Update on Charlie Methven involvement in Sheffield Wednesday takeover revealed | OneFootball

As the runners and riders to continue to jostle for position in the race to buy Sheffield Wednesday, there's been an update on one of them.

One of the more familiar names to have been connected with a potential purchase of Sheffield Wednesday, Charlie Methven, is now understood to have pulled out of the race.

As had been widely predicted in the weeks building up to them being put into administration, it seems that there is considerable interest in buying Sheffield Wednesday. The financially-stricken Championship club remain anchored to the foot of the table on -4 points as a result of their mandatory twelve-point deduction, but this isn't putting off potential new buyers.

EFL rules require the club to be marketed for sale for a minimum period of 28 days, and with Wednesday having been put into administration on the 24th October, that period ends on the 21st November.

And the interest in the club has been massive, with current reports having indicated that 11 potential buyers have demonstrated the required £50 million to be able to buy both the club and their Hillsborough stadium. But amongst the race to buy the club, one potential buyer already familiar to EFL fans has been reported to have dropped out of the race.

Charlie Methven interest in Sheffield Wednesday "not expected to move any further forward"

The Yorkshire Post has reported that any interest in buying Sheffield Wednesday from Charlie Methven, who was previously involved at Sunderland and Charlton Athletic "is not expected to move any further forward as things stand".

Methven has been out of the game since resigning his position as the CEO of Charlton Athletic in March. Rumours of his interest in buying the club had escalated after he was spotted in the stands at Hillsborough during Wednesday's recent Championship match against Norwich City.

Charlie Methven couldn't revive Sunderland but helped to stabilise Charlton Athletic

The reasons behind Methven's interest in proceeding with a bid for Sheffield Wednesday are not known, but he previously had a mixed record in terms of his involvement with English football clubs.

Methven is an Oxford United fan, and was originally involved in the formation of that club's Supporters Trust. He made a bid to buy the club in 2014, but this was unsuccessful.

In 2018, he returned to the game as part of the consortium which bought out American billionaire Ellis Short at Sunderland, but his time at the club was not entirely successful.

Sunderland were in deep financial trouble at the time of the sale, but while entering into administration was averted, Methven found himself in hot water with fans groups over comments regarding bars which were showing unauthorised streams of Black Cats matches. They were relegated to League One in 2018, and Methven resigned his position on the club's board of directors in December of 2019.

It would be three and a half years before he became involved at a club again, this time as the CEO of Charlton Athletic following their acquisition of the club by SE7 Partners in July 2023. He resigned in March 2025, a couple of months before the club were promoted back to the Championship after winning the League One play-off final against Leyton Orient.

Much of the talk surrounding Methven's potential interest in Sheffield Wednesday had been speculative in nature. What can be said for certain is that there remains considerable interest in rescuing the club, regardless of whether he is to be involved with it.