many fans didn’t like the decision, but there was also acknowledgement of the fact that it was a nod to our past.

Chansiri said that the crest, which was almost identical to one used back in the 1950s, ‘fascinated’ him, and that the choice was made after ‘many conversations’ with fans of the club.

“I am extremely proud to unveil the new crest that will herald a new beginning for Sheffield Wednesday,” he said at the time. “Since taking over the club, I have enjoyed many conversations on the crest with supporters across all age groups and it soon became clear that a new crest would be better received were it in keeping with our heritage.

“Having studied at length the rich traditions of the club, the crest that stood out to me in every way was the first official design of the 1950s and I am fascinated by the fact it was never actually used on the team’s shirts.

“Therefore this vision was always in the forefront of my thoughts during the long, thorough and diligent design process.”

Fast-forward to 2025, and that badge – that part of Wednesday’s history – feels like it has been thrown onto the rubbish pile.

Though the bad times have been plenty, that badge has still been on the chests of players and fans alike during some incredible moments at Wednesday, and the fact that it’s now considered ‘his’ is something that makes me incredibly sad.

I’ve made no secret of my delight at the return of the club logo that I – in my entirely non-biased view - consider to be one of the most iconic in English football. If nothing else, it makes the tattoo on my arm relevant again…

But the disdain with which the 1950s crest is now judged does make me quite sad. Seeing the removal of it from the end of the bridge over the Don, a river that still flows the same way, feels bittersweet. It marks the end of a dismal era and the start of something entirely more hopeful - but the fact that part of our history has been almost entirely tainted by one man is just incredibly miserable.

Who knows, maybe time does heal all wounds. Maybe at some point we can look back at that badge with fondness once again. That wasn’t Chansiri’s to ruin, but in running the club the way that he did, it feels like that’s exactly what he’s done.

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It might seem a strange thing to point out, but season ticket sales were just another of the elements of Wednesday that were left shrouded in secrecy by the former owner, Dejphon Chansiri. Just like the lengths of player contracts, for some reason he didn’t want anybody to have any details.

In fact, with season tickets, Chansiri would probably have scrapped them altogether if it was up to him. He made no secret of the fact that he wasn’t a fan of one of the most important factors of football fandom in our country, and he’d have preferred that fans paid a price for matchday tickets every week – in varying categories, of course.

Things couldn’t be more different in the early stages of the Arise consortium as they begin life as the club’s new owners, with announcements being made at every milestone. The first was 10,000 sales, then it was 15,000 sales, and the latest – made public on Wednesday – was the fact that the 17,000-mark had been hit, surpassing sales for 2025/26.

Season ticket sales shouldn’t be a secret

No longer are sale numbers a secret, and why should they be? What Wednesdayites are doing this summer, especially after the doldrums of the year just gone, is nothing short of remarkable. It should be celebrated, and Arise are doing just that.

With two weeks of the first phase of pricing still to go, it seems increasingly likely that a new club record will be set on the season ticket front. 21,000 will be enough to do it, with that figure surpassing the huge uptake that followed the 2016 play-off final against Hull City. For it to happen in League One makes it all the more impressive.

The sense of a new hope, along with the reduced prices, altered age bands and handy finance options has helped the cause, and with many people yet to be paid this month you’d expect another influx of buyers before June 15^th. The response from fans has been genuinely remarkable, and could directly affect what the team is able to do in the transfer market this summer.

What we saw on Takeover Day against West Bromwich Albion was truly a sight to behold, and while there’s no way that’s replicated at every home game, there’s no reason why Wednesdayites can’t get close to it more often.

Chansiri took fans for granted, he couldn’t possibly understand what it means to be a season-ticket-holding card-carrying supporter of the football club that has your heart. It’s a little thing in the grand scheme of things, but Arise shouting about the sales rather than squirreling the details away is yet another improvement on the previous regime.

Wednesday fans are showing why their predecessor was wrong, and you’d wager that this won’t the last example of that in the months to come.

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It was fitting as he played his 222nd game for the Owls, because there was always a feeling that it could potentially be his last. The other 10 players on the pitch alongside him had 314 Wednesday appearances between them, and his departure is another end-of-an-era moment at Hillsborough.

Of those who were involved in the Miracle of Hillsborough and the famous Wembley win that follows, just Liam Palmer remains. It was just three years ago, but in many ways it feels like so much more. ‘Big Dom’ moving on leaves a void that won’t be easily filled - because in eight seasons he’s experienced practically everything that football has to offer.

