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Hi, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer this morning – an aggressive version. I'm posting this because I'm guessing that most of the users on here are blokes around the age of 50 and over (I'm 60). Apologies if you are not (you can ignore). I was reading a post the other day when one user said he's been weeing in morse code for ages – it made me laugh – but this is a symptom. Just to add that I've never smoked, I've never been overweight and I'm vegetarian so my diet is generally healthy, cycled hundreds of miles etc – it appears I'm just genetically unlucky. If you have any 'changes' in your bladder – uneasy feeling, difficulty starting, urgency, frequency, nocturnal urination (visiting toilet two or three times a night) and any issues with ED etc, get yourself checked by a doctor. You should ask for a PSA test. Mine was 5.5 – which is high but not too high. After urine tests, further blood tests, pressure tests, an MRI and a biopsy (not for the faint hearted), here I am. Bone scan and CT scan to come so I can get a proper prognosis. Not asking for sympathy – I only know a few of you – just raising awareness. Here's hoping I'll see The Owls in the premiership in my lifetime (not too optimistic now;–) Mick (B. Respect)

Note these things that have happened (in no particularly order) to us this season: We had no preseason games other than one “behind closed doors” game that may or may not have involved most of the players Players were unable to start preseason training at Middlewood Road on time and had to train at home - some organised their own group training sessions elsewhere Pedersen was put in temporary charge while Röhl and Chansiri wrangled about the former leaving. Röhl came back for a week or two and took training, Pedersen went back to being Assistant Manager. Röhl left and Pedersen became manager on 31st July with the new season almost upon us. Wages weren’t paid to all staff three time over closed/preseason (four times in five months) Several key first team players exercised their right to leave and were not replaced The EFL imposed a points deduction, numerous embargoes and recruitment conditions on the club. We could/can only sign players with EFL permission and against strict conditions Remaining first team regulars picked up long-term injuries Young players were/are having to be played; five or six per game at times Young players pick up long-term injuries Our first choice goalkeeper became injured twice and was out for several weeks both times. He was replaced by substandard goalkeepers Replacement keepers were injured and had to be replaced leading to us playing seven different keepers thus far this season Chansiri ran the club to the absolute brink of extinction before being forced into Administration. As a result, further sanctions and a points deduction is placed on the club. The Bord consortium were selected as preferred bidders, disappeared for a couple of months then pulled out thus leaving the club without any transfer fund for this season. Barry Bannan left the club in what is thought to be a book-balancing exercise but could have been his own choice Bailey Cademarteri is sold We are now left with a squad of players well past their prime, last season's fringe players and youngsters. Some have stepped up a notch in quality (notably Ingelsson) but most haven’t (notably Ugbo) I could probably list more. Given all of the above, some on here are pointing the finger at Pedersen for not bringing about more wins/points than what we have thus far. Such assertions are unreasonable and unrealistic. The vast majority of our squad is either too young and not ready, too old and past it, not good enough for the Championship, recently returning from injury, out injured, or carrying an injury which le playing. The fact that we aren’t overrun by teams each week amazes me, and the fact that we’ve been making chances recently (but, unfortunately, not taking them) amazes me further. Given our limited playing resources, Pederson is having to fit a system around our players rather than fit players into a system (which he would do in normal conditions). What we should not do as fans is judge Pedersen on this season’s results and points total - that would be unreasonable. For the record, I would like to see Pedersen retained next season. It’s the practical and sensible thing to do given the takeover timescales. Whether he is retained or not by the new owners is a choice for them but changing the manager at such a late stage when any new manager would have had little or no chance of assessing the squad before the season end is reckless given the fact that we have to build up the squad to operate as a normal functioning squad to stay in League One never mind one that can challenge at the top end of the league. Anyone advocating a management change based upon results this season needs to give their head a wobble IMO, particularly considering the timescales and point in time when a new manager can actually be brought in. Think clearly and sensibly for heaven’s sake!

