Sheffield Wednesday fans say their club have endured “one of the most bittersweet days in our 158-year history” after the Championship side were placed into administration by the owner, Dejphon Chansiri, and deducted 12 points.
The Owls will have a chance to rebuild their fortunes after a period of turbulence, with players and staff having not been paid on time in five of the past seven months. First, however, they face almost certain relegation after the EFL’s penalty left them on -6 points, 15 adrift of safety.
The administrator Begbies Traynor is in charge of a process that will aim to sell Wednesday’s assets, and those of a separate Chansiri company that owns the Hillsborough stadium, to recoup debts that include an estimated £1m in tax owed to HMRC. Less than an hour after the club were put into administration, seats which spell out Chansiri in the North Stand were being removed as the club work towards a reset.
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“Entering administration was the inevitable outcome of years of financial mismanagement, a lack of accountability, and repeated failures to engage credible buyers,” the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust said. “Administration is not something to be celebrated. It needn’t have ended this way. But we are overjoyed to have Dejphon Chansiri out of our club for good.”
Wednesday’s manager, Henrik Pedersen, his coaching team, players and wider club staff met the administrators in the training-ground canteen on Friday morning. The Dane said entering administration was necessary to embark on a new era. He said he had not spoken to Chansiri but that his conversations with the administrators left him hopeful that job losses would be prevented.
Pedersen stressed “a sad situation can also still be a good day”, adding: “We knew from the last five, six, seven, eight months it cannot continue. We need a fresh restart to use the potential of this fantastic club. Now there is a belief, a hope, there is a feeling of looking towards better days. When I close my eyes, I can see a bright future for Sheffield Wednesday.”
Club staff were emotional at the news and Pedersen said: “There is insecurity. Do we get our salary now? What happens now? Will it be better? Will it not be better? The general feeling was that they are all looking forward to the future together with Sheffield Wednesday.”
The situation at Wednesday has been deteriorating sharply since the summer when the manager Danny Röhl and several key players departed after wages were not paid. The EFL said in August it was deeply concerned about the club’s financial situation and Wednesday began the season with only 15 first-team players. Since then the club has been living hand-to-mouth, with any income – such as solidarity payments provided by the Premier League – used to deal with debts. With reports of an imminent winding-up petition being issued by HMRC, it appears Chansiri ran out of options.
Kris Wigfield, one of three joint-administrators appointed by Begbies Traynor, said: “Like many football clubs, [Wednesday] has been trading at a significant loss for several years, with those losses historically funded by the former owner Mr Chansiri. Due to increased financial pressure on the club, the owner has chosen to place the club and the stadium company into administration which will enable us to market the club and the stadium as a whole, which is great news for supporters of the club. The joint administrators have taken over the running of the club with immediate effect to protect the interests of creditors, and to ensure Sheffield Wednesday can continue operating while we seek a new owner as swiftly as possible.”
The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said Wednesday’s plight served as another reminder of the need for the independent football regulator, which was signed into law this year. The regulator is expected to be in operation for the start of the 2027-28 season. “Having been in this position with my own team, Wigan Athletic, I know everyone who loves the club will be hoping for a resolution as soon as possible,” Nandy said.
Wednesday fans have boycotted the club’s retail and merchandise this season and thousands stayed away from their home fixture against Middlesbrough this week in the latest boycott of a match. Before Oxford’s visit on Saturday the administrator and the supporters’ trust called on fans to reengage.
“The club’s most urgent need is stability and income,” the trust said. “The phase of resistance has achieved its goal – now begins the phase of renewal. Every ticket bought, every shirt worn, every pie and pint enjoyed in Hillsborough helps the club rebuild from the ground up. Real change is within our grasp – but only if we are prepared to seize it. Now is the time to be Wednesday.”
The trust said it expected strong interest from buyers but had been working on a “fan-led takeover proposal” to ensure that “even in the worst-case scenario, the threat of liquidation will not be an option”.
Wednesday host Oxford on Saturday, with supporters expected to return in their thousands after boycotting the midweek defeat at home to Middlesbrough. Pedersen said he was not resigned to relegation despite the severity of the challenge. “We have to be a new Sheffield Wednesday with an old heart,” he said. “We have a fantastic club and it deserves to grow. I have a big belief we can survive in the Championship with this group of players. We will keep fighting.”
