Sheffield Wednesday

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Sheffield is reporting that Sheffield Wednesday are directing parties interested in buying the club to a professional team with a proven track record of selling football clubs, with the aim of completing a takeover.

It marks a change to the club's previous position, with what business insiders consider to be 'proper process' for the sale of a club now taking place.

According to sources, NDA's (non-disclosure agreements) are being signed with interested parties, proof of funds requested and a data room (a virtual secure space to share sensitive documents) has been set up. Financial and management information is being made available.

This is an apparent shift in position by owner Dejphon Chansiri who, in a statement to supporters on 12 April, said: "The word means more to me than the paper – there is no reason for an NDA or similar when that trust could easily be broken.

"I can say there was no NDA in place when I bought our club from Milan (Mandaric). The deal was done on trust from start to finish and behind the scenes, which is the correct and professional thing to do."

• What's going on at Sheffield Wednesday?

• Sheff Wed players not being paid 'shocking' - PFA

It is believed the lack of proper process in the past has been a stumbling block when interested parties have approached the club. One member of a consortium interested in buying Wednesday described negotiations with the Thai owner as "the most unique" he'd experienced in his business career.

We understand there is more than one interested party and sources believe a sale can be completed without the need for administration. The aim is to do so in weeks rather than months due to the cashflow issues at Hillsborough.

Non-football staff are still waiting for their wages to be paid in full for June, after experiencing the same issue in May. Communication was made to staff on Friday with the club saying they are trying to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, some Owls players have handed their notice in after delayed payment of wages for two consecutive months.

The club is currently under three separate English Football League embargoes - one for breaking regulations on unpaid players, one relating to HM Revenue & Customs reporting and the other for non-payment of transfer fees. The Owls have also been issued a three-transfer window restriction on paying fees.

Chansiri revealed in a statement recently he had rejected an offer of £40m plus "limited future Premier League promotion payments" from a consortium.

The news that 'proper process' is now taking place could increase the chances of a sale.

Sheffield Wednesday could lose another of their academy stars to Manchester City, with defender Romario Collins being linked with a move to the Premier League club.

He could join ex-Owl Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri in moving to City. (Sheffield Star), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A lot of people ask us whether Sheffield Wednesday could face a points deduction.

We know the club and owner Dejphon Chansiri have been charged by the English Football League relating to multiple breaches of regulations relating to payment obligations. The club is appealing.

At some point, an independent disciplinary commission will conduct a hearing. The only way to consider what the outcome could be is to look at previous cases.

For example, Reading were given a one-point deduction for the 2023-24 season, with a further three points suspended, after failing to pay its players on time and in full for October 2022, November 2022 and April 2023.

The commission ordered them to deposit an equal amount to 125% of the forecast monthly wage bill into a designated account by 12 September 2023. When this didn't happen, the suspended three-point sanction was activated.

Then-Reading owner Dai Yongge was charged with misconduct by the EFL. The matter was referred to another commission and, at the hearing, the EFL asked that Yongge be disqualified from all football activity, including ownership and control of Reading, for 12 months.

The commission felt a disqualification "would not achieve the immediate objective of sourcing the required funds for the deposit account". Instead, he was fined £20,000 with a further £50,000 suspended.

The additional fine would be activated on 12 January 2024 if the money was not deposited into an account to secure wage payments and he had to keep doing this until August 2024 at the earliest.

Failing to consistently pay HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) led to a further two-point penalty in February 2024 (with another two points suspended).

The Owls are currently under an embargo for breaking EFL regulation 17.3 relating to HMRC reporting.

It is impossible to say for certain this is the fate facing Sheffield Wednesday and Dejphon Chansiri.

However, for fans wondering what could happen, this is at least worth knowing as we await news of the eventual hearing and what sanctions could be forthcoming.

"There's been disaster after disaster on the pitch, off the pitch. There's been no real structure and now you're seeing it all fall apart," former Owls player and manager Chris Turner tells BBC Radio Sheffield.

Rob Staton is joined by Turner, Ian Bennett from the Supporters Trust and Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers to talk about the financial crisis at the club.

From a planned boycott of merchandise to the players and boss Danny Rohl's rumoured departures, it's reaching breaking point between chairman Dejphon Chansiri and the fans.

But finding a buyer that will meet his asking price is proving a difficult task.

"Chansiri is a very toxic mix of pride, arrogance and stupidity," McClure said.

"What worries me is he is either going to hang on or we are going to sell to someone just as bad.

"People out there would buy the club but unfortunately, for whatever reason, Mr Chansiri is just demanding a ridiculous fee."