If you wouldn’t take Bannan back on in League One, you need to give your head a little wobble by the way

Really difficult to look beyond one man this season?

thank you Ian for all you’ve done for us Wednesday fans

The scenes at Derby away, Hull away , the last couple of home games, I've never been as proud to be a Wednesday fan...its bloody phenomenal, and I'm finding it hard to think of a set of fans in whole country who could do it..I've not even thought about an away game since I lost me lad last year..he took the grandkids all over the country..and I used to think FFS why?....fair enough Hillsborough.its a temple...you tip up, have a rest the following Saturday...then tip up again, but those videos from Hull?..I thought " Crikey you silly old f.ooker this IS Wednesday!!!!" Here we sit, knowing damn well next year is gonna be another grind...but you seriously cannot buy that sort of support...Keep it up.... Its a testament to a bloody footballing institution that ain't going to fade into oblivion..its got jack sheeite to do with football..its about US..Its about our whole footballing ethos...and the last month has been absolutely mint..apart from the sodding football

Evening folks. I paste below the letter i have today sent to Rick Parry and other members of the EFL. It may not be something that gains any traction or even responded to in any formal manner but, if members of the trust agree or want to write their own using any of the points then it's worthwhile as they are entitled to a response under EFL supporter engagement framework. anyway - as the title says, apologies for the length.... Dear Board of the English Football League, I am writing to you as a supporter of Sheffield Wednesday who cares deeply about the future of the club and the integrity of the regulatory framework that governs English football. This letter is not written in anger, nor is it intended to avoid accountability where rules have been breached. Rules exist for a reason and must be applied. However, the situation currently facing Sheffield Wednesday raises serious questions about how the EFL’s regulatory framework has operated in practice over the past decade and how it intends to deal with the club’s current position. The financial and regulatory difficulties surrounding Sheffield Wednesday did not arise suddenly. Over several years the club has been subject to repeated regulatory engagement with the EFL, including disciplinary proceedings, embargoes and restrictions. On 31 July 2020 an independent Disciplinary Commission imposed a 12 point deduction on Sheffield Wednesday for breaches of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules. On 4 November 2020 that sanction was reduced to six points on appeal. On 8 July 2021 the EFL published an agreed disciplinary decision confirming that Sheffield Wednesday had breached Regulation 63.7 relating to the payment of players. A six point deduction was imposed but suspended. More recently, on 3 June 2025 the EFL confirmed that both the club and its owner, Dejphon Chansiri, had been charged with multiple breaches relating to payment obligations. On 18 June 2025 the club was placed under a three window transfer fee restriction after exceeding thirty days of late payments. On 6 August 2025 a further registration embargo was imposed following the non payment of players. These cases represent the most visible sporting sanctions applied to the club. They do not represent the full extent of regulatory contact between the EFL and Sheffield Wednesday during this period. Official disciplinary material indicates that the club was almost continuously under a registration embargo from early 2020, with embargoes arising from issues including late payments to players, late payments to other clubs, HMRC liabilities, delays in submitting accounts and financial calculations and failures to comply with requests for financial information. Taken together this demonstrates that the League has had sustained regulatory visibility of financial distress indicators at Sheffield Wednesday for a prolonged period of time. Across this period the actions taken by the League appear primarily to have been disciplinary charges, points deductions, embargoes and transfer restrictions. These are measures that respond to breaches after they occur. They do not necessarily address the underlying financial governance issues that allowed those breaches to arise in the first place. The EFL rulebook also contains preventative tools designed specifically to allow the League to intervene before financial problems escalate. Under the Profitability and Sustainability framework the League has the power to require revised business plans or budgets, demand additional financial information, impose registration restrictions and refuse the registration of players where financial sustainability is in doubt. Given the prolonged period during which Sheffield Wednesday repeatedly entered regulatory difficulty, it is reasonable to ask at what stages these preventative powers were used to address the underlying financial instability at the club. The Owners’ and Directors’ Test exists to protect the integrity of the competition and the sustainability of clubs. However the experience of Sheffield Wednesday raises the question of whether this test operates primarily as an entry and disqualification mechanism rather than a meaningful ongoing assessment of ownership stewardship. Over a number of years the club experienced escalating regulatory difficulties while ownership remained approved. That raises the question of whether the current framework is capable of identifying long term unsustainable stewardship before serious damage occurs to a football club. There are also questions about the scrutiny applied at the point of acquisition. When the current ownership acquired Sheffield Wednesday in 2015 the takeover was widely reported with references to the Chansiri family’s association with Thai Union Frozen Group. This created a perception of substantial corporate backing and long term financial security. However the ownership structure of the club itself appears to have been personal rather than corporate. It is reasonable to ask how thoroughly the League scrutinised the true source of funding, the structure of that funding and the long term sustainability of the ownership model. Rules must be applied when they are breached. At the same time regulatory systems must also be judged on the effectiveness of their oversight. In the case of Sheffield Wednesday the League has had repeated visibility of financial instability over a number of years. Sanctions and embargoes were applied on numerous occasions, yet the underlying situation continued to deteriorate. Where a regulatory system has visibility of a developing problem over such a prolonged period it is reasonable to recognise that the outcome reflects both the decisions taken by the club’s ownership and the effectiveness of the oversight framework within which those decisions unfolded. It now appears increasingly likely that Sheffield Wednesday may need to enter an insolvency process as part of a takeover or restructuring. If a takeover occurs, any incoming ownership will have passed through the most comprehensive Owners’ and Directors’ Test ever applied to the club. They will be required to disclose the full source of their funding and demonstrate that the club can be financed sustainably for the years ahead. In other words the League itself will have confirmed that the club has credible and sustainable new ownership. In those circumstances the continued application of financial sanctions against the club would serve no meaningful regulatory purpose. Financial sanctions imposed after a takeover would not discipline the individual responsible for the historic financial decisions that created the problem. Instead they would restrict the ability of new ownership to stabilise and rebuild a club that has already endured years of instability. For that reason I believe that no financial sanctions should apply to Sheffield Wednesday following a takeover. If the League believes that the rules require the imposition of sporting sanctions, then those sanctions must be considered with appropriate mitigation. The circumstances surrounding Sheffield Wednesday’s position are not the result of a single isolated breach but the culmination of a decade of escalating financial instability under a single ownership structure. During that period the League itself had repeated regulatory engagement with the club through embargoes, disciplinary proceedings and financial monitoring. The responsibility for the current position therefore lies with the decisions taken by the previous ownership and with the regulatory environment within which those decisions were allowed to escalate over many years. It does not lie with the football club itself as an institution, with the supporters who have sustained it, or with any new owners who may step forward to rescue and rebuild it. Another issue of serious concern relates to the structure of unsecured debt associated with the club. Public information indicates that Dejphon Chansiri is the largest unsecured creditor of Sheffield Wednesday. At the same time many other unsecured creditors are owed money as a consequence of financial decisions taken during his ownership. This creates a situation in which the owner is both the largest creditor and the individual whose stewardship created the debts owed to other creditors. If insolvency rules require unsecured creditors to be repaid at a specified rate, the practical outcome may be that the outgoing owner benefits financially while the club itself faces sporting penalties if those repayments cannot be achieved. This risks creating the perception that the regulatory framework allows an owner to benefit from debts incurred during their tenure while the football club itself carries the competitive consequences. I am not asking the League to ignore its rules. I am asking whether those rules are being applied in a way that fairly allocates accountability. Where both ownership decisions and regulatory oversight have contributed to a decade of financial deterioration, it would seem reasonable for any sanctions imposed on the club to take into account the broader context in which those events occurred. Sheffield Wednesday is not merely a business entity. It is a football institution with more than 150 years of history and a supporter base that has sustained it through generations. I hope the League will recognise that this situation raises legitimate governance questions and will provide a clear explanation of how its regulatory framework intends to ensure that football clubs themselves do not ultimately become the casualties of unsustainable ownership. Again - apologies if anyone has made it this far!

