Henrik Pedersen reacts to Sheffield Wednesday’s points deduction after entering administration just before his press conference.
The Owls boss expressed a mix of sadness and optimism after the club entered administration, resulting in a 12-point deduction, calling it a “sad situation” for a historic club but viewed it as a necessary “fresh restart” to escape unsustainable conditions and build a positive future.
He said he was sad about the situation, but hopeful it signals a new era with potential new owners who respect the club’s tradition.
Administrators have addressed everyone, assuring that efforts are being made to retain jobs and pay salaries on time, with the mood hopeful despite uncertainty.
A message to players and fans, to focus on what they can control—training, performance, and unity, with an urge for supporters to fill Hillsborough, buy merchandise, and reunite with the team.
He acknowledged that the points deduction makes survival tougher (now 15 points from safety, but vowed maximum effort to stay in the Championship, with January signings possibly helping.
In his personal outlook, he described the day as “tough but necessary”; remains 100% optimistic, envisioning a “bright future” driven by passionate fans, strong squad character, and strategic investment.
Interviewer: We’ve seen the news this morning of the club filing for administration. Your reaction to that?
Henrik: Yeah, it’s a sad situation, that a club with our history, this amazing club, has to go into administration and the consequence for the point reduction with 12 of course is sad. But this is one side of the bread, the other side is also the beginning of a new era, that we can get a fresh restart again and we can start to look into the future and to create something positive again.
Interviewer: How important is it for the club to start that new era and almost start fresh?
Henrik: It’s everything, because how it was, it couldn’t continue. What this club deserves and what the fans deserve, then it’s fundamental to reach the level we want in the future for this club, that something should happen. I’m looking forward to the future.
Interviewer: When did you find out? How did it play out? When did you first hear of this filing?
Henrik: I got the information in the morning and then we all had a meeting with the administrator in the club, in the canteen, where all the players, all the staff, all the coaches came and then I spoke shortly with him afterwards, briefly with him, a few minutes, and this is how the situation was.
Interviewer: What was the feeling in that room after that meeting?
Henrik: Seriously, with a lot of hope for the future. Was there a sense of relief for many people? We know how difficult it has been over the last five or six months and this signalling the beginning of something new. One more time, please.
Interviewer: Was there a sense of relief in the camp after the last six months of what we’ve seen?
Henrik: Of course it has been some tough, tough months, but I think the biggest respect to all the staff, to all the coaches, to all the players, to all in the club, how they have handled this situation. And of course there is a hope, there is a belief now for the future that it couldn’t continue as it was and now there is a hope that there will come some new owner with a lot of money, but with big, big respect from our club, our fantastic club, our fantastic fans, who understand and respect this club, they have to take a part of in the future. So this is a sad situation, but still with a big hope and a big belief to the future.
Interviewer: The club isn’t completely safe yet, with the administrators there is a lot of debts to be paid, there is the threat of possible people losing their jobs, so the club isn’t completely out of the woods yet. Is there still this worry for everyday people that it could still be effective?
Henrik: Of course, it could be the outcome, but as the administrator also told us, they do everything what they can, that it will not happen.
Interviewer: Were you seeking any clarifications about your players when you spoke to the administrator?
Henrik: He spoke to all of us, he spoke to all the players, all the staff, all the coaches, to everyone and they will do all what they can so everyone can keep their jobs, everyone can stay in the club and everyone will get their money at time to the next salary. So, they will do all what they can to bring us in safe hands.
Interviewer: Have you spoken to Mr Chansiri?
Henrik: No.
Interviewer: Was anyone in the club that you’re aware of? Did he address anyone that you’re aware of?
Henrik: I got a phone call in the morning from Lindsay with some information, so that’s all.
Interviewer: For you, on the footballing side, being hit with this deduction, it’s another big blow for you, isn’t it? It’s already been a difficult season and now being hit with minus six is even a bigger mountain to climb for Sheffield, won’t it?
Henrik: Yeah, but how can I say that? We also knew it could come and it has changed nothing. In the daily work, it’s a big, big, huge difference when you look at the table. I think there is 15 points now to stay in the league, but the positive thing is there is still 105 points to play for and I promise that all of us in Sheffield Wednesday, the staff, the coaches, the players, we will keep on working as we have done since summer to do everything we can do for this club, for our fans, to bring as many points home to Sheffield Wednesday as possible and I hope we can start tomorrow.
Interviewer: How do you feel? Because this has been difficult for everyone, but including for you, you’re the face of the club, you’re the one that’s had to face all these questions. How are you?
