Peterborough United and Sheffield Wednesday will meet on Saturday, September 5 in a League One fixture that carries echoes of a dramatic encounter from May 2023. Luke Williams, the Peterborough United manager, has moved quickly to dismiss any notion that the past will influence the upcoming match, stating clearly that the previous play-off heartbreak will have no bearing on Saturday's Sheffield Wednesday clash.
The last time these sides met was on May 18, 2023, when Sheffield Wednesday overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win 5-1 after extra time and advance via a penalty shootout in the League One Play Off semi-final. That night at Hillsborough remains a painful memory for Peterborough United fans, but Williams was not present, having been away with his staff in Palma during the match. He emphasized that none of his current squad were involved in that game, which removes any direct emotional link.
Despite the historical weight, Williams described Sheffield Wednesday as a very talented group and expects them to be one of the favourites for promotion from the Championship this season. He has visited Hillsborough a few times and called the atmosphere something special, acknowledging the challenge ahead while maintaining focus on his own team’s preparation.
Several players from that 2023 encounter remain at Sheffield Wednesday and could feature on Saturday. Barry Bannan, Liam Palmer, and Reece James were all part of the squad that night and are still in contention to start or impact the game. Louie Barry, who scored a hat-trick against Peterborough United in April 2023 when they were comfortably beaten at Stockport, is now a forward for the Owls but was ruled out of Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Wycombe with ankle ligament damage after scoring in that match.
Ricardo Santos, a former Peterborough United defender, joined Sheffield Wednesday in the summer and is in a race against time to prove his fitness to face his former side after missing Tuesday’s match through injury. Meanwhile, Harley Mills and James Dornelly, who were in the youth ranks at Peterborough United during the 2023 play-offs, did not make their senior debuts until the following season and may now be pushing for involvement.
Peterborough United approach the fixture under the nickname 'Posh', while Sheffield Wednesday are widely known as 'The Owls'. Close to 4,000 travelling fans are expected to make the journey to London Road, and many are certain to bring up the May 2023 match throughout the game, though Williams remains focused on the present.
As of the final 2025 Championship table, Sheffield Wednesday finished 24th with 0 points from 46 games, recording 2 wins, 12 draws, and 32 losses, with a recent form of WLLDD. The team scored 29 goals and conceded 89, resulting in a goal difference of -60, and are currently 95 points behind league leaders Coventry. These figures underline the scale of the task facing the club as they look to rebuild ahead of the new season.
The match at London Road is described as one of the standout games of the season’s fixture list, offering both sides a chance to measure progress early in the campaign. With no direct personnel links to the 2023 encounter, Williams believes his side can approach the game with a clear mindset.
Peterborough United will look to build on recent performances as they prepare for their next fixture, details of which can be found on our fixtures page, while squad updates and player availability are regularly updated on our squad section.
