English Club Sheffield Wednesday Files for Adminstration

[Webster]

(The Guardian) Sheffield Wednesday file for administration
Breaking news: Championship side Sheffield Wednesday have filed for administration amid the club’s mounting financial issues, a court filing from this morning showed. The English Football League (EFL) had previously charged the club with multiple breaches of regulations for the persistent late payment of players’ wages.

This is the latest in a series of off-field setbacks for Wednesday, whose owner Dejphon Chansiri has failed to pay players and staff on time in five out of the last seven months. Thousands of fans boycotted their home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough earlier this week in protest against the club’s ownership. Wednesday have been placed under various embargoes amid tax debts and for their late payments to players and staff, including in September.

Under EFL rules, Wednesday, who are already bottom of the Championship, will now receive an automatic 12-point points deduction for going into administration. The penalty would leave them on -6 points after 11 games. Wednesday host fellow strugglers Oxford United tomorrow.

Even the Government has joined calls for Chansiri to sell up. “The Government’s view is very strongly that football club owners are custodians of those clubs, and they have a responsibility to hand them on in better shape to the next owner and to the next generation of fans,” the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told a select committee on 10 September.

“In Sheffield Wednesday’s case, I am really extremely concerned about the current ownership and the lack of willingness to sell the club and invest in the club, something I’ve been discussing very closely with local MPs. The Government is keeping a very close eye on it and our message to those owners is that change is coming.”

 

[gwolf666]

The financial collapse of Sheffield Wednesday is a sad reflection of how poor ownership can destroy a club’s legacy. In my opinion, Dejphon Chansiri’s leadership has been a disaster, showing a complete lack of responsibility and understanding of what a football club represents. Repeatedly failing to pay wages and accumulating debts shows mismanagement at every level. The decision to file for administration is not only a financial admission of failure but also an emotional blow to thousands of loyal fans who deserve better. The automatic 12-point deduction will make survival in the Championship nearly impossible, further punishing players and supporters for the mistakes of one man. I believe the government’s involvement is justified; football clubs are community treasures, not private toys. A responsible owner must see themselves as a caretaker, ensuring the club’s future stability. Chansiri’s refusal to sell proves it’s time for intervention and reform.