Sheffield Wednesday fans stage mock funeral before return to Hillsborough
Sheffield Wednesday fans carried a mock coffin through Hillsborough Park in protest against owner Dejphon Chansiri.
The Owls have faced another rocky period off the pitch amid unpaid wages and registration embargoes.
Wednesday players refused to play in a pre-season friendly against Burnley but faced Leicester City in their Championship opener.
On Saturday, the crisis-hit club returned to Hillsborough for the first home match of the campaign against Stoke City.
Ahead of kick-off, Wednesday fans walked through Hillsborough Park, which is just a short walk from their home stadium.
A fake coffin was carried on some of their shoulders ahead of flags that explained the problems they have faced under the ownership.
‘Extortionate Prices, Record Account Losses, Hillsborough Sold’, read one of them.
The mass of Wednesday fans also chanted ‘Get out of our club, get out of our club, Dejphon Chansiri, get out of our club!’
Once inside the stadium, the supporters saw their side go 1-0 down after just one minute when Million Manhoef netted for Stoke.
This weekend’s fixture comes three days after they knocked Bolton Wanderers out of the Carabao Cup with a penalty shootout win.
It has earned them a second round clash against their Yorkshire rivals Leeds United.
Victory has offered the club a glimmer of hope for the future, one that remains uncertain as their ownership protests continue.
What has happened at Wednesday this year?
Wednesday announced in March that the players had not been paid as a result of cashflow issues.
Payments for May, June and July were also delayed, and the club were then placed under a second registration embargo in seven months.
The club and Chansiri were charged by the English Football League.
Wednesday were also given spending restrictions for the subsequent three transfer windows.
Manager Danny Rohl left the club on July 29 just days before their 2-1 loss away to Leicester on the opening weekend of the season.
Sheffield City Council then closed the North Stand at Hillsborough because of their concerns over its safety.
However, it was reopened ahead of the visit of Stoke.
Wednesday fans who travelled to the Leicester clash staged protests at the King Power Stadium.
This included them not taking their seats in the away end for the first five minutes of the match, with Leicester fans applauding them in.
Wednesday were then able to settle some of their debts with 50 per cent of their solidarity payment from the Premier League.
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