Fan reacts to 'completely unexpected' Sheffield Wednesday off-pitch twist | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his verdict on the club avoiding a 15 point deduction penalty as part of David Storch's takeover

Sheffield Wednesday enjoyed a celebratory final day of the Championship season despite their relegation to League One.

The Owls endured a disastrous year both on and off the pitch, with the club going into administration in October.

But the group led by David Storch announced the completion of their takeover ahead of the clash against West Brom, bringing the team into a new era.

Goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and Liam Palmer in the first half proved enough to seal a 2-1 victory against the Baggies.

This was their second win of the campaign, and first at Hillsborough, leaving them with zero points after being docked 18 by the EFL through the season.

Henrik Pedersen will now be planning for next term, and he will be relieved that the club have avoided a further 15 point deduction for life in League One.

Sheffield Wednesday’s clean slate under David Storch

When asked about the club avoiding this 15 point deduction, FLW’s Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna claimed that there is now a real buzz around the team for the first time in quite a while.

He believes that this now allows for a clean slate under the new owners, and brings the Owls back to a level of normality after a messy season on and off the pitch.

“With the news that there’s going to be no points deduction next season, that is absolutely massive news,” McKenna told Football League World.

“It was completely unexpected as well, and the way it was announced was brilliant, and it’s given a real buzz amongst the fanbase.

“As well, it’s going to be so crucial for us on the pitch, if we did have to start with a 15 points deduction we would’ve been in a relegation battle from the start of the season with a credible threat of relegation to League Two, which would’ve been catastrophic for the club.

“Now, however, starting on zero it’s a clean slate again, and it adds some normality to the season following the extraordinary season that was 25/26.”

However, McKenna doesn’t believe that Sheffield Wednesday can automatically fight for promotion next season as a result of this development, suggesting there is too big of a rebuild to go before they can think about getting back into the Championship.

“As to whether we can compete for promotion, I think we just have to be glad we’re in a situation where theoretically that is possible,” he added.

“However, there is still a huge rebuilding job to do, and it’s going to take the right players to come in and everything to click for a promotion bid.

“So, I think as long as next season, if we see progress on the pitch, then I would be happy.

“I wouldn’t rule out a promotion bid, maybe an outside shot of the play-offs, but I just think we have to take stock of the fact a rebuild is going to be massive, and thankfully that relegation and the misery of a points deduction has been taken away.”

Sheffield Wednesday earned their first victory of the campaign in September, beating Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

However, they didn’t win again until the final day of the season at home against West Brom, with the result ushering in a new era for the club.

Pedersen is set to remain in charge of the first team squad for next season despite the poor results, with the Dane overseeing a difficult campaign with a limited team at his disposal.

The 48-year-old replaced Danny Rohl in the summer following his exit from the Yorkshire outfit, but he was a part of the German’s backroom staff before stepping up to become head coach.

Sheffield Wednesday will now have their attention on rebuilding the squad for life in League One, with their sights set on returning to a level of competitiveness after losing 32 of their 46 fixtures this term.

Henrik Pedersen has a fresh slate this summer

Avoiding the 15 point deduction is huge for Sheffield Wednesday, and puts the club in a position of normality going into the summer.

While they still have to stick to a business plan that requires oversight from the EFL when it comes to making signings, it is still a big step forward compared to the previous 12 months.

Rebuilding the first team will take a lot of effort, but Pedersen has earned the chance to oversee next season after being a custodian of the team through this difficult season.

Sheffield Wednesday will be doing well to earn promotion next year, but fans can now start thinking of that possibility, as a 15 point deduction would’ve been a lot to overcome next year, and could’ve even made it more difficult to recruit talent as well.