‘My club is dying’: Who’d be a Wednesdayite?

Easy come, easy go. No sooner had Sheffield Wednesday fans finished enjoying United’s failure to secure promotion to the Premier League than their own clown-filled minibus of a club came honking back into view. How are the Owls in a mess? Let us count the ways. Firstly, widely despised owner Dejphon Chansiri flatly refuses to sell the club. Then, players’ wages haven’t been paid for the third time in four years. And finally, idolised manager Danny Rohl is desperate to leave. Could life possibly get any worse for long-suffering Wednesdayites? That’s today’s big story.

As well as that, we have a new Sheffield novel, the latest on the green belt and the government’s commitment to spend big on defence, which could be good news for our city.

Get your hands on the new Sheffield novel

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In case you missed it

For the 20th birthday of Springwatch, the BBC made their way down to one of the city’s favourite nature spots, the Longshaw Estate, with Tribune freelancer David Bocking hot on their heels. However, while the BBC’s Michaela Strachan waxed lyrical about herds of deer, David is far more fascinated by another large mammal that has flocked to the estate for thousands of years: humans. You can read that piece here.

Earlier in the week, freelancer David Coleman returned to the issue of how hard it is to get a GP appointment in Sheffield — which we first covered nine months ago — to see if the government’s efforts have made much of a dent. As Tribune reader Maggie Waldock put it, you could argue that the “answer to the question is NO,” although some readers have seen a radical difference. According to Robin Hughes, “the end of the 8am scramble feels transformational, and it is certainly working for us”. You can read an excerpt of that piece below. Later in the week, Dan published a short update on one of the city’s biggest music festivals, Tramlines, which now has controversial links to Israel through its owner Superstruct.

In the last financial year, general practice received £112.50 per patient in core funding to provide essential services[...] If you rarely visit the doctor, this funding might seem rather generous. Money for nothing, perhaps? But in Conisbrough we offered just shy of 9,000 appointments in March this year alone — that’s 0.73 appointments per registered patient in a single month. Over a whole year, this equates to nearly nine appointments per patient. So, even if you’re not visiting your family doctor, plenty of people are. £112.50 per patient per year, which wouldn’t cover a single private GP appointment, seems cheap to me.

The big picture: Sheffield in Bloom 🌼

We’re now officially in meteorological summer time and Sheffield’s beautiful parks and gardens are looking amazing. This stunning shot was captured by top Sheffield photographer Joe Horner in the botanical gardens last week.

The big story: Who’d be a Wednesdayite?

Top line: After a largely forgettable season in the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday supporters must have been hoping for a summer of following the cricket. However, the club’s continuing financial difficulties have led to players’ wages not being paid on time and fears of further transfer embargoes. Will things ever get any better for Wednesday?

A massive club: Founded in 1867, Sheffield Wednesday is the second oldest professional football club in existence and was a founder member of the Premier League in 1992. However, since they were relegated from the top flight of English football in 2000, it’s largely been a time to forget for the blue half of the city.

• Dejphon Chansiri bought Wednesday in 2014, promising a return to the glory days of the early 90s. Results improved, and the club was almost promoted back to the Premier League in 2016, but lost in the play-off final to Hull City.
• However, since then the club have struggled for form and were even relegated to the third tier of English football between 2021 and 2023. 11 years on from Chansiri buying the club, Wednesday fans’ patience is not so much wearing thin as completely worn out.

The tuna tycoon: Born in Thailand, Chansiri’s family own Thai Union, the biggest canned tuna firm in the world, which was worth more than half a billion dollars in 2020. Despite this,  after an injection of funds in the first few years of his tenure, the club has been starved of investment. It’s also been docked points for breaking the profitability and sustainability rules, and on multiple occasions has struggled to pay the players' wages. It was revealed in 2020 that Chansiri had secured debts against Hillsborough — which if unpaid, could lead to the stadium being sold off.

Can’t pay, won’t pay: In the last few days, it was revealed that players and staff had not received their wages on time for the second time in three months. Unless they are paid soon, the club could face a transfer embargo lasting three windows (up to 18 months). This would be devastating for the club’s hopes of survival in the Championship next season and any hopes of keeping hold of the club’s talented German manager Danny Rohl would instantly evaporate. “My club is dying,” said one traumatised fan on X.

The endgame? Fan-led campaigns to get him to sell the club have been going on for some time and reached their climax last month with a huge demonstration in Hillsborough Park at the last home game of the season. But so far, Chansiri has refused to budge. There have been reports that a Saudi Arabian billionaire was interested in buying the club, although these have so far come to nothing. More promisingly, there have been reports that a Florida-based consortium have lodged two bids, but The Star reports that both have been turned down by Mr Chansiri.

