Sheffield Wednesday mark end of Dejphon Chansiri era at Hillsborough – It had Owls fans ‘shedding tears’
Sheffield Wednesday mark end of Dejphon Chansiri era at Hillsborough – It had Owls fans ‘shedding tears’.
An emotive movie shown on the big screen at Hillsborough before Sheffield Wednesday’s match against Oxford United elicited an emotional response from Owls supporters.
It was a cathartic day at Hillsborough on Saturday, with a season-high crowd of nearly 27,000 fans attending Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship match against Oxford United.
The club was placed into administration on Friday afternoon, signalling the end of Dejphon Chansiri’s tenure, and Wednesday fans turned out in force to commemorate the occasion. On the pitch, things did not go as planned.
Oxford won the match 2-1, leaving Sheffield Wednesday at the bottom of the Championship table, but this particular match was about far more than the outcome on the pitch, as it confirmed Chansiri’s mismanagement of the club, arguably the biggest win of their season thus far.
“We are on our way back” – Sheffield Wednesday send an emotional pre-match message to fans
BBC Sheffield’s Rob Staton shared a video of the club’s pre-match statement with fans on social networking site X.
The message begins humourously, comparing Chansiri’s presence in the club to a virus that needed to be removed: “A problem has been detected in your club and has been stopped to prevent further damage.”
It then proceeds to uninstall “Chansiri.exe” via “contacting administrator to begin recovery…”. This elicits shouts from the crowd, but what follows is a montage of images from the club’s past, closing with the statement, “By wisdom & courage, we are on our way back.”
This is a direct reference to the club’s Latin motto, “Consilio et Animis,” which means “by wisdom and courage,” and it concludes with an owl flying down from one of the stands and landing on the pitch. The message is simple and effective: we’re back.
“That must have been a proper lump in the throat moment” – fans react to Wednesday’s emotional pre-match film
The social media reaction to the message fell short of an outpouring of emotion. One piece summarised the familial links, getting to the heart of why football is such an emotional business in the first place.
“Went with my 86-year-old father yesterday, and I’ve seen so many of the scenes in that.
“I was emotional then, and I’m emotional again just watching it now – amazing video!!” exclaimed one Wednesday fan. Many others were more than willing to admit the emotional impact the short film had on them.
“I went from laughing to utterly choked up in a few minutes. I will remember that for a long time! “Absolutely brilliant!” exclaimed another emotional Owls fan.
Indeed, this juxtaposition brought many Wednesday supporters to tears. “Oh my God, this was by far the best part of the day. Absolutely fantastic.
The system reboot was amusing, and the video made several mature men around me cry, including myself!” added another Wednesdayite. “I requested a conquest of Paradise in return.
“I absolutely burst into tears when I heard it start today,” another wrote. However, this reaction was not restricted to Sheffield Wednesday fans; many other fans were willing to concede that the tone of the video struck a chord with them as well.
“I am a Stoke City fan, and there must have been a lump in the throat moment for all Wednesday fans who have endured Chansiri’s stay.
You finally get your club back! “Wishing you all the best for the remainder of the season,” commented one Potters fan.
There were also supporters of other clubs, such as Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, who saw this video as a reminder of their clubs’ darkest moments. “Here’s a Nottingham Forest fan wishing SW (Sheffield Wednesday) the best.
I’m so sorry to read about what’s happened to your club recently, but maybe you’re on the road to recovery. A Forest supporter wrote, “Proper football club.”
“Leeds supporter here, fantastic video, best wishes, and sorry to see another Yorkshire club go through what you have. “All Yorkshire Aren’t We?” wrote a Leeds United fan.
It’s remarkable how much football fans comprehend this. Rivalries between teams are certainly real, but there is something inherent in the fact that fans of so many other clubs recognise these levels.
There was a lot of goodwill from across the EFL towards Sheffield Wednesday because there is frequently a shared acknowledgement of ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ among fans of other clubs at such times.
Similarly, the Oxford United match was a celebration regardless of the outcome.
The club’s final hopes of avoiding relegation to League One at the end of current season may be dashed by the minimum twelve-point deduction that comes with entering administration.
The sad reality of Wednesday’s dilemma on the pitch is that they still have a depleted team and are subject to a transfer embargo.
Losing to Oxford, their fourth League defeat in a row, served as a harsh reminder of this. However, this contest was much more than that. It was about the restoration of hope.
And, given the past year, Sheffield Wednesday fans perhaps needed it yesterday more than anything else.
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