The personal battles of serious injury and the mental toll that it inflicts. The joy of promotion, the heartache of relegation, and the uncertainty of unpaid wages, points deductions and transfer embargoes. His kids were born in Sheffield, they’ve donned blue and white just like him. A lot happens to a person in seven and a half years, and Iorfa knows that more than most.

You have to say, at £200,000 back in 2019, he’s given the Owls serious value for money. From his debut goal against Rotherham United and the Player of the Year award that followed not long afterwards to his brilliant display under the arch against Barnsley, and so much in between. In a decade of so many bad deals at Hillsborough, Iorfa’s was one that lands heavily into the success column. 222 games, seven goals, five assists, and plenty of marauding runs from the back.

Seeing him galloping up the field in full flight was a joy to behold, and it was never a surprise that his ‘Fastest man in Yorkshire’ chant caught on. Injury took a toll, of course, but he always fought back, always put in the work, and always kept a smile on his face outwardly, no matter how tough it got.

Palmer knows what he’s been through, what he’s sacrificed. “Let me tell you ‘bout my brother though,” he said on Instagram this weekend. “Big Dom, it’s been some ride mate. Ups, downs and everything in between. A pleasure to share a dressing room with you for seven and half years. One of the best geezers you could ever wish to meet. Wishing you and the gang all the best with whatever’s next!”

Dom gave the best years of his career to Sheffield Wednesday. It wasn’t always easy, and there were times where he could’ve left - but didn’t. There was never any throwing of toys, no spitting of dummies. Selected or not selected, he just got on with it. He even put up with the biannual nonsense from us in the media about whether he was still the ‘fastest man in Yorkshire’ when new players had been signed.

That leads on to my next point, too. Dominic Iorfa the bloke. I’m in a privileged position as both a Wednesdayite and a Wednesday reporter, because I actually get to chat to - sometimes even spend time with - those who represent my football club. I’d probably consider it my greatest privilege in this job.

And Dom is an absolute gent.

Whether our chats were in person and on record, or in Firepit Rocks after a big result or two, he always had time to talk. Politeness, openness and authenticity aren’t a given in this industry, but he always offered all three.

Someone will have to step up now, a new fastest man is required. But the last one has undoubtedly left his mark, and I hope that one day his chant rings around Hillsborough once again when he returns to visit the city that was home for the best part of a decade.

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Like many others my age, I knew already at that point that I wasn’t going to be good enough to play for them (or anybody else for that matter). To write for a living was my dream, and for the subject matter to be my football club was the ultimate goal.

It’s why, after over a decade away, I jumped at the chance to do exactly that a few years ago. I read The Star growing up, my grandad had it delivered until the day that he died, and knowing that he kept clippings of some of my articles from the paper is something that always warms my heart.

During my time covering Wednesday I’ve been lucky enough to write about some incredible moments, attend some phenomenal games, and meet many of my footballing heroes – both from my childhood and the modern day. I’ve had drinks with some of my club’s most memorable figures, and been in rooms that teenage me would never have believed. In so many ways I’ve lived the dream.

I feel incredibly privileged to do. I get to watch football for a living, and then write about it. I get to speak to great footballing minds, and consequently improve my own knowledge of the game that I love so much.

‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,’ they say.

Except that’s not always the case. Over the past year or so especially, there’s been very little to love about this job, and a lot that not only felt like work – but was actively miserable. This isn’t a ‘woe is me’ piece, so please stick with me, but from a professional perspective the arse end of the Chansiri era has been the most difficult and draining of my career.

Hours of pouring through rules and regulations, thousands of emails and messages trying to understand the farce that was playing out in front of us all. Days spent trying to verify where pirate-esque chests full of gold and LinkedIn screenshots were real. ITKers having a pop myself and my colleagues in the media over something they’d heard from someone that was absolutely 100% true… When it wasn’t.

But then came the light. The top-up of my battery, so to speak. Seeing those away ends, hearing those chants, watching the fanbase that I’m so proud to be a part of defy the misery thrust upon them to simply choose to enjoy what was left of a frankly horrific season.

The last 10 days or so completed the recharge. I’ve seen some big days at Hillsborough during my time as a Wednesdayite – from the stands and from the press box. But being there on Takeover Day was up there with the best. The atmosphere, the sense of rebirth, the coming together once more of a group of supporters who have been through the absolute wringer. Honolulu Wednesday. Wednesday are massive. That song with no words - I don’t even know if it has a name - that just took me back to being in the stands with my dad and grandad.

