Sheffield Wednesday Players were not paid their wages on time for May, leaving the club in immediate danger of a three-transfer-window embargo. Owls stars and some staff did not receive, or only partly received, their pay packets on Friday.
It represents the second time in three months wages have not been received on time, following a similar incident in March. The club could now be hit with a sanction from the EFL as they sit on the brink of hitting the 30-day default that would see them banned from signing players.
The club has sent a letter to players and staff affected, assuring them that wages should be paid on Monday. The exact timing will dictate as to whether the club is indeed prevented from paying transfer or loan fees for the next three windows.
“We anticipate outstanding payments will be made in full during the course of this Monday and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused,” the letter reads, reports the Sheffield Star.
“We understand that such delays create financial pressure and want to reassure our staff that the club is here to support you and ensure that no one suffers any financial hardship… If you are facing any immediate financial difficulties as a result of this delay, please don’t hesitate to contact your line manager or department head, who will aid the access of emergency funding we have in place.”
It comes amid a turbulent period for the club following a season of progress on the field. The Owls finished 12th in the Championship under highly-rated boss Danny Rohl, having achieved a great escape to preserve their second-tier status the previous campaign.
But protests against the ownership of Thai tuna magnate Dejphon Chansiri have gathered pace over the course of the last six months. A disastrous fans’ forum in January, where he told fans the club’s future was none of their business, was the catalyst for widespread action.
This increased in March when wages went unpaid, and the latest news is bound to cause more unrest. “We are once again appalled to hear reports that employees of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club have reportedly not been paid again,” the club’s Supporters’ Trust said.
Dejphon Chansiri has become an unpopular figure at Sheffield Wednesday (Image: Getty Images )
“If these reports are accurate, this is simply unacceptable. We demand that the club immediately provide a clear and transparent explanation of the situation. Silence and ambiguity are no longer tolerable.
“We reiterate our firm belief that Dejphon Chansiri must sell the club without further delay. His continued ownership is proving catastrophic for Sheffield Wednesday and everyone connected with it.”
Some fans are now calling for the EFL to step in, with fears the Owls could go the same way as Reading, who were hit with transfer embargoes, points deductions, and further trouble before finally being rescued from the abyss caused by Dai Yongge.
In a further kick to the stomach for supporters, Chansiri has recently rejected two offers from a US-based consortium to take over at Hillsborough. The Florida-based group is understood to include professional athletes as well as other investors.
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