Sheffield Wednesday

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, Rex Features

Another week has passed and there's still no resolution to the situation involving unpaid wages at Sheffield Wednesday.

Player and staff salaries were due in full on 30 May. The players are subtly making their thoughts known. On Tuesday, Marvin Johnson posted a GIF of Mr Bean looking at his watch, days after Di'Shon Bernard used a famous Jose Mourinho meme to make a point on social media. There are probably many people at Hillsborough, especially non-footballing staff, who would love to say what's on their mind but can't.

The worst thing about all of this is the total lack of clarity. The unknown. Not having your full wages paid on time is bad enough. Having no idea if or when you'll receive them can be devastating. Mortgages, rent, food bills. This goes beyond anything you typically cover in football. This is a far more serious situation.

The club released a 59-word statement on 3 June, including an apology by chairman Dejphon Chansiri. There's been no public comment since.

So what's going on? Is there any money left to keep this club going? When will people be paid? What happens when June wages are due or the latest tax bill? Does the club face any further sanctions on top of a three transfer window fee-paying ban?

Is the chairman actively trying to sell the club? What is he actually doing at the moment? Is administration a possibility?

Even if a financial solution is forthcoming — and let's be right, at the moment there's very little to indicate that's the case other than a potential sale of youngster Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri to Manchester City to act as a temporary stop-gap solution — what has this whole episode done for morale both within the club and on the playing side of things? How badly has this impacted the reputation of Sheffield Wednesday within the game?

We have requested to speak with Chansiri but he hasn't done a broadcast interview with the BBC since 4 November 2020. With so many questions unanswered (way more than discussed in this short piece) is it time for that to change? Do the players, staff and supporters need to hear from the man running this club?

Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

Watford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.

Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.

Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.

Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.

Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.

Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.

The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.

Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.

The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.

Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.

Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.

Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.

The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.

Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.

Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.

Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.

It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.

Data collated from Transfermarkt

"The biggest thing to point out right now is just the total lack of any clarity as to how this saga ends."

Those are the words of BBC Radio Sheffield's Rob Staton, who, alongside co-host Andy Giddings, has been speaking with fans about the ongoing turmoil at Hillsborough under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

Sheffield Wednesday's players and staff have yet to be paid their salaries for May, and the club was placed under a registration embargo by the EFL on Thursday for failing to do so - having also not paid wages on time in March.

"The players who are currently at the club will be wondering what on earth is going on," Staton said.

"They will be in disbelief. Would anybody really blame any of the Sheffield Wednesday players who are under contract from thinking they want to get out and go and play for somebody else?

"They may well be speaking to their agents and saying, 'Get me out of here, get me to a different club where I know I'm going to get paid on time, where there is a direction, there is a future.'

"You would not blame them for feeling that way."

Giddings agreed that players will have major concerns about the financial uncertainty and immediate future of the club.

He added: "They often discuss difficulties about recruitment and attractiveness to potential players, or indeed existing players who may have been offered contracts and are thinking, 'Well, I could sign that but is that contract going to be served fully?'

"Given the last two or three months, the answer to that is maybe not."

After local MP Clive Betts accused current Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri of holding the team "hostage", he urged Chansiri to sell the club to "prevent a complete collapse".

But who is looking to buy the Championship club?

John Flanagan is a member of an US-based consortium which has made bids to purchase the club. He spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield on Tuesday about where they currently stand.

"We originally approached the team back in April with an offer. That offer was promptly rejected," Flanagan said.

"After a couple of weeks of seeing some new developments with the club, we went back with an improved offer about a week-and-a-half ago. That offer was also rejected, also with no counter-offer.

"Our offer we thought was a fair offer with upfront money but with some significant, we will call them kickers, on the back end should the club be able to achieve certain successes."

Flanagan added it was the Owls' history which drew his attention to the club and that the "goal is to rebuild the foundation of Sheffield Wednesday", but as it stands, he and his consortium are no closer to taking ownership.

As for what it has been like to try and purchase the side, the American said it has been a "unique" experience for him.

"It's been a bit surprising. I've done a lot of business, had a lot negotiations throughout my career, and this has been the most unique to say the least," he added.

"It may be a cultural thing that I'm not understanding, every country is a little bit different in how they do business negotiations, but I was a bit surprised that even on the second offer, we were basically told if this is what you are willing to spend, then go and buy a League One or League Two club."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

Non-football and football employees at Sheffield Wednesday still haven't been paid their wages for May. There are ways and means of raising funds to rectify this situation.

