Sheffield Wednesday, a rival team from Yorkshire to Leeds United, has had a terrible start to the Championship season.
Due to fan insults that “crossed the line,” Sheffield Wednesday’s owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has decided not to invest any more money in the South Yorkshire clubs. The Owls haven’t won a league game since being promoted via the League One play-offs and have only accrued two points from draws with Leeds and Middlesbrough.
It led to a jaw-dropping statement from Chansiri on Friday in which he discussed the funding of the club, criticism of him, ticket pricing, calls for him to leave and a variety of other issues.
It read: “Hello to all Sheffield Wednesday fans. I have thought about making this statement for some time and it is extremely difficult for me to do something that I never thought I would have to do. But in the end, I think it is the time to say some things that I feel I have to say before it is too late.
“First of all, I would like to thank all the fans who have supported the club so well over the past nine years or so since I came to Sheffield Wednesday. There has been joy and sorrow, the joy we have shared together and in times of sorrow we have supported each other. Right now, we are not in a good situation in the table and I believe that supporters have every right to voice opinions, speak from the heart and say anything you wish about the football.
That is the nature of the game, which I always respect. But I also believe there are limits to balance for the benefits of the club and all other stakeholders as a whole. Fans can complain, criticise, give strong opinions, balanced opinions, say anything you like. But no one has the right to cross the line or the right to try and cause damage, throw insults, or go to my family which has happened again, which I cannot accept. Right now, this is too much. I have always welcomed constructive debate and thought, which is fine, but to the people who have contacted me directly with insults, and to my family, I can tell you that I will never accept this.
“The club has found ways to improve and make things better and develop as much as we can, in all areas. However, it is not possible for the club to do things alone. For example, some fans have said the ticket price is too high. I have explained this many times in forums. For example, the prices can be lower if we have enough guaranteed volume and that is a win-win situation, for the club and the fans. It is the same for the price of the shirts, exactly the same principle. The price can be lower if the sale volume is higher. We must look for solutions – it is no use thinking of just one side, we must think of and help each other. I lose a lot of money each year and we must try and balance as much as we can.
“We have launched the Community Engagement Scheme for any fans who struggle to attend games and a number of supporters have taken advantage of this scheme. Unfortunately, for some who have historically not attended games, they have used the pricing structures to attack the club without the intention to attend themselves, even when prices have been lower.
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