During the 2014–15 football season, Sheffield Wednesday F.C. competed in three professional football competitions. Sheffield Wednesday competed in the 2014–15 Football League Championship (finishing 13th), 2014–15 FA Cup, and the 2014–15 Football League Cup. It was the Owls' third consecutive season in the Football League Championship, having secured promotion from League One in the 2011–12 season, securing Championship safety on the last day of the 2012–13 season and securing a 16th-place finish last season. The Football League season kicked off at the beginning of August, along with the League Cup in the same month. Meanwhile, with Sheffield Wednesday being within the top two tiers of the English football league system, the club did not enter the FA Cup until the beginning of January 2015, where they entered at Round 3 of the competition.
Overview Pre-season Before pre-season began in July 2014, the first players that were to leave the club were announced. The following players were released from the club just three-days after Sheffield Wednesday's last fixture of their 2013–14 campaign: two goalkeepers Adam Davies and Arron Jameson; defenders Anthony Gardner, Martin Taylor and one of the fan favourites Miguel Llera; midfielder David Prutton and the longest serving player at the club with over 250-appearances Jermaine Johnson. Probably the biggest shock though, even though the player was injury-prone, one of the fan-favourites Réda Johnson, whom was also released. Meanwhile, keeper Chris Kirkland, midfielder José Semedo, and defenders Glenn Loovens and Oguchi Onyewu were offered new contracts at the club.
Sheffield Wednesday's first pre-season fixture was announced on 10 May, the club confirmed that they would be playing Newcastle United at Hillsborough on 30 July. A few days after that, Sheffield Wednesday announced two more pre-season fixtures. They would be playing their South Yorkshire rival Barnsley away at Oakwell on 2 August and playing against Bury away at Gigg Lane on 18 July. On 16 May, Sheffield Wednesday announced their fourth pre-season fixture playing another South Yorkshire rival against Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium on 27 July. Three days later, they announced their first fixture in the pre-season against York City on 12 July. Sheffield Wednesday announced they would be playing against FK Čukarički during their tour of Slovenia on 23 July. However, FK Čukarički later pulled out of the friendly fixture and was replaced with FC Arsenal Tula on 3 July.
On 10 June, massive news was announced at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. Rumours of the club's ownership being taken-over by Azerbaijani businessman Hafiz Mammadov was confirmed. This saw the ownership of the club pass from Chairman Milan Mandarić, who had owned the club since 2010, in which he saved the club from administration, cleared the club from the majority of its debts, invested into the team to gain promotion to the Football League Championship in the 2011–12 season and has since stabilised the club in the Championship. Milan Mandarić can be classed as a legend at the club, due to saving the Owls from potential extinction and climbing the English football league ladder. Milan Mandarić had this to say: "I am delighted to have concluded a deal with Hafiz, he is a true football man and I have no doubt whatsoever that I am handing over control to someone with a real passion for the game and the ability to carry on the work I started three years ago to return Sheffield Wednesday back to the top division of English football. It's something that the wonderful supporters of this Club deserve having remained so loyal throughout the difficult times prior to my arrival. On my first day at the Club I promised the supporters two things; firstly I would ensure that when I left we would be in far better shape than when I arrived and more importantly, that I would only hand over ownership when I found the right man for the Club and I sincerely believe I have delivered on both undertakings". Meanwhile, Hafiz Mammadov is a successful businessman whom owns Baghlan Group (a company that specialises in oil, gas, construction and transportation), and also owns Azerbaijan football club Baku FC and French team RC Lens, along with having shares in La Liga champions Atlético Madrid and F.C. Porto. Mammadov is known to have a quieter, more private approach with his work and is thought to have bought the club for around €50 million. Hafiz Mammadov had this to say: "I am a passionate football fan with enormous respect for English football. I have been looking at investing in England for some time but I was determined to find the right Club. I am hugely ambitious and feel the Owls match my passion and desire for success and represent our motto of Azerbaijan Land of Fire. I promise the supporters I will work extremely hard to bring the success everyone so rightly craves." On 9 July, rumours occurred across the internet that Sheffield Wednesday owner to be, Hafiz Mammadov, had been arrested by police in his home country of Azerbaijan. Mammadov is still yet to have clarified and confirmed the takeover with the Football League and has still yet to make payments to the French football league on behalf of his other ownership of RC Lens. Lens have had their promotion to Ligue 1 suspended because of this. However, just after 5pm that day and Hafiz Mammadov released a statement saying: "Certain unfounded rumours have been spread in the press over my supposed arrest and imprisonment in Azerbaijan, which I obviously strongly deny, and which was immediately denied by State Border Guards. It seems today that false and malicious speculation over my situation is being used with the aim to create confusion and doubt over my financial holdings and commitments. There are no grounds for the allegations made by the press, and I will take all necessary legal actions against whoever has initiated these false rumours with the aim to harm my family and me". This statement would have been of grate relief to the fans of Sheffield Wednesday.
