SWFC Trust is disappointed to learn that our opening home fixture of the season against Bradford City, originally scheduled for 3pm on Saturday 22nd August, has been moved to 8pm on Thursday 20th August.
What should have been a fantastic and exciting opportunity for supporters to come together and celebrate the opening home game of the season, and the beginning of a new era under the club's new ownership, has instead become a fixture that many fans will now struggle to attend.
The change will undoubtedly impact families with young children, supporters with work commitments, and many travelling fans, including those making the journey from Bradford. A Saturday afternoon fixture would have provided a far more accessible occasion for supporters of both clubs.
We urge @SkySports and other broadcasters to give greater consideration to the needs of match-going supporters when scheduling fixtures. Football simply wouldn't exist without its fans, and they deserve to be at the heart of these decisions.
We share the frustration of many supporters who were looking forward to celebrating the start of the new season together and hope that future scheduling decisions better reflect the interests of those who regularly attend matches.
#SWFC
The man who wants to rescue Sheffield Wednesday, American businessman David Storch, says he has been “informed that a 15-point penalty is set to be imposed at the start of next season” in League One. The outgoing owner Dejphon Chansiri should hang his head in shame at the damage he has inflicted on Sheffield Wednesday. He can’t have a conscience. Otherwise he’d accept a compromise on bid price.
The EFL should have been tougher with Chansiri quicker. The FA should remember it is supposed to be custodians of the game and protect clubs. The importance of an Independent Football Regulator, much delayed by vested interests, is highlighted again by events at Wednesday.
At the moment, the people being punished at Wednesday are fans, players, staff and the man who wants to save them. Shameful situation engulfing a historic club which could have been avoided with stronger leadership by the authorities. And Chansiri locating some principles. #SWFC
The EFL has sanctioned Sheffield Wednesday consistently since 2018.
Over that period, the club has been hit with multiple transfer embargoes spanning nearly a decade. By October 2025, Wednesday were under six simultaneous embargoes — the most any club has ever faced.
On top of that, the club has suffered repeated points deductions. A -12 deduction in 2020/21 severely damaged recruitment and momentum going into that season. Although it was later reduced to -6 on appeal, the damage had already been done — those points ultimately proved the difference between survival and relegation to League One.
In 2025, the situation worsened further. The club received:
•-12 points for entering administration, after the former owner failed to meet basic financial obligations such as paying wages and bills on time
•A further -6 point deduction, again due to the owner’s failure to uphold his responsibilities
This is not a case of a club gaining an unfair advantage — quite the opposite. The club has been placed at a significant competitive disadvantage for years due to sustained mismanagement.
Sheffield Wednesday has endured one of the most damaging ownership periods a club of its size is likely to experience. The former owner’s approach has not only harmed the club financially but also created a toxic environment for staff and supporters alike.
And yet, despite this, there is now an expectation that the same owner should be repaid — while the club continues to face further punishment.
How can that be justified?
The new ownership group should not be penalised for the failures of the previous regime. They should be given the opportunity to restore stability to a club that has lacked it for nearly 26 years.
Imposing further sanctions — such as another -15 point deduction, spending caps, business plan restrictions, and transfer limitations — would only deepen the damage. It risks condemning the club to yet another relegation and prolonging the cycle of instability.
At some point, there has to be recognition that continued punishment is no longer corrective — it is excessive.
The club, its staff, and its supporters deserve the chance to move forward.
#FairDealForWednesday
@storchyowl