Hey everyone... As you may know, I've moved on from The Star after six years. It doesn't mean I've moved on from Sheffield Wednesday, though - I'm stuck with this for life! So I decided to go it alone. To create a Wednesday universe, so to speak, that's made for Wednesdayites by a Wednesdayite. It's a fiver a month, or £50 for the year, but that money funds the entire project - the website, the social media, the YouTube channel. If you just want to enjoy the free stuff, though, you can also do that. All feedback is welcome! Thanks for all your support over the years, here's the new venture: https://www.thewednesdayword.com/

It was interesting to read through the 35 pages of the Matchday thread versus Stoke City yesterday evening and I think the tide has turned. Yes, there is still a largey polite respect towards Pederson for sticking with it but many many more are critical of his in-game management of the team. From the volume of growing criticism It is clear that appointing Pederson would be both unambitious and uninspiring. To sell season tickets the club needs to energise and excite the fan base and imo a Pederson appointment will go down like a damp squib. With the EFL payments virtually gone income from season ticket sales will be critical to the new owners. We need a new start!!!

1. The 70s Owl 2. Black shorts 3. Get shut of the band What else?

Means I'm in the wrong stand

Personally I'm happy to stick with Pedersen and give him a chance to build a team. Under rated, people expect miracles but don't recognise one when it happens..

