WANDERERS are planning to rain on Sheffield Wednesday's party parade this weekend and kick off their competitive season on a victorious note.
There has been talk of a 'rebirth' at Hillsborough after the Owls finally rid themselves of the nefarious ownership of Dejphon Chansiri, and more than 23,000 fans have already snapped up season tickets after relegation to League One.
A massive summer squad rebuild has presented Henrik Pedersen with a challenge, but the addition of familiar faces such as Mason Burstow, Ricardo Santos, and Barry Bannan serves to underline the quality being packed into a squad expected to challenge for promotion honours.
Steven Schumacher has faced his own issues adding to a squad playing Championship football for the first time in seven years, but he goes into this weekend's game confident of making a winning start.
"It's the first game of the season, so of course, we want to kick off with a win," he said.
"We have to be as prepared as we can for that game.
"We're not taking it as a pre-season game, where we can get knocked out and not give a good performance, then have to regroup for the opening day.
"We'll go there and do our very best against a really motivated and well organised team.
"Obviously the league is where your bread and butter is.
"But we're still going to take the Sheffield Wednesday game as our first competitive fixture because it's a game that we want to try and win, going up against a good team.
"They were recently relegated from the Championship, they have strengthened this summer, they have made some good signings.
"Their fans will be really up for the game with the new ownership and a fresh start.
"If we go to Hillsborough on Saturday not fully prepared to try and win the game, it will be a difficult afternoon for us."
Mason Burstow signed for Sheffield Wednesday on a season-long loan (Image: CameraSport – Lee Parker)
Despite last season's trials and tribulations, Wednesday still maintained an average gate above 20,000, and new ownership has provided a fresh injection of enthusiasm to the South Yorkshire club.