Owls fans hold funeral protest at 'death of club'

Sheffield Wednesday fans carry a mock coffin through Hillsborough park

Emotional Sheffield Wednesday supporters have held a mock funeral procession with a coffin to symbolise "the death of the football club".

Protestors with banners, whistles and flares wound their way through Hillsborough Park ahead of the Owls' match against Stoke earlier.

Fans want owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club following a turbulent time and spoke of their "sadness" and "heartache", calling the situation "soul destroying".

Mr Chansiri and Sheffield Wednesday FC have been approached for comment.

The protest came just days after Sheffield Council lifted a prohibition notice on Hillsborough's North Stand. The council closed the stand at the end of last month because of concerns around its structural integrity.

If follows months of controversy where the club was placed under a number of registration embargoes and manager Danny Rohl left by mutual consent.

The EFL charged the club and owner Chansiri in June for repeatedly paying the players and other members of staff late, PFA chief executive Maheta Molango told BBC Sport at the time the situation was "shocking".

Wednesday supporters recently protested against the Thai businessman's position in Sunday's first league game of the season at Leicester City.

Hundreds of fans gathered at Hillsborough park for the protest

Ian Bennett, chairman of the SWFC supporters trust, has been a Wednesdayite for 60 years.

He said: "The symbolism of the coffin is the death of the club and we have the dates on the coffin of 1867 when the club was first formed to and 2025. We're hoping people see it's symbolic of what Mr Chansiri is doing to the club.

"My granddad and dad were Wednesdayites and my daughters and grandkids are. This is my life and it's absolutely soul destroying what's happening."

"The Wednesday community is fantastic, everybody knows each other, and we want to keep the pressure on the chairman and try to get him to leave."

Mum and daughter Miranda and Annabel Woolhouse

Miranda Woolhouse, 47, was there with her daughter Annabel, 25.

She said: "I've been a fan for about 36 years and this is the saddest time I remember, really sad. It feels like we're being pulled apart piece by piece.

"Football is our release in life. We work hard and we have football as a break and to see our friends and family. Watching Wednesday is a really special thing for us and to think that one man can pull it all apart, it's heartbreaking."

Her daughter Annabel added: "We are a football family and the fans are so close with each other, this just feels like it's tearing everybody apart."

Sheffield Wednesday fans had yellow and black flares

Peter Chan said: "I'm not going to buy any shirts off him, any merchandise, any food or drink inside the ground. I'm a carer, I have to look after my mum as she's got dementia, so football is a release and an escape but it's not enjoyable anymore and that's really hard."

Rob Brookes was recently appointed to the board of trustees at the supporters trust.

He said: "I bought my first season ticket in 1966 in the FA Cup year and the World Cup year, and been crazy ever since about Wednesday. I don't think the club's ever been in a worse state than this."

Wednesday supporters Carole Hicking, Yan Brookes-Wang and Kerry Miskelly

Yan Brookes-Wang, Kerry Miskelly and Carole Hicking had come to the protest together.

Ms Brookes-Wang said: "I feel angry and depressed about where our club is. I just want anyone, any organisation which can help us, to pressure Chansiri to get out of the club."

Kerry Miskelly has been a fan since the 1980s. "My dad's a Wednesday fan so it's just been with me forever and to see the state of the club is heartbreaking.

"I feel like crying, I really do. It's made me so depressed. It's basically destroying our club. I don't know where it's going to get to and I'm scared."

Carole Hicking added: "Any commercial business would not have one person in charge, it would have a board of directors that know how to run the business.

"I feel sad today because this is our first home game. We shouldn't be doing this, we should be in there shouting and singing. We'll stick together as Wednesday supporters because we love this club."

A new Football Governance Bill will set up an independent football regulator and introduce new rules to protect clubs and empower fans.

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts had pushed for the regulator and spoke at the protest.

"I've spent an awful lot of my life watching Wednesday and to watch it being systematically torn apart and destroyed by an owner who doesn't care is really hurting.

"I spoke to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport last week and she wants to get the regulator as soon as possible. Lisa Nandy is a Wigan supporter and she recognises if that regulator isn't able to act, and Wednesday gets into serious trouble, that simply isn't acceptable."

Fans taking part in the SWFC supporters protest

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North