For a prospective buyer, it's not only the initial purchase price they have to consider.

"Whoever buys the club has got a massive job on their hands because going all the way through the club, there's no structure," Turner added.

"I read comments over the weekend where academy staff are leaving, handing notices in and stuff like that.

"Obviously, the first team has got to be restructured, the grounds have got to be brought up to date... there's all sorts of problems.

"It's really going to be a difficult decision for somebody."

Listen to the full discussion and more on BBC Sport.

Forward Josh Windass, 31, is rumoured to be one of the multiple players keen on a departure from Sheffield Wednesday following issues with wage payments. (Give Me Sport), external

The Owls could also lose out on teenager Sutura Kakay despite offering the 17-year-old a new contract amid interest from Southampton. (The Star), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

"I think Chansiri is a very proud person and he wouldn't want to leave the club under a cloud.

"I think his relationship with the fan base has now reached such a point where that relationship really has to end."

With Sheffield Wednesday in financial turmoil under chairman Dejphon Chansiri, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has been answering fans' questions about where the club stands and what the future may hold for the Owls.

Making the situation more complicated is that Hillsborough is not owned by the club itself but was purchased by Sheffield 3 Limited in 2019, a company under the control of Chansiri, to prevent breaking spending rules.

"One of my concerns is that the football club would go into administration, not Sheffield 3. It would still remain property under the control of Chansiri," Maguire said.

"We know that Sheffield Wednesday and Hillsborough are hand-in-glove, it's that close a relationship. You therefore can't sell one without having a solution for the stadium itself.

"I'm not here to criticise Chansiri but his decision-making and some of his pronouncements historically have left you, as anybody connected in business, a little bit confused and baffled."

Listen to the full Q&A and more on BBC Sounds.

Sheffield Wednesday could face a mass player departure if wages are not paid on Monday, with the side already subject to a three-window fee restriction starting this summer.

The Owls could also be losing German boss Danny Rohl, 36, who is being linked to the vacant managerial role at newly relegated Leicester City. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

Dejphon Chansiri has ended his silence and issued a statement.

It doesn't do much to address the current financial situation at Sheffield Wednesday. It doesn't provide any assurances over future staff payments. It does include the admission that he has "been seriously engaging in looking for investment from new parties and continues to do so to quickly remedy this situation."

Chansiri added he's willing to sell. That may provide some comfort for Owls fans who wish for the current chairman to depart. There's still so much more that could be addressed though.

Are wages for this month and beyond going to be paid in full, on time? Is there a financial plan in place to get through however long it will take for the club to be bought? Is the asking price now at a realistic enough range to attract the kind of buyer that can get a deal done?

This is far more important than the bulk of the statement's content – Chansiri's response to comments made by people associated with a consortium who have made bids for the club.

To be fair, Chansiri deserves to have his say when the consortium speak to the media. Yet there's a time and a place and an order of importance here on the topics to be discussed. Not saying anything for so long, then spending a lot of the statement detailing how talks had gone with that group, has irked some fans, looking at the reaction.

Truth be told, there's been too much online noise over the last few weeks. It isn't helping anyone. Too many 'in the know' rumours (many of which aren't accurate), too many things said and then taken back shortly after, too many people speaking on behalf of others.

Fans want things to be sorted behind the scenes. I don't think any of this has helped the situation and it's probably why Chansiri wanted to respond.

Everyone needs to know there is short and long-term financial security in place at Sheffield Wednesday.

My understanding is the first instalment of TV money for Championship clubs is due imminently. That will provide some financial respite. Then there's a second instalment to come in the near future. That helps -- but is it enough to sustain the club to the start of the season and possibly beyond?

There's also no clarity on the situation with the North Stand, with rumours galore after a recent meeting between the club and the Safety Advisory Group. Manager Danny Rohl appears set to depart, so who coaches the team? What is the make-up of the squad and how will the wages situation impact the players and their desire to stay at Hillsborough? When will work on the training ground be completed, given that isn't the case despite players returning from a summer break today?

We've requested interviews with Chansiri and the offer remains open. It would be nice to get a few more answers to some important topics.

The EFL fixture list is out and we know you are bursting to know what you've got to look forward to - or dread - from your team this upcoming season.

Here are some key dates to put in your diary:

• 10 August 2025 - v Leicester City (A)

• 16 August 2025 - v Stoke City (H)

• 22 November 2025 - v Sheffield United (H)

• 26 December 2025 - v Hull City (H)

• 1 January 2026 - v Preston North End (A)

• 21 February 2026 - v Sheffield United (A)

• 2 May 2026 - v West Bromwich Albion (A)

See Sheffield Wednesday's full fixture list here.

