With Sheffield Wednesday set to be served with a winding-up petition over money owed to HMRC, fans are left wondering what happens next?
Could the club actually go out of business? Is administration more likely?
In terms of the immediate threat of liquidation, there are some things to consider. There is a new football regulator on the way who will be watching closely.
Per sources, the EFL are owed money – as are a group called New Avenue Projects. They are involved in a significant debt secured against Hillsborough Stadium.
It is unlikely that these creditors will allow the club to be wound-up.
When a winding-up petition is issued a court date is set which is likely to be four to eight weeks in the future.
In the meantime, the creditors are likely to issue a creditors’ application to appoint administrators as an administration would be preferable to a liquidation.
At that point, owner Dejphon Chansiri wouldn’t be able to stop the application without paying them off. Furthermore, as a creditor himself, he is unlikely to want to prevent an administration if liquidation were the only alternative.
It’s become well known over the past few months that Chansiri is taking legal advice from David Hinchcliffe of Wiggin LLP.
He has a lot of experience in football dealing with these types of situation.
He is also said to be taking advice from Pichitpon Eammongkolchai at Linklaters. Considering he is being well advised by experts in the field, it’s highly likely he is being instructed that administration would be a better option than a winding-up petition.
If the Owls were to enter administration, Chansiri’s ownership of Sheffield Wednesday would effectively end and the club would be run by administrators until a new buyer could be found.
This is not the kind of situation any supporter wants for their club, but it’s more likely now than it has been in the past that there will be change at the top of Sheffield Wednesday.