MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Historic English soccer club Sheffield Wednesday's future was thrown into doubt Friday after it was taken over by administrators amid financial troubles.
The English Football League confirmed that the club, which was founded in 1867, would be hit with a 12-point deduction as punishment.
Joint administrator Kris Wigfield said a new owner was being sought as quickly as possible.
The four-time English champion was an original member of the Premier League. It now plays in the second-tier Championship and is currently bottom of the 24-team league on minus 6 points after the deduction.
The latest move comes after a period of financial difficulty under the ownership of Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri, which prompted protests from fans and sanctions from the league.
“For the fans, staff and players of Sheffield Wednesday this is an extremely worrying situation," said U.K. culture secretary Lisa Nandy. “Owners should be good custodians who act with their club’s best interests in mind and clearly, in this instance, that has not been the case.”
Wednesday was already subject to blocks on transfer fees for three windows. The club and Chansiri separately faced league charges over non-payment of player wages.
The league said Friday that the latest developments were an “opportunity to move matters toward a successful sale and secure future under new ownership.”
Fans reacted to the news with a mix of sadness and optimism.
“Today marks one of the most bittersweet days in our club’s proud 158-year history,” Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust said in a statement. “Entering administration was the inevitable outcome of years of financial mismanagement, a lack of accountability, and repeated failures to engage credible buyers.
“Administration is not something to be celebrated. It needn’t have ended this way. But we are overjoyed to have Dejphon Chansiri out of our club for good.”
In a statement, the club said administrators had been appointed after “significant efforts to agree a sale to a credible future custodian” could not be completed. It said it had faced “rising pressure from creditors.”
League rules mean teams that fall into administration are automatically deducted 12 points. Wednesday is now likely to be relegated to the third tier of English soccer, having regularly been a top-flight club in the past with star players like Chris Waddle and Paolo Di Canio.
The three-time winner of the FA Cup was last in the Premier League in 2000 and has since spent time in the third tier as recently as 2023.
Wednesday said average attendances this season had fallen from 26,000 to 17,000 amid fan unrest. Further financial hits have come from the boycotting of the club’s concessions and retail outlets.
“Now, more than ever, we need fans back in the ground — buying tickets, merchandise, pies and pints,” Wigfield said. “Every penny spent will go directly to supporting the day-to-day running of this club, not to the former owner or professional costs."
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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