Sheffield Wednesday relegated in February as earliest EFL team to go down | Football | Sport

Sheffield Wednesday have suffered the earliest relegation in English Football League history following defeat against local rivals Sheffield United. The Owls required a victory at Bramall Lane to prevent their drop into League One. However, they suffered a disastrous opening as former Leeds forward Patrick Bamford put the Blades ahead inside 90 seconds. Matters deteriorated further on 19 minutes when Harrison Burrows extended the home side’s lead.

Wednesday were handed a lifeline shortly after the interval as on-loan Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips was sent off for a horror tackle on Svante Ingelsson. Charlie McNeill subsequently fired into the bottom corner, increasing United’s anxiety as they had the opportunity to send their fierce rivals down.

Gabriel Otegbayo was also sent off, late on, for two yellow cards, leaving both teams to complete the match with 10 players. The final whistle confirmed Wednesday’s descent to English football’s third tier, capping off what has been a genuinely disastrous campaign for the troubled club.

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The much-criticised former Wednesday owner, Dejphon Chansiri, plunged the club into financial chaos, with players and staff experiencing delayed payments on numerous occasions.

That resulted in Wednesday being hit with several transfer embargoes. Supporters launched various protests in attempts to oust Chansiri from Hillsborough.

Former head coach Danny Rohl also left shortly before the campaign began, with his assistant Henrik Pedersen taking the reins. The club entered administration in October, resulting in an automatic 12-point penalty.

A further six-point deduction followed in December after Wednesday failed to meet their financial commitments. Another bleak moment in Wednesday’s disastrous season saw club legend and long-serving midfielder Barry Bannan leave for Championship rivals Millwall during the January transfer window.

The Owls remain on minus seven points following their Bramall Lane loss, and they could still become the first club in English football history to end a season with a negative points tally. Wednesday have secured just one victory this term, that sole triumph arriving against Portsmouth at Fratton Park back in September.

Pedersen’s side return to action on Wednesday when they make the trip to Norwich City. As things stand, Wednesday will be accompanied by Oxford United and Leicester City in League One, the latter having also suffered a six-point deduction following findings of PSR violations.