When a football club is placed into administration, it’s usually a devastating moment for their fan base.
But as home fans began to stream through the turnstiles at Hillsborough for Sheffield Wednesday’s match against Oxford United, the mood was one of relief and even a little bit of delight.
That’s because for the last few seasons, The Owls, one of world football’s oldest teams, have been in disarray.
Unhappiness under the 10-year ownership of Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri had led to fans boycotting games.
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The club had a raft of unpaid debts, with rumours of an imminent winding-up petition being issued by HMRC.
James Silverwood, the vice chair of the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, summed up the mood a couple of hours before kick off.
“We’re probably an unusual fan base in that we’re actually quite elated and optimistic about going into administration,” he said.
“It means that the previous owner has gone, an owner who was mismanaging the club, who had no respect for the community and the fan base. So this is really a fresh start.”
That fan base, who had largely stayed away this season, were out in full-force.
The club shop was full of people of all ages, buying scarves, shirts and hats, while other fans stood by the gates, bursting into applause when the players arrived.
One woman sitting outside the shop wearing a club scarf summed up the highs and lows of the past few years.
“I’ve been a season ticket holder for a long time,” she said. “Coming into Hillsborough, sometimes it can be the best place on Earth, but sometimes it can be toxic as well. Just to move forward now is the best thing for us.”
The club is 158 years old and plenty of people were reflecting on how coming here is a family tradition.
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Gareth came with his five-year-old son Elliot, who he’d bought a new kit to wear for the youngster’s second ever Sheffield Wednesday game.
“You don’t really choose your football club, your dad tells you who you support, and his grandad tells him who to support.
“It’s been in the family for years, so hopefully the club can move forward now,” he said.
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There is newfound optimism about the future, but things from here won’t be straightforward, with Saturday’s 2-1 defeat leaving them even further adrift at the bottom of the Championship following a 12-point point deduction.
As they look for both a buyer and better results, plenty of Sheffield Wednesday fans will be living by the last thing Gareth tells me: “I think we’re fully aware that we have to take a step backwards before we can take a step forward.”