Henrik: It’s a tough day to go into administration, but I also think it’s a necessary day. I always have focus for the future and the perspective for the future, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing. When I close my eyes shortly, then I can see a bright future for Sheffield Wednesday. This is what I’m really looking forward to, that we can help each other, we can support each other, staff, players, fans, everyone, that we can support each other to make this club top again, what this club deserves and what all the fans deserve. It’s a sad situation, but it can still be a good day.
Interviewer: The Supporters Trust have urged fans to get back into the ground, start supporting, start spending again. We’ve seen the scenes against Middlesbrough, how excited are you to see supporters filing back into Hillsborough and supporting the club as they always have done? More bums on seats?
Henrik: I think it was one of the first things that came to all of us, to have a full Hillsborough again. Wow. Wow, it will be amazing. We’re really, really looking forward to tomorrow, to have this experience together again, and of course we’re looking forward.
Interviewer: Henrik, what is your reaction to the news today that the club has gone into administration? In the first, it’s sad to go into administration for a club like Sheffield Wednesday.
Henrik: Of course it’s sad that we have to come so far, and the consequences with the minus 12 point, it’s awful. But at the same time, I’m also happy that we have a chance now to look forward again, and not only survive from day to day, but we can look forward and hopefully get some fantastic owners in who can help to progress this club where this club deserves to be.
Interviewer: What conversations have you had with the administrators who are now running the club today?
Henrik: He came in the morning and then he spoke to all the staff, all the players, to everyone and told about the situation. And then I spoke with him briefly afterwards about the situation. So, yeah, it was the process.
Interviewer: What has been your message to the players after this news was revealed today?
Henrik: The most important thing was that we’re all looking forward to coming to Hillsborough tomorrow and playing this game with a lot of people in the stadium, and we’re all looking so much forward to this. We all, again, we try to bring focus for all what we have influence on, what we have focus on, and what we can control. But in this, I could also feel people were sad, but they were also very happy because it gives hope, it gives belief for the future that there will be another environment in the future for Sheffield Wednesday.
Interviewer: The administrators are asking for fans to come back to Hillsborough for games, to buy merchandise, refreshments, to effectively help bring the money that is needed to come into the club, to sustain the club now. What do you want to say to supporters who are listening to this?
Henrik: I say they have to come and support us and to support the players, but most of all that we all can be together again and we can support each other, we can make a fantastic experience together again because it was awful the other evening, but opposite, it can be fantastic tomorrow again to be together and have this experience again. I’m really, really looking forward to this day and that we are one club again, that we are together again.
Interviewer: As we’ve talked about recently, there’s been just too much drama at Sheffield Wednesday for too long. Are you optimistic that as difficult as it is for any football club to go into administration, that Sheffield Wednesday can have a bright future?
Henrik: I’m very optimistic and I’m 100% convinced Sheffield Wednesday will have a bright future and it has been a tough period and sometimes you have to come so deep that you can’t come deeper and then you can change and then you can start to look forward and I think it was necessary what happened here because we couldn’t continue with the situation we had and I can feel the players, the staff, the coaches I mean everyone is looking forward to the future and of course I hope and I believe that there will come some great owners in who has big respect for the club who has big respect for the tradition in the club the understanding of the club so we can build up a new great Sheffield Wednesday.
Interviewer: There may well be potential prospective owners of Sheffield Wednesday listening to your words why do you think people should invest in Sheffield Wednesday why should somebody want to take on this challenge? How long time do we have?
Henrik: No I think I have only been here for two and a half years so many people have been here their whole life as fans so this the fans are number one for sure I have never experienced fans like this before in my life and this support everywhere we are coming as my two of my new assistants saying it doesn’t matter where we are going in England there is Sheffield Wednesday supporters everywhere and I think the supporters but also all the human there is in the club there is a lot of quality here there is a lot of quality in the players it’s a small group there is a lot of quality staff coaches and this club with this tradition with this potential what we have that’s why it’s so important that money is one thing but the the strategy and the understanding and the respect for Sheffield Wednesday because we have to be Sheffield Wednesday, we have to be a new Sheffield Wednesday with an old heart and we have to keep this understanding for us because we have a fantastic club but this fantastic club deserves to grow now. So I’m really looking forward for this. Finally the big negative on the pitch with administration is obviously the points deduction of course can you still keep this club in the Championship or is relegation inevitable now I can promise one thing it is that we will keep on working as hard and as good we have done since the first day and I have a big belief that we can survive in the Championship with this group of players and of course in January to get some new players in to support this group then I’m sure we will make a great job the next 7-8 months and keep on fighting to stay in the league because with this culture with this belief with this character we have shown we can compete against a lot of teams and we will keep on going this to the end and I’m convinced with this group and the fans in Hillsborough then we can do a lot and we have a big chance to do it Thanks for your time Henrik, much appreciated.
