If John McEvoy seals Sheffield Wednesday takeover - one Hillsborough issue could need to be fixed | OneFootball

The American billionaire may need to think about demolishing the Leppings Lane end

If John McEvoy is successful in sealing a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, one issue at Hillsborough might need to be fixed.

This potential dilemma comes after Wednesdayite and South East MP, Clive Betts, reignited calls for the demolition of the Leppings Lane stand.

Leppings Lane is the area of Hillsborough where 97 Liverpool supporters tragically lost their lives during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.

Seeing as though American businessman McEvoy is among the leading bidders to acquire the Owls, he may have to turn his immediate attention towards it.

Clive Betts MP urges Leppings Lane end at Hillsborough to be demolished

Betts made his position very clear in recent comments to BBC Radio Sheffield, which were reported by the BBC.

Standing on the Kop and looking at the Leppings Lane end, the MP expressed his view that it is "quite awful" that the stand remains in use so many decades later.

"I go to Hillsborough every home game, I go on the kop, I look across at the West Stand, the Leppings Lane end where 97 people died 36 years ago, and it's still there, almost untouched," Betts stated.

He then went on to mention how the stand should've been demolished years ago, and that the new owner of the South Yorkshire club - whoever it may be - should priroitise doing just that.

An investigation by The Athletic in August 2024 revealed that Hillsborough, specifically the Leppings Lane end, still has 'disturbing' safety shortcomings all these years later - it identified issues like overcrowding and architectural flaws.

Even before that, during an FA Cup tie at home to Newcastle United in 2023, Geordies reported feeling unsafe in the Leppings Lane area, with Sheffield City Council's safety officers labelling it a "near miss."

The incident was serious enough that the council subsequently reduced the capacity of the Leppings Lane upper section from 3,200 to 2,400 in response. Yet even with capacity reductions, safety concerns obviously persist.

Betts’ call has been echoed by Hillsborough survivors themselves. Peter Scarfe, who established the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, said the stand "should have been demolished a long time ago."

John McEvoy may need to demolish Leppings Lane end if he completes Sheffield Wednesday takeover

According to the Daily Mail's Mike Keegan, McEvoy has joined forces with "members of the Storch family," after both named parties had submitted earlier offers to buy Wednesday.

Keegan claims McEvoy, who holds minority stakes in the Nashville Predators and Colorado Rockies, has apparently been consulting with Jon McClure, the frontman of Sheffield band Reverend and the Makers, as part of his due diligence.

This follows The Athletic's report that McEvoy was among six bidders in advanced discussions with administrators Begbies Traynor, but no mention of a joint offer has been revealed until Keegan's development.

Ultimately, an incoming owner, whether it is McEvoy or one of the other bidders, will surely need to grapple with a decision regarding the West Stand at Hillsborough.

While the administrators’ focus remains on naming a preferred bidder at this stage, the perhaps moral need to address Leppings Lane can’t be ignored for that much longer.

If McEvoy or any other new owner is to leave a positive mark on Sheffield Wednesday, the demolition of the said stand should feature prominently among their first priorities, as Betts told local radio.