Who are you? And what have you done with Sheffield Wednesday?
It’s mid-July, and Sheffield Wednesday are about to embark on a preseason trip to Hungary and Vienna. We’re seeing a level of competency not many of us can remember.
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 tonight, 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?
Great article again. Leyton Orient away is the first game though I think