Sheffield Wednesday’s prospective takeover was hit with another frustrating update recently, with James Bord’s withdrawal of his official bid for the Championship club.
It’s been a hugely frustrating few years for everyone associated with Sheffield Wednesday, with the main focus in recent years in particular being on off-field troubles caused by former owner, Dejphon Chansiri.
Late wage payments have seemingly disrupted any sort of momentum that the Sheffield Wednesday players were looking to build, but results on the pitch haven’t been good enough either.
The Owls are rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, and have already had their relegation into the third-tier of English football confirmed after a defeat to local rivals, Sheffield United.
Recently, it’s been reported by the Irish News, via the Press Association that new bids to purchase the club are expected by Friday, with former Newcastle United owner, Mike Ashley being one of those expected to table an official bid, although it won’t be Ashley directly working on the bid, with his Frasers Group company dealing with a potential deal.
Former Sunderland chief executive Charlie Methven is another name linked with a potential bid for Sheffield Wednesday, with the Sheffield Star’s Alex Miller revealing their interest, although it’s claimed that a deal could be tough to agree given the time constraints.
Speaking on BBC Sheffield, Senior Sports Journalist Rob Staton outlined exactly what any prospective new owner should be looking to do at the earliest of opportunities.
“You need to be a football club moving forward. You’ve got to engage your fanbase. Look how Sheffield Wednesday came together when administrations set up. That’s the kind of togetherness and atmosphere the new owner’s got to recreate now.
“They’ve got to take everybody on a journey. They can’t be saying ‘we know best, you’re customers, like it or lump it’, which has felt a lot like Chansiri’s approach. They have to engage the fans and take them on a journey.”
Attendances at Hillsborough have been slowly decreasing over the years, and who can blame the Sheffield Wednesday fanbase? It’s been a miserable few years under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri, and with results on the pitch matching the frustrating atmosphere inside Hillsborough, it’s hugely important that new owners get the fans on their side relatively quickly.
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