New Football Regulator to enforce new rule in 2027 - it could seriously impact Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday could be at the centre of this new rule

A new rule is set to come into effect in 2027, and it could have a huge impact on Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls have managed to present a respectable version of themselves during the 2025/26 campaign on the pitch, sitting just one point shy of safety at this moment in time.

Wednesday were predicted by some to be cut adrift immediately at the start of this season, due to the summer of torment they endured.

Chairman Dejphon Chansiri has failed to pay players on time in five of the last seven months, which led to a number of the club’s key operators exiting for free during the transfer window.

The Thai businessman’s wrongdoings have led to Wednesday being placed under six embargoes, limiting their ability to recruit in the market. This led to just Harry Amass and Ethan Horvath joining on loan during the summer gone by, placing the Steel City side as firm relegation favourites.

Henrik Pedersen’s side have risen to the challenge thus far, picking up points on four occasions during their first nine matches, which included an impressive victory away at Portsmouth.

There is still every chance that the Owls could remain in the Championship, and a new rule is set to come into place which could heavily impact their future fortunes.

Independent Football Regulator to enforce new rule by 2027

The new Independent Football Regulator have decided that clubs in the Premier League, EFL and National League will need a license to play from the 2027/28 season onward.

Sides in these divisions will have to match a number of criteria to secure a license, which includes the soundness of their financial plans, how they are engaging with supporters and how they meet corporate governance standards.

If clubs can’t demonstrate the soundness of their plans, the regulator has sufficient power to make them more efficiently manage their day-to-day spending, increase cash reserves, control costs, or reduce debt.

Financial sustainability and accountability with supporters are of the highest priority for the IFR, and they will have last resort powers to force owners to divest from clubs in extreme circumstances, where there have been continuous failures to meet licensing conditions.

Independent Football Regulator’s rule could help force a Dejphon Chansiri exit

Given how reluctant Chansiri has been to entertain selling Wednesday, setting his valuation of the club at £100 million, it’s plausible to suggest that he could still remain in charge at Hillsborough in 2027.

If that is the case, the IFR’s new licensing requirement could finally force the Thai businessman out of Hillsborough.

Chansiri has continuously failed to engage with supporters and his financial plans have been anything but sound, which would provide the regulator with enough ammunition to force Wednesday’s owner to divest.

Although the Owls’ faithful will hope a solution has been reached by then, these measures could have set a potential expiry date on when Chansiri could still remain in charge.