Following the club going into administration, the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust described the situation as “bittersweet”, adding that it was “overjoyed to have Dejphon Chansiri out of our club for good”. It also said that, should a “suitable sale” not be forthcoming, the trust has been working on a fan-led takeover proposal to avoid the club being liquidated. A Trust spokesman outlined this proposal on Radio 4 this morning, but it is difficult to see how fans could underwrite the club's losses. The greater concerns of Wednesday fans will now be over the club’s long-term future. The club’s accounts indicate that in the region of £115m is owed to Chansiri in the form of loans but a sale process led by his legal team since the end of last season has failed to bring new ownership. The administration process and search for Chansiri’s replacement will be overseen by Manchester-based firm Begbies Traynor, which was previously appointed as administrators of Wigan Athlet...
Those fans calling for a change at the top at Wet Ham should take account the the ownership structure. The future could hinge on the late David Gold’s 25 per cent stake, controlled by his descendants. Discussions have included a potential investment into the club, which is set to announce big losses for last season. But the problem remains that any new investor would not have control of the club without buying shares from David Sullivan, the co-owner who owns 39 per cent, or the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who bought a 27 per cent share for about £150million in 2021. West Ham expected Kretinsky to exercise his option of a full takeover in the summer of 2022. He never did and bought Royal Mail. Some of the potential investors have a tech background, which could appeal to supporters who have called for better scouting and the use of the type of analytics employed by other clubs.