Why Sheffield Wednesday’s administrators bought 40 laptops after replacing Dejphon Chansiri | OneFootball

The Owls' interim hierarchy took an intriguing approach to proceedings following Chansiri's exit

Sheffield Wednesday's current financial situation has been well-documented in many ways, with the club still in administration as things stand at the back end of the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

Given the Owls' stature throughout the history of English football, their concerning predicament has certainly sent alarm bells ringing right throughout the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two that any side could face similar misfortune in the years to come.

Wednesday haven't touched the top-flight since being relegated in 1999/00, and have only troubled the promotion picture in the Championship twice since then, back in 2016 and 2017 when they suffered play-off heartbreak at the hands of Hull City and Huddersfield Town respectively.

Those seasons of promise and hope came not too long after Dejphon Chansiri took control of the club from Milan Mandaric for a reported £30m, although supporters at Hillsborough, these days, will have wished the aforementioned transaction never materialised.

The current campaign will certainly never be forgotten by those in S6, as it began with a mass exodus of senior players and management due to unpaid wages, before Chansiri finally exited the South Yorkshire club in October 2025 after placing the Owls into administration amid fears of a winding-up petition.

They have since been in the hands of joint administrators, Begbies Traynor, who have attempted to negotiate with several interested parties regarding a much-needed takeover of the club, and that could come in the coming weeks after David Storch was the second figure to be granted 'preferred bidder' status through his consortium, Arise Capital Partners.

Since Wednesday entered administration five months ago, on the pitch they have been deducted 18 points and seen club captain Barry Bannan move to Millwall, both before suffering the EFL's earliest-ever relegation on February 22nd.

However, a recent revelation showcased that the first action Begbies Traynor took in the Hillsborough boardroom was to purchase 40 laptops - developments which would leave many football fans somewhat perplexed.

Why Sheffield Wednesday's administrators purchased 40 laptops following Dejphon Chansiri's Hillsborough exit

Although the Thailand-based businessman saw his control of the Owls relinquished through administration, Chansiri's name still remains a key focus of the takeover process.

It has also been well-documented that he, under EFL regulations, is expected to receive £15m - a quarter of the sum he is expected to be owed as a 'football creditor'. However, with none of the bidders being prepared to do so, the club could start their upcoming League One season with a 15-point deficit.

However, within a rather damning report on the EFL's financial landscape which recently surfaced, it was revealed that Chansiri had failed to invest much in S6 beyond the playing squad, leaving technological and training-related facilities rather outdated.

As such, the first port of call for Begbies Traynor was to order the 40 laptops with the club at risk of breaching off-field requirements, with joint administrator, Paul Stanley, admitting that much of the computer equipment at the Owls' disposal "was older than some of the staff."

David Storch will be aware of the need to improve facilities at Hillsborough amid Sheffield Wednesday takeover talks

Storch has recently issued further positive thoughts regarding the takeover process amid reports that potential sanctions on the Owls may be eased ahead of 2026/27 after negotiations with the EFL.

The American's first priority will, unsurprisingly, be that the business model at Hillsborough is sustainable in the short and long term, as well as ensuring that the squad can be as competitive as possible.

However, he will also be aware that there have been several calls for improvements at Hillsborough and the club's Middlewood Road training base to be made.

Sheffield South MP and lifelong Wednesday supporter, Clive Betts, has claimed that the Leppings Lane End at the stadium should be completely rebuilt, as, aside from seating, there hasn't been much change to the stand's structure which has led to multiple safety concerns, even after the 1989 disaster at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, in which 97 Liverpool supporters were unlawfully killed.