David Storch is already winning in one Sheffield Wednesday area Dejphon Chansiri failed | OneFootball

David Storch's open and transparent communication has been a big contrast to former Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri.

A new era is set to get underway at Sheffield Wednesday as Arise Capital Partners close in on a takeover of the club.

It has been a season to forget for Wednesday, with the club suffering the earliest relegation in English football history when their fate was confirmed in February, and they remain in administration almost six months on from former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit.

After James Bord's consortium pulled out of their proposed purchase of the club in February, Arise were named as the new preferred bidder for the Owls last month, and David Storch, who is leading their takeover bid, has made no secret of the fact that he is aiming for the deal to be completed by 1st May.

It seems Arise are on course to achieve that goal, with reports emerging this week claiming that the takeover could be finalised ahead of Wednesday's final game of the season against West Bromwich Albion, which is expected to be a sell-out at Hillsborough.

There are still some hurdles to overcome before a deal can be sealed, and discussions with Chansiri's representatives over a potential restructuring of his debts are believed to be ongoing as Arise look to avoid being hit with a 15-point deduction in League One next season, but there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel for the long-suffering Owls supporters.

David Storch is already fixing one of Dejphon Chansiri's major Sheffield Wednesday flaws

Thanks to Storch's open and honest communication over the past month, Wednesday supporters are fully aware of the latest takeover developments, which makes a refreshing change after years of silence from Chansiri.

Of course, Chansiri's disastrous running of the club was the main criticism from Owls supporters, but his lack of transparency, particularly during difficult periods, only increased the anger towards the Thai businessman.

One of the only occasions Chansiri would address supporters was at his infamous fan forums, but they rarely provided clarity and reassurance on important issues that fans were hoping for and instead often turned into heated debates and arguments, with the sessions starting in the early hours of the evening and continuing until after midnight.

Chansiri even used these events to blame supporters for the problems at Hillsborough, and there was also a similar theme in his club statements, including a memorable press release in September 2023 where he accused "selfish" supporters of trying to "damage" the club, while also refusing to provide any further funding.

Wednesday supporters became accustomed to such comments throughout Chansiri's decade-long tenure, but frustration with his ownership reached boiling point during the club's summer of chaos, when he remained tight-lipped amid the frequent late payment of wages and the mass exodus of key players.

It is fair to say that Chansiri certainly set a low bar, but on the early evidence, it seems that Storch could not be more of a contrast to the ex-Owls chief.

David Storch communication is a huge positive for Sheffield Wednesday fans as takeover looms

Just 24 hours after being named as the new preferred bidder, Storch appeared on local radio to introduce himself to Wednesday supporters and outline some of his plans for the club, and that has set the tone for what has followed in recent weeks.

After creating a social media account, Storch has provided Owls supporters with regular updates on the takeover situation, which has been incredibly welcome after the club's administrators were accused of keeping fans in the dark during Bord's period of exclusivity.

With takeover deals often being done behind closed doors, it is unusual for a prospective buyer to communicate with supporters during the purchase process, but for a fanbase that has been starved of transparency from inside their club for so long, it has been a shrewd move from Storch.

While Storch has consistently remained optimistic about getting a deal done, he has also been open and honest about some of the challenges Arise have faced, including in last week's statement, where he opened up about the "incredibly difficult" and "extremely unique" current situation.

Storch has used his social media presence to call for a fair approach from the EFL to the proposed 15-point deduction, which he stated he and his business partners "fundamentally disagree" with, and after revealing that attempts to reach out to Chansiri had gone "unanswered", it appears the former owner is now willing to engage in negotiations.

With Storch not yet officially in charge at Hillsborough, it remains to be seen whether he will be the saviour that Wednesday supporters are crying out for, but he has arguably communicated more in the last month than Chansiri did in over 10 years, and there is no doubt he has made a positive impression so far.