Sheffield Wednesday are in disarray, with growing fears that their first game of the season may not go ahead after players went unpaid for the third consecutive month. The English Football League (EFL) is increasingly worried about the threat to Wednesday's Championship opener. The Owls have cancelled next weekend's friendly against Burnley after failing to pay players' wages for three months in a row.
The Yorkshire side found their stars unwilling to play the final pre-season friendly against the Clarets, with the match called off on the same day new manager Henrik Pedersen took charge following Danny Rohl's departure. Wednesday are just nine days away from their first official game of the season against Leicester City.
The EFL is in contact with club officials and "growing increasingly alarmed" by developments at Hillsborough. The team has already been accused by the EFL of multiple breaches of its financial regulations. Meanwhile, Wednesday are under a transfer embargo and face points deduction.
Owner Dejphon Chansiri has come under fire from Sheffield fans and local politicians.
The latest uncertainty comes after a summer which has seen several players leave, with Josh Windass and Michael Smith terminating their contracts by mutual consent earlier this month, leaving Pedersen with only a small group of senior players.
Wednesday were due to face Burnley in a behind-closed-doors game on Saturday. It would have been their last friendly before the new season, as the club last faced Mansfield Town in a training session last month.
Owner Chansiri has faced calls to sell, with the Thai tuna tycoon having seen interest from several parties. They were directed to a group specialising in football club sales, signing non-disclosure agreements and following proper procedures.
Two bids from a Florida-based consortium of business and professional athletes were rejected. These included Sheffield-born Adam Shaw, who made his money in the US.
It is believed many other parties are interested, including former Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor and potential bids from the Middle East.
On Tuesday, Sheffield City Council issued a prohibition notice to the club, preventing them from accommodating spectators in the North Stand at Hillsborough. Councillor Joe Otten noted the decision came after consulting engineering experts, who could not "re-confirm that the North Stand is safe for spectator use".
Chansiri's leadership has been heavily criticised. Sheffield South MP Clive Betts recently slammed his "fiasco" at Hillsborough.
"This is another fiasco from Chansiri, who is not up to the job at Sheffield Wednesday," said Betts. "It's just the latest in a long line of problems he's brought about but failed to recognise and resolve. Chansiri clearly has no idea what he's doing with the club and should move on, selling to an owner who actually cares about the club and its fans."