Academy star Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri is being linked with clubs like Manchester City. Wednesday could make it clear they're willing to negotiate on manager Danny Rohl's release clause, something they should have done weeks ago given what has since occurred at Hillsborough.

However, there's something desperately sad about a club selling off assets simply to pay staff who are not on a lot of money and are understandably concerned about when they're going to get their wages in full.

Even if they sell Cadamarteri or allow Rohl to pursue another job at a knock-down price to get through the current crisis, the club surely can't just limp along waiting for the next financial dilemma? But what is the solution to avoiding this?

It's my understanding no party is anywhere near to buying the club from Dejphon Chansiri and it's unclear if there are any serious bidders anyway. It seems like a complex situation behind the scenes and it might not be as simple as an individual or consortium agreeing to a quick sale.

What does that mean then? If the club is some way off a takeover, is it even possible to carry on even if funds are raised?

Meanwhile you've got contracted players probably looking at the situation with utter disbelief. You wouldn't blame them for wanting out. Who will manage the team next season? The idea that in about six weeks, with the new season on the horizon, that it'll be business as usual feels like a total fantasy.

It's a sad, sorry tale for a football club that has lurched from one problem to the next in a 25-year spell outside of the top-flight. It probably deserves more national attention than it's getting. What is the future of Sheffield Wednesday? The fact you can't answer that question with any certainty should be big headline news.

Clive Betts MP released a statement pleading for a buyer to come forward to save the club this week. Many fans who speak to us, though, fear things will get worse before they get better.

Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

The 2024-25 Championship season might be over but there are many ways to analyse and reflect on the campaign that has gone before us.

Not every club can go up but if there are signs a team is moving in the right direction, it can still be considered good progress - or quite the opposite if things are on the slide.

Here is a look at how each of the 18 sides who were in the Championship for the past two seasons got on points wise compared to the 2023-24 campaign.

It perhaps comes as no surprise that Sunderland, who won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, recorded the most significant improvement after finishing 16th in 2023-24 and picked up 20 more points.

Despite a tumultuous season off the field, Blackburn were the second most improved side in the division, gaining 13 points on the previous campaign as they missed out on the play-offs by just two points.

Leeds racked up 90 points in 2023-24 but somehow still managed a 10-point improvement as they hit the 100 mark on their way to winning the title in their best-ever season in the second tier.

Millwall's seven-point improvement was enough to help them finish five places higher in eighth, but they fell short of the top six by two points.

Meanwhile, Bristol City were only six points better off but managed to climb five places and claim a play-off spot, recording their best Championship finishing position since 2007-08.

Coventry also only improved by five points but were able to jump from ninth to fifth, perhaps showing just how fine the margins can be in the Championship when it comes to securing a play-off berth.

At the bottom...

Image source, Getty Images

You might want to look away now, Hull City fans.

The Tigers went backwards more than any other side compared to the previous season under Liam Rosenior, dropping from seventh place and three points outside the play-offs to only escaping relegation on goal difference on the final day.

Cardiff went from mid-table in 2023-24 to rock bottom and will drop down to League One for the first time in 22 years. It is pretty clear to see why as the Bluebirds picked up 18 fewer points compared to the previous season.

Norwich tumbled to 13th place after finishing in the play-offs a year before - an underperformance which ultimately cost Johannes Hoff Thorup his job as head coach.

Preston were 10 points off the play-off places in 2023-24 but picked up 13 fewer points under Paul Heckingbottom in what was their worst season since they were relegated from the Championship in 2010-11.

The Lilywhites' downturn was largely due to a major dip in form in the latter stages of the campaign, picking up only one win from their final 15 games (D7 L7) to avoid the drop by just one point.

West Bromwich Albion endured a disappointing season - for a club which always harbours ambitions of plying its trade in the top flight - with an 11-point drop off.

Albion's final points tally of 64 was their worst in the Championship since 1999-2000.

Plymouth may have only been five points worse off than they were in 2023-24 but having survived on the final day that season, there were to be no such heroics this time around and their two-year stint in the second tier is over.

And the rest...

Image source, Getty Images

*All data based only on teams who were in the Championship in 2023-24 and 2024-25

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Two things are quite clear - Sheffield Wednesday need a plan for the summer and next season and Danny Rohl is almost certainly not going to be part of that plan.

Therefore, isn't it best for all concerned to get this situation sorted as soon as possible?

