Wednesday have been served with a prohibition notice over safety concerns surrounding the North Stand which could mean it being closed for the opening home game of the season with Stoke on August 16.
Sheffield City Council says the notice focuses only on the North Stand and that the stadiums three other stands will remain open for use.
If the necessary work is not completed in time for the Stoke match then it also leaves Wednesday with the major issue of temporarily rehousing thousands of North Stand season ticket holders elsewhere in the ground.
The full statement from Sheffield City Council confirming the news of the closure this afternoon says: “All councils must ensure that sports grounds are safe. Spectator safety is paramount.
“Following a meeting of the Safety Advisory Group on 18th July 2025 and subsequent discussions with the club, Sheffield City Council in its role as the certifying authority responsible for issuing the general safety certificate for Hillsborough Stadium, has decided to issue a prohibition notice in respect of the North Stand.
“A prohibition notice is a formal document issued to a club by a local authority to prevent spectators entering a football ground or specific stand until the specified work to resolve the issue has been completed to the satisfaction of the local authority.
“Assurances around the structural integrity of the North Stand have not been provided by Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and as the body responsible for the safety of sports grounds and all spectators, the council has been forced to make this decision to not allow spectators into the North Stand.
“The council would need the necessary professional assurances that the ground is safe before the prohibition notice would be lifted.”