Henrik Pedersen ‘very positive’ as Sheffield Wednesday name preferred bidders

Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen has a “very, very positive feeling” after meeting with the club’s preferred bidders on Tuesday.

American billionaire investor David Storch and Tom Costin, who are heading up a consortium which has made a bid for the Owls, sat in the directors’ box at Hillsborough to watch a 1-1 draw with Watford before officially being confirmed by the club’s administrators as the new preferred bidder.

Wednesday, who have been in administration since October and are already relegated from the Championship following an 18-point deduction by the EFL, were minutes away from ending a wretched 30-game winless run going back to September when Jerry Yates’ second-half header put them in front.

However, Vivaldo Semedo’s 90th-minute strike robbed them of a deserved three points.

In a season of endless pain for Wednesday’s fans, this will sting but the presence of potential new owners will provide optimism for the future.

Pedersen said: “I’ve had a brief meeting with them today as a part of the diligence, or homework, or what we can call it.

“They are some very friendly and very interesting people.

“There was not (a massive amount) of details but the energy was good and they are interesting, very interesting people.

“So I have a very, very positive feeling about it.”

A statement from the administrators said the consortium “has supplied a substantial deposit and evidence of funds which they propose to use to complete the proposed transaction and support the club going forward” and that “an exclusivity agreement has now been entered into”.

Storch added: “We are thrilled and excited to take this important step toward stewardship of this historic football club.

“We are absolutely committed to delivering a brighter future for our fans and bringing joy back to Hillsborough.”

The draw saw the Owls register their first point of 2026, ending a 13-game losing streak in the Championship.

“So proud and so disappointed, very proud of the performance,” Pedersen added. “I think we played a very strong game over 90 minutes, the mentality from the start was amazing.

“It was so close.”

Watford got away with it and the draw says more about their failings as their faint play-off hopes took a hit.

Yet boss Ed Still thinks it could be a point gained.

“Really disappointed, we created some fantastic opportunities in the first half,” he said. “We started really well and made four or five big chances in the first half, we didn’t take them.

“It is really frustrating because that game was there to be won, but the equaliser right at the end is a really important one and it shows the spirit in the team.

“We felt that we’ve created enough chances to win here, that’s for sure. So we’re disappointed not to have won, but you can easily walk away from here with nothing.

“They’ve put in a really good performance. They had something extra to play for this evening, and to be able to get over the mistakes we’ve made in the second half and still get back in the game, get the point. It could be a vital point.”