Khaberni - In a dramatic night that will remain etched in the memory of English football as one of its darkest moments, Sheffield Wednesday set an unprecedented negative record, by officially announcing its relegation to League One (third tier) before the end of February, following their "humiliating" loss in the city derby against traditional rival Sheffield United 2-1.
The disaster began at "Bramall Lane" in the worst possible way for "The Owls" fans; the team, which held onto a slim hope, found itself collapsing in the early minutes:
Patrick Bamford opened the scoring for United just 90 seconds in, completely throwing off the visitors’ game plan.
At the 19th minute, Harrison Burrows added the second goal, placing Wednesday officially on the brink of the abyss.
The second half saw a glimmer of hope after a United player, Calvin Phillips (49), received a red card, and Charlie McNeil narrowed the gap for Wednesday (52). However, the complete turnaround did not materialize, and things worsened with the sending off of Wednesday player Gabriel Ottegibayo in the final minutes, ending the match with a score (2-1) and marking the official downfall with the final whistle.
“Negative” Records and Unprecedented Relegation
The relegation was not a coincidence; it was the result of catastrophic accumulations that made Sheffield Wednesday the first team in the history of professional football in England to have its fate decided before the end of February:
• Administrative penalties: The collapses began with a deduction of 12 points in October due to bankruptcy, followed by another deduction of 6 points in December due to inability to pay salaries.
• The disastrous balance: The team’s balance settled at 7 points (negative seven) for several months, making the task of staying up mathematically and logically impossible.
• Exceeding historical precedents: With this relegation, Wednesday breaks the negative records previously set by Luton Town (2009) and Derby County, becoming the owner of the “fastest relegation” in the history of English league football.
Roots of the Crisis
Sheffield sports circles agree that the primary cause of this collapse is the controversial owner, Dejphon Chansiri. Under his leadership, the club slipped into instability that included:
• Accumulating debts: The failure to manage financial commitments and delayed salaries.
• Administrative chaos: Lack of technical vision and confusion in decision-making, which turned the prestigious club into a subject of ridicule in the British press.
The loss against the traditional rival in the derby match was the painful final chapter in the "negative points" season, with Sheffield Wednesday departing to the third tier, burdened with a record of historic embarrassment that will be associated with the club's name for many years.