Choose just one shade of blue for EVERYTHING and ditch the other 36 shades.

I think the last home game should be the biggest party ever...to thank the kids for their effort this season...although I haven't been this season I will be down to thank them for a sterling effort and...as hard as it's been for them it will stand them in good stead next season as we've got other round of hurdles to get over...Let's sell it out to show everyone that we might be down but we're not done for...and no I haven't been drinking

Can't remember any other season quite like it honestly Everything just went out of the window really didn't it and the team have had to just do the best they can under the circumstances Our fans? They've been unbelievable. Unreal. What a fanbase Really hoping that the next era of our club gives our fans everything they deserve and that we can have happier times again where it's fun to head to Hillsborough. Fingers crossed Up the Owls

Way over the top,at entrance to north at west stand end today Mate takes grandson ,aged 10 ,to games home and away,he likes to take his Wednesday flag to matches,he as taken same flag ,since Barnsley game at Wembley Today a woman fire steward marched over to him and said as that got a fire certificate,admit it didn't,but was bought from megastore,so you would assume it was ok,then 3 more stewards joined in, causing the young lad to cry,they took flag away with no apology to lad,way over the top With how bad this season as been we should be encouraging young uns to come,not treating them like this

All I took from that was Selphies

Doesn't really do it justice, but just seen this on twitter

For those who still plough down to the place...and i'm not blaming anyone who doesn't..I totally understand it, but for those who do? what on earth is it all about? 2-0 down and "Honolulu" ringing around the ground, Ipswich fans virtually non plussed and simply watching along? I think its bloody brilliant..and its not just T1 it was the whole North and the Kop...(sadly not in unison until someone takes his drumsticks off him)..but I really enjoyed it, must be that sorta defiance in adversity that affects folk, but bloody hell..fair play... an Ipswich fan mentioned it on the tram back...He said "we would just Boo"..I said "we used to at 0-1 down to Arsenal, but its beyond football now" The way Wednesday fans are stepping up, when everything has turned to crap puts a lump in me throat...

Shame. I know he has had his hands tied behind his back but hasn't shown to me the tactical nuance of different situations in games. Would not mind him on the coaching staff but not as head coach.

Did you get bored?

Him and Alex Miller have been a great team. Good luck for the future, Joe

Sell your house. Yours, Dejphon

And while we're here, I'm not sure Sheffield Wednesday are by far the greatest team the world has ever known.

I'll be getting one for the first time in 3 years regardless. The only think keeping me away was Chancer and he's gone.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002rkn3/selling-sheffield-wednesday

You can't fault any of the above really, can you? Maybe - just maybe - we add some much-needed quality to that next season, and you never know...

It makes me so proud to hear media companies commenting on our away fans and the noise we make. No matter how far or whether it's a midweek game, the away end is always packed to the rafters. Tell me any other clubs fans that look like they're celebrating after each defeat? The relentless chanting from minute one is something very special and the comments I've had from rival fans has been unbelievable. Now, even the TV, radio and newspapers are talking about it and this makes me feel immensely proud. We love our club no matter who tries to kill it and we will always celebrate the fact. Best fans in the country? Probably yes!

don’t be so pidantic

it’s not celebrating failure, it’s celebrating being Wednesday through and through and supporting the club we all profess to love.

Chansiri has gone. That should be enough to get fans returning.

At your age, bravo on keeping anything up.

They are unmatched - passionate, enthusiastic, loud and non-stop. Unbelievable support throughout the farce of this season. I really think being in the trenches this season has galvanized the fans into what will be an amazing togetherness which will really help push us on in the next few seasons. I also think it will help us attract new fans who want to be part of a dynamic atmosphere, as opposed to sitting on their hands keeping their mouth shut - we've already seen an awakening at Hillsborough too.

More than happy for Chris to come back as part of Henrik's team.

Fill the north west corner with hot tubs

Yep but I don’t think it’s by default. Think he’s earned it. He’s never stopped running. He’s been our engine. And nobody else has better embodied the fight we’ve needed at times and visibly stood up to it. Really hope he sticks around for another year. We’re going to need that again.

Ch*nsiri shaped piñata for the HT entertainment at the first home game....filled with Ugandan gold?

He's the manager I'd like for next season, knows league 1 and how to get out of it....i appreciate what pederson has done but time to move on.

