Dejphon Chansiri has been branded a ‘laughing stock’ by Simon Jordan after he pleaded with Sheffield Wednesday to save their club in the coming days.
Speaking on talkSPORT (October 31: 11:05AM), Jordan has slammed Chansiri and has said that he believes the Thai businessman is just trying to ‘make a point’.
Things went from bad to worse for Sheffield Wednesday last week when they were placed under embargo due to late payments to the HMRC.
The club won’t be able to register any players until they are able to pay off their debts, though Chansiri has claimed that he is unable to cough up the cash immediately on his own.
In an interview with the Sheffield Star, the Owls chairman asked the supporters to pay £100 each to overcome his financial problems.
He said: “If 20,000 people gave £100 then it’s £2m, and it’d be clear – so we can finish it. That would cover everything, HMRC and the wages. That would need to be done before November 10th if they don’t want to pass the 30 days, but that means that there can be no next time.
“It’d need to be before to make it safe – if it was on the fifth then there would be 10 days left… If we were to hit 30 days then we’ll get a ban for three windows.”
Chansiri’s demands have come as a huge surprise to supporters, while Simon Jordan has heavily criticised the owner for throwing a ‘tantrum’.
“I think he’s making a point,” Simon Jordan told talkSPORT.
“If you look at the family worth that he comes from, he comes from a family worth of three quarters of a billion. We’re talking about someone who has been willing to spend £150m or £160m on Sheffield Wednesday. We’re talking about somebody who is having a tantrum. He’s having a turn.
“I don’t think he needs or wants Sheffield Wednesday fans to divvy-up £100 each.
“He knows that isn’t going to happen, he knows that the 70% of the fan bases who turns up every Saturday to watch them isn’t going to give them an extra £100. He knows that going in.
“What he’s saying is ‘OK, you want to call me a custodian’ – which in principle there is an argument towards. When you’re the person sitting in the box seat, and I can say this as someone who has been an owner, and you’re being told you’re a custodian while you’re doing your brains in economically, it can be frustrating.
Do I think this admirable from a chairman? No. Do I think he should be behaving in this way? No. Do I think this is the way to communicate with a fan base? No. Do I think this relationship is broken? Probably. Is he going to be getting out of Sheffield Wednesday? Probably, if someone is prepared to come along and buy it.
“He may well have cash flow issues. What I think is that he has a cash flow issue in his mind. He has a resistance to being told what to do. It is (irresponsible) because he has taken on the responsibility of owning a football club and with that comes consequences. When you take on the job you don’t realise that the biggest detractors are the people you’re meant to be working alongside, not the opposition or the enemies you’re fighting against to try to win games of football.
“That brings with it a challenge and if you’re from a background where culturally authority is supposed to be recognised, then it is difficult. He should have got his head around this and this now makes him look like a laughing stock. This makes him look like a child with his football club.
“It’s irresponsible what he’s saying. If he backs up what he’s saying with what he does, then he puts himself in the way of damaging the opportunity for the football club. He’s probably looking at and saying that they’ve only got one win all season, ironically this weekend.”
Dejphon Chansiri’s time at the club has hit a brick wall
The relationship between Dejphon Chansiri and Sheffield Wednesday fans is unbelievably strained and his latest actions make it extremely unlikely that it will ever be fixed.
A large majority of the fanbase would want to help the club financially if it meant keeping their team alive, but to expect each supporter to cough up such a fee is crazy.
Chansiri needs to stop being so childish and put his money into the club before he sells up.
The Owls need a fresh start with a competent owner, because this club is huge and is far from fulfilling its potential.