Sheffield Wednesday Enter Administration, Face 12-Point Deduction Amid Ownership Collapse
Sheffield Wednesday’s prolonged financial crisis reached a breaking point on Friday as the Championship club entered administration, triggering an automatic 12-point deduction that sent them to the bottom of the table.
The decision, confirmed by both the club and the English Football League (EFL), effectively ends Dejphon Chansiri’s controversial tenure as owner and opens the door for a possible sale to new investors.
In a statement, the Owls announced the appointment of insolvency firm Begbies Traynor as administrators after “significant efforts to agree a sale to a credible future custodian in recent weeks” failed to materialise amid mounting creditor pressure.
The EFL, in a separate statement, said the administration process “presents Sheffield Wednesday with the opportunity to move matters towards a successful sale and secure future under new ownership.”
Joint administrator Kris Wigfield explained that the club’s financial collapse was the result of years of heavy losses subsidised by the outgoing owner.
“Like many football clubs, Sheffield Wednesday have been trading at a significant loss for several years, with those losses historically funded by the former owner, Mr Chansiri,” Wigfield said.
“Due to increased financial pressure on the club, the owner has chosen to place the club and the stadium company into administration, which will enable us to market the club and the stadium as a whole, which is great news for supporters of the club.”
The penalty leaves the former Premier League side on minus six points, 15 points from safety, with their Championship survival now in severe jeopardy.
Supporters have held sustained protests against Chansiri throughout the season, calling for his departure amid repeated financial scandals.
Thousands boycotted Wednesday’s recent 1–0 defeat to Middlesbrough at Hillsborough, and social media images showed seats spelling out the owner’s name being ripped from the North Stand.
The club has been placed under multiple financial embargoes this year for tax debts and delayed wage payments, with players and staff reportedly going unpaid on five separate occasions in 2025.
British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, commenting on the development, urged a swift resolution.
“Having been in this position with my own team, Wigan Athletic, I know everyone who loves the club will be hoping for a resolution as soon as possible,” she said.
The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust described the day as “one of the most bittersweet” in the club’s 158-year history, expressing both relief and regret.
“Entering administration was the inevitable outcome of years of financial mismanagement, a lack of accountability and repeated failures to engage credible buyers,” the Trust said.
“Administration is not to be celebrated. It needn’t have ended this way. But we are overjoyed to have Dejphon Chansiri out of our club for good.”
