The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust and members of the club’s Engagement Panel have urged owner, Dejphon Chansiri, to ‘step aside’.
Wednesday fans have been left angry and concerned amid the latest round of instability at Hillsborough, with the club confirming that they had failed to pay their players on time for March, and Chansiri then going on to explain to The Star that they are days away from getting a three-transfer window ban on the back of it.
It’s a situation that has led to supporters groups coming together to form a united front at a difficult time, with the SWST standing at the forefront of all it, and they have now released a statement in which they have asked the man at the helm of the club to ‘do the honourable thing’ at sell.
The statement read as follows, “The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust and members of the EP are dismayed about Dejphon Chansiri’s statements to the Star yesterday. We urge the owner to fulfil his responsibility as steward of the club. When he chose to invest in this great institution 10 years ago, he took on the obligation to improve its standing and infrastructure.
“Do the honourable thing as custodian of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and step aside”
“An owner must develop a sustainable business model that aligns with their financial resources, the stature of the club and the aspirations of its fans. As Mr. Chansiri has repeatedly reminded us, he has had to inject large amounts of capital to keep the club afloat. This reflects a choice—or the shortcomings—of the business model and strategy employed. Other clubs have demonstrated that, through shrewd practices and effective exploitation of commercial opportunities within the football industry, it is possible to reduce reliance on frequent financial intervention from owners. Yesterday’s statement indicates that Mr. Chansiri no longer has the resources to support his own strategy. It is not normal for a business to lack the ability to meet its contractual obligations to staff.
“The Trust and EP call on Dejphon Chansiri to do the honourable thing as custodian of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and step aside. We urge him to engage with potential purchasers to determine a fair market value for the club. We will applaud his sacrifice once it is made for the greater good of our proud institution. We’re all Wednesday, aren’t we!”
Wednesday take on Hull this afternoon in an attempt to close the gap on the Championship’s top six, however all of the build-up to the tie was overshadowed by the latest financial debacle surrounding the club.
