Sheffield Wednesday documentary idea "welcomed" as part of Simon Jordan takeover plan - but it won't be going ahead | OneFootball

Ryan Howsam hoped that Simon Jordan would have a similar influence on the Owls as to what Tom Brady has at Birmingham City

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…

Several twists have taken place within the past weeks and months when it comes to the ongoing takeover saga concerning Sheffield Wednesday, and that continues to be the case as we head through December 2025.

The Owls have been the subject of mass talk surrounding new ownership for a lengthy period of time, stretching way back into the final years of Dejphon Chansiri's tenure at Hillsborough which lasted for just over 10 years.

Indeed, after a first instance of delayed wage payments came to light in March, several months with similar and, if not, worsening issues followed, before the Thai businessman took the course of action of placing the Steel City club into administration on Friday, October 24th, amid fears that a significant £1m tax bill owed to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs would not be paid on time.

Several high-profile parties and bidders have since been linked with the prospect of becoming Wednesday's latest long-term custodian, with the South Yorkshire outfit currently in the temporary hands of administrative group, Begbies Traynor, who have previous experience of resolving similar dire predicaments at Wigan Athletic and Blackpool.

It has widely been reported, though, that there isn't a clear front-runner in a bidding war which includes the likes of ex-Newcastle United owner, Mike Ashley, and US-based billionaire, John McEvoy.

Another name who has recently come to the forefront of the saga has been Sheffield-born, Dubai-based entrepreneur, Ryan Howsam, who has since revealed that he was the 'driving force' behind Simon Jordan's potential interest in a takeover, before the talkSPORT pundit and ex-Crystal Palace owner revealed why he decided not to pursue a bid.

Within a lengthy interview, Howsam stated that he hoped Jordan's presence could be utilised in a similar vein to that of Birmingham City's minority stakeholder, Tom Brady - a set of circumstances which FLW'S Owls fan pundit, Patrick McKenna, found hard to envisage at first.

Jordan revealed that he pulled out of a bid due to fears of compensating Chansiri, who has since been banned from football ownership for three years, whilst Howsam believes the 58-year-old could have attracted strong media attention and a potential documentary, with the likes of Wrexham and Birmingham enjoying such feats on Disney Plus and Amazon Prime recently.

“I think something like that could have happened with Wednesday, especially with Simon involved,” Howsam told the Star.

“It's that type of thing I was thinking about. Look, every business guy thinks they can achieve things in different industries and that can also be a recipe for disaster, but I have done things with a sporting franchise albeit with golf.

“I've watched the Wrexham stuff but particularly with the Tom Brady thing at Birmingham, he's such an impressive character. The way that his mind works, you need that type of mindset at that club somebody who is relentlessly positive about what you can do and where you can go. That's what I try to bring to my businesses and with Simon would have brought it to Sheffield Wednesday," he added.

Speaking to FLW, McKenna understands why Howsam had such thoughts, and believed it would help the younger generation of football supporters understand the size of Wednesday as a whole.

"I never thought I would hear Simon Jordan and Tom Brady in the same sentence," McKenna admitted. "Whatever Simon Jordan would've brought to the club, 'Tom Brady-esque', I don't think that would match the description.

"Simon Jordan does have his contacts and knowledge of football. I'm not denying that.

"In terms of a documentary, that is something I would've welcomed," McKenna added. "It's something that could have got us some more global exposure.

"As much as we are a 'sleeping giant', amongst a generation of football fans, we're just not known. People my age will know Wednesday as 'they used to be a big club in the 90s'. But, in terms of being known, we've got overtaken by so many clubs.

"In order to compete in the modern world, these documentaries are becoming more common, and it would have been a chance to make a good one. If that got us more exposure with more demographics in different countries, that's a good thing," he claimed.

"The only danger, I suppose, would've been if the documentary hadn't been very good.

"But, I suppose, if we're talking about documentaries and Sheffield Wednesday, the one we're all waiting for is an investigative documentary into the absolute chaos of the Chansiri years.

"I'm convinced if that got commissioned and everything came out, you would have an all-time Netflix blockbuster."

Ryan Howsam's dream of a Sheffield Wednesday documentary wasn't unrealistic

Whilst it is understandable that many believe a docuseries regarding Chansiri's dramatic era would generate plenty of viewership, Howsam's own vision was hardly unrealistic.

Although Jordan isn't exactly known as worldwide as the likes of Brady, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, it is obvious why many clubs would hope to emulate the commercial success of Wrexham and Birmingham which, in turn, has allowed both clubs to immediately compete in the Championship due to ever-growing revenue streams.

It remains to be seen how many years it will take the Owls to reach such heights again after falling on hard times of late, but there will certainly be a renewed sense of hope once a takeover is eventually completed.