Sheffield Wednesday’s hopes of a takeover have seen plenty of twists and turns take place in the past 12 months, and yet another has occurred involving the club’s preferred bidder, James Bord.
The former professional poker player was granted the aforementioned status by current Owls administrators, Begbies Traynor – who are fronted by Paul Stanley, Julian Pitts and lifelong Wednesday supporter, Kris Wigfield – on Christmas Eve, ahead of other high-profile candidates such as ex-Newcastle United chairman Mike Ashley, American businessman John McEvoy and former Crystal Palace stakeholder, John Textor.
The Steel City side have been in administration since Friday, October 24th, after reports of an unpaid £1m tax bill to HMRC by controversial former owner, Dejphon Chansiri, saw Wednesday threatened with the distinct possibility of a winding-up petition.
It has been the strangest of seasons at Hillsborough as a result, with head coach Henrik Pedersen left with very little room to manouvre when it comes to the depth of the playing squad at his disposal, whilst the Dane has also been limited when it comes to adding much-needed new recruits in the transfer market.
A collective deduction of 18 points – firstly for entering administration and then allegations of further financial breaches – have left the Owls on minus points for some time, and they are set to have the quickest-ever relegation in Championship history as a result.
Whilst talk of Bord taking over the ownership reigns at Hillsborough have rumbled on for some time, there was initial hope that he would be the right figure to help steer the League One-bound club into a positive, new era.
However, whilst fresh reports have plunged such beliefs, and the possibility of a takeover on his part full-stop, into jeopardy, he still remains confident that his consortium will pull through the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test.
James Bord is still confident of becoming the next owner of Sheffield Wednesday despite fresh controversy
It has been reported that the bid submitted by the consortium made up of Bord, Felix Romer and Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil was worth up to £32.5m, with the man who had previously advised cross-city rivals, Sheffield United and their ownership group, COH Sports, on an AI-based transfer model leading such plans.
Bord also currently has shares in Córdoba CF, who are seventh in the Spanish Segunda División, as well as Bulgarian outfit, Septemvri Sofia – all whilst also owning Scottish Championship side, Dunfermline Athletic.
With the founder of Short Circuit Science making his money in the sector of gambling and crypto-gambling, a report emerged on January 30th from the Guardian stating that his takeover of the Owls was plunged into doubt as the EFL take extra caution over assessing whether Bord is fit for purpose when it comes to running the second tier’s crisis club after its previous years of uncertainty under Chansiri.
With the EFL said to be working in conjunction with the FA over said process, it was revealed that Bord and Roemer put forward a claim that the bid was privately funded, and the cash fronted up was made through technological and analytical means.
Such feelings of confidence on Bord’s part have failed to diminish, even though a fresh report from the Times has revealed that the Stanmore-born man is at the forefront of a major legal dispute with former business partner, Jonathan Cohen, who is suing the Owls’ prospective owner over a multitude of instances linking back to the Canadian’s investment in Córdoba back in 2024.
It has since been reported by the Daily Mail that Bord’s consortium have now provided the newly-formed Independent Football Regulator with several documents that detail the finances associated to those in the business, as they are all based in non-UK territories.
A non-refundable £2.5m deposit to ensure the day-to-day running of the Owls has also been submitted, whilst talk of the deal collapsing has also been quashed for the meantime.
Sheffield Wednesday supporters will hope clarity is provided on takeover as soon as possible
At this stage, Owls supporters will be hoping the takeover situation is resolved as soon as possible, allowing the club to become a competitive force in League One next season.
Pedersen has also pleaded that whoever takes ownership of the club must invest in new facilities at their Middlewood Road training ground, as the current pitches do not allow for his players to practice his style and methods sufficiently.
With Wednesday’s on-pitch fate already sealed, it will be takeover news continuing to dominate headlines in S6 for the forseeable future unless a swift resolution is found.
Discussion about this post