Your club will soon discover their schedule for the upcoming EFL season. As soon as Thursday, in fact.

Want to know who your side will face on opening day? The EFL fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that's not all.

The day will be rounded off by the first round of Carabao Cup being drawn at 16:30 BST.

So check back on 26 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.

Billionaire businessman John Textor, who has just sold his 43% stake in Crystal Palace for a reported £190m, is considering buying Championship club Sheffield Wednesday. (The Star, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

"The silence is killing everybody. Nobody knows what's happening; the managerial position, the wages position with the players, he's managed to pay some of the staff if not all of them," Ian Bennett of the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust tells BBC Radio Sheffield.

"It's basically a disgrace. It should never have got to this situation."

BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven hosts special guests including Bennett, Clive Betts MP, former owner Milan Mandaric and Daily Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath to talk about the financial turmoil surrounding Sheffield Wednesday under current owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The episode was recorded before the club was handed restrictions over spending in the next three transfer windows after failing to pay staff wages on time.

With Chansiri seemingly unwilling to sell the club for less than £100m, many Owls fans are beginning to worry that the Thai businessman has unrealistic expectations.

But while some see Chansiri's valuation as an inflated price, according to football finance expert Professor Dan Plumley the devout fan base and potential of Premier League football does make the purchase price "tricky".

"What we often miss in club takeovers is the sell of the upside," Plumley said.

"That's where you can start to stretch those valuations and we can have an argument about whether they are realistic or unrealistic in the context of the finances - but with a football club, you are buying into that other side of things as well."

Watch the full radio special on BBC iPlayer.

Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has remained coy over the club's recent financial struggles with some players still waiting to be paid their wages for May.

What does the future look like for the Owls? That's probably the main question on the lips of every supporter right now.

BBC Radio Sheffield will be hosting a visualised Football Heaven special on Tuesday, 17 June looking at the ongoing problems at Hillsborough.

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts, football finance expert Professor Dan Plumley and others will appear on the show at 18:00 BST.

You can watch and listen online via the BBC Sport website and app or on BBC iPlayer. The show will also be available after should you miss it.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, Rex Features

No words from the chairman.

It's more than two weeks since it emerged wages at Sheffield Wednesday hadn't been paid in full on time.

One 59-word statement, including an apology, has been issued since. That was 13 days ago. Mercifully, the non-playing staff, coaches and some players have now received their wages. Some players, however, are still waiting.

Meanwhile, by Tuesday, the club and owner Dejphon Chansiri have to respond to their EFL charges over payment delays.

Chansiri has never been backwards in coming forwards in the past. Why is there silence now?

In September 2023, for example, he issued a statement threatening not to put any more money into the club and said: "If you say you are the owner and I am the custodian, then show me how to be the good owner and help save your club."

He followed that up with: "If you want me to leave, then show me how to run the club and invest the money before I do that. You have no right to ask me to leave."

The truth is Chansiri, like every other chairman, is a custodian, as much as he doesn't like that description.

He owes it to the fans, staff and players to front up and explain what is happening.

Will wages be paid on time and in full for June? How does he plan to keep things going financially? Is he prepared now to sell the club and, if so, what are his demands?

That final question might be the most important one.

A piece in the Sheffield Star at the end of last week quoted an anonymous intermediary who said: "What's been especially difficult is that I've had positive conversations with people that, at a reasonable valuation, would like to proceed.

"But for whatever reason, the representation from the club - be that the chairman or advisors - have got a figure in their head of double and beyond that realistic number."

Is this true? And if so, why?

On Tuesday night, we're doing a special programme on the future of Sheffield Wednesday which will be broadcast on the BBC Sport website. When we asked fans who they wanted to hear from, the overwhelming majority said the chairman.

Some also said they don't want to hear anything from the chairman other than he's off and he's sold the club. I get that. Yet while that remains not the case, isn't it time to say something?

The request has been made for the chairman to do an interview before Tuesday's programme.

This time, there shouldn't be bravado. Simply humility and a willingness to do what is right.

Let's go back to that statement in 2023: "I may not have been born here and I will probably not die here but one thing I can say is that I will always try to do my best for Wednesday."

What is best for Wednesday right now? Explaining the situation, providing clarity and - according to many fans - finding a buyer and selling at a reasonable price. If that isn't possible, tell us why.

You will be able to watch BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven special on Tuesday here.

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan, 35, wants to stay at Hillsborough despite the club's ongoing financial issues. (The Star), external

Want more transfer news and rumours from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's full gossip column

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