Kris Wigfield reacts to Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County points deduction 'confusion' | OneFootball

Kris Wigfield has clarified the situation involving Sheffield Wednesday's points deduction

Sheffield Wednesday announced the completion of David Storch’s takeover of the club earlier this month.

The Owls were seeking a new owner after going into administration in late October, with Begbies Traynor overseeing the negotiating process.

Kris Wigfield played a major role in the day-to-day running of the Yorkshire outfit during this period, with an agreement being struck with Storch in March.

It was feared that Sheffield Wednesday would face a 15 point deduction penalty as part of Storch’s takeover due to a possible failure to meet the EFL’s insolvency rules.

The bid worth a little under £20 million was reportedly not enough to satisfy the payments needed to the meet club’s unsecured creditors at a rate of 25p on the pound, with previous owner Dejphon Chansiri the main culprit.

However, an offer made to the Thai businessman for him to potentially receive payment in the event of promotion to the Championship has led to the club avoiding punishment from the EFL.

Kris Wigfield clarifies Sheffield Wednesday points deduction situation

The situation involving Sheffield Wednesday’s points deduction, or a lack thereof, has been compared to Derby County’s recent spell under administration in 2022.

The Rams avoided a deduction as well, but it required previous Mel Morris writing off the debt paid owed to him by the club.

Wigfield has clarified the differences between the two situations, suggesting that the Owls have not received favourable treatment.

The administrator claimed that the shortfall against the EFL’s insolvency rules was actually much smaller for Sheffield Wednesday compared to Derby when taking into account all of the money owed to their unsecured creditors.

“There seems to be a lot of confusion on the SWFC zero point ruling when comparing to the zero points Derby also received,” wrote Wigfield on his personal X account.

“Both Clubs paid/are paying 25p in the £ to unsecured creditors.

“Derby’s owner completely wrote his debt off.

“The Wednesday owner was made a sizable offer.

“Derby paid 25p in the £ and left the tax man owed £10’s of millions (EFL Insolvency Policy directs 100p - discretion shown).

“Wednesday are paying off all owed (100p in the £) to HMRC.

“I’m struggling to square why some feel Wednesday should get more than Derby got for exiting Administration when the shortfall to creditors is so much less in the case of SWFC?

“Furthermore, the shortfall against EFL Insolvency Policy is also much less in the case of SWFC.”

Sheffield Wednesday are now planning for life in League One following a disastrous Championship campaign.

Henrik Pedersen’s side went seven months without a win before their 2-1 victory against West Brom on the final day of the season.

Goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and Liam Palmer sealed a first win at home of the term, marking the beginning of a new era under Storch’s ownership.

The Danish coach will now be looking to rebuild the squad for next season, with the club’s sights set on fighting for promotion.

Pedersen is set to remain in charge of the first team, with Sheffield Wednesday ending the campaign with zero points due to a total of 18 points being deducted by the EFL over the course of the year.

Sheffield Wednesday can put administration behind them now

Wigfield has clarified the situation for supporters of all clubs who are unsure of the minute details of the takeover.

However, ultimately, the entire takeover process is now complete and Sheffield Wednesday can move onto a new era under new owners.

Supporters will be glad to see Storch in the door, particularly as Chansiri proved a massively unpopular figure through his time as owner.

Being able to start next season on zero points is a massive boost for the club, and means they might even be able to fight for promotion straight away if the squad rebuild is successful this summer.