Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri pays wages and HMRC after asking fans to raise £2m
Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri said on Tuesday that fans needed to raise £2m to stop the club from falling into three straight transfer embargoes; Chansiri said last month he no longer wanted to put money into the club due to fan anger; Wages and HMRC debt has been paid
Wednesday 1 November 2023 17:31, UK
Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri says he has paid the club's players and staff plus an outstanding debt to HMRC just a day after asking fans to raise £2m.
The Owls chairman, in an interview with the Sheffield Star, called on 20,000 supporters to give £100 each in order to save the club from falling into a multi-window transfer embargo and admitted wages may not get paid due to "cash-flow issues".
Wednesday were placed into a registration embargo by the EFL last week due to an outstanding HMRC debt but that is set to be lifted after Chansiri announced the amount had been paid along with the club's players and staff.
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Chansiri also addressed his controversal interview, saying: "I agreed to do this because I was asked and I wish to be as transparent as possible. I was asked questions and provided the answers at that time. The business world moves very quickly which I stressed. I received funds due to me which allowed me to transfer funds to the club. Money owed to me was late and this had the potential to impact on the club.
"I explained there is a big difference between cashflow and cash in the bank. Money is moved around in business on a daily basis and the current financial climate is impacting on cashflow for businesses all around the world. Thankfully, as far as we are concerned, the issue is now resolved.
"Which brings me to the situation of fans donating money to save your club. When I was asked what would happen if money owed to me was not paid in time, I said if 20,000 fans paid £100 each it would resolve the issue. I was making the situation totally clear if I did not have the available funds but ultimately it did not come to that.
"In business, what happens today can be very different tomorrow and right now this is finished. As I said in the interview, there are no 'games' here, this was a serious situation. I understand that some things are hard to hear, and believe me, some things are hard to say. The bottom line is that Sheffield Wednesday means everything to me and I will always try my best and do my best for our club, today and tomorrow."
In an interview with the Sheffield Star, Chansiri said: "If 20,000 people gave £100 then it's £2m, and it'd be clear - so we can finish it.
"That would cover everything, HMRC and the wages. That would need to be done before November 10 if they don't want to pass the 30 days, but that means that there can be no next time - if we were to hit 30 days then we'll get a ban for three windows.
"Why would I need to play a game? If I don't pay my staff and they get mad with me then my club is going to be worse. If the staff don't get money, they don't do their job and the club is worse off. Why would I take the risk to make problems for my people? That is my last choice to do.
"You do not understand how important this club is to me and my family. I have been here nine years and it is a part of my life."
Last month, Chansiri hit out at Wednesday supporters, announcing he was no longer putting money into the club due to the poor treatment he received from the fanbase.
The businessman, who sacked promotion-winning manager Darren Moore in June over contract demands, said the "insults" he and his family had received had become "too much".
"But from now, I will not put additional money into the club," he said. "If you say you are the owner and I am the custodian, then show me how to be the good owner and help save your club. You want me to leave but you want me to spend money?
"If you want me to leave, then show me how to run the club and invest the money before I do that.
"You have no right to ask me to leave. I am the one who saved the club and spent the money for the club, I am the one who needs to pay around £2m on average every month.
"Some fans need to have more respect for owners of clubs and not be so selfish, thinking of their own benefit without doing anything good to the club.
"This is not acceptable and as a result, I am not willing to inject more money while I am being treated unfairly by those fans."
