Sheffield Wednesday taken over by administrators, hit with 12-point deduction

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Historic English football club Sheffield Wednesday’s future was thrown into doubt yesterday after it was taken over by administrators amid financial troubles.

The English Football League confirmed that the club, which was founded in 1867, would be hit with a 12-point deduction as punishment.

Joint administrator Kris Wigfield said a new owner was being sought as quickly as possible.

The four-time English champions, home of Reggae Boyz Jamal Lowe and Bailey Cadamarteri, were original members of the Premier League. They now play in the second-tier Championship and are currently bottom of the 24-team league on minus six points after the deduction.

The latest move comes after a period of financial difficulty under the ownership of Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri, which prompted protests from fans and sanctions from the league.

“For the fans, staff and players of Sheffield Wednesday this is an extremely worrying situation,” said United Kingdom Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “Owners should be good custodians who act with their club’s best interests in mind and clearly, in this instance, that has not been the case.”

Wednesday were already subject to blocks on transfer fees for three windows. The club and Chansiri separately faced league charges over non-payment of player wages.

A CHANCE TO ‘SECURE FUTURE’

The league said yesterday that the latest developments were an “opportunity to move matters towards a successful sale and secure future under new ownership”.

Fans reacted to the news with a mix of sadness and optimism.

“Today marks one of the most bittersweet days in our club’s proud 158-year history,” Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust said in a statement. “Entering administration was the inevitable outcome of years of financial mismanagement, a lack of accountability, and repeated failures to engage credible buyers.

“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.”

Pressure from creditors

In a statement, the club said administrators had been appointed after “significant efforts to agree a sale to a credible future custodian” could not be completed. It said it had faced “rising pressure from creditors”.

League rules mean teams that fall into administration are automatically deducted 12 points. Wednesday are now likely to be relegated to the third tier of English football, having regularly been a top-flight club in the past with star players like Chris Waddle and Paolo Di Canio.

The three-time winners of the FA Cup were last in the Premier League in 2000 and have since spent time in the third tier as recently as 2023.

Wednesday said average attendances this season had fallen from 26,000 to 17,000 amid fan unrest. Further financial hits have come from the boycotting of the club’s concessions and retail outlets.

“Now, more than ever, we need fans back in the ground – buying tickets, merchandise, pies and pints,” Wigfield said. “Every penny spent will go directly to supporting the day-to-day running of this club, not to the former owner or professional costs.”