What ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon has said about prospective Sheffield Wednesday owner James Bord | OneFootball

James Bord has been named as the preferred bidder to take over Sheffield Wednesday

It was reported in late December that the former poker player was named as the preferred bidder to purchase the Owls.

The Yorkshire outfit went into administration in October, which led to a number of interested parties emerging as potential replacements for Dejphon Chansiri.

But Bord looks likeliest to win the race to buy the Championship side at this stage, although doubt remains over his ability to comply with the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test, which could jeopardise his takeover.

The American businessman completed the takeover of Scottish side Dunfermline 12 months ago, alongside Evan Sofer, as he took his first step into football ownership on an individual basis.

He could now be set to add Sheffield Wednesday to his portfolio, if his bid to buy the club is ratified by the EFL.

Neil Lennon opens up on James Bord relationship

Lennon took charge of the second division side back in March of last year, and his side are currently fifth in the table with the January transfer window now open.

The Northern Irishman has opened up on his relationship with Bord, praising his impact on the club over the last year and the improvement they’ve been able to make under his ownership.

The 54-year-old believes that the Dunfermline co-owner is a great person to work with, claiming that someone like him is hard to find as a coach in football.

"He's pleased with the progress we're making," said Lennon, via the Dunfermline Press.

"He knows that we're a work in progress and it's a transitional period.

“He's only been in the club a year, but you can see there has been significant improvement.

"He does want to help improve the squad.

“We're going to look at all aspects of that through January.

"I've got a great owner.

“That's half the battle when you're a manager.

"I've got a really positive, generous owner who loves the club.

“He's a forward thinker and I like working with him.

“As a manager, as a coach, they're hard to find."

Lennon’s side are currently fifth in the Scottish Championship, with their sights set on competing for promotion to the Premiership in 2026.

The 54-year-old has overseen 13 wins and seven draws from his first 33 games in charge, with the club coming seventh in the table in the previous campaign.

James Bord's preferred bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday are likely to be relegated from the Championship in 2026 due to the significant gap to safety they already face as we start the second half of the campaign.

The Owls were deducted an initial 12 points by the EFL as an automatic consequence of going into administration, and a further six points were deducted for additional financial rule breaches.

This has left Henrik Pedersen’s side rooted to the bottom of the table, and unable to improve their first team squad due to transfer restrictions.

It remains to be seen when an official position will be made on Bord’s bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday, with ratification needed from the EFL in order to conclude the deal.

Bord also has experience working in football through his business Park Bench SFC LLC, which he founded.

The company owns stakes in Cordoba CF and Septemvri Sofia, clubs based in Spain and Bulgaria respectively.

Bord’s business has also partnered with Sheffield United in the past, working closely with the Blades last summer as part of their recruitment process.