SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY fans are preparing plans to BOYCOTT their opening Championship home game against Stoke.
The EFL last night clobbered the club with yet more sanctions.
League big wigs announced that Wednesday will now not be allowed to pay any transfer or loan fees until JUNE 2027 for exceeding late payment of wages to players and staff for 30 days in the year commencing July 2025.
That is a six-month extension to the punishment that was handed out to the club earlier in the summer.
Wednesday face the Potters on August 16 and SunSport understands supporters will be asked to congregate at Hillsborough Park opposite the ground instead.
What has been provisionally branded “Party In The Park”, fans will be invited to stage a peaceful and unified demonstration against their controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Already a “be late to your seat” protest is being held on Sunday, organised by Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, for their Championship opener against Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
Fans spokesman Jamie Silverwood told SunSport: “We’re going to arrive late to our seats at Leicester for two reasons.
“First we want it to be a visual protest and also the other is that despite this club suffering almost three decades of decline the one thing that has remained constant is the fans’ unwavering support.
“So we think by coming in late to the game will be a visible sign of how many people are upset.”
It is understood fans are preparing a banner to place over the seats asking Wednesday’s Thai owner to sell up — and a plane is expected to fly a message over the stadium too.
It has been a summer of chaos at Wednesday with:
- Players and staff being paid late three months out of the last four
- Boss Danny Rohl and a glut of key players leaving
- The EFL placing a transfer embargo on the Owls, prohibiting them from paying any fees for permanent or loan deals
- The North Stand being closed after the council deemed it unsafe
- Players refusing to play in a friendly at Burnley in a protest against the owner
The EFL last night released a statement and it read: “The League wants to see a strong, stable and competitive Sheffield Wednesday, and for that to happen we are clear that the current owner needs either to fund the Club to meet its obligations or make good on his commitment to sell to a well-funded party, for fair market value – ending the current uncertainty and impasse.”
They also confirmed what SunSport revealed earlier that the Leicester game on Sunday is not under threat and will be fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Wednesday say they are hoping to satisfy all safety issues before the Stoke game but have made contingency plans to erect a temporary access platform on the West Stand if needed.
Meanwhile, the former Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor is “definitely interested” in buying the Yorkshire club.
The American businessman sold his 43 per cent stake in the Eagles to New York Jets’ billionaire owner Woody Johnson in June.
Textor is a majority shareholder in French giants Lyon, Belgium club RWDM Brussels and Brazilian side Botafogo.
He has not yet made any approach to Chansiri but said: “I am looking for a traditional English club to buy or with which I can partner.
“I am monitoring the situation, hoping to better understand it.
“I’m definitely interested. It’s a lot to solve in a short amount of time with regards to taking advantage of the transfer window but it’s a club and community I would like to help.”
Read the full article here