A week later on 17 June, and the 2014–15 Football League Cup draw was made, and the Owls were drawn at home against the oldest club in the football league – Notts County. The game is to be played in the week commencing 11 August 2014. A day after at 9am the 2014–15 Football League Championship fixtures were announced, with the Owls facing Brighton & Hove Albion away on the first day of the season on 9 August. This is then followed up by home games against Derby County and Millwall. Wednesday face Blackpool at home on Boxing Day and Watford away on the last day of the season, which ends 2 May 2015. The first derby fixture is against Leeds United on 4 October, and the team play Rotherham United for the first time of the season on 8 November at home.
On 3 June Sheffield Wednesday announced the first signings for the club, Matt Young from Southampton and Ed Sanders from Stoke City. Both young defender's signed on one-year deals and will feature in the Development Squad. Just under a week later and Ryan Croasdale signed from Preston North End, also on a one-year contract and will feature in the Development Squad. On 24 June, Sheffield Wednesday made their fourth Development Squad signing in Paul McElroy from Hull City on a one-year contract. However, on 19 July McElroy decided to cancel his one-year contract at Sheffield Wednesday due to some personal terms. The first signing for the first-team squad was announced on 7 July, with Ireland international goalkeeper Keiren Westwood signing on a 2-year deal after being released from Sunderland. One day later, goalkeeper Chris Kirkland re-signed with Sheffield Wednesday on a one-year contract. Also later on the same day, the Owls signed last seasons loanee Sam Hutchinson on a free transfer from Chelsea. Hutchinson signs on a two-year contract, with rumours that Wednesday battled off Millwall and West Bromwich Albion for Hutchinson's signature. On 10 July, fan favourite José Semedo resigned a one-year contract at Sheffield Wednesday. Three days later, Glenn Loovens signed a new one-year contract at Sheffield Wednesday, Stuart Gray later announced that he would be the captain of Sheffield Wednesday for the upcoming season. At the end of July, Sheffield Wednesday completed a deal for Leeds United defender Tom Lees for an undisclosed fee. 3-days before the first game of the new season and it was confirmed that trialist Dejan Kelhar had signed for the club on a short contract for a free transfer. Later on though and bad news for fans of Sheffield Wednesday as they lost one of their best players – Michail Antonio. He signed for Nottingham Forest for a fee of £1.5 million. Antonio scored some vital goals in Wednesday's 2011-12 Football League One promotion, and was the Owls' top scorer the next season.
Wednesday's first-team took part in their first pre-season friendly 10-days into July, as the Owls travelled to face York City. An own-goal and a fantastic long-distance strike from Chris Maguire both in the first-half saw the Owls win the game 2–0. Just over a week later and Sheffield Wednesday played their second pre-season friendly away to Bury. The Owls struck just three-minutes into the game with a goal by Jacques Maghoma. However, Bury equalised 5-minutes before half-time to make it all level at the break. Atdhe Nuhiu headed a goal in the second-half, while Giles Coke rounded off a 3–1 victory to Sheffield Wednesday. A day after this game and Wednesday flew out to Slovenia for a week, in the middle of which they played a game against Russian side FC Arsenal Tula. The Owls took an early lead just three-minutes in with Michail Antonio being on target, however 5-minutes later and Arsenal Tula equalised. The game was fairly even throughout, but with 5-minutes to go of the full 90-minutes and Arsenal Tula scored to win the game 2–1. Sunday 27 July and the Owls faced local rivals Doncaster Rovers in a friendly match. Goals either half from Atdhe Nuhiu and Michail Antonio gave Sheffield Wednesday a two-nil lead, but two-goals in 15-minutes by Doncaster meant the match finished level at 2–2. Sheffield Wednesday's only home pre-season game came the following Wednesday as the team faced Premier League side Newcastle United. Although the Owls had the majority of possession, had a few chances (including hitting the bar), it was a second-half strike by Newcastle that was the difference as the Owls lost 0–1. Sheffield Wednesday kicked off their last pre-season friendly away to local rivals Barnsley at 1pm on Saturday 2 August. A tight game finished 1–1, with the Owls equalising in the second-half thanks to Kieran Lee.
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