Wrexham take on Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship this weekend, and for the Owls, it’s another testing game during their ongoing struggles off the pitch.
Sheffield Wednesday’s current turmoil has been very well documented. Owner Dejphon Chansiri is struggling to pay the players on time and this summer’s transfer window has seen a mass exodus of first-team players, one being Josh Windass who eventually signed for Wrexham.
On top of that, the Owls are under transfer and registration embargo and manager Danny Rohl has left, leaving Henrik Pedersen to lead the club into this new season.
And similar to Wrexham, Sheffield Wednesday have lost their opening two games of the Championship season. The Owls look nailed on to fight in the relegation battle this season.
- READ MORE: Wrexham’s George Dobson drops prediction for the Sheffield Wednesday game, ‘The result will come’
Sheffield Wednesday banners not allowed at Wrexham game
For a long time now, Wednesday fans have been protesting against owner Chansiri. The Thai businessman has had several outbursts at supporters and he has long been somewhat financially unstable, with this current period now not being the first time that Wednesday players have failed to be paid on time.
There remain ongoing protests to finally get Chansiri to sell up and leave the club, and against Wrexham on Saturday, the Sheffield Wednesday fans want to make another statement against their owner. However, it has been revealed by the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust that Wrexham have denied Sheffield Wednesday fans permission to bring in their banners which protest Chansiri, and display them in the Racecourse ground on Saturday.
For what the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust says are ‘political connotations’. However, the group will be allowed to display their banners outside the stadium.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac now facing potential Wrexham backlash
Wrexham fans have shown support for Sheffield Wednesday during this period of unease and it’s because the Dragons faithful have themselves been through periods of tough ownership and troubles off the pitch but that was until owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac took over the club in late 2021.
Despite Wrexham’s previous struggles though, the club isn’t showing as much support to Sheffield Wednesday as they could with Leicester City previously allowing Wednesday to display their banners in what was their opening away game of the season.
For Reynolds and Mac, this snub to the Sheffield Wednesday fans is not a great look. Although Reynolds and Mac have done wonders for the club, with Wrexham having now spent £30 million this summer following the £8 million signing of Callum Doyle, it’s these little touches that bring a huge degree of humanity to the club bringing together owners and fans in a game where the ownership and the fan base are seemingly growing further apart.
That is certainly the case at Wednesday. Even though Sheffield Wednesday’s situation has garnered a lot of sympathy, Phil Parkinson will be determined to take advantage of what will be a makeshift Owls side on Saturday after Sheffield Wednesday’s first-team goalkeeper Pierce Charles picked up an injury leaving the club with only youth players to field in goal.
Kick-off is at 3pm at the Racecourse on Saturday.