It has been argued, not unfairly, that there is a compensation number attached to Rohl's contract that any potential suitor has to pay. It's Wednesday's prerogative to ask for every penny of it should they wish.

You also have to wonder, though, whether that compensation amount is realistic. If it isn't and nobody is willing to pay don't you have to compromise?

Let's look at a similar situation. The BBC's Sami Mokbel wrote about Arsenal's search for a striker last week. Included in the article is the note that targets Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres "have release clauses but the indications are their clubs are willing to negotiate lower fees".

Admittedly we're talking about far bigger fees for top strikers on the continent. However, compromise is normal in football. If Rohl's time at Hillsborough is over, you could argue it's optimal to get the best deal you can and move on.

This then allows Wednesday to bring in a new manager and work on next season. Is it really worth winning a battle but losing the war?

It's also been interesting this week to see the reaction to two interviews Rohl conducted with the German media. Let's be honest, it's not unusual for managers to do interviews in their native country. If Neil Warnock suddenly took over at Schalke O4, I'm pretty sure we'd be requesting a chat on BBC Sheffield.

Nothing Rohl said was any different to the words uttered to the Sheffield media in the final few weeks of the season. He was asked about the Red Bull Leipzig job and answered diplomatically. Is that a problem? It's one of the best gigs in European football. If someone asked me whether I wanted to work for BBC One at the next World Cup, I'd answer positively too.

He complimented Leeds United. Rightly so. Everything you see and hear about the plan at Elland Road is impressive. Put Yorkshire rivalries aside, there is a lot to be learned from Leeds.

I think anyone trying to make out this is a boss trying to force his way out and make a 'come and get me' plea to other clubs has a vivid imagination. That said, to go back to the start of this piece, it's clearly best for all concerned, and desired by both parties I sense, to go their separate ways.

Get a deal done and move on. Isn't that best?

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, Rex Features

When Danny Rohl spoke after the final game at Watford, it felt like a goodbye. As he reflected on his time at Sheffield Wednesday a lot of the comments were in the past tense.

If it is the end, it's fitting the final game was at Vicarage Road where he took charge for the first time in October 2023. The truth is, without Rohl this game could have been 24 miles up the road at Stevenage instead.

In predecessor Xisco's final game as Wednesday manager, the Owls were out-shot 17-4 in a defeat to West Brom and had 28% of the ball.

That wasn't a one-off in a pained, winless 10-game spell that had the club staring at an immediate return to League One.

Rohl took a team 24th in the table and 56 games later they are 12th. No threat of relegation. Not back in the third tier like Plymouth, who came up with the Owls two years ago.

The German should be celebrated for that.

How should the Rohl experience be remembered? For me, it was mainly about bringing tactical sophistication to Hillsborough.

I've not seen a boss able to adapt and change a game like he does. Wednesday won 24 points from losing positions this season, more than any other team in the Championship.

They were behind 30 times, second most behind only relegated Plymouth. Yet they won more games from this position than any other team in the second tier, just ahead of Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland.

I recall one victory at Derby where he switched formations four times, coming from behind to win thanks to a last gasp strike from Jamal Lowe, whom he'd introduced as a second-half substitute.

There are other examples. Being 3-0 down at Middlesbrough away on Boxing Day and turning a lost cause into a thrilling 3-3 draw. Enduring a miserable first 45 at Norwich yet finding a way at the break to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win.

Rohl is generous with tactical detail during interviews, helping you to understand his philosophy. We were given an opportunity to watch training sessions at St. George's Park and during a training camp in Germany. This was a manager who had a vision and standards.

He captured the imagination of fans, with his name sung loudly at most games and wins celebrated together.

Sometimes you come across a player or manager and just know they're destined for big things.

I remember thinking that way, as most did, about Morgan Gibbs-White during his loan spell at Sheffield United. You can see it with Shea Charles, a Rohl masterstroke of a loan signing.

When I covered Leeds United's promotion in 2020 it was clear Ben White would play at the highest level and when I worked the Hull City beat Jarrod Bowen was their star man.

You get the same sense with Rohl. He's on a pathway to the top. He's already experienced it with Bayern Munich and Germany alongside Hansi Flick. You wouldn't bet against him reaching similar heights on his own in the future.

If nothing else, Wednesday fans can at least enjoy the fact his managerial journey started at Hillsborough.

