Why Chris Wilder feels sorry for Sheffield Wednesday and Henrik Pedersen as Owls relegation confirmed | OneFootball

Sheffield United's 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday has officially relegated the Owls to League One

Chris Wilder has offered his sympathy to Sheffield Wednesday following their relegation at the hands of Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon.

The Owls have endured a disastrous campaign, with their place in League One for next year now confirmed already.

The South Yorkshire outfit have suffered the drop in February, which is historically early, with their 18-point deduction across the course of the campaign playing a significant role.

Henrik Pedersen’s side are stuck on minus seven points as a result of these penalties and their own poor form, having lost their last 10 in a row in the Championship.

Their last positive result was a 0-0 draw against Blackburn Rovers on December 29, meaning they are still yet to secure a victory, or even a draw, in 2026.

Sheffield Wednesday are currently in administration, with a preferred bidder named since 24 December, with a consortium led by James Bord seeking a takeover - one which is yet to be resolved.

Chris Wilder reacts to Sheffield Wednesday relegation as Sheffield United land the final blow

Wilder has claimed that a Sheffield United supporter will never celebrate a Sheffield Wednesday win and vice versa, and that he expected no sympathy after the Blades’ play-off final loss last May, for example, but that he does feel bad for the Owls’ situation.

The 58-year-old has offered his sympathy to Pedersen and the squad following confirmation of their relegation, suggesting the team simply wasn’t capable of competing in the Championship this year.

"I've never seen a Sheffield United fan celebrate a Sheffield Wednesday win,” Wilder told Sky Sports.

“And I've never seen a Sheffield Wednesday fan celebrate a United achievement.

“I'm sure I never got any phone calls when Tommy Watson stuck the ball in the bottom corner in the 97th minute at Wembley, and the stuff that happened to me after.

“This is the ruthless part of the job. You've got to look after your own club, you've got to look after yourself.

“Everyone in football realises Sheffield Wednesday were basically relegated at the start of the season, and I feel for Henrik and the players. A relegation is never a nice thing to deal with.

“But the team is so undercooked it's frightening and they go out every week and give it a good go as they did today. A bit more on it today. That's how it is. That's how we're brought up.

“I don't think any Sheffield Wednesday fan would have the effort any other way and neither would any Sheffield United fan have it any other way."

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a swift resolution to the ratification process amid Bord’s attempts to buy the club.

The EFL must give their approval to the takeover before it can be completed, with administrators Begbies Traynor overseeing the day-to-day behind the scenes in the meantime.

With their Steel City Derby victory, Sheffield United have moved up to 14th in the Championship, with goals coming from Patrick Bamford and Harrison Burrows in the 2-1 win.

The gap to the play-off places is now six points, with United seeking another top six finish in the table, with 13 fixtures to go.

Wilder was in charge of the Blades when they lost to Sunderland in the play-off final last season, and was quickly dismissed following the defeat.

However, the 58-year-old was brought back after a disastrous start to the term under Ruben Selles, with the team losing all five league games played under the Spaniard.

Sheffield Wednesday relegation was a long time coming - the rebuild needs to start as soon as James Bord arrives

It was inevitable that Sheffield Wednesday were going to be relegated this season, as an 18-point deduction will sink any team.

The Owls haven’t been good enough to earn the results to keep them anywhere close to survival either, and their tally of minus seven is an all-time low.

To suffer relegation at the hands of Sheffield United is a cruel twist of fate for Pedersen’s side, and supporters will want to quickly forget this entire campaign.

The club’s attention will now turn to the takeover process, as they cannot begin plans for life in League One until that is clarified, while Sheffield United now have momentum on their side in the charge for a top six finish.