With minus 7 points, Sheffield Wednesday has no chance of staying in the league after 33 of 46 match days. However, this is hardly due to sporting reasons.
For most teams, the start of March marks the beginning of the hot phase of the season. Some are still chasing their season goals, while others are trying to avoid the worst-case scenario. Not so in the English Championship. It already has its first relegated team, and not just for sporting reasons.
After their 1-2 defeat in the city derby at Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday are so far behind at the bottom of the table that even the 39 points still available would not be enough to keep them in the league. The club, which has been playing in England’s second-highest division since the 2023/24 season and finished last season in 12th place under current Glasgow Rangers coach Danny Röhl, has had a total of 18 points deducted. This leaves the team led by former Braunschweig coach Henrik Pedersen with -7 points.
Unpaid salaries result in points deduction
The reason for this was “breaches of payment obligations,” according to a ruling by the English Football League (EFL). According to a BBC report, player salaries were allegedly not paid on several occasions. This affected the months of March, May, and June 2025.
The club was already penalized last season for non-payment in June 2025 and was banned from transfer spending by the EFL. This ban already applied to last summer and winter and is set to remain in place until 2027. The further charges for March and May were only heard later, so the penalties applied to the current season.
Search for new owner still ongoing
It was therefore foreseeable that the club would not be able to save itself this season, but the disappointment is still great. “It’s a sad day for a club of Sheffield Wednesday’s stature to be relegated in February,” said coach Pedersen after the game at Sheffield United. “We all feel the pain, the players, the coaches, all the staff at this great club.”
It remains to be seen what will happen next. Wednesday still has 13 games to play and intends to give its all “and represent this club until the end.” On February 3, Kris Wigfield, joint administrator of the club and also responsible for finding a new owner, gave a brief preview: “This is an extremely difficult time for everyone associated with the club, but the completion of this deal will ensure that Sheffield Wednesday’s 159-year history continues.” However, even he could not say when that would be.
