This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
A new era could soon be set to get underway at Sheffield Wednesday amid reports that US billionaire Tilman Fertitta is in talks to buy the club.
Wednesday’s summer has been a nightmare, with the club currently under three distinct transfer embargoes and a three-window transfer fee suspension for failing to pay player and staff wages on time in May and June.
Owner Dejphon Chansiri has previously been hesitant to sell the Owls, but it looks that his stance has changed, and according to The Star, an unknown party’s bid has been approved, and they are also willing to send a cash advance to help ease the club’s immediate financial problems.
With so much interest in the club, it’s unclear who has had a bid accepted by Chansiri, but journalist Alan Nixon believes Wednesday is in “advanced talks” with US billionaire Fertitta about a possible takeover.
Fertitta was recently appointed as the United States ambassador to Italy and San Marino, and he is also the owner of the NBA team Houston Rockets, as well as the primary shareholder of the hotel and casino corporation Wynn Resorts. Forbes estimates his net worth at $11.3 billion.
| Sheffield Wednesday’s league finishes under Dejphon Chansiri | ||
| Season | Division | Position |
| 2014-15 | Championship | 13th |
| 2015-16 | Championship | 6th |
| 2016-17 | Championship | 4th |
| 2017-18 | Championship | 15th |
| 2018-19 | Championship | 12th |
| 2019-20 | Championship | 16th |
| 2020-21 | Championship | 24th (relegated) |
| 2021-22 | League One | 4th |
| 2022-23 | League One | 3rd (promoted) |
| 2023-24 | Championship | 20th |
| 2024-25 | Championship | 12th |
While there are still several hurdles to clear before Fertitta completes his takeover on Wednesday, it appears like Chansiri’s stormy 10-and-a-half-year career at Hillsborough may be coming to an end.
Sheffield Wednesday reaction given to Tilman Fertitta takeover talk
When asked about Fertitta’s probable purchase, FLW’s Sheffield Wednesday fan commentator, Patrick McKenna, confessed that he is cautiously enthusiastic about the chance of the 68-year-old purchasing the club, believing that his extensive financial expertise would make him an ideal new owner.
“It has been an absolutely manic few days, even by the usual crazy standards of Sheffield Wednesday,” Patrick told the Tampa Bay Times.
“The latest is that Tilman Fertitta is in advanced talks to succeed Dejphon Chansiri. I’m undeniably excited.
“It’s hard not to be excited after the extreme anguish of the Chansiri years to see billionaires have offers accepted and appear to be on the verge of taking over the club. It’s simply huge.
“I don’t know much about Fertitta, but based on what I’ve read, he’s a tremendously wealthy individual. He has obviously been highly successful in business in a variety of industries, including sports, so he will have a large network of contacts.
“Compare him to Chansiri, who isn’t and never has been a businessman; this guy is, and he is plainly interested in taking over the club. He doesn’t appear to be a tire kicker, and he has enough money to take over.
“I believe that his willingness to advance money demonstrates how serious he is. I’m surprised we’re in this circumstance, but it’s also quite thrilling.
“Now, don’t get too excited or carried away. However, things might still go wrong.
“But if this continues on and a deal is agreed, I think the future looks much brighter for Sheffield Wednesday, which would be incredible considering the absolute dire straits we have been hurtling to under Chansiri where you thought there might not even be a club at all.”
Tilman Fertitta takeover would be perfect timing for Sheffield Wednesday
As Patrick points out, there were severe uncertainties over Wednesday’s long-term future and whether they would be able to begin the new season, but it now appears that a takeover is near.
Of course, having a lot of money does not ensure that someone will be a good owner, but Fertitta is clearly a very wealthy person who has had a lot of success in business, so he could be the ideal option to buy the Owls.
Many Wednesday fans, like Patrick, will understandably be hesitant to celebrate at this point, but Fertitta’s willingness to give a cash advance to help alleviate the club’s current financial problems indicates that he is serious about owning the club.
After a difficult summer, the South Yorkshire outfit may soon see better days.
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