Sheffield Wednesday relegated from the Championship
Sheffield Wednesday has made unwanted English Football League history on Sunday afternoon, becoming the first club ever to be relegated in February, reports BritPanorama.
The Owls faced bitter rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, suffering a dramatic 2-1 defeat, which saw two players sent off. This latest loss marks their 10th consecutive league defeat, equalling a record set by Rotherham in the 2016-17 season.
Only three points would have prevented their relegation this weekend. As it stands, Wednesday sits on a minus seven point total due to two separate deductions totaling 18 points following the club’s entry into administration. The financial struggles began during the turbulent final months of Dejphon Chansiri’s ownership, which saw multiple wage payment failures last summer.
This chaotic period led to a significant exodus of senior players, including manager Danny Rohl, before the season commenced. Administration was declared in October, triggering the devastating points penalties that have left Wednesday in a precarious position, desperately in need of a change in fortunes.
Despite identifying a preferred buyer in December, the takeover remains incomplete, and the club continues to operate under severe financial constraints. These restrictions have resulted in manager Pedersen working with a skeleton squad that is struggling to compete at the Championship level. The team’s solitary victory since August came against Portsmouth in September.
Wednesday’s defeat worsens their record against their local rivals. Although they did break a run of six matches without scoring against Sheffield United, their overall performance this season has been dismal. The club faces the possibility of becoming the first in Football League history to finish a campaign with a negative points total, needing at least seven points from their remaining 13 fixtures to avoid that ignominious record.
To date, they have managed just 11 points from 32 matches, while already losing 23 of those fixtures. The lowest points total in a 46-game season was recorded by Doncaster Rovers, who amassed only 20 points in the 1997-98 season. Sheffield Wednesday may also be on track to exceed the record for the most losses in a 46-game campaign, a title currently held by Doncaster after suffering 34 defeats.
The situation is precarious, with the Owls sitting 41 points adrift of West Bromwich Albion, the last club above the relegation zone, and that gap exceeds the previous record set by Stoke City in the 1984-85 season.
As the final whistle signals yet another defeat, it brings closer the uncomfortable reality of being etched into the annals of English football for all the wrong reasons. How Wednesday navigates the final stretch of the season will not just determine their league standing but could redefine the club’s very future.
