Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has asked fans to come up with £2m in a bid to balance the club’s books and avoid potential hard-hitting sanctions.
The Thai businessman, who acquired a 100% stake of the club in 2015, revealed to The Sheffield Star that an outstanding debt to HMRC due on October 23 has not been paid.
The accumulated debt comes as a result of cash-flow issues in his personal business life.
This comes after news of a player registration embargo being placed over the club by the EFL broke last week.
Much of Chansiri’s time as owner of the club has been marred by calls from fans to sell the club, after a 12-point deduction for breaching profitability and sustainability rules took effect in the 2020/2021 season, which saw the Owls slip down into League One.
Speaking to the Star, Chansiri made a plea with Sheffield Wednesday supporters who he said ‘call themselves owners’ to invest into their club and avoid potential transfer embargos and points deductions, which would see the club face the daunting prospect of dropping divisions.
Sheffield Wednesday fan, Callum Chester, 18, said : “It is not unexpected from the Chairman, he is known for saying and doing daft things.
“He has lost most of the fan base and blaming the fans yet again.”
Mr Chester told the Steel Speaker that Chansiri is delusional in scapegoating fans.
He said he fears the worst for the club, with fans, staff, and players to take the brunt of Chansiri’s financial problems.
Mr Chester said: “If the club ceases to exist then so many fans will have lost their enjoyment at the weekend. Football is a way for people to come together and socialise.”
Conrad Davies, 20, has been going to games with his dad for his whole life and said he feels out of touch with the club.
Mr Davies said: “Chansiri, you have to go, ruining my football club.
“The club should be in the Premier League, yet we are sat rotting at the bottom of the championship about to go bust, it would ruin every memory I’ve ever had.”
Mr Davies told the Steel Speaker that he would lose a huge part of his life if the club went under.
“If I lost Sheffield Wednesday, a huge part of me wouldn’t be there, me and my dad have always gone together, that is our thing, and Chansiri could ruin it.”