'We are one again,' says Henrik Pedersen as Sheffield Wednesday staff paid early
It says much about life at Sheffield Wednesday that staff being paid a day early on Thursday was a landmark in a difficult 2025.
Five times in the previous seven months, wages were late – sometimes in part, often in full – as chairman Dejphon Chansiri tried in vain to keep his head above choppy financial waters.
But the outpouring of support since the club went into administration last week has allowed a gesture the Owls called "a major step forward in stabilising the club’s operations and rebuilding trust both internally and with our supporters."
Manager Henrik Pedersen took it as a sign “we are one again”.
It has been possible because of Hillsborough recording comfortably the biggest crowd of the season last week, either side of a spending spree at the club shop which ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
On Wednesday many children on half-term were at the ground to watch an open training session, with plenty dragging their parents into the megastore afterwards for a signing session.
“It's fantastic but it's our club,” said Pedersen. “We are one again.
“Saturday was a fantastic day. We lost the last game but it was a fantastic day to be one again in the stadium.
“I think there will be a full house against Norwich (the next home game) and for all of us Hillsborough full is fantastic. It's important in a difficult situation.”
The Owls have no fresh injuries for Saturday at West Brom, but nor anyone back.
“Olaf (Kobacki) has had a setback of two, three, four weeks, we're not sure how long,” revealed Pedersen. “(Nathaniel) Chalobah will still take some weeks, George (Brown) four or five weeks.”