Sheffield Wednesday takeover news: James Bord plans, new consortium names revealed, EFL approval timeline outlined | OneFootball

We rounded up all the latest news on Sheffield Wednesday's takeover after James Bord was named as the club's preferred bidder.

It has been a turbulent period for Sheffield Wednesday, but the troubled Championship club could soon be under new ownership.

Wednesday have been on the market since former owner Dejphon Chansiri put the club and the company through which he owned the stadium into administration in October, bringing his decade-long tenure at Hillsborough to an end.

After the interested parties were narrowed down, former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and American businessman David Storch were two of the final candidates in the running, but a consortium led by James Bord was announced as the club's preferred bidder on Christmas Eve.

Bord, who is the founder of sports analytics business Short Circuit Science, currently holds stakes in Scottish side Dunfermline Athletic, Spanish club Córdoba and Bulgarian outfit Septemvri Sofia, while he recently acted as a recruitment advisor to Wednesday's Steel City rivals Sheffield United, but he is no longer involved at Bramall Lane.

As the wait to find out whether Bord's consortium have been given the green light to take over the Owls continues, we rounded up all the latest news on the situation.

James Bord's consortium break silence on plans for Sheffield Wednesday

Given Bord's involvement in Sheffield United's disastrous summer of recruitment, it is fair to say the decision to choose his consortium as the preferred bidder has not gone down particularly well with some sections of the Wednesday fanbase.

While much of the current process is taking place behind closed doors, many Owls supporters had called for the club's administrators to explain why Bord's group had been selected or for the prospective new owners to outline their plans in order to calm some of the unease.

Almost two weeks after their preferred bidder status was confirmed, Bord's consortium broke their silence on Tuesday through a press release in which they revealed that they were looking to bring "long-term, responsible investment" to the club, with "an emphasis on stable governance, operational discipline and data-informed decision making".

Bord's group also stressed that they support "a long-term sustainable ownership of this historic club" and are committed to "preserving and enhancing its legacy", with a goal of helping Wednesday "regain its position at the pinnacle of the game".

Further details emerge on James Bord consortium as two key figures named

As well as demanding to hear from those involved in the takeover process, Wednesday supporters have also been keen to learn more details about exactly who is part of Bord's consortium.

It was revealed this week that the consortium are a privately funded group of investors, led by Bord and Felix Roemer, who is a German-born entrepreneur known for his work in the online consumer sector, including finance technology, gambling and software, while he is also a shareholder in Bord's Short Circuit Science business.

While it appears that Bord and Roemer are leading the takeover bid, the identity of another figure involved with the group has been confirmed, with Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil named as the consortium's chief executive.

Bin Jamil is a member of the Jordanian Royal Family, and as well as being the Group CEO of Short Circuit Science, he is also a board member at Dunfermline and Córdoba, which are two of the clubs Bord has stakes in.

EFL approval timeline revealed amid James Bord, Sheffield Wednesday uncertainty

After taking control of the club back in October, Wednesday's administrators frequently stated that one crucial factor in determining a preferred bidder was ensuring that the chosen candidate would pass the required EFL tests.

While their relegation to League One is all but guaranteed, Owls supporters had been hoping that the club would be under new ownership in time for the January transfer window in order to strengthen the squad, as well as preventing the need for any player sales to generate cash.

However, although the process has accelerated significantly with Bord's consortium being granted preferred bidder status, there may be a lengthy wait before a takeover is formally completed, with journalist Alan Nixon revealing that the EFL approval process could go on for a number of weeks as their funding is closely examined.

Nixon claims that the group's finances "should not be a problem", but it may take some time for all the necessary checks to be carried out, meaning the uncertainty for the long-suffering Wednesday fanbase will continue for a little while longer.

Local MP and Wednesday supporter Clive Betts has become a prominent voice in recent months during the club's off-field struggles, and he has spoken out once again this week after Bord's consortium was chosen as the preferred bidder.

Betts' comments were made on Monday before Bord's group released their public statement, but he hit out at the club's administrators for the lack of information that has been shared with supporters about who could potentially be taking over at Hillsborough.

However, Betts also dropped an alarming revelation about Bord's consortium, claiming that he has been informed that they have been contacting individuals asking them to join their team and provide further funding.

"Individuals have told me that they have been rung up by people apparently representing the preferred bidder saying, 'can you join our consortium and provide some money'. That's not terribly reassuring," Betts told BBC Radio Sheffield.