Hillsborough has rarely seen a night quite like this. On August 26, 2025, Sheffield Wednesday pulled off a remarkable Carabao Cup upset, defeating rivals Leeds United 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Yet, as memorable as the on-field drama was, it unfolded against a backdrop of turmoil and protest that has shaken the club to its core.
For months, the Owls have been mired in crisis. Unpaid wages in May, June, and July left both players and staff in limbo, prompting the EFL to charge the club and impose strict transfer embargoes. Owner Dejphon Chansiri has faced fierce criticism, with many supporters demanding his departure after a summer that saw the club’s finances spiral and the squad whittled down to its bare bones. The result? A team forced to rely on youth, resilience, and sheer togetherness to survive.
Sheffield Wednesday’s squad, already thin from player departures triggered by late wage payments, has become accustomed to learning about the club’s latest woes through social media. Even captain Barry Bannan admitted, "That’s all that we’ve really as players have seen, just what everyone else is seeing, so we’re just going in and doing our job to try and get results for the football club." The players, just like the fans, have been left in the dark, focusing on their football as the off-field issues swirl.
Despite the chaos, the team has shown remarkable spirit. Heading into the Leeds clash, Wednesday had managed to claw back a draw at Wrexham and snatch a penalty win in the Carabao Cup’s earlier round. It’s the sort of grit that has become their trademark in these troubled times. Bannan, who spoke to Chansiri before the season about adjusting the squad’s bonus schedule, noted, "Last season, there was payment towards promotion, this season is probably staying in the league, so we had to change that." Such is the shift in ambition forced by circumstances.
But if the club’s ambitions have had to be recalibrated, the heart on display at Hillsborough has not. Against Leeds, manager Henrik Pedersen sent out a side with an average age of just 21. Four 20-year-olds and five teenagers started, with only 12 senior players available. The odds were stacked against them, but the young Owls refused to be cowed by their Premier League opponents.
"Really, really proud," Pedersen told Sky Sports after the match. "How they stayed together, I’m just proud. They stepped up so much in a game like this, nobody could see that, so big respect to our boys." His pride was echoed throughout the club, as the team’s togetherness became the story of the night.
The game itself was tense and dramatic. Leeds, with their top-flight pedigree, were expected to dominate, but Wednesday’s youngsters matched them stride for stride. When the whistle blew for full time, the sides were deadlocked at 1-1, and it all came down to penalties. With nerves of steel, the Owls converted all three of their spot kicks, while Leeds faltered. The roar that greeted the winning penalty was a catharsis for players and fans alike—a rare moment of joy in a summer of gloom.
Yet, the stands told a different story. Thousands of empty seats and closed stands greeted the teams at Hillsborough. The reason? A coordinated boycott by Wednesday fans, furious with Chansiri’s stewardship. In the build-up to the match, the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust had urged fans to stay away and instead donate their ticket money to Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity. The result was an eerie atmosphere, with BBC Radio 5 live commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball noting before kick-off, "I cannot imagine many Sheffield Wednesday against Leeds games which have ever been played in a Hillsborough stadium like this. The protest being made this evening was by not coming to this game. I’m pretty sure the Leeds fans, about 3,000 of them, may well outnumber the home support." The North and East stands were closed, with home fans confined to the lower tier of the South Stand.
The protests have been building all summer. In their Championship opener against Leicester, fans unfurled a banner reading ‘Enough is Enough.’ Two weeks ago, a mock funeral procession wound its way through Sheffield, complete with a symbolic coffin representing "the death of the football club." The message to Chansiri has been loud and clear, but there remains a fear among fans that a change in ownership is not imminent.
BBC Radio Sheffield’s Rob Staton captured the dilemma facing supporters: "A lot of fans have been ‘torn’ on the protest. If fans don’t come to this, they can’t go to the away games, and it’s at the away games where the bigger protests are happening. A lot of people have bought tickets for this game that don’t even come as they just want the points for the away games." The sense of division is palpable, but so is the unity in purpose—everyone wants better for their club.
For the players, the fans’ support has been a lifeline. Bannan was quick to praise the travelling support: "They’ve been amazing, especially at the away games, they’ve been unbelievable. We’ve really felt that support. Last season, if we went 2-0 down away, it wouldn’t have been applause, but this season is going a bit different. We walked off at half-time [against Wrexham] and they were still right behind us and trying to galvanise us. We’re very thankful and very aware of that and if it has done something good for us, it’s brought us close together."
As for the match against Leeds, it was more than just a cup tie—it was an escape from the headlines, a chance to focus on football. Bannan summed up the mood: "Tonight it’s Leeds, a local derby, it takes the focus off everything that’s going on and you just concentrate on playing football and being a footballer. I’m just glad the season has started, as are the rest of the lads. It takes away all the news around the club at the minute."
In the end, Sheffield Wednesday’s penalty triumph over Leeds won’t erase the off-field problems, nor will it resolve the deep divisions between fans and owner. But for one night at least, the club rediscovered its fighting spirit. The togetherness shown by the young squad and the solidarity of the supporters—whether in the stands, at home, or in protest—offered a glimpse of hope amid adversity. As the Championship season picks up pace, the Owls will need every ounce of that unity to weather the storms still to come.
