Sheffield Wednesday plans revealed but one big question remains unanswered

Wednesday are in crisis at the moment, with unpaid wages leading to players handing in their notices, many non-playing staff at the club also still without money owed to them, and the club are currently under embargo for three separate breaches of the English Football League’s regulations. A three-window fee restriction is now also in place.

Despite all that, people are working hard behind the scenes ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, and players did return for the start of preseason recently - even though the training pitches at Middlewood Road aren’t yet available for use. The Jubilee, home of the SWFC Community Project, has been used, and The Star has previously reported that they would soon be heading out to the state-of-the-art St. George’s Park this coming week.

That has now been confirmed by the club, as has the plan to play friendly games ‘behind closed doors’ once they return from Burton upon Trent.

Sheffield Wednesday will play friendlies behind closed doors

“The Owls squad are set to head to St George’s Park on Monday for a week-long pre-season camp,” they said this evening. “Our first team squad returned to S6 in late June for the initial strand of preparation and pre-season testing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

This last week has seen the focus on fitness and conditioning in smaller groups at the club’s training complex, together with tailored individual programmes away from S6. Intensity increases tomorrow as the players head to the renowned facilities of St George’s Park for a six-day training camp.”

The statement then went on to say, “With the significant renovations at Middlewood Road expected to be complete thereafter, the squad will then return to base to continue their 2025/26 preparations. Part of those preparations will include a number of behind closed doors fixtures which are scheduled to take place following our St George’s Park training camp.”

The elephant in the room, however, is that there has been no word on who will be taking training. It’s expected that, as things stand, it will be U21 manager, Andy Holdsworth, given the fact that Danny Röhl - while contracted - has not returned to the club, and the rest of his technical team are out of contract.

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