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Sheffield Wednesday legend Mel Sterland believes the club is finally on the path to recovery and ready to chase promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt.

Throughout their long and proud history, Sheffield Wednesday have endured difficult seasons, but few have been as demoralising as the last one, which concluded with relegation to League One.

For former Owls favourite Mel Sterland, the pain went far beyond simply slipping out of the Championship.

It was about witnessing one of England’s most historic football institutions being dragged down by years of internal mismanagement and instability.

“Oh, it was horrendous, absolutely horrendous,” Sterland told FourFourTwo on behalf of Lucky Rebel Sportsbook. “I felt sorry for the fans because they were treated like dirt. It was all down to a chairman who knew nothing about football.”

Sterland was referring to former owner Dejphon Chansiri, who controlled the club from 2015 until May 2026. When the Thai businessman first arrived at Hillsborough, supporters were full of optimism. With significant financial backing, Wednesday reached the Championship play-off final in his first full season and followed it up with another top-six finish the following year. However, what followed was a gradual and painful decline.

Managerial changes became frequent, recruitment lost its focus, and financial issues grew steadily worse. The controversial sale of Hillsborough to a company owned by Chansiri, an attempt to comply with the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability regulations, led to points deductions. Transfer embargoes and growing unrest among supporters became common occurrences. More recently, late wage payments, increasing debts, and questions about the club’s financial security only deepened the sense of crisis. When the EFL docked 18 points last season, many fans chose to stay away in protest.

“But the fans still stood by the team, even when they boycotted the matches,” Sterland said. “Of course, they were disappointed, but they found their own ways to support the players.”

“I was proud of the supporters because they made their feelings clear. They said, ‘Hold on, we’ve had enough of this – we’ve had enough.’”

“Not having the fans there was tough for the players too – it affects team spirit and morale. It was frustrating for them not to be able to show support in the stands. The whole situation was absolutely disgusting.”

“We’ve been very disappointed for so long. Not because of the players, I must say. It was the fault of one man.”

Now, however, the mood around Hillsborough has shifted. With new ownership under the American consortium Arise Capital Partners offering fresh leadership and direction, optimism has returned to the club. After years of uncertainty, Wednesday can finally concentrate on matters on the pitch again.

“I can’t wait for the season to begin,” Sterland said enthusiastically. “It’s exciting. We’ve got new people behind the scenes now. We’ve got some cracking players coming in. But it’s not going to happen overnight, even with the quality we have.”

“We’ve got Barry Bannan back, and Liam Cooper, who’s been around a bit – I know him from his time at Leeds United. We’ve got experience now. The key is to pull it all together, get some momentum, and start winning matches.”

Perhaps the clearest sign of renewed belief is visible in the stands. With roughly 24,000 season tickets already sold, Wednesday’s supporters have once again shown the extraordinary loyalty that has sustained the club through tough times.

“As a fan, I’m really looking forward to this season,” Sterland added. “It’s going to be great, really exciting. There are new players coming in, and we’ve already seen 24,000 season tickets sold.”