Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation to the Championship was confirmed as they fell to a 2-1 loss against rivals Sheffield United

“As long as we don’t lose by more than three I’ll be happy with that,” was the view of a Sheffield Wednesday supporter in the build-up to this weekend’s Steel City derby defeat against Sheffield United.

“Because what they want to do is alleviate the Boxing Day massacre,” added the same supporter, who had long come to terms with the team’s inevitable relegation while continuing to reflect back on the Owl’s famous 4-0 triumph against the Blades back in 1979.

It was a damning indictment on where the team are at this moment in time, which perhaps sums up just how much the hope and optimism of this proud fanbase has been eroded in recent months after a nightmarish end to the Dejphon Chansiri era, and a plotline this season that even the cruelest of football script writers couldn’t have put together.

Regardless of who you support, relegation is a tough thing to go through, but relegation with more than three months to spare is hugely deflating, and when it’s at the hands of your biggest rivals it’s a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

Wednesday fans have unfortunately been used to disappointment recently, following the loss of their manager in Danny Rohl over the summer, the departure of a number of their best players and their inability to go out and replace them on the transfer front due to various transfer embargoes. Add to that administration and an 18 point deduction and it was always a recipe for disaster this term.

“It was over before a ball was kicked”, explained another fan as he discussed the extremely cruel hand the supporters were dealt.

Sheffield Wednesday produced a spirited second half display to avoid derby day humiliation

Wednesday lost the most recent Hillsborough derby 3-0 in November, marking the club’s third defeat in a row after United did the double over them last term - and it quickly started to look like it was going to be even worse this time around just two minutes into the contest when Patrick Bamford finished clinically after dreadful defending from the Owls.

Harrison Burrows doubled the Blades’ advantage just 17 minutes later, with Henrik Pedersen’s side barely laying a glove on their Red and White counterparts throughout the first interval, in what looked to have the makings of a modern day massacre.

Wednesdaysites had next to nothing to cheer about or get excited about in the first half, with many of the loudest shouts from the Hillsborough Tap simply being for fouls as fans cried out for the bare minimum - passion and energy.

However, just as hopes looked to be lost, Wednesday came out fighting with a spirited second-half display which was inspired by a watershed moment in the 49th minute when United loanee Kalvin Phillips was sent off for catching Svante Ingelsson high on the follow-through in a tackle.

Charlie McNeil, who was fairly quiet in the first half, lit up the contest with a moment of individual brilliance as he used the extra space on the pitch to his advantage to make a clever run before cutting inside and unleashing an impressive effort to beat the goalkeeper.

It sent the Hillsborough Tap into pandemonium and for a brief period gave the fans a welcome distraction from the season they’ve endured as they threatened to claim an equaliser for a decent period of time.

It highlighted just how much potential the fanbase has and the sheer unpredictability a derby day can bring when the odds, injuries and just about every feasible aspect of the game appeared to be stacked against the Owls.

Ultimately, the momentum waned as the game came to a close but it at the very least meant the Owls avoided humiliation and came out of the game with a sense of pride.

From now until the end of the campaign, the season is essentially a write-off, with the club simply playing for pride, but the one factor that remains incredibly strong is the fanbase and the club’s ability to generate an atmosphere.

Wednesday is a club with history and they are blessed with one of the biggest fanbases outside of the Premier League, the sort of potential that a new owner could look to harness.

When looking to next season and beyond, one fan said: “I just want things to go back to being normal. Not having to worry about financial problems. Being able to go to games, wanting us to win and not having to worry about anything else. I just want someone to back us up and care for us. Wednesday will always have a great fanbase and it just needs someone that can look after it through thick and thin.”