Sheffield Wednesday: Why Protests Against Chansiri Could Not Stop A Carabao Cup Upset Over Leeds

Sheffield Wednesday supporters and owner Dejphon Chansiri remain deeply divided, with protests and boycotts continuing to overshadow events at Hillsborough.

Yet on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, it was not disunity but the remarkable sense of “togetherness” displayed by Henrik Pedersen’s young side that stole the headlines, as the Owls knocked out Premier League neighbours Leeds United on penalties.

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Wednesday’s turbulent summer has left the club reeling, with delayed wage payments for a third consecutive month, sanctions from the EFL, and thousands of fans making their dissatisfaction known through chants, banners, and even a symbolic funeral march.

Many opted to boycott the Leeds tie altogether, leaving large swathes of the famous ground eerily empty.

“Really, really proud,” Pedersen told Sky Sports after the 3-0 penalty shootout win, which followed a 1-1 draw in normal time.

“How they stayed together, I'm just proud. They stepped up so much in a game like this, nobody could see that, so big respect to our boys.”

The Owls’ depleted squad, featuring just 12 senior players, was forced to rely on youth.

No fewer than nine of the starters were aged 20 or under, with the average age of the side just 21.

But far from being outclassed, they matched Leeds stride for stride and ultimately triumphed in front of a reduced but passionate home crowd.

The backdrop to the on-field heroics was one of discontent. Chansiri has become the focus of ire from supporters who believe his stewardship has driven the club into crisis.

Visible protests first erupted in the Championship opener against Leicester when a banner reading “Enough is Enough” was unfurled, and the tension has only escalated since.

BBC Radio 5 Live’s Paul Robinson, covering the match, sensed a symbolic unity beyond the pitch.

“There's an incredible story going on at the club at the moment,” he said.

“A lot of supporters decided not to come to the stadium but actually stood in solidarity with the ones who did. They finally took a stand and didn't want the owner, and club to be run the way it was. The supporters are standing together, the players are standing together and that performance tonight was the epitome of togetherness.”

The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust went so far as to urge fans to boycott the match and donate ticket money instead to Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.

The result was one of the lowest home turnouts in recent memory for a clash against old rivals, with Leeds’ travelling contingent of 3,000 fans often outsinging the hosts inside a partially closed stadium.

The boycott, though, has left many supporters torn. Some fear that skipping home fixtures means missing out on loyalty points required for away tickets, where larger protests are being staged.

BBC Radio Sheffield’s Rob Staton noted that “a lot of people have bought tickets for this game that don't even come as they just want the points for the away games.”

The atmosphere around Hillsborough is therefore complex: anger at the hierarchy, sympathy for the young players, and admiration for their fight against the odds.