Tony Pulis tells Sheffield Wednesday fans exactly what they 'deserve' ahead of 2026/27 | OneFootball

Tony Pulis is hoping for a successful campaign at Hillsborough next season in League One

Sheffield Wednesday are set to begin life back in League One this summer, but do so with plenty of optimism.

The Owls were relegated from the Championship with a record-low points total, accumulating only 18, which wiped out their deductions throughout the campaign and saw them end the season on zero.

Indeed, Wednesday were docked 12 points when entering administration, and a further six points due to a failure by former owner Dejphon Chansiri to pay players in March, May and June.

However, after a decade under Chansiri's rule, Sheffield Wednesday is heading into the new campaign without the Thai businessman at the helm, and while there's a lot to do in terms of improvement, both on and off the field, there's an excitement and a belief that will happen.

The new Arise ownership group, led by David Storch, have already done so much good work in laying down the foundations to be successful next season, negotiating the waiving of their imposed 15-point deduction and salary cap that they were set to be under in the summer.

They've also appointed David Bruce as the new CEO and are possibly hiring Stockport County's Simon Wilson to be the new sporting director, a role not used under Chansiri, which will craft a strategy to outline the ideal future of the club on the field.

Tony Pulis hopes Sheffield Wednesday can win promotion next season

Therefore, a lot of oddsmakers are tipping Wednesday to be among the promotion contenders in League One next season, despite their squad needing plenty of improvement.

As quoted by the Sheffield Star, BOYLE Sports, who offer those odds, spoke with Tony Pulis, who briefly managed the Owls under Chansiri in 2020. Despite his tenure lasting only 10 games, he understands how great the club is and credited the fans' resilience over the past year.

"I had the shortest spell of my career at Sheffield Wednesday, but I know it was a special club," he said. "It's one of the great clubs of British football, traditionally.

"They had a full house for the last game of the season. Unbelievable when you think of what all those supporters have gone through. Frightening. But they're there for life. That's the thing.

"It's the same in every club across the country. Your dad stamps you with his club when you're born, and it passes on through, and that really resonates with the people of Sheffield, where generations of fans have gone before.

"Unfortunately, it's not been very good for this generation. They're probably cursing their parents! But that's how it is. Once you've got your club, you stick with that club for life. That's why it's all so tribal in England."

Already, Sheffield Wednesday have sold 17,000 season tickets for their upcoming League One campaign, which is more than they sold ahead of this past season in the final few months of Dejphon Chansiri's reign.

Pulis knows how loyal and committed the Owls fans can be, and hopes that Wednesday can earn promotion immediately, almost as a reward for those who have survived the disastrous last few years supporting the club.

"It'd be absolutely fantastic if Wednesday could bounce back on the first go and take themselves back up into the Championship next season," he continued. "It's what their fans deserve."

Sheffield Wednesday can easily replicate their last League One foray next season

Pulis was in charge for 10 games at Hillsborough during the 2020/21 campaign, a season where the Owls were eventually relegated due to financial troubles under Chansiri.

Sheffield Wednesday sold Hillsborough to Dejphon Chansiri in 2019 to ensure that they did not breach financial rules. However, the EFL still found them guilty of breaking Profit and Sustainability laws based on the fact that those profits shouldn't have been included in their financial statements.

Their 12-point deduction imposed that year was eventually decreased to six, but it couldn't stop them from being relegated. In the end, they were three points adrift from safety, meaning that without the deductions, they'd have survived.

While their situation right now doesn't mirror that of five years ago, as the Owls had a squad capable of challenging in the third tier during their relegation, whereas now they do not, there is still the expectation that good reinforcements will be brought in come August.

Wednesday are still a big fish in the third tier due to their size, even if they're currently behind in terms of the modernisation of their club. But David Storch and co are working tirelessly to get them up to scratch.

Even with Chansiri in charge, Sheffield Wednesday recorded back-to-back play-off finishes, the latter of which saw them promoted. Therefore, nothing suggests that the Owls can't do the same under forward-thinking ownership in 2026/27.