Plenty has been said about the iconic cantilevered side of Hillsborough, with images being circulated online and talk of a Safety Advisory Group meeting taking place to discuss issues relating to it.

While The Star has seen the images and is aware of a meeting on Tuesday, it’s understood that it was not purely to discuss safety concerns around the North – and that it was a meeting set up similarly to any that takes place ahead of a new campaign.

It’s worth noting that the images doing the rounds were taken from old reports, from the years 2022 or 2023, and that at this point in time it is unknown exactly how much work has been undertaken since then. The report, seen by this publication, talks of remedial work that is required, and discusses the various ways in which that can be done. It’s understood that a second opinion report was also submitted earlier this year.

The exact details of that meeting have not been made public, and there’s no timeline on when/if that will happen, but it’s understood that the club have been given a timeframe to get the work done on the North Stand roof or risk not being given a safety certificate for it for 2025/26.

The club has previously stated that the safety of supporters is ‘paramount’, and you’d like to think that no chances would be taken when it comes to supporter wellbeing. If SAG don’t believe that something is safe to use, then they won’t let it be used.

Sheffield Wednesday’s North Stand needs remedial work

Given that the new season is just seven weeks away now, had drastic action been taken to shut the stand then the process of figuring out the logistics and informing fans who have season tickets on there would already have started – there’s no suggestion that that has happened.

If Wednesday can get their house in order in time then the certificate required will be granted, and things will go ahead as normal on the opening day and beyond. If they don’t, however, then SAG have the right to stop the North Stand being used… At this stage there has been no indication of what sort of money would be required in order to get it up to grade.

Rumours that the stand has been ‘condemned’ are believed to be wide of the mark, especially at this stage, and it’s by no means unfeasible that the first game of the season arrives and fans are sat in their usual seats on the North. Whether that happens or not, though, will depend on what happens between now and then.

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