"Needs to sell" - Local pressure builds on Dejphon Chansiri amid fresh Sheffield Wednesday woe | OneFootball

A Sheffield MP has called for Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club after fresh EFL charges.

A Sheffield MP has called for Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club after fresh EFL charges.

The Owls and the controversial owner Chansiri have both been charged for the late payment of player wages in March and May, and now see calls for change coming from beyond the footballing arena.

Local MP joins call from Sheffield Wednesday fans

Clive Betts, Member of Parliament for Sheffield South East, has called for Chansiri to sell the club and end the “punishing” of supporters in a statement reported in the Sheffield Star newspaper.

Boyhood Wednesday fan Betts commented: “The behaviour of Wednesday’s owner is appalling. He has proven repeatedly that he cannot properly resource or fund the club and is refusing to recognise his financial failings.”

The Sky Bet Championship club are now into the 14-day period that they have to respond to the charges from the EFL, with the looming threat of a transfer embargo still present.

Chansiri went close to exceeding the 30-day limit placed on late payments in March, but resolved the issue before the punishment of a three-window transfer ban was issued.

A cash flow problem was revealed at the time, and the turbulence sees no sign of stopping now that the club has been charged related to the players being paid late in May.

Pressure continues to mount on Dejphon Chansiri

The 75-year-old Betts has been the Labour MP for Sheffield South East since 2010, though before that he was Sheffield Attercliffe member dating back to 1992.

Betts added in his statement that seeing the club he has supported throughout his life “held hostage” breaks his heart.

“He [Chansiri] must accept that he needs to sell Wednesday to prevent the complete collapse of the club. We as fans deserve better and I would urge any buyers to come forward to save Sheffield Wednesday,” he said.

On the pitch, the Owls finished 12th with 58 points to their name at the end of their Championship campaign.

However, the future of sought-after German manager Danny Rohl remains uncertain and a chunk of the supporter base’s attention is focused on their owner.

New bids are reportedly being put forward for the former Premier League side, though troubles and EFL charges have been a feature throughout Chansiri’s reign at Hillsborough.

Wednesday were smacked by a point deduction in the 2020/21 campaign and the pain has only continued. They fell on the wrong side of profit and sustainability rules then, suffering a six-point hit, which was initially 12, and being restricted in their registration of players in the subsequent seasons.

The recent EFL intervention and calls from prominent local figures such as Betts MP may heap more pressure on the under-threat owner, with the saga continuing into the summer.