Plenty happened on the grass at Sheffield Wednesday this week, but the biggest news came from the boardroom. The club has finally set up a supporter engagement structure that looks like it was designed to work, and it has done something no Wednesday board has done before: it has offered a director's seat to the man who chairs the Supporters' Trust.
The Fan Advisory Board arrives, and James Silverwood gets the call
The Fan Advisory Board will meet for the first time on Tuesday 3 November. It replaces the old Engagement Panel, which never managed to win over the fanbase and which the Trust eventually walked out of. Six groups will sit on the FAB: the Supporters' Trust, the SWFC Women's Supporters' Group, Wise Old Owls, Rainbow Owls, The Wednesday Voice, and a new Regional Supporters' Groups Collective for UK-based groups. Below it are three sub-groups covering Fan Experience, Ticketing, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, with a new International Supporters' Groups Collective for fans overseas.
On paper it looks well thought out. The Football Supporters' Association helped shape it, and the ticketing sub-group gives supporters a formal say on pricing and policy, which is where fans have felt shut out for years. The real test is the promise to report back after every meeting. If those updates are open and specific, the FAB will earn trust quickly. If they read like press releases, it will end up the same way as the Engagement Panel.
The bigger story is James Silverwood. The Trust chair has been invited to join the club board as an unpaid non-executive director. The club has offered the role to him personally, separate from his Trust position, and he wants to put it to Trust members before he accepts. Consulting the members is the right call. A fan voice in the boardroom is exactly what the Trust has asked for since the fan-led review, so turning it down would be odd. Still, he'll have to manage two jobs that won't always point the same way, and he can only do that if members back him from the start.
A new analyst, but no straight swap for Ben King
Wednesday will add an analyst to Henrik Pedersen's staff following the departure of set-piece specialist Ben King, who has joined Bristol City. Pedersen says it won't be a direct replacement. First-team coach Matt Hamshaw now runs set pieces, and the club knew King was leaving before Hamshaw arrived. The new analyst will help with dead balls but also cover opposition analysis and work on the team's game model.
This is a sensible way to do it. Putting set pieces under an experienced coach and making the analyst's job broader gives Pedersen more support across the board, and doesn't depend on one specialist the way the old setup did.
Academy: a win for the 18s, a lesson for the 21s
Luke Morgan's Under-18s got back to winning ways on Saturday with a 2–1 win over Hull City. Sammy Omoniyi scored early with a powerful finish, and after Hull equalised, Logan Scott restored the lead before half-time from Kleven De Oliveira's cross. It's their second win of the season and lifts them to sixth before they travel to Fleetwood this weekend.
The Under-21s had a harder time, losing 5–2 to Huddersfield at Middlewood Road. Joel Akpobi gave Wednesday a fifth-minute lead, but the visitors equalised quickly and then scored twice in a minute after the break. Will Grainger pulled one back from Akpobi's pass, but Huddersfield scored twice late on. Their next game is at Peterborough on Wednesday 21 October.
Ladies: Kieron Lee steps down
As reported by The Wednesday Word, Kieron Lee has stepped down as manager of Sheffield Wednesday Ladies because of commitments outside football. He had worked with the Owlesses on and off for several years and brought stability during their climb up the divisions. Renée Simmonite-Scott, Laurie Millington and player-coach Jess Birtles now take charge permanently, making them the first all-female coaching team in the club's history. It's a good moment for the club, and appointing people who already know the dressing room should make the handover easier. Their first game is against Parkgate Ladies this weekend.
Off the pitch
The club's annual Kids Christmas Party is at Hillsborough on Wednesday 16 December, from 4:30pm to 7pm. Tickets are £30 per child and £5 per accompanying adult, and include a party tea, a disco, a visit from Ozzie and Barney Owl, and a present for every child. For adults, Hirsty's is hosting shared Christmas parties on 4 and 12 December at £45 a head.
The Megastore is giving a £20 digital gift card to anyone who spends £100 in-store or online. The cards arrive on 1 December and must be used by Christmas Eve. The 2026-27 third shirt is also back on pre-order after selling out very quickly in September, with delivery from the week of 14 December.
Next up, AFC Wimbledon come to Hillsborough on Saturday.
Sources: The Star, The Wednesday Word (Joe Crann) and swfc.co.uk.
Image Credit: SWFC Official