'˜Incredible' Sheffield Wednesday fans reinvigorate Dejphon Chansiri

The Owls’ dreams of ending a 16-year absence from the top flight were ended by Saturday’s play-off final defeat to Hull City.

Wednesday were well beaten despite the 1-0 final score but the abiding memory of those at the final was the backing provided to Carlos Carvalhal’s men by a travelling army of 40,000 fans.

“Those scenes on Saturday will stay with me for a very long time and only increase my desire and total commitment to take us back to where the football world saw this club belongs – the Premier League,” said the Thai businessman.

“You, the fans, deserve to be in the Premier League. You are Premier League. Almost everyone who was at Wembley on Saturday came away talking more about what they saw off the pitch rather than on it.

“I thought those scenes were incredible. I have never seen anything like it and neither have a lot of people who have been in football for many, many years.”

Wednesday finished sixth in the Championship, knocked Arsenal and Newcastle United out of the Capital One Cup and then beat Brighton & Hove Albion over two legs in the play-off semi-finals.

It was, by some distance, the club’s best season of the new Millennium and one that Chansiri is adamant can be built upon.

“We came within one match of reaching the Premier League, which is arguably the pinnacle of the game,” added the Wednesday chief in a message to supporters.

“So, right now, I am hurting and so sorry that we could not take that final step and end our 16-year exile from the top flight.

“But be assured of one thing – Sheffield Wednesday will be back. We will shake off this hurt, regroup over the summer and return with the intention of going all the way next season.

“And, as your chairman, I pledge I will do everything I possibly can to ensure we do exactly that.

“The fact that we came so close to achieving our dream was testament to the drive, passion and talent that we are fortunate to have here at Hillsborough.

“We now need to harness those skills, re-focus all our efforts and ensure that together, on and off the pitch, we are ready to achieve what was denied us at Wembley but what I am sure you agree was still one of the most memorable occasions of our proud history.”