Sheffield Wednesday latest: 12-point deduction confirmed for Championship club after filing for administration | OneFootball

Fans protest against owner Dejphon Chansiri (Getty Images)

Sheffield Wednesday have filed for administration as the club’s financial problems continue to mount.

The club has been racked with instability under the ownership of Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri and were previously hit with multiple charges by the EFL for failing to pay players’ wages on time. The Championship club, who sit at the bottom of the table, will receive an automatic 12-point penalty for going into administration, just as Derby County did in 2021.

Wednesday fans have been in the midst of boycotting their club, pushing for Chansiri, who took over the club in 2015, to sell up. Hillsborough was all but empty for Thursday’s Championship clash with Middlesbrough due to fan action.

The club is one of the oldest surviving clubs in world football, with their history dating back more than 150 years.

Full Sheffield Wednesday statement as administrators revealed

Sheffield Wednesday’s statement reads as follows:

Julian Pitts, Kris Wigfield and Paul Stanley of Begbies Traynor have been appointed joint administrators of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Limited and of Sheffield 3 Limited, the company that owns the club’s stadium, on 24 October 2025.

The administrators were appointed following significant efforts to agree a sale to a credible future custodian in recent weeks which unfortunately could not be concluded and amid rising pressure from creditors.

“Kris Wigfield, joint administrator and managing partner at Begbies Traynor, based in Sheffield, said: “The joint administrators have taken over the running of the club with immediate effect to protect the interests of creditors, and to ensure Sheffield Wednesday can continue operating while we seek a new owner as swiftly as possible.

“Like many football clubs, it has been trading at a significant loss for several years, with those losses historically funded by the former owner Mr Chansiri.

“Due to increased financial pressure on the club, the owner has chosen to place the club and the stadium company into administration which will enable us to market the club and the stadium as a whole, which is great news for supporters of the club.”

Average home attendances at Hillsborough Stadium have fallen by around 35% since last season - from over 26,000 to just over 17,000 – with the boycott of ticketing, concessions and retail outlets compounding the drop in revenue. This has led to the closure of several matchday facilities in recent weeks.

Mr Wigfield added: “Supporters are the backbone of any football club. The money they spend at the gate and in the ground is vital. I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1984 and know first-hand the passion of this fanbase.

“Now, more than ever, we need fans back in the ground — buying tickets, merchandise, pies and pints. Every penny spent will go directly to supporting the day-to-day running of this club, not to the former owner or professional costs. This will help stabilise the club and support the loyal players and staff while we secure a suitable buyer.”

Paul Stanley, joint administrator, said: “There should be no interruption to the fixture schedule and we are in close contact with the EFL to ensure that the effects of this administration on the employees, supporters, the community and the players are minimised as far as possible.

“Sheffield Wednesday is a massive, historic club with a loyal fan base in a city that lives and breathes football. If more fans return to Hillsborough, the club can cover its day-to-day costs and move towards a viable sale to a new ownership capable of restoring long-term stability.

“With the right ownership structure, we are confident that the club has a bright future and will meet all EFL regulatory obligations.”

He added: “Our immediate priority is to ensure that we are able to operate as normal for the next home fixture against Oxford United on Saturday.

“In the coming weeks, we will work closely with the staff, the Supporters Trust and the wider community to ensure that the club is placed in the hands of a suitably-qualified and well-financed new owner.”

Creditors of the club are encouraged to contact the joint administrators by emailing swfc@btguk.com to register a claim.

Full EFL statement

“The EFL can confirm that it has now received formal notice that Dejphon Chansiri, the director of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, has taken the necessary steps to appoint Administrators to both the Club and also the company which owns Hillsborough.

“Whilst this development results in the automatic deduction of 12 points in accordance with Regulations agreed by all Clubs, it also presents Sheffield Wednesday with the opportunity to move matters towards a successful sale and secure future under new ownership.

“The EFL will now engage in discussions with the Administrators in respect of the immediate actions required to enable them to achieve an early resolution, and end the ongoing uncertainty faced by Sheffield Wednesday staff, management, players, supporters and all those associated with the Club and their local community.

“The Championship League table will be updated with immediate effect.”

What is the administration process?

The first step involved with entering administration is the appointment of an administrator.

A notice for this has been filed at the Insolvency and Companies Court by Sheffield Wednesday, which will see an administrator - appointed by the court - take control of the club’s finances and day-to-day operations from Dejphon Chansiri. Their job is to prevent the club from going into liquidation, which can be achieved by finding a new owner or pay back the debts owed.

The club will then enter moratorium, which acts as a period of protection that prevents creditors from taking legal action against the club.

Then comes debt settlement, which sees the paying off of certain creditors - under the “football super creditors” category - prioritised. Players and manager are paid first before other football clubs, the PFA and the league are made whole.

The final stage is resolution. The administration process is over when the club is brought by a new owner or emerges through administration using a Company Voluntary Arrangement. However, a winding-up order can also act as a resolution, which means the club is liquidated.