Robins knows how painful it has been for Owls amid uncertainty

ARK Robins can justify talking about empathy for the staff at Sheffield Wednesday amid the crisis they have been swimming through this summer.

- Peter Smith

Wages and bills have been paid late, the preseason schedule was ripped up, the manager and key players have left and there has been an enforced stand closure at Hillsborough as owner Dejphon Chansiri turned off the funding tap.

A skeleton squad still gave Leicester City a game last Sunday and beat Steven Schumacher's Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup in midweek but there will be major protests when Stoke City head to South Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon (3pm).

A mock funeral procession will work its way through Hillsborough Park pre-match, with guest speakers including local politicians. A whistle protest is expected, with the Supporters' Trust urging fans to keep that to just the first five minutes to limit the risk of the game being abandoned.

Robins has been in similar situations. Coventry City supporters and owners Sisu were pretty much at war for much of his time as manager while he was Rotherham United boss when they went into administration.