Sheffield Wednesday’s 2025–26 season was defined by chaos, collapse and uncertainty. A club founded in 1867 and rooted in the history of Hillsborough endured relegation to League One after years of decline under owner Dejphon Chansiri, with financial problems, points deductions and growing fan unrest pushing the club to breaking point. Yet through it all, Wednesday supporters never walked away.
These photographs by street photographer and Wednesday fan Proper Skint capture the people who carried the club through its darkest season – those who kept turning up regardless. Her work documents the grit, humour, style and loyalty that continue to define matchdays at Hillsborough, even in the face of failure on and off the pitch.
“The season was over before it started,” she says. “Embargoes, unpaid players, points deductions and constant uncertainty – but the fans still showed up. That’s typical Wednesday.”
Following the end of the Chansiri era and a long-awaited takeover in 2026, hope has finally started to return. Relegation hurts, but the connection between the club and its supporters never disappeared. If anything, it only grew stronger.
Make Wednesday Great Again.
“The season was over before it started with embargo’s, players not being paid, wasting money then eventually the points deduction and a chairman who had no clue or care for what he was doing, the main problem was the battle off the pitch after the chairman finally left but then it was a case of the long-drawn process of administration.
Thanks to the loyal support of such a big fan base throughout all of this and the new owner working hard to negotiate the points down to zero for next season. The future is finally looking a lot brighter than it was, despite having to start fresh in league one and to quote one fan “like Arne said, we’ll be back!”
I grew fond of Wednesday when I met my partner which is near on 20 years ago, seeing and going through all the ups and downs with him has made me have so much more respect for their resilience to still show up when it comes through to good and the bad times and their tongue in cheek approach of “typical Wednesday”
When it comes to capturing football and the fans I look for the ability to not take yourself to seriously as well as the community aspect, camaraderie and football fashion. The history and the passion of a club goes hand in hand, I feel that these are all aspects I look for when I capture moments. Growing up working class I see the anticipation of looking forward to a game you’ve been waiting for after a long hard week and how much that means.”
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