Pedersen proud of team's togetherness
The relationship between Sheffield Wednesday supporters and owner Dejphon Chansiri remains strained, yet manager Henrik Pedersen expressed immense pride in the "togetherness" shown by his young squad during their shock Carabao Cup victory over Leeds United on Tuesday.
Frustrations among Owls fans have intensified following a turbulent summer in which the club failed to pay player wages on time for a third consecutive month, resulting in EFL sanctions. Protests against Chansiri were evident during Wednesday’s Championship opener against Leicester and continued during the cup tie, with thousands of supporters boycotting the Leeds match.
Many fans instead gathered at local pubs and clubs to follow the action, where they witnessed a spirited and determined performance from a remarkably young Sheffield Wednesday side. Due to the club’s ongoing issues, the Owls began the season with only 12 senior players. Against Leeds, they fielded a team with four 20-year-olds and five teenagers, averaging just 21 years of age.
Despite their inexperience, there was no visible gap in quality compared to their Premier League opponents. After a 1-1 draw, Sheffield Wednesday triumphed 3-0 on penalties.
“Really, really proud,” Pedersen told Sky Sports after the match. “How they stayed together—I’m just proud. They stepped up so much in a game like this. Nobody could see that coming, so big respect to our boys.”
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, covering the match for BBC Radio 5 Live, highlighted how the sense of unity extended to the supporters as well:
“There’s an incredible story going on at the club at the moment. A lot of supporters decided not to come to the stadium but actually stood in solidarity with the ones who did. They finally took a stand against the owner and how the club is being run. The supporters are standing together, the players are standing together, and that performance tonight was the epitome of togetherness.”
Why Are Sheffield Wednesday Fans Protesting?
Owls supporters are calling for Chansiri to sell the club, though many fear a sale may not happen soon. This has led to increasingly vocal and visible protests against the current ownership.
During their Championship opener against Leicester, a banner reading “Enough is Enough” was displayed. Two weeks prior, fans held a mock funeral procession with a coffin symbolizing “the death of the football club.”
The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust urged fans on its website to boycott the Leeds match and donate their ticket money to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball, covering the game at Hillsborough, noted before kick-off:
“I cannot imagine many Sheffield Wednesday vs. Leeds games which have ever been played in a Hillsborough stadium like this. The protest being made this evening was by not coming to this game. I’m pretty sure the Leeds fans, about 3,000 of them, may well outnumber the home support. The North stand was closed tonight, as was the East stand. The only place you will find the home fans is in the lower tier of the South Stand.”
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter Rob Staton added that many fans felt “torn” about the protest:
“If fans don’t come to this, they can’t go to the away games—and it’s at the away games where the bigger protests are happening. A lot of people have bought tickets for this game that don’t even come, as they just want the points for the away games.”
