Liam Duckstein
Sheffield Wednesday facing imminent winding-up petition over £1m HMRC bill
Sheffield Wednesday are set to be served with a winding-up petition over a tax bill believed to be around £1m, BBC Radio Sheffield reports following a joint investigation with the Sheffield Star.
The move by HM Revenue & Customs would pile fresh pressure on owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club. The crisis comes as Wednesday already sit under five separate EFL embargoes after failing to pay wages on time in five of the past seven months.
On the field the problems have shown up in results. Wednesday are second bottom of the Championship with six points from nine games. A threadbare squad, off-field uncertainty and registration restrictions have left the team short of options.
Players missed timely pay in March and May; the situation worsened in July when wages again went unpaid. That led to players withdrawing from a training match against Burnley and the squad going into the season underprepared. The club did not stage any pre-season friendlies in front of supporters.
Managerial disruption followed. Danny Rohl left in July and his assistant, Henrik Pedersen, was placed in charge just 10 days before the opening fixture of the season.
Supporters have routinely protested. Fans staged demonstrations before and during matches, boycotted home EFL Cup ties with Leeds and Grimsby, and the supporters’ trust urged people not to buy drinks or snacks inside Hillsborough.
Thai businessman Chansiri has been absent throughout the period and, so far, no sale has been close to completion.
“A winding-up petition is a formal court application, filed by a creditor, to force an insolvent company into compulsory liquidation,” said Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield reporter. “With HMRC owed £1m they are believed to be ready to take that step. It could mean administration for the club, though that is not guaranteed. It also means a distinct possibility that Chansiri’s time at Sheffield Wednesday is close to coming to an end.”
Liquidation is an alarming prospect for any fan. Yet some see it as a grim chance for a reset — short-term pain, potential long-term gain. For now the club, its supporters and prospective buyers will be watching the next legal steps closely.
More updates are expected as the situation develops.