'It's hard not to get excited' - Sheffield Wednesday takeover news ft David Storch sparks joy | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has revealed how he is feeling as Arise Capital Partners close in on a takeover of the club.

After months of uncertainty over the future of the club, it seems there may be light at the end of the tunnel for Sheffield Wednesday supporters.

Wednesday have now been in administration for over six months since former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit in October, and it has been a nightmare season on the pitch, with the club suffering the earliest relegation in English football history when their fate was confirmed in February.

It had initially looked as though James Bord's consortium were set to complete a takeover of the club, but they withdrew from the process in February, and Arise Capital Partners — a group led by David Storch — were granted preferred bidder status the following month.

Storch has long made clear that he was hopeful of finalising a takeover by 1st May, but when the American businessman released a statement on social media earlier this month criticising the EFL for their plans to hit the club with a 15-point deduction in League One next season, fears increased that he could potentially pull out of a deal.

However, it seems Arise are on course to seal their takeover this week after important legal steps were taken, including making an alteration on the official Land Registry to protect the purchase of the stadium, while a priority search was launched on behalf of the company Hillsborough 1899 Ltd, which is thought to be a standard procedure in the final stages of a deal.

There is now increasing optimism that the takeover will be completed ahead of the final game of the season against West Bromwich Albion at Hillsborough on Saturday, when the sell-out crowd will be hoping to welcome the start of a new era for the Owls.

Sheffield Wednesday reaction given as David Storch closes in on Hillsborough takeover

When asked for his reaction to the latest developments, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna admitted he was excited by the prospect of Storch taking over at Hillsborough, and he claimed that some of his actions, including outlining plans to revert to the old badge and lining up candidates to fill key positions, give him confidence that he is the right man to take the club forward.

"With this takeover reportedly nearly over the line, it's hard not to get excited about it," Patrick told FLW.

"I've done my best not to get carried away, things don't normally go well for Wednesday fans, so I didn't want to get ahead of myself.

"But the fact that they're pushing on with this takeover, despite the best efforts of the EFL to throw a spanner in the works with the deductions and the threat of embargoes.

"One thing that has gripped me about these guys is that they know the size of the task ahead of them and what is required.

"It's going to take a lot of work, but for a while now, it seems they have been acting as owners in waiting, and they've started on the job.

"They've done communication and engagement with staff and fan groups.

"Although it's nothing huge in one sense, it does seem very encouraging in that they've obviously got these plans to bring back the old badge, so they're laying foundations already.

"Very importantly, there have been reports that they are ahead of the game in looking for people to join their management team.

"To get a management structure back at the club cannot be underestimated.

"The next few days are going to be exciting, and there's going to be a lot of news flying in.

"I'm just going to sit back, enjoy it and hopefully welcome in a new dawn for Sheffield Wednesday."

Sheffield Wednesday fans should be optimistic as David Storch era gets underway

It has been an incredibly difficult period for Wednesday, and there have been many dark moments during the takeover process when it looked as though the future of the club was in serious doubt.

While it remains to be seen whether Storch will be the saviour Owls supporters are hoping for, he has certainly made a positive initial impression, with his open and honest communication marking a significant shift from Chansiri, and his plans to change the badge show that he is willing to listen to the views of the fanbase.

Storch is also reportedly lining up departing Sunderland chief business officer David Bruce to become the club's new CEO, suggesting that there will not only be a proper management structure in place at Hillsborough for the first time in decades, but also that the new team will be ready to hit the ground running when the summer transfer window opens.