David Storch has just given Sheffield Wednesday fans something huge to believe in | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday owner David Storch wants the Owls to be a Championship club again by the end of next season

New Sheffield Wednesday owner David Storch wants to see the Owls back in the Championship by the end of next season.

The Owls begin life back in League One on Saturday with a trip to Leyton Orient, and the atmosphere at the club is unrecognisable compared to what it was this time last year.

On opening day last August, Sheffield Wednesday fans waited five minutes before taking their places in the stands at Leicester City in protest to then-owner Dejphon Chansiri. 12 months on, Brisbane Road's away end will be packed out before the first minute.

David Storch and the new Arise consortium have generated a massive feeling of optimism at Hillsborough ahead of their third-tier return this summer.

From eradicating an imposed 15-point deduction to begin the campaign to improving the training ground and modernising the facilities and overseeing a transfer window that, on the eve of the season, has seen 13 new faces arrive at the club, it's been more than busy thus far.

David Storch wants Sheffield Wednesday to secure promotion by the end of next season

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It wouldn't be held against the new ownership group if they took a little more time to get their feet under the desk and stabilise the club before going all in on getting them back up the pyramid.

However, David Storch and co have wasted no time in making Wednesday a perceived powerhouse of League One once again, and they don't want the near future to be spent in the third tier.

"I don't do anything half-assed," Storch told The Athletic. "If I do something, I'm all in. And I'm all in.

"My mind can't stop. It's a cure in some respects. There's so much to do that I can't stop thinking about the next thing to do. Everything I think I've got it all, I go, 'Ah f**k, what about this? I want this to be the best football club in the world.

"I'm incredibly optimistic about the future. I'd be very disappointed if (promotion to the Championship) hasn't happened by the end of next season. I'm not patient by nature, but I do appreciate it's needed. I can tell you this: I'm in it for the long haul."

The speed at which the club are rebuilding was emphasised by new CEO David Bruce, who spoke about how they've been talking about "doing 10 to 15 years of work on the stadium inside 90 days." It's exciting times for Wednesday fans, who finally have a group at the top of the club who want the best for the club and who they can get behind.

Sheffield Wednesday fans appreciative of the work the Arise ownership has done ahead of 2026/27

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It's been an uncharacteristic off-season for Sheffield Wednesday for all the right reasons, with excitement flowing due to potential incomings and the work being done behind the scenes to improve the club off the field ahead of the new campaign.

Phillip Buckingham, who wrote the in-depth piece with interviews with Storch and Bruce for The Athletic, was heavily praised for his effort in writing online.

were all amongst the comments on X in response to the article being shared.

Ultimately, the fact that the journalist can write such a detailed piece is a testament to the openness and good feeling that the Arise consortium has created in such a short space of time.

Sheffield Wednesday's optimism will grow even further after David Storch promotion timeline

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Sheffield Wednesday are being tipped by many critics to land in the top six upon their return to League One.

Despite the questions that still need to be answered about how quickly a new group can bed in and whether head coach Henrik Pedersen is up to the task of leading this club with a newfound expectation, the quality of signings and good feeling around the side outweigh those concerns.

Do you think Sheffield Wednesday will be promoted by the end of next season? Let us know in the comments.

David Storch has, understandably, not made promotion the sole goal this year, as there has been a lot of transition at the club over the past three months. That's not to say it won't be appreciated at the first time of asking, but the campaign won't be seen as a failure if it isn't.

Curbing those expectations can only be a positive thing. Storch knows he needs to have some patience this year, but with the rapid growth this summer, it can be expected that once things have started to calm down slightly, the Owls can then put their full focus on the field.

As for becoming the best team in the world. That may be a little further down the line. But the fact that the new ownership group wants to be around to oversee that can only bode well for those in the stands at Hillsborough in the coming years.