Sheffield Wednesday players refuse to play friendly as wages are delayed again
The Owls appointed Henrik Pedersen as their new head coach on Thursday following the departure of Danny Rohl and, just hours later, Saturday's friendly was cancelled as players and coaching staff decided to boycott the match after not receiving July's monthly salary on time.
Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has been in talks to sell the club (Mike Egerton/PA)
Rohl left Hillsborough on Tuesday during a chaotic summer which has seen Wednesday placed under a number of embargoes because of financial issues.
Players were paid late in May and June, while this is the fourth time in the last five months that salaries have been delayed.
PA understands there is increasing concern within the EFL over the growing crisis at the club and that extends to whether Wednesday will be able to fulfil their opening Sky Bet Championship fixture at Leicester on August 10.
Thai businessman Chansiri completed his takeover from previous owner Milan Mandaric January 2015 for a reported £30million and the club twice went close to promotion to the Premier League when losing out in the 2016 and 2017 play-offs.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Henrik Pedersen as our new manager.
The Dane takes the S6 reins with immediate effect#swfc pic.twitter.com/ofoEPX1Xsm
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) July 31, 2025
Since then Wednesday have lurched from one financial crisis to another.
They were first placed under an EFL embargo in 2017 over profitability and sustainability rules and were docked 12 points – reduced to six on appeal – at the start of the 2020-21 season for further financial breaches.
The Owls were placed under embargo for late