'This is your club' - David Storch sends 'fun' message to Sheffield Wednesday fans as new season approaches
The hard work is continuing at Sheffield Wednesday ahead of the start of the 2026/27 season next month.
Sheffield Wednesday chairman David Storch has said he and his team are “working around the clock” to try and bring excitement and positivity back to Hillsborough, insisting that one of his top priorities is to “have fun”.
Less than three months after Storch and his Arise Capital Partners consortium officially secured the keys to Hillsborough, they have wasted no time in attempting to implement sweeping changes in their quest to get the Owls back on their feet.
Not only has Arise invested in the rebuild of manager Henrik Pedersen’s squad, but the group has also committed funds to improving both Hillsborough and the club’s Middlewood Road training base. Images released by the club on Friday highlighted some of the cosmetic changes that have been introduced at the training ground.
It goes without saying that Storch and his team inherited an enormous challenge, meaning it will take time for them to oversee all the improvements they have planned. Nevertheless, the start they have made has banked plenty of credit from Wednesday supporters, who are counting down the days until the start of the new season following a forgettable 2025/26 campaign.
With just under five weeks to go until the Owls’ first home league game of the season - a Yorkshire derby against Bradford City on August 20 - club staff are working hard to ensure Hillsborough is ready. The Owls, just under a fortnight earlier, will host Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup first round in S6.
With hard work continuing behind the scenes at a relentless pace, Storch has requested for Wednesdayites to start judging him and his team come the clash with Bradford in just over a month’s time.
Storch, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “For Michael Storch, Tom Costin, David Bruce & myself, our goal is to put the excitement & fun back into @swfc for all. We have committed to keep you informed, invest in infrastructure and quality of play on the pitch.
"We ask to be judged by what we do, what you see starting on August 20, which will be 111 days since owning the club. We are dreamers working around the clock to bring our dreams, our shared dreams to life.
"This is your club. We aim to put the fun back into football for each & every one of you. Let’s have fun together!
"See you soon."
In a series of social media posts made by Storch on Saturday evening, the Wednesday chairman also revealed that he will be meeting up with the squad during their pre-season tour of Hungary and Austria. The Owls are scheduled to fly to Budapest today (Sunday), where they will spend five days in the Hungarian capital before crossing the border into Austria for a two-day stay in Vienna.
“Very positive step in the right direction for [the] @swfc squad today,” Storch added, reflecting on the Owls’ 3-2 win at Preston North End on Saturday afternoon. “Lots of hustle, determination and solid play. Proud of Henrik and the lads.
“On to Budapest & Vienna, where the work continues. Looking forward to meeting up.”