Thank you to everyone who came up to me over the last couple of weeks, who had kind words to say about The Wednesday Word, or came to thank me (and my counterparts) for what we’ve done over the last year. But honestly, if anybody needs thanking, it’s you lot.

The change enacted at Sheffield Wednesday is the result of a monumental collective effort. It doesn’t happen without the fans, or the Supporters Trust, or the 1867 Group, or the club staff, players and manager. It doesn’t happen, of course, without David Storch and Arise. No one person or group deserves more plaudits than another in my eyes, this football club has been given a fresh start because of every boycott, every letter and every person taking a stand. It’s a victory for all of us.

Then, to add to all that, Friday and Saturday was another shining example of what Wednesday is all about. I spent time talking to the likes of Sam Hutchinson, Steven Fletcher, Jack Hunt and so many others as they returned to raise money for the incredible Weston Park Cancer Charity, and the message was always the same…

“I loved it here, I still love it here.” Carlos Carvalhal said that practically all of them speak about their time at Hillsborough as the best of their careers. Thousands turned out for the dinner and charity game organised by the Community Programme, and in total tens of thousands of pounds will have been raised. Just Wednesdayites doing what Wednesdayites do.

I started writing this in an airport lounge after a few drinks, so forgive me if I’m a bit soppy, but the two weeks have been another reminder of what I’m so incredibly proud to be part of this family. I didn’t choose it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,’ they say. Even though that’s not always true with Sheffield Wednesday, I still have the best job in the world. Up those zero point Owls.

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Grainger’s name isn’t new to Wednesdayites, they’ve been hearing it for a couple of years now following his exploits at U15 level alongside now Manchester City striker, Caelen-Kole Cadamarteri. This season, though, he’s taken the step up into the first team – despite being just 17.

Most fans know of his goalscoring and creating exploits at youth level… He’s got 32 goals and assists for club and country so far this season, though he’s still waiting for his first in the professional game. If it wasn’t for a good save from Sol Brynn on Wednesday night, that would’ve changed.

But it was his challenge on Luke Ayling, who was on the brink of signing his first pro deal at Arsenal when Grainger was born, that stood out for many. It showed a spirit, a tenacity, similar to his performance against Leeds United in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season when he went toe-to-toe with Sean Longstaff.

The talented teen is seen as somebody who is in a similar mould to Josh Windass. The number 10 position, whether centrally or more to either side, is the one earmarked for him going forward – and it’s where he ended up at the Riverside after replacing Jarvis Thornton.

Throwing down the gauntlet…

His ability is there to see, but his attitude has also stood out. The Wednesday Word understands that the gauntlet was thrown down to the Wales youth international back in November after a heavy defeat to Sheffield United’s U18s. Still 16 at the time, but with growing hype, Wednesday’s coaches – and Henrik Pedersen – wanted to see more from him.

Since then he’s become a regular feature in first team training, donned the captain’s armband at U21 level, and shown glimpses of the fact that he’s ready to be a more utilised part of the senior side at Hillsborough.

A big problem, however, is that he still doesn’t have a professional contract. The ongoing takeover situation at S6, and the uncertainty that surrounds it, has meant that Grainger is still on a scholarship at Middlewood Road, and he could be snapped up by another team at any point. He wants to stay at Wednesday, TWW is led to believe, but without a contract anything can happen.

We’ve seen the Owls mismanage youngsters far too often over the years. They’ve got the pathway wrong, or the former chairman made it difficult for reasonable terms to be agreed. Players have languished in the U21s when they should’ve been out on loan, or getting more minutes at senior level.

The hope is that new owners, and almost certainly new structures, at the club will fix that, and sorting out a deal for Grainger should be among their top priorities when it comes to the football side of things when – or if – this takeover happens.

Some teenagers would’ve wilted after a stern talking to from the first team manager, Grainger has flourished. Now he deserves to be rewarded with a proper deal, and a road map of how his boyhood club plans to make sure he does what many others haven’t - reach his potential.

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Charles, who is still just a 20-year-old, put on an absolute masterclass at Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon. His 11 saves were the most any Championship goalkeeper has pulled off since he did the same - also against Leicester City - back in August. This outing was different, though.

After his world-class stop from Oliver Skipp, the double-save that kept out Stephy Mavididi and Luke Thomas and the phenomenal effort to stop Jordan Ayew from getting a winner, there was no doubt about who was Man of the Match. There were other big moments, too.

