(DDM) – English Championship club Sheffield Wednesday has officially entered administration, resulting in an automatic 12-point deduction that plunges the historic side to the bottom of the league table.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that court documents confirmed the development on Friday morning after a notice of administration was filed at a specialist court at 10:01 a.m., with the English Football League (EFL) later verifying receipt of the notification.
The penalty also affects the ownership company overseeing Hillsborough Stadium, marking another dark chapter for the once-proud Yorkshire club.
Before the sanction, Sheffield Wednesday had managed six points from 11 games. The deduction now drops them to -6 points, leaving the Owls a daunting 15 points adrift of safety in the relegation battle.
The club’s embattled Thai owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has struggled for months with severe financial challenges, including unpaid staff wages, tax debts, transfer bans, and the loss of key players.
Chansiri, who purchased the club in 2015, was earlier charged by the EFL in June for breaching payment regulations and later admitted he was open to selling the club amid growing fan pressure.
Reacting to the latest crisis, the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust described the move as “bittersweet but necessary,” stating that administration was the inevitable consequence of years of mismanagement.
“Administration was unavoidable after repeated financial failures,” the trust declared in a statement obtained by DDM. “We are relieved to see Chansiri gone. This is the first step toward rebuilding Sheffield Wednesday.”
The supporters’ group also disclosed ongoing talks with the appointed administrators, hinting at a potential fan-led takeover bid should no credible investor emerge to rescue the club.
Paul Stanley, one of the joint administrators, assured supporters that fixtures would continue as scheduled, emphasizing that stabilizing the club remains the top priority.
“Sheffield Wednesday are a proud, historic institution with an incredibly loyal fan base,” Stanley said. “With the right ownership and financial restructuring, long-term recovery is absolutely possible.”
The EFL confirmed that the Championship league table had been updated to reflect the deduction, noting that the club will continue competing while efforts to resolve its financial crisis unfold.
Sheffield Wednesday, founded in 1867, is one of the oldest football clubs in England, with four league titles and three FA Cups in its history.
However, in recent years, the Owls have endured a turbulent spell marked by relegations, transfer embargoes, and financial instability, drawing criticism toward the ownership for what fans described as “reckless spending and poor governance.”
Football analysts told DDM that the club’s latest collapse may serve as a wake-up call for the EFL to tighten financial oversight across the league, following similar crises that have hit clubs like Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, and Reading in recent years.
Despite the turmoil, Sheffield Wednesday’s fanbase remains resolute, vowing to rally behind the team through what could be the most challenging season in its modern history.
As the administrators seek new ownership and financial rescue, the future of one of English football’s most storied institutions now hangs in the balance, but many supporters believe this crisis could mark the beginning of a long-awaited rebirth for the blue-and-white side of Sheffield.