Sheffield Wednesday are set to be in the same league as rivals Sheffield United for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
Sheffield United’s swift relegation back to the Championship had look all but confirmed for months now, before it was made official with a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
However, it wasn’t clear whether the Steel City derby would return next season with the Sheffield Wednesday‘s future in doubt.
The Owls had spent a majority of the campaign in the relegation zone, before finally clawing their way to safety with three consecutive wins.
Danny Rohl‘s side only needed a point on the final day trip to Sunderland, but claimed all three.
Fans will now be able to look forward to derby day next term, while Wednesday will look up to pick up their first win against the Blades since 26th February 2012.
That season saw them win automatic promotion to the second tier, with United finishing narrowly behind them.
The Owls picked up a 1-0 win in the Championship that day, but have since lost one and endured three 0-0 stalemates.
Here is Wednesday’s starting line-up the last time they beat Sheffield United…
Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Sheffield United – 26th February 2012
STEPHEN BYWATER had joined Wednesday on loan the previous season, before signing for the club permanently. The goalkeeper kept 14 clean sheets in 34 games as he helped guide the side to promotion.
He has since played for the likes of Milllwall, Doncaster and Burton Albion.
DANNY BATTH spent a year-and-a-half on loan at Hillsborough and was voted runner-up in the club’s Player of the Season.
The 33-year-old now has four promotions and two league titles to his name, while he now plies his trade at Carrow Road with Norwich City.
LEWIS BUXTON was named Wednesday’s Player of the Season following their return to the Championship.
The former defender spent seven years with the Yorkshire outfit before moving to Rotherham United.
REDA JOHNSON scored 19 goals in 88 games for the Owls, before joining Coventry City in 2014. He most recently played in the National League with Dover Athletic.
ROB JONES joined Wednesday on an emergency loan deal in March 2011, before joining the club permanently in the summer. He spent one season there as captain, before joining Doncaster Rovers.
JOSE SEMEDO joined the owls in 2011 and was named the Player of the Season and the League One PFA Fans’ Player of the Year in his first campaign.
The former midfielder returned to his native Portugal in 2017, where he remained until retirement last year.
CHRIS LINES had joined Wednesday for only £50,000 the previous summer and went onto pick up eleven assists as they won promotion.
He currently plays for Southern League Division One South club Yate Town, on loan from Bath City.
DAVID PRUTTON spent three years at Hillsborough and made 61 appearances.
The 42-year-old brought an end to his Sheffield Wednesday and football career in 2014, and now works as a EFL presenter on Sky Sports.
MICHAIL ANTONIO scored 17 goals for the Owls before joining Nottingham Forest for £1.5m.
The striker has played for West Ham since 2015 and is their Premier League all-time top scorer with 82 goals.
He was part of the Irons’ squad that won the UEFA Europa Conference League last term, while he was also named in the competition’s Team of the Season after netting six goals in nine matches.
RYAN LOWE joined Sheffield Wednesday for the 2011-12 season, netting nine goals.
He retired in 2018 and won back-to-back promotions with Bury and Plymouth Argyle, before joining Preston North End.
The Lilywhites finished tenth in the Championship this season – ten points ahead of Danny Rohl’s side.
CHRIS O’GRADY scored the only goal of the game against Sheffield United in his first season at the club.
The former striker did go onto play for the Blades breifly though, as well as the likes of Barnsley, Brighton and Chesterfield.
He most recently played for Grantham Town in the Northern Premier League Division One East.
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