So it’s truly miserable that this evening, amid all the praise and all the positivity, the former Manchester City youngster was subjected to racist comments from a cowardly individual who frankly has no place in modern society.

We don’t know who they are, or who they support, because they’re faceless - as so many of them are. His flurry of racist comments on Charles’ Instagram were met with the sort of reaction that you’d hope for - and expect.

The club said their piece, too.

Pierce Charles racism ‘deplorable on every level’

A statement from them this evening read, “Sheffield Wednesday are aware of disgraceful and completely unacceptable racist messages directed towards one of our players on social media following Monday’s game against Leicester.

“The club condemn in the strongest tone any form of racism or discrimination and will work side by side with the relevant authorities to bring the offenders to justice… It is not the first time we find ourselves in this position. It is deplorable on every level.

“Our zero-tolerance stance remains steadfast and unequivocal. Racism is cowardly. It has no place in society. We stand together and only together can we stamp it out.”

It’s incredibly depressing that in the year 2026 we’re still dealing with this. It’s a minority, that’s what we always caveat this with, but minority or not - it’s still happening.

Pierce won’t let it bother him too much, he won’t let a brilliant Easter for the Charles family be ruined by a dickhead with a keyboard. I’ve had the chance to chat with him many times over the years, and he’s got a far better head on his shoulders than I - and many others - had at his age.

He’ll know that this cretin with their private account and default profile picture will never achieve what he will. By 20 he’s one of the hottest goalkeeping properties in Europe, he’s an international footballer, he’s got the adoration of a fanbase that loves him. Some racist with a keyboard shouldn’t detract from what was a truly brilliant display at S6.

Negativity often sticks more than positivity, that’s an unfortunate fact of life, but Pierce is so much bigger than some troll online with nothing better to do. And I’m certain will see him on some grand stages in the future. He’ll have the sort of future that some idiot with letters and numbers for a username can only dream of.

Wednesday are heading to League One and nothing that happens between now and the end of this season will change that. Pedersen is the one that’s overseen this calamity of a season, and he’s the one who has drawn the ire of so many Owls fans looking for somebody to blame.

But we all know where that blame lies. It’s not with the manager, who’s doing his best to keep morale up and avoid getting battered. It’s not on the players who have continually run themselves into the ground in the most unpleasant of situations. It’s not the fault of anybody who still turns up at Middlewood Road every day trying to keep this football club ticking over.

The winless run is miserable, as was the torrid spell without a goal. Speaking to people within the game, though, there’s nothing but praise for the way that the Dane has gone about his business with Wednesday.

People can complain about his subs. But what options does he really have? They can question his tactics. But often it’s just been damage limitation. This football team isn’t managing games badly; they’re simply running out of steam… It’s why we see the same movie so often. Compete, hold their own, concede, lose.

The fact of the matter is that Pedersen does not deserve to be judged on this season at Hillsborough. Nobody from the outside really knows if he’s a good manager or not, because nothing about his first season has been even close to normal. The 48-year-old has been playing catch-up since his first day on the job, and has had hurdles placed in front of him at every turn.

Pedersen is regarded highly in football circles. He’s a big reason why so many clubs were so willing to work with the Owls in recent transfer windows despite their hugely restrictive limitations. There’s been no sniping from behind the scenes - which is common if a changing room is ‘lost’ - and there has been plenty of praise for the way that he’s kept this sinking ship bobbing along.

Relegation may have been confirmed last month, but it’s been a certainty for months. Despite all that, the Wednesday boss didn’t let standards drop. Players were reprimanded for lateness, individual meetings to talk about improvement continued, and it’s been drilled into players that a lack of effort would not be tolerated.

An entire summer rebuild is on the cards, one that will – hopefully – be overseen by a new owner. David Storch has already met with Pedersen and by all accounts liked what he heard – a decision will have to be made one way or another come June. For what he’s done over the last year, I reckon the Owls boss has earned himself a crack at doing this job in a functioning and supportive environment.

If it doesn’t work out, then fair enough. But let him succeed or fail on his own merits, not the actions of a Thai businessman who left one of England’s oldest football clubs to fall into absolute and complete disrepair.

Rumi, a 13th-century Persian philosopher, once said, “Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure.” Henrik Pedersen took over a Wednesday side destined for ruin - he at least deserves a chance to pursue the treasure that could lie ahead.