Sheffield Wednesday takeover news: James Bord bombshell, Mike Ashley contact, Storch statement | OneFootball

FLW rounds up the latest news regarding Sheffield Wednesday's takeover as James Bord's deal collapses

Sheffield Wednesday have had an enormous week already, with the club's relegation finally being confirmed on Sunday, and now full attention is on the off-field situation and finding a new owner.

The Owls have been in administration since October 2025, and in that time there have been notable departures, disappointing on-field results and ultimately, the end of their stay in the Championship once this campaign comes to an end.

Now, Henrik Pedersen will be looking to get his side into positive points and end the season on some sort of positive as the hunt for a new face in the boardroom continues.

Following a fresh twist to proceedings on Wednesday, Football League World has taken a look at the latest news regarding Sheffield Wednesday's takeover.

James Bord fails in takeover bid at Sheffield Wednesday

It emerged on Wednesday afternoon that a consortium, led by James Bord, had failed in their bid to complete a takeover of the Owls, despite spending around £4m on the club throughout their period as the preferred bidder, as per Alan Nixon.

In a statement, they said to Sheffield Wednesday supporters:

"To all the long-suffering fans of this great Club, it is with the greatest regret that we have decided not to pursue our bid to become your new custodians. We have fondly watched Wednesday from afar for many years. It is a Club whose glory has been diminished over the years by poor owners who forgot or intentionally disregarded your passion, your history, and your value. You deserved, and deserve, better.

"When the opportunity came about to be part of your next chapter, we jumped at the chance and in good faith began the process of purchase. We have always engaged professionally, transparently and constructively with the administrator, EFL and IFR via an exceptional team of advisers.

"Tragically, the historic mishandling of the club and pattern of catastrophic underinvestment means our sizeable binding bid can no longer be justified. The detailed due diligence our advisers have done over the last two months meant that the sizeable binding bid we made can no longer be justified.

"As widely reported, we have spent over £4m to help run the Club over the last two months and, after much consideration, have decided that we can no longer continue to do so as the exclusivity agreement we signed means only a small amount could be removed from our offer – regardless of the outcome of our analysis work. We know this will be a bitter disappointment to many – who hoped that the ownership saga would soon be over – and for this we can only apologise wholeheartedly. It is a decision that we have come to after much consideration.

"We want to make one final point. We are lifelong football supporters who have been privileged to travel around the world watching the sport we love. Never in all our lives have we seen such a passionate fanbase as those who follow Sheffield Wednesday.

"We hope whoever picks up this baton appreciates you as we would have. We hope they understand the need to invest in your team, your stadium and your community. Just one part of that trio of expectation is not enough. We know the rest of your season is going to be challenging, as will the next, but you will rise again to your former glory and when you do, we will be cheering your success."

While Bord's proposed takeover failed, it has been revealed by Rob Dorsett that there are multiple other parties still keen on purchasing the Owls.

According to his report, at least three parties have contacted Sheffield Wednesday's administrators following the news of the collapsed deal, and the process to find a preferred bidder with exclusivity will start once again. Bord's consortium gained that exclusivity on 24 December, and just over two months later, the Owls find themselves back at square one.

One of those who are showing an interest is Mike Ashley. Dorestt has revealed that the former Newcastle United owner has been in contact with the Owls since the news of Bord's failure to purchase the club, but in the past his offer was lower than others.

Ashley and the other interested parties have already proven that they have at least £50m in funds to complete the purchase and take the club forward in the years to come after a decade of false promises and problems from the previous owner, Dejphon Chansiri.

The Storch family remain keen on purchasing Sheffield Wednesday

On Tuesday evening, just hours before Bord pulled out of purchasing Sheffield Wednesday, a statement from David Storch stated that he and his family are still keen on owning the club.

It read (via: Rob Staton): "We remain incredibly passionate about the opportunity at Sheffield Wednesday and seeing the club return to its former glory.

"We wish the preferred bidder well through the process but are ready to step in should the opportunity present itself again. We are all disappointed by relegation yet wish the team well as they finish the current season."