Sheffield Wednesday FC’s Thai owner urges fans to help pay debt
The Thai owner of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club (SWFC) yesterday admitted that the South Yorkshire outfit is in financial crisis and urged SWFC’s fans to contribute 90 million baht (£2 million) to rescue the club from debt.
Just last week, the Owls found themselves in a precarious situation, as the English Football League (EFL) imposed a registration boycott on the club due to their failure to settle their obligations to His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs and the unpaid wages of their players.
The club is required to pay back the debt within 30 days, by November 10. If not, a harsher punishment would be issued, for example, a ban on recruiting new players for three windows and a possible points reduction.
The Thai club owner, Dejphon Chansiri, sought support from the fans during an interview with a local newspaper, Sheffield Star, that he encountered cash flow issues and was unable to pay the debt.
“If I have money in the bank, why won’t I pay? If 20,000 people gave £100 then it’s £2m, and it would be clear, so we can finish it. That would cover everything, HMRC and wages. That would need to be done before November 10 if they don’t want to pass the 30 days’ deadline, but that means that there can be no next time.”
His request made some loyal Owls’ fans contribute to the online fundraising accounts. However, just two days later, Dejphon made an unexpected announcement on the club website, revealing that he already covered Wednesday’s outstanding debt.
EFL embargo
“I can confirm that all our players and staff have been paid their salaries in full. I can also confirm that the outstanding HMRC amount has been satisfied and the EFL embargo will be lifted.”
These actions stirred a mixture of reactions among fans, with some expressing their discontent and accusing Dejphon of playing a game with the supporters due to a previous conflict and criticisms of his management. However, Dejphin insisted on his genuine intentions.
“In business, what happens today can be very different tomorrow and right now this is finished. As I said in the interview, there are no games here, this was a serious situation. I understand that some things are hard to hear, and believe me, some things are hard to say.
“The bottom line is that Sheffield Wednesday means everything to me and I will always try my best and do my best for our club, today and tomorrow.”
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