How Hillsborough could be transformed if Sheffield Wednesday takeover is sealed | OneFootball

Football League World have looked at how Hillsborough could be improved amid takeover rumours

Sheffield Wednesday’s prospective new owners believe the club should possess a much bigger stadium.

Florida-based property investor John Flanagan and partner Adam Shaw, a Sheffield-born businessman based in US, have already had two bids for the club rejected, worth $65 million and $75 million respectively.

In an interview with the Athletic, Shaw believes that if their takeover was successful, increasing Hillsborough’s available capacity would be a priority.

When turning his attention to long-term ambitions the potential co-owner would consider moving the Owls to a new ground with a capacity in the region of 55,000.

Shaw was quick to state that all decisions would be made in constant communication with the fans, something which hasn’t been too common at the club in recent times.

Fans would naturally be cautious about leaving Hillsborough, with the stadium rooted in English football history and may hope that the current site could be worked on rather than having to move elsewhere.

Hillsborough could be renovated on current site but may need to move for expansion

Although Shaw’s ambitious attitude will be received well by the Wednesday supporters, there may not be the current demand to build a new 45,000-capacity ground.

The Owls have averaged attendance in the mid-20,000’s over the past few seasons which doesn’t warrant the construction of a new

stadium.

Instead, Wednesday could build on Hillsborough’s current site and bring facilities up to a modern standard.

The stadium's capacity has been reduced to 34,835 on safety grounds, so sorting those issues out would be the first port of call when renovating Hillsborough.

Addressing the tired look of the ground wouldn’t take much, with updating things such as signage and paintwork small but significant ways to add more life back into the stadium.

Updating the infrastructure around the ground and on the concourses with modern-day technology would automatically resolve a lot of issues, and coupled with fixing the current safety issues, would allow Wednesday to remain in their current home.

That said, if new investment did lead to a more competitive Owls side, moving to a new ground may become an inevitability.

The Owls are limited in terms of expansion in their current site and if they wanted to eventually enjoy a 45,000-capacity ground, would have to leave Hillsborough.

The current state of Sheffield Wednesday is sad to see, with Dejphon Chansiri still holding the club at ransom.

However, if Flanagan and Shaw do manage to complete a takeover this summer, they will provide the Owls’ fanbase with a new source of enthusiasm.

Updating Hillsborough wouldn’t just be nice on the eye but would signal the start of a new era for Wednesday.

If supporters walked into a stadium with modern facilities and fresh infrastructure under new ownership, there would more than likely be a mass increase in positivity surrounding Sheffield Wednesday.