Not buying Fernando’s story. He wasn’t to know what was going to happen regarding embargo’s etc at the time he refused to play, so he’s just using that to make him sound better. The moment he refused to play he should have been sold.

Ok, so that owl turned out bigger than I expected

This has been a long time coming we know but… Myself and Tom Crawshaw would like to invite OwlTalk members to join us for a very special occasion: the unveiling of the Ambrose Langley headstone at Burngreave Cemetery on Sunday 14 June 2026. Please take a moment to read the details below—there’s also a wonderful free gift for those who attend and help make this a truly memorable event. (We know a lot of OwlTalk members contributed to the crowdfunding - if you cannot attend the event, but made a donation and would like the free gift then see the foot of this message) Many of you will remember our crowdfunding campaign, which successfully raised the funds to commission a substantial and fitting headstone in honour of Hillsborough’s first club captain, Ambrose Langley. This unveiling marks the culmination of that effort. This event is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of Sheffield football—no matter who you support. Following the unveiling, there will be a guided tour of the “Footballers of Burngreave Cemetery,” sharing the stories of other remarkable figures from the city’s footballing past. A specially produced map will also be available, with proceeds supporting the Friends of Burngreave Cemetery and their ongoing work. Please show support by securing your free tickets today. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ambrose-langley-headstone-unveiling-swfcs-first-captain-of-hillsborough-tickets-1985635441056?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true Overview Join us for the unveiling of a fan-funded headstone for Ambrose Langley and receive a free 52-page commemorative booklet. The families of Sheffield Wednesday legends Tommy Crawshaw and Fred Spiksley invite you to attend this special tribute to Hillsborough’s first captain. For decades, Langley lay in an unmarked grave—his original headstone likely lost over time. On 14 June 2026, that will finally change. This newly commissioned memorial will stand as a lasting tribute, ensuring his contribution is properly recognised and remembered. Free Souvenir To mark the occasion, a superb 52-page commemorative booklet has been produced, featuring rare photographs and previously unseen material celebrating Langley’s life and career. Highlights include: Exclusive - Newly discovered photograph of the 1896 FA Cup Final - Stunning. Exclusive - 1900 SWFC Team photograph by Jasper Redfern, previously known of and now finally discovered and published for the first time. Exclusive - Social history photograph that shows the advertising poster for a football match at Olive Grove. A unique item published for the first time. Over 100 other photographs and illustrations that document Langley’s football career, including his time at Horncastle, Grimsby, Middlesborough Ironopolis, Hull City and Huddersfield Town. Exclusive - Photograph of the earliest known waxwork of a footballer at Madame Tussauds. This will be available free to the first 100 attendees who reserve a ticket via Eventbrite. About Ambrose Langley Ambrose Langley became Sheffield Wednesday’s captain following the club’s move to Hillsborough (then Owlerton) in 1899—a pivotal moment in the club’s history. At the time, Wednesday had just suffered relegation from the top flight and relocated from Olive Grove to a new home outside the city centre. Langley’s leadership proved transformational: he guided the club back to the First Division in his first season as captain and soon after led them to their first Football League title in 1902–03. During his playing career, he won the FA Cup and two Football League titles with Sheffield Wednesday, establishing himself as a true club stalwart. After retiring, he became a highly respected manager, taking charge of both Hull City and Huddersfield Town. At Huddersfield, he achieved extraordinary success—saving the club from relocation, securing promotion to the First Division, and leading them to an FA Cup Final, all within a single season. The Memorial While preserving traditional family wording, the design of the new headstone reflects Langley’s roots in Horncastle, the clubs he represented, and his outstanding achievements in the game. We would be delighted if you could join us for this special one-hour event and witness the unveiling of this long-overdue tribute. Reserve Your Place Secure your free commemorative booklet by reserving an Eventbrite ticket. There’s no need to print your ticket—names will simply be recorded on arrival. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ambrose-langley-headstone-unveiling-swfcs-first-captain-of-hillsborough-tickets-1985635441056?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true Owlerton - Origin's of a Football Cathedral (£5) A new photographic collectable will be available on the day. This unique item contains two reproductions of the earliest known photographs to show Hillsborough. More info about this will be posted on the forum soon. Booklets for donors who cannot attend If you contributed to the crowdfunding via our GoFunMe page but cannot attend this event for any reason then you can obtain your copy of the commemorative booklet for the cost of P&P (£3.50). Please email clive.nicholson@icloud.com to arrange this.

Should have beaten Watford......twice!