Historic Club Sheffield Wednesday On The Brink Of Collapse
Sheffield Wednesday, one of English football’s oldest and most iconic clubs, now teeters on the edge of collapse. As players go unpaid for the fourth time in five months, key personnel have exited, transfer embargoes bite, and Hillsborough’s North Stand remains shut. With no clear path ahead under owner Dejphon Chansiri, the club faces a season of uncertainty, and possibly worse.
Club With History
Founded in 1867, Sheffield Wednesday is one of the oldest football clubs in the world and the second-oldest professional football club in England.
Qualifying for European competitions in the past, Sheffield Wednesday have won four English League titles and three FA Cup titles.
The 1991, 1-0 League Cup final win over Manchester United was even remarkable as John Sheridan’s goal ensured Wednesday are the last team since then to win a major trophy whilst being in the second tier of English football.
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Disappointment and Agony
The Hillsborough club has twice come close to being promoted to the English Premier League since 57-year-old Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri took over the club in a reported £30m deal.
In 2016, Hull City defeated Wednesday 1-0 in the Championship playoff final after a Mohamed Diame wonder strike, and in 2017 they suffered even more heartache, losing 4-3 on penalties to Huddersfield Town in the Championship Playoff semi-finals.
Even as fans of Sheffield Wednesday celebrated Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the 2025 Championship playoff final, a win that ensured its eternal rivals failed to earn promotion to the Premier League. A more damning fate lay in wait for the Owls, who miraculously finished 12th on the final Championship table, but deep financial troubles for the club mean the 2025-26 season could end up being a nightmare for fans of Sheffield Wednesday.
Embargo Galore
In 2017, Sheffield Wednesday was placed under an EFL embargo over Profit and Sustainability rules for incorrectly including the sale of the Hillsborough stadium. They were docked 12 points—but eventually reduced to 6 after appeal – in 2020, which led to the club’s relegation in 2021.
Now back in the Championship, the club, still under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri in 2024, was placed under another embargo this time around for late payment of salary to players and staff. This embargo placed a salary cap on club players, especially in renewal cases and incoming.
The club was enforced with a player registration embargo due to the unpaid transfer fee, which prevented the club from signing players except through loan deals or free agents.
Late Payments, Multiple Player Exit
For the third consecutive month, Sheffield Wednesday has failed to pay the salaries of players on time. It is the fourth time in five months that salaries have not been paid on time, happening in March, then in May, and also in June, which has prompted the exit of the manager, Danny Rohl. Players like Josh Windass and Danny Smith have had their contracts mutually terminated to force through moves to Wrexham and Preston.
Players can invoke the right to terminate contracts if salaries are not paid on time, and it is expected more players like the aforementioned will follow suit shortly
Club captain, Barry Bannan who has been at the club for 10 years was close to an exit following the expiration of his contract before deciding to take a pay cut according to reports and continue with the Owls.
The club captain has stayed, but the financial struggles have remained, leading to more sales like Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba, who have left for Rangers and Samsunspor. Only 16 first-team players are listed on the club’s website following the exit of 13 players. Players were informed this week, according to the BB,C they would have to pay for their hotel rooms if they choose to stay overnight before their upcoming away game
This week, the chaos at Sheffield Wednesday took an unprecedented turn when 16 players refused to play in the behind-closed-doors friendly match with Burnley because the club failed to pay salaries on time for the third month in a row.
This is happening on the first day that new manager Henrik Pederson takes charge of the team following Danny Rohl’s exit. This is expected to cast more doubt on the club’s ability to fulfil the opening-day Championship fixture at Leicester.
Hillsborough North Stand Closure
The club faces more financial trouble as the Sheffield City Council has closed the North Stand of the Hillsborough stadium due to structural integrity concerns.
Corrosion was found in the roof of the Stand, and the club was directed to carry out repairs. The club has so far failed to carry out any form of repairs, which could be traced to a lack of funds evident in late salary payments and/or plans by the Thai owner to sell the club.
The implication of the closure means season ticket owners will be refunded, while the club loses the avenue to generate more revenue from ticket sales in the section of the stadium
Plan To Sell The Club
Thai businessman and owner of Sheffield Wednesday Dejphon Chansiri has often clashed with fans of the club who have accused him of ‘Holding the club hostage’ by refusing to sell the club
Chansiri has also reminded the fans that they have no right to ask him to leave.
In June this year, he claimed to have rejected two separate bids of £30m and £40m for the club, which he claims are not in the club’s best interest to take it forward.
More Punishment for Sheffield Wednesday?
The trip to Leicester City on the opening day of the Championship season is in doubt as players continue to protest late payment of Salaries and could refuse to play the game.
Should that be the outcome, the EFL could dispense several punishments which could mean
– order a party to do or refrain from doing anything;
– order a specific performance;
– make a declaration on any matter to be determined;
– issue a reprimand or warning as to the future conduct of a party;
– order the payment of compensation to The League, any Club, any other club, Player or other person;
– order a suspension of membership of The League;
– order a deduction of points;
– impose a financial penalty payable to The League;
– recommend expulsion from membership of The League;
– order a withdrawal or loss of benefit otherwise available to members of The League e.g. basic award or ladder payment;
– impose an embargo on registration of Players;
– order any other sanction as the Disciplinary Commission may think fit; and
– order that interest be payable on any sums awarded under this Regulation for such period and at such rates as the Disciplinary Commission thinks fit.
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