Sheffield Wednesday are approaching 25 years since they last played in the Premier League.
Sheffield Wednesday are an iconic name in English football, playing at an iconic ground in Hillsborough.
But S6 hasn’t played host to Premier League football since the Owls’ relegation from the English top flight in 2000.
Sheffield Wednesday have been in and out of the Championship since then, suffering relegation to the third tier on three occasions.
The Owls have come close to promotion from the Championship, reaching the play-off final under Carlos Carvalhal in 2016.
Danny Rohl is now the man in charge. Many thought he could make dark horses out of Wednesday this season, but after five games the Owls sit in 20th place of the Championship table.
Frustrations are being aimed towards Rohl and the first-team players following the poor start, whilst tensions between owner Dejphon Chansiri and fans having subsided following a strong summer transfer window.
Neil Mellor says Sheffield Wednesday uncertainty is keeping Owls out of the Premier League
Tension between the Wednesday fans and Chansiri hit all-time highs last season.
The formation of The 1867 Group marked those highs, with the fan group staging several protests against Chansiri’s ruling of the club.
Nine new players arrived during the summer though. Chansiri also spent £3million on Ike Ugbo, also spending money on Yan Valery and Olaf Kobacki, as well as a new contract for Rohl.
Speaking on All Wednesday, former Owls frontman and now pundit Neil Mellor gave his verdict on Wednesday, and their ongoing absence from the Premier League.
Mellor said: “Wednesday will be back. I think the uncertainty off the pitch doesn’t help, obviously with ownerships, with changes of manager, with constant changes of players.
“The biggest strength Sheffield Wednesday have, is the fans. And that will always make it an appealing club for owners, for managers, and for players to go and play.
“So I do believe at some point they’ll get it right, and we’ll see Sheffield Wednesday back in the Premier League.”
Sheffield Wednesday project is just getting started
Chansiri has almost had to start again at Sheffield Wednesday.
He’s spent big money in the past but went about earning promotion all wrong, and he had to reel in the spending for a long time.
But with Rohl at the helm, and younger, more exciting players arriving at the club and coming through the academy, there’s new foundations being laid.
And the start to this season has reminded everyone that the rebuilding job at Wednesday is a huge one.
It won’t take half-a-season or one season; it could take three or four before Wednesday are realistic promotion contenders.
Chansiri has Wednesday back on track. But patience is needed.