Sheffield Wednesday takeover: Twist plunges James Bord deal into doubt | OneFootball

New doubt surrounds Jame Bord's takeover at Hillsborough now.

Sheffield Wednesday could be set for more anxious waiting time over their takeover, with the EFL taking their time to assess James Bord's suitability owing to his connections to gambling and crypto-gambling operations.

The end of 2025 saw Sheffield Wednesday finally start to shed themselves of Dejphon Chansiri, after years of regression under the man who once dreamed of taking the Owls back to the Premier League.

That process led Wednesday into administration, with back-to-back points deductions leaving Henrik Pedersen's squad destined for League One in 2026.

Off-field matters remained the priority, though, with Wednesday's administrators looking for a new owner - a process that, at times, felt like it was moving at a snail's pace as they aimed to land on the right party to succeed Chansiri.

It was announced on Christmas Eve that Bord's consortium were to be the preferred bidders, with Wednesday fans eagerly waiting for further developments at the start of 2026.

Key to the process are the EFL checks and the Owners' and Directors' Test. That process has now raised questions of Bord and crypto-gambling casino owner Felix Roemer, who is a funding part of the consortium.

Sheffield Wednesday takeover twist

A new report from the Guardian has appeared to thrust Sheffield Wednesday's takeover into some fresh doubt, stating that there are doubts around the requirements of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test because of Bord and Roemer's links to gambling and crypto-gambling.

The Owners' and Directors' Test is underway, with the EFL investgating the sources of where the funds behind the takeover are coming from, despite the fact that the pair have paid a deposit to gain exclusivity over the takeover and provided evidence to Begbies Traynor - the administrators - over the fundings for a £30m deal.

The Guardian's report states that Bord and Roemer guarantee the bid for the Owls is privately funded and that 'having made money through investments in technology and analytics', they should be clear.

However, the EFL are said to be clearly taking their time when it comes to these significant checks, given the Football Association banned football betting for all participants 12 years ago.

There are, however, other owners in the English football pyramid with similar backgrounds at Brighton (Tony Bloom) and Brentford (Matthew Benham), who are an exception to that rule. That duo "allow the accounts of their betting consultancies to be independently audited on behalf of the FA to ensure they are not betting on football", per the Guardian's reporting.

Bord and Roemer would need to follow a similar process, but even then it's not clear whether they will be granted the same pass. The FA and EFL are said to be working together.

Further worry for the Sheffield Wednesday fans now

It's been a rough week for those at Wednesday who have had to bid farewell to Barry Bannan, their decade-long serving captain, who is heading for Millwall and a chance to challenge for promotion to the Premier League, whilst their club slip towards League One.

The last 12 months have been grim from an off-field perspective, but Bord's takeover ended 2025 positively and the hope was 2026 would be a much better year, despite relegation into League One.

However, to learn that there are doubts over the takeover passing the Owners' and Directors' Test is a real worry. It's a worry that had been lingering in the background for a few weeks or so, but this report puts it right back under the spotlight.

Given the ownership situations at both Brighton and Brentford, Wednesday fans should retain plenty of hope, but when it feels like the world is against you, it's hard to retain that positivity and there are no doubts that this update won't be received well amongst the Hillsborough faithful.