A crippling 12-point deduction has left Sheffield Wednesday on -6 points, but the Supporters Trust is branding the moment as the beginning of a “phase of renewal.” The penalty was incurred after owner Dejphon Chansiri, the target of long-running fan protests, placed the club into administration.
The trust called the day “bittersweet,” with the joy of Chansiri’s exit tempered by the harsh sporting sanction. “The phase of resistance has achieved its goal,” the trust’s statement read, as seats spelling “Chansiri” were removed from Hillsborough. “Now begins the phase of renewal.”
The administration was forced by mounting debts, including $pounds{}$1 million to HMRC and significant unpaid wages. The club has been living “hand-to-mouth,” and the instability saw key players and former manager Danny Röhl depart in the summer.
Administrator Begbies Traynor is now running the club and stadium, with the aim of finding a new owner “as swiftly as possible.” Manager Henrik Pedersen met with the administrators, later calling the move a “fresh restart” and insisting he sees a “bright future.”
Despite the 15-point gap to safety, Pedersen is not giving up on survival. “We will keep fighting,” he said. The immediate priority is income, with the trust urging all fans to end their boycotts and return for Saturday’s game against Oxford.
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