The potential of Sheffield Wednesday has always acted as a reminder that better days could eventually return. Even during the darkest hours of Dejphon Chansiri’s reign, it remained an act of defiance.
The boycotts, particularly the one against Middlesbrough, proved that if you attempt to exploit and demean loyalty, it will ultimately be your downfall. The arrival of a new era has allowed that potential to shine brightly once again.
The headline figure of more than 24,000 season tickets sold may prompt little more than a shrug from some modern football fans. The boom in attendances since 2000 has made sold-out stadiums and season-ticket waiting lists common features of the top flight.
I have spoken to fans of the so-called Big Six who assume that a club like Wednesday would simply fill its ground. I would point out that only a few months ago, we faced the prospect of having either a condemned stadium or no club left to fill it.
In classic Wednesday fashion, a ridiculous 27 years outside the top flight meant we largely missed this attendance boom. If you look at the Premier League last season, seven clubs recorded attendances of more than 50,000. Before 2000, there was only one, and before 2010, there were only two.
You can also look at clubs such as Leicester City and Southampton and compare their stadiums and attendances during the 1990s with where they are today.
The challenge for the new owners is to prove that this fanbase can be energised into consistently reaching higher levels of support. Hopefully, that will eventually become a project completed in the Premier League, but the building blocks must be put in place now.
There is no doubt that the remarkable number of season tickets sold has been driven by a sense of buy-in from an expectant fanbase.
During the 2015/16 season, we did not see an immediate surge in attendances despite the excitement generated by new signings and the club’s highest league finish since 2000. Nothing fundamentally new was offered beyond better football, while the high ticket prices came as a shock.
The average attendance rose to around 28,000 the following season as Wednesday secured another play-off campaign. However, the relationship between the club and the fans remained entirely one-sided. It was ultimately a cash grab built around a deeply flawed strategy.
It was assumed that Premier League football could be achieved immediately and that the riches of promotion would cure the club’s long-term problems. That approach ignored the fact that some clubs have reached the Premier League and emerged from the experience in worse shape than before.
Had the gamble paid off, Wednesday would undoubtedly have played in front of full houses in the Premier League. However, it would not necessarily have translated into sustainable success.
It would have provided a fleeting glimpse of the club’s potential rather than properly utilising it to create something lasting.
It is true that the bar was set incredibly low for the new owners, meaning that some relatively mundane actions have been greeted with delight. However, the new ownership wasted no time in delivering genuinely positive news.
The announcement on the final day of the season that there would be no further points deduction set the excitement and goodwill in motion. It lifted an enormous weight from the club’s shoulders ahead of the following campaign and paved the way for a return to normality.
The crushing 18-point deduction during the 2025/26 season was difficult enough to take. A guaranteed relegation battle to avoid League Two would have been horrendous.
The return of the traditional badge was another early indication that the new ownership had made an effort to understand and engage with the club’s history.
Communication has been first-class and has made the fans feel valued and involved. David Storch appears to understand that he is merely a custodian of Sheffield Wednesday and that the club ultimately belongs to its supporters.
There is little doubt that this will encourage fans to return, particularly those who felt so poorly treated during the Chansiri era.
It is also a message that can spread among friends and family without people needing to spend their lives online. Supporters will be encouraging others to come back and telling them not to miss the beginning of a new dawn for the club.
There has also been a significant change in the structure of Sheffield Wednesday, one that fits with the aim of creating a sustainable, long-term strategy.
While Sheffield may remain a traditionally working-class city, the target audience within the fanbase is varied. That is why an overhaul of the club’s corporate and catering operations is necessary.
Some fans will prefer a cocktail to a pint of ale, or small plates to a Beres pork sandwich. That is why packages involving the Boardroom and a cocktail bar have a place.
They can drive additional revenue while giving fans the opportunity to experience them as an occasional treat during the season.
It is important to remember that the club cannot aim every decision solely at your own preferences. It has to widen the net and provide different experiences for different sections of the fanbase.
There is also the option of a more traditional matchday experience, where supporters can enjoy a pint with Hirsty.
The effort to bring club legends back into the fold has been great to see. They created happy memories for generations of Wednesday fans, so why not allow them to share those memories with supporters on matchdays?
The focus on improving the facilities around Hillsborough is another sign that our loyalty is no longer being taken for granted.
Hillsborough is iconic and will always be home, but it has been allowed to fall into a poor state. The lack of running water, dreadful Wi-Fi and general shabbiness have left the stadium behind the times.
Those issues may not deter the hardcore support, but it is much easier to persuade a casual fan to attend regularly when the stadium provides decent facilities.
This is not about appealing to a so-called prawn sandwich brigade. It is about meeting reasonable expectations of basic quality in 2026.
Plans for improvement are already underway before a ball has been kicked in anger in League One. Attendances will naturally increase further if success follows on the pitch.
There is no need to make predictions or boasts about Wednesday’s potential attendance ceiling.
What matters is that a two-way relationship between the club and its supporters has finally been established, creating solid foundations from which Sheffield Wednesday can begin to fulfil its potential.