Queues, selfies and positivity - Sheffield Wednesday open day proves fans have got their club back
Sheffield Wednesday opened their doors on Wednesday for an opening training session in an effort to keep the recent feel-good factor going - and everyone played their part in creating a day to remember.
Administration isn’t meant to feel like this.
But exactly a week after thousands of Sheffield Wednesday supporters boycotted their Championship clash with Middlesbrough at Hillsborough in protest against former owner Dejphon Chansiri, many of them came flooding back for a second time in a matter of days on Wednesday.
Although there wasn’t a match being staged at Hillsborough this time, Wednesdayites, following an announcement by the club on Tuesday afternoon, flocked to S6 for an open training session. A signing session then followed in the Owls Megastore, prompting hundreds of supporters to queue up in the hope of meeting their heroes.
As the fans started to snake their way from the corner that connects the North Stand and the Kop, past the Kop goal and into the South Stand, the seats that remained empty last Wednesday night started to fill up. It was quite an emotional sight.
As the members of the goalkeeping department went through their warm-up preparations, a couple of youngsters, no doubt grateful for a half-term treat, plucked up the courage to start singing. A couple of strains of ‘We’ve got our Wednesday back’ filled the cold, crisp air. On current evidence, it certainly feels like they have got it back.
Two minutes before the training session’s official start time of 11.30am, every supporter that had taken their seat in the South Stand to get a peak behind the curtain at what a Wednesday training session looks like rose to their feet. The reason? Manager Henrik Pedersen emerged from the tunnel.
The Dane, who has been the glue attempting to hold the squad together through a period of such chaos and uncertainty, received a standing ovation. He responded by applauding back at the supporters, donning a huge grin on his face.
A really warm round of applause for Owls manager Henrik Pedersen, who has just made his way out for the start of this opening training session.#SWFC pic.twitter.com/E5hQSr8ia9
— George Smith (@_GeorgeSmith99) October 29, 2025
Bang on 11.30am, the players, led out by skipper Barry Bannan, emerged from the tunnel. Again, there was more of an atmosphere than what greeted them against Middlesbrough a week ago.
With the session underway, Wednesdayites observed and film crews set their cameras rolling. Opportunities like these a few and far between, particularly in the middle of the season, meaning Wednesday deserve immense credit for allowing for such brilliant access.
Having been plunged into administration for the first time in the club’s history last Friday, everyone associated with the Owls would be forgiven for walking around with their heads down and wanting to ignore the situation. However, after what has happened at Hillsborough over the last few months, everyone is only too happy to embrace what many believe is the first step towards this club moving in the right direction again.
Stevie Spence, a host on The Wednesday Week Podcast, told The Star: “It is absolutely incredible, isn’t it? It is so simple in what we are doing here today and what the club are doing here today.
“It is not just about what you can see on the field, it is about everything else that is going on; the kit sale, the players doing the meet and greet and all those sorts of things that aren’t costing anything, but can make a real difference.
“There are a load of kids out here today, and it’s offering a real experience for them, getting to see their heroes and their idols. There are loads of smiles on faces and there is a real positive vibe about the place.”
After the session had started at 11.30am, those good vibes only increased 20 minutes later when a huge cheer went up from the fans. The reason behind that sudden increase in volume was as a result of Pierce Charles putting in an appearance.
Hillsborough was a scene of positivity
The goalkeeper, who has been out since August because of a shoulder problem, spent some time doing some individual work with goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan, meaning he was suddenly the centre of attention. The main group were put through their paces by Pedersen, Craig Mudd, Giles Coke and other members of the Wednesday coaching team, with plenty of time being spent on focusing on the Owls’ build-up play.
Dominic Iorfa, who trained separately and away from the main group after taking a kick at the weekend against Oxford United, made his way along the front of the South Stand, posing for pictures and signing autographs.
The rest of his teammates followed suit once the session was over, marking another juncture in the club’s attempts to rebuild a connection that was so badly damaged by Chansiri. Bannan was inundated with requests for selfies and autographs. One youngster plucked up the courage to ask him for his boots.
With the players wading their way through autograph and selfie requests, likewise Pedersen, who was among the very first to go over to the fans, the media were invited to spend some time with administrator Paul Stanley, who, alongside Kris Wigfield and Julian Pitts, is now tasked with overseeing the sale of the club.
On the support the fans have offered since last Friday, he told The Star: “I think everyone was really pleased [with how many fans turned up for the training session]. It is superb to get the connection.
“It is half-term, it’s a great thing to do, it’s a free morning for people to come down, bring the kids down, connect with the players and get a few autographs. I think for the long-term of any club it’s great to do stuff like that whether it’s administration or not.
“We just felt getting that connection back... a lot of supporters had fallen out of love with the club. Well, not the club but the owner, and I think this is a great way of reconnecting it. The number of people that turned up was fantastic.”
With a morning’s training session done and dusted, Liam Palmer, Jamal Lowe, Bailey Cadamarteri, Iorfa and Charles then put in an appearance at the Megastore. Their presence once again drew in the crowds and resulted in the Megastore tills ringing.
Entering administration, resulting in the Owls being deducted 12 points and leaving them 16 points from safety, could have so easily left them feeling deflated and helpless. Instead, it has offered prospective buyers a peak at the potential this club has to offer.
With supporters and staff grinning from ear to ear, the Megastore attracting crowds it hasn’t seen in months and a sense of positivity filling the Hillsborough air, Wednesdayites really do believe they have got their club back.