Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust urges club to use deduction as ‘a catalyst for change’

There have been meetings between the SWST and the club recently, albeit via video conferencing due to the fact that Dejphon Chansiri remains out of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they’ve previously explained that they have voiced their concerns to club management.

Now, after SWFC were slapped with a 12-point deduction for breaching the English Football League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules, the Trust is eager for the club to take this opportunity to move things forward at Hillsborough rather than it being ‘another missed opportunity’ for change.

A statement from the SWST after the verdict over the weekend, read, “The outcome from the EFL hearing is worrying for all Sheffield Wednesday fans. Our response should be neither a collective sigh of relief nor despair. Now is the time for bold and courageous leadership, renewed effort, and motivation to revitalise Sheffield Wednesday.

“In the future, we must look back at this moment as a catalyst for change that led to a new era of success at Hillsborough not another missed opportunity.

“The club has recently articulated a new approach to recruitment strategy targeting a younger and more athletic squad. This is welcome, but the Trust argues it does not go far enough. Change must occur across all of the club’s strategies. Undoubtedly each of our members will have their own vision for what they want from the club, but feedback suggests common ground is found in the following themes.

- Fans engaged as partners in the collective purpose of driving success at Sheffield Wednesday.

- Ticket prices that risk alienating the future generation of supporters to be lowered.

- A modern corporate structure implemented across the club consisting of a Sporting Director or Director of Football appointed to manage football operations, Executive directors appointed to bring commercial and business operations into the twenty-first century, and new non-executive directors appointed to ensure new sources of critical advice are heard within the boardroom.

- Publish an infrastructure pipeline to show where investment has been made and where it is planned.

- More work in the local community and action to promote diversity among the fanbase.

“In the club’s darkest days, it has always been supporters that have been our shining light. Your voice has never been needed more at Hillsborough. The Trust remains committed to working with the club in a professional and constructive manner to improve the fortunes of Sheffield Wednesday and contributing to the debate about the future direction of our club.”

The Trust also later added that they’ve ‘had an informal conversation with club officials about setting up another meeting’, saying that they are ‘committed to consulting membership before that meeting takes place’.

Wednesday do have 14 days to appeal the verdict, though it remains to be seen whether they will do so.

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