Sheffield Wednesday fans have been through the worst of times lately, but if and when the club comes out the other side, they have one simple request for whoever takes over from Dejphon Chansiri.
Things have gone fairly well on the pitch for the Owls in the last two seasons, with a miraculous fight against relegation in 2023/24 followed by a steady midtable finish last term. Off the pitch, however, it’s nothing short of a disaster in Sheffield right now.
With Chansiri failing to pay wages for two months running and HMRC issues to boot, Sheffield Wednesday have been hit with a triple embargo which severely limits their ability to build a successful side for the next three transfer windows.
There has long been hope that new buyers will come in and rescue the Owls, with American and Saudi interest in Sheffield Wednesday. Stabilising the club will be key, of course, but fans want one more thing.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty ImagesSheffield Wednesday fans want the ‘proper’ badge back
The conversation started when the folks behind the Wednesday ‘Til I Die podcast asked the question, “What’s the first three things that you want new owners to do when they buy Sheffield Wednesday?”
Naturally, most fans prioritised things like paying staff, avoiding financial chaos, and generally just operating like a proper football club should do.
But, among all the replies, one unusual request kept popping up time and time again. “Old Owls badge back,” one fan demanded, while another simply wants the “proper badge back.”
The badge in question is the classic, simple owl outline (as pictured above) that Sheffield Wednesday used between 1973-1995, and again from 1999-2016.
It makes a lot of sense, really. The old badge is a big part of Sheffield Wednesday’s identity and rich history, and it can also be a beneficial change in more than just sentimental terms.
One fan suggested, “Change the badge and rebrand SWFC again to get good income.” Another added, “Easy win… Classic Owl badge confirmed for 2026/27.”
What’s the first three things that you want new owners to do when they buy Sheffield Wednesday?
— The Wednesday ’Til I Die Podcast (@WTIDPOD) July 6, 2025
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Elsewhere, one outsider even put forward the idea, writing: “Not a Wednesday fan, but if I owned the club the first thing I’d do is bring the old owl badge back.”
Meanwhile, as we said, plenty of fans were more concerned with the basics of any new ownership regime. As one supporter put it, whoever comes in next has “a free pass for the first year or so” given the current mess, and simply asked them to “pay bills when they are due” and operate with “transparency.”
Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesHow close are we to seeing a Sheffield Wednesday takeover?
There have been multiple complications and setbacks in the journey to finding a new owner for Sheffield Wednesday, but there does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Late last week, it was reported that Chansiri had signed an NDA and that professionals were overseeing negotiations to facilitate a deal with the Florida-based consortium headed by Adam Shaw. That’s particularly significant as Chansiri had previously refused to agree to any NDAs.
It remains to be seen whether that will actually lead to a positive outcome, but it does feel closer than ever now.
In the meantime, Owls fans have been told to boycott the club by not buying merchandise and putting money in the pocket of their current owner. It’s something that worked for Reading, and could be enough to put the necessary pressure on Chansiri to move on.