The sun may have been shining across England during the week but it's clear life is anything but bright for the teams who will meet at Vicarage Road on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Hosts Watford have lost their past four games to end their play-off hopes as they tumbled into the bottom half of the table.

But things at visitors Sheffield Wednesday, a point ahead of Watford in 12th, could be worse.

Tension between the fans and the ownership have grown over the course of this season with speculation over the future of manager Danny Rohl.

• Watford are unbeaten across their last eight league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W5 D3), since a 1-0 defeat in December 2013.

• Since beating Watford 3-1 in November 2000, Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their 11 visits to Vicarage Road to face the Hornets (D2 L8).

• Watford have lost each of their last four league games and will be looking to avoid losing five in succession for the first time in the second tier since November 2008.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won each of their last three final games of a league season by a combined scoreline of 7-1. Their only fixture against Watford to finish a season saw the pair draw 1-1 at Vicarage Road in May 2015.

• After defeat in their home league games against Sheffield United in January (2-1), Watford will be looking to avoid losing to both Sheffield clubs in the same season at Vicarage Road for the first time in the EFL.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Saturday's protest, organised by the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, was the biggest in living memory at Hillsborough. For a fan base typically not inclined to speak out, this was noteworthy.

A march began at the site where the club was founded near to the Crucible Theatre.

By the time those involved reached Hillsborough Park across from the stadium, there was quite a scene.

A throng of Wednesday fans all wearing yellow and black, the designated protest colours, made their way to the stadium holding banners and chanting for chairman Dejphon Chansiri to go.

It was a collective effort I can't recall seeing from Wednesday fans in my lifetime. A serious message was sent.

Don't underestimate these actions. It takes a lot to push Owls fans to this.

They were clear in the point they wanted to make. The tagline they're using is 'Enough is enough' and they want a new owner.

It's hard to know where Chansiri goes from here. This was a clear vote of no-confidence in the Wednesday chairman.

There are still no answers as to whether the club will have further cashflow problems in the near future, having failed to pay the wages of players on time in March.

Chansiri has done an interview with the local newspaper, he's released a letter to fans and the minutes of a recent engagement-panel meeting have been released.

I'm still not sure anyone is any wiser as to the sustainability of Sheffield Wednesday.

Given what happened in March, with the club coming dangerously close to a three-transfer-window embargo, and with the future of manager Danny Rohl and various players up in the air, supporters deserve clarity.

Especially, as has been said in the past, they are the ones who backed this club when they were once again asked to buy season tickets at Christmas time or pay prices that are higher than many other clubs.

Speaking to fans it's clear that, for many, patience has run out. They've come to the end of their tether.

However, despite this, it seems pretty clear that Chansiri has little interest in selling.

The only way I can see it happening is if a very attractive buyer comes along enabling him to get a late victory.

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan last week mentioned he'd recommended the club to Turki Al-Sheikh. Who knows whether that's realistic, but that's the kind of potential buyer that would allow Chansiri to exit on a high.

Without that level of interest, it seems likely it will be business as usual. Saturday's protest made it clear that isn't acceptable to many supporters.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has said he is "proud" of his players' season after his side's 1-1 draw at home to Portsmouth.

Callum Paterson's close range strike was cancelled out by Harvey Blair's effort in the first half with the point moving the Owls up to 12th in the Championship table following 45 games.

"All in all, I think it's been a very long season with a lot of up and downs. I think this game was mirrored a little bit to the second half of the season where we felt the better team," Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"We created more between both boxes. They had one shot on target. We tried a lot but today there's more focus about what we did in the season.

"I think we should be proud about the moment from taking them from 24th position when I took over, to bring them to 12th. I think this is an achievement."

This is a unique game in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 BST) as both sides know they will definitely be in this division next season.

The Owls' play-off challenge has subsided while Portsmouth guaranteed their safety with a win over Watford on Easter Monday.

• Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in their past six league games against Portsmouth (W4 D2), having been winless in six against them before this current run (D2 L4).

• Portsmouth have lost just one of their past five away league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W2 D2), going down 4-1 at Hillsborough in April 2022.

• Sheffield Wednesday's 2-1 win over Middlesbrough last time out ended their five-game losing run at home. They last won consecutive matches at Hillsborough in January against Stoke City and Derby County.

• Portsmouth have lost 11 of their past 13 away league games, though did beat Norwich 5-3 in their last match. They last won consecutive second-tier games on the road in February 2011.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won a league-high 24 points from losing positions in the Championship this season.