Our take: It’s now very clear that Dejphon Chansiri isn’t the man to take Sheffield Wednesday forward. But if not him, then who? The siren call of American or Saudi cash is difficult to ignore, but foreign money can come with lots of strings attached. Could there be another way? Fan ownership is rare in the UK but is common in countries such as Germany, where the 50+1 rule means that clubs competing in the top two tiers of the Bundesliga must be majority owned by members of that club. As celebrity Wednesdayite Pete McKee pointed out in 2023, “the fans are the lifeblood of the club, and we will be there while managers, owners and players come and go”. Could Wednesday break the mold and become English football’s biggest fan owned club?

Your Tribune briefing 🗞️

💥Leading the national news today is the Prime Minister’s big announcement of plans to ramp up defence spending, including more submarines and an extra £15bn on nuclear weapons in response to the Russian threat. Worrying for the world, but an opportunity for Sheffield? With the city’s research strengths and steel specialisms, there’ll be a few people hoping that some of that new cash comes our way… Know any more? Get in touch.

🏞️The public consultation on Local Plan proposals has launched, allowing residents to have their say on the controversial green belt developments. The plans include putting housing and employment space on 14 green belt sites, removing 3.6% of Sheffield’s legally protected land. Areas set to be impacted include Grenoside, Oughtibridge, Chapeltown, Ecclesfield, Wharncliffe Side, Gleadless Townend, Handsworth, Dore, and Lodge Moor. Details on how to get involved can be found here, and in case you missed it, our long-read on the green belt issue can be found here.

🗳️ A Doncaster councillor has been expelled from Reform UK after it was discovered that a Facebook page belonging to him shared an image suggesting Hitler would have been a “legend” if he targeted Muslims. Mark Broadhurst won his seat on the council only a month ago and will now sit as an independent. Cllr Guy Aston, Reform group leader in Doncaster, said he was ejected due to "inappropriate social media activity that does not reflect our values or standards: family, community, country”. The council is currently conducting its own investigation. 

🎛️ Regular Tribune contributor Daniel Dylan Wray writes in The Guardian this morning about Sheffield superstars Cabaret Voltaire and their upcoming 50th anniversary tour. The article delves into the history of their genre-bending, radical, and often hostility-inducing sound, and reflects on the death of band member Richard H. Kirk in 2021. The shows, starting with a one-off performance at Forge Warehouse in October, are a journey into the band’s past; rehashing old sounds as a cathartic victory tour for the remaining duo, and a noisy tribute to their late friend. 

This week’s weather 🌥️

Our weather forecast comes from dedicated Sheffield weather service Steel City Skies, who say this week will remain changeable with low pressure systems never too far away.

Monday ⛅ Dry, fine and warm with spells of sunshine and broken cloud. Breezy from the west-southwest with highs of 20C.

Tuesday 🌦 Early rain clears east to bright spells and blustery showers. Gusty winds from the west to southwest. Highs of 18C.

Wednesday 🌥 Large cloud amounts, the odd shower as well as lengthy dry periods. Staying breezy with highs of 18C.

Thursday 🌦 Unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain. Windy at times from the southwest and cooler with 17C the high.

Friday 🌦 Breezy again with further scattered blustery showers expected, as well as drier and brighter spells. Highs of 18C.

Outlook: Staying mixed to start the weekend, with further showers. Potentially drier as the weekend progresses. Temperatures around average.

To see the full forecast and keep up to date with any changes to the outlook, follow Steel City Skies on Facebook.

The weekly Whitworth ✍️

Cartoonist James Whitworth with his take on our story from last week about improvements, or lack of them, with the appointment booking systems at GP surgeries in the city.

Home of the week 🏡

This superbly-presented two double bedroom cottage offers the perfect blend of modern living and period charm. It also has a private terrace set in beautiful communal gardens and is just a stone’s throw from Sheffield Botanical Gardens. It is on the market for £365,000.

Things to do 📆

Drinks 🍸 On now until Sunday is the second annual Sheffield Cocktail Week. Pick up a £12.95 wristband from Forum Kitchen + Bar or Sheffield Plate on Orchard Square and enjoy a range of 200 £5 cocktails, exclusive food deals, additional drink offers and more across more than 40 of Sheffield’s best venues. Get unlimited usage of your wristband throughout the 10-day event, support local and get to know the best of Sheffield’s hospitality scene.

Art 🖼️ Sheffield Hallam University’s Festival of Creativity showcases the work of this year’s graduating students, including artists, designers, filmmakers, performers, animators, writers and architects. Until 8 June, you can see the work of the university’s BA and MFA Fine Art students at the Head Post Office Studios on Fitzalan Square. From 2-4 June you can also see the BA Photography students work at Persistence Works. All shows are free to attend.

Music 🎸 On Thursday at Sidney and Matilda, Delicious Clam and Jarred Up present the Slime Palais Summertime Ball. Headlining on the night will be Sheffield band Big Break, whose latest EP Exile on Exchange Street is out now on Wrong Speed Records. Support comes from Bristol’s Gimic, as well as local bands Dearthworms and Desired Effect. Tickets are £10 advance or £14 on the door (7pm). Wear a masquerade mask to get an extra £1 off.