'Hypocritical' claim made as Sheffield Wednesday takeover in limbo with EFL | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has had his say on the situation regarding James Bord and Felix Roemer and their takeover bid.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield Wednesday have been in administration since the end of October and the fanbase are craving updates every day at Hillsborough.

It's fair to say that Sheffield Wednesday fans are scrambling for the latest takeover news, with the James Bord saga rumbling on for Wednesday for some time now.

The Owners' and Directors' test is the concern for Sheffield Wednesday. It is often described loosely as a “fit and proper person” test, but its purpose is narrower, more legalistic, and more time-consuming than that phrase suggests.

Any takeover must first be notified to the EFL by the club itself. Only once that notification is accepted does the regulatory process begin.

Owls supporters received that confirmation from the administrators on 9th January.

Approval is then required across three stages, all of which must be satisfied before control can change hands. However, there has been an update since then on the current situation.

Sheffield Wednesday verdict lands as James Bord and Felix Roemer questioned

A recent report from The Guardian has appeared to thrust Sheffield Wednesday's takeover into some resh doubt, stating that there are concerns around the requirements of the Owners' and Directors' Test because of Bord and Felix Roemer's links to gambling.

That also includes crypto-gambling as well. We asked for FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna and his view of the situation. He said: "In regards to the recent article on Sheffield Wednesday's takeover situation, of course, we are at the stage of the process where they are going through the checks.

"And we have been told it will take a number of weeks. So, at this stage, nobody is really partial to how these checks are going. It's only been speculated at this stage and there's just no point, as fans, worrying yourself or winding yourself up thinking things are going brilliantly.

"Or thinking there are real issues. We just have to see how it'll all play out. I do think that the administrators would not have these guys going through [the process] if they were complete chancers.

"I think it is quite hypocritical of the EFL if they are worried about gambling links. Indeed, it is the Sky Bet Championship. From every angle, the league has got connections to gambling sponsorship.

"So, we'll just have to see how it goes. You know, just as a fanbase, we've been through so much. We just want to get a takeover through. But we just, unfortunately, have to wait. And we don't have the inside track into how things are going.

"We were told by the administrators that we would not be getting this information, so it's a case of just holding on. I'm just not going to try and make any judgements when the information just really isn't there to make them."

Henrik Pedersen's role in Sheffield Wednesday's season is perhaps underrated

League One-bound Wednesday have earned just one victory in 29 second tier attempts, and remain on a negative points tally, courtesy of previous deductions. The writing is on the wall for Henrik Pedersen and co.

It's why they are craving clarity on the long-term, with the short-term bleak and obvious in equal measure. However, despite the Owls' struggles both on and off the field, the 48-year-old deserves a great amount of respect for his role.

Pedersen, who formerly assisted Danny Rohl, saw the German move on from his Wednesday stint, but remained loyal even though ex-owner Dejphon Chansiri was consistently failing to pay staff and player wages on time at Hillsborough.

Fans deserve credit for their patience but Pedersen also comes out of the current situation with a heck of a lot of credit. They can be proud of that aspect this season, even if there is very little else to be pleased about.