Dejphon Chansiri thought he could beat Sheffield Wednesday’s fans – he now leaves humiliated

Sheffield Wednesday have been placed into administration but are finally rid of an owner that will go down as one of the worst in the history of English football

And in the end, Dejphon Chansiri left with nothing.

History will look back at Sheffield Wednesday’s hapless now former Thai owner as one of the worst custodians in the history of English football.

His reign of terror was finally brought to an end on Friday when he was left with no choice but to place the club into administration. An imminent winding up petition from HMRC over around £1.7m in unpaid tax was one millstone too many.

After taking Wednesday to within one game of the Premier League in his first season as owner in 2015-16, he has treated the fans with nothing but disrespect and contempt for the following decade.

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His narcissism even stretched to plastering his own name in the seats at Hillsborough, seats which are already being removed ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Oxford United.

It’s a game which will see Wednesdayites descend on their beloved home in their droves to pump money back into the club after a plea from the administrators.

Owls fans have boycotted spending inside the stadium with the Supporters’ Trust urging a complete stop of purchases in the club shop and at food and drink kiosks.

Matchday walk-ups have been virtually zero with only season ticket holders turning up for fixtures which has so far yielded only one goal and one point at home.

On Wednesday night, those season ticket holders were also urged to stay at home or in the pub for the Owls’ defeat to Middlesbrough which was played live on Sky Sports in front of a virtually empty stadium.

The administrators have made clear that the fans have forced Chansiri’s hand by their determination to drive him out of the club by withdrawing their spending.

Chansiri thought he could play the fanbase. One of the largest and most loyal in English football. He thought wrong.

It follows a summer which left Wednesday with only 15 senior players. The club currently has five EFL embargoes against its name and is banned from spending transfer fees for the next three windows.

Wages to players and staff have not been paid on time for five of the last seven months. Despite all this, Chansiri has dug his heels in and refused to sell.

There has been no lack of credible buyer. Just a lack of a credible seller. His point-blank refusal to negotiate anything resembling a fair price will now see him depart with only an irreversibly damaged reputation.

He could have recouped several tens of million pounds. But his own stubbornness and profound stupidity has cost him dear.

We’ve heard nothing from Chansiri for months. We presume he is in Thailand somewhere. He should feel embarrassed and downright humiliated by this turn of events. Will he? Who knows.

Wednesday have now been deducted 12 points. It leaves them on -6, rooted to the bottom of the Championship and essentially confirms relegation to the third tier.

It would also be remiss to dismiss the effect of administration on the football club, its employees and a whole host of creditors including local businesses who will now likely recoup only a fraction of what they are owed.

One saving grace of a truly dire situation is Sheffield 3, the company that owns Hillsborough as a separate entity to the football club, has also been placed into administration. This will allow the club and ground to be sold as a package to any potential buyer.

Now, the question is who will buy this once great institution to try and restore it to its former glories. Vultures will doubtless circle, but there will surely be no lack of interest in acquiring a grand old club on its knees.

Chansiri has never understood Sheffield Wednesday. He has never understood the city and what the club means to thousands of supporters for whom it has been a constant through several generations.

I wrote on these pages almost five years ago about how the club could never truly begin its recovery until they were rid of his ownership. Well, now they are. And that healing process can hopefully begin.

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