Sheffield Wednesday warning sent to French club as James Bord takeover looms - 'it's not positive' | OneFootball

The French crisis club are close to having a takeover finalised by James Bord, who pulled out of Sheffield Wednesday talks in February

Sheffield Wednesday haven't looked back since they were taken over by David Storch and the Arise consortium, but things may well have been different, with the club's future still in limbo in late February.

That was due to the decision made by the first preferred bidders, a consortium led by former professional poker player James Bord, to pull out of negotiations after four months of exclusivity.

Wednesday needed to get the deal done by May to avoid further delays surrounding the new Independent Football Regulator being implemented, restarting some checks, and the fact that the end of the season meant revenue would be down. It was a worry that not many expected to feel, given how swift the early bidding process was.

Luckily enough, they got it done, and the more David Storch and co do to endear themselves to the fanbase, the more Wednesday supporters are thankful that they're the ones who took over, rather than Bord and co.

James Bord is closing in on the takeover of fallen French giants FC Bordeaux

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Seven months to the day of their decision to pull out of negotiations over the takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, it was reported that James Bord's 'Park Bench LLP' group have reached a deal to purchase the now sixth-tier semi-professional side, FC Bordeaux.

For many football fans, Bordeaux is one of the biggest clubs in French football. Les Girondins are six-time Ligue 1 champions, last winning the title in 2009, four-time Coupe de France champions, last winning that in 2013, and were UEFA Champions League regulars, too, making the quarter-finals in 2010.

The demise of Bordeaux has been sad to see, with the club edging closer and closer to liquidation until this report of a purchase. Park Bench LLP will spend just €1 to buy the club from Gerard Lopez, with promises of halving the debts from €26 million to €13 million and stretching their continuation plan to 12 years.

It ensures they'll still be playing football, which is a positive, but those who know him from his time in England aren't hopeful that he'll make good on some of these promises.

Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit warns FC Bordeaux of James Bord

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Indeed, those in Sheffield especially aren't the biggest fans of James Bord. Not only did he jeopardise Wednesday's future last February, but he also owns Short Circuit Science, the analysis firm responsible for United's left-field signings who failed to make an impact — the likes of Jefferson Caceres, Christian Nwachukwu and Mihail Polendakov.

Not much united the red and blue halves of Sheffield, but FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit, Patrick McKenna, echoes the sentiment that Bord is bad news.

"With James Bord, we've seen by now what he can do, and it's not really positive," he said. "At Bramall Lane, they have nothing positive to say, and to be honest, I don't have a good word either.

"It seemed like he was going to be the man to come and do something for us, but he turned out to be a tire-kicker; a complete waste of time."

Sheffield Wednesday fans know how James Bord can be when it comes to purchasing a football club, and while €1 is a far cry from the reported £47.8 million he and his consortium bid for the Owls, the fan pundit doesn't think he's right to oversee the return to prominence for Bordeaux.

"He seems to be moving on to Bordeaux," he continued. "But you just can't see him having the know-how and the money to do much for them.

"It'd be nice to see a big club like Bordeaux do well, but with a chancer like that...I'm not sure he's the man to save them."

James Bord's Park Bench group will hope to bring FC Bordeaux back to Ligue 1, while David Storch and Arise work to bring Sheffield Wednesday back to the Premier League

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Bordeaux's is an extreme case, but there are similarities in both the takeover of the French side and Sheffield Wednesday, both in that they are sleeping giants, former champions of their country who have fallen into disarray.

You can see the type of club that James Bord wants to be involved with: one that has plenty of history and scope to improve and, ideally, profit from.

Bordeaux will be a real project, with the club languishing in the sixth tier of the French football ladder, having lost its professional status a couple of years ago. But if he can help oversee the club getting back on its feet, he and the rest of his group will be heralded as heroes.

He won't get that reception at Hillsborough anytime soon, though, but there'll be some hope that both sides can get back to where they feel they belong under fresh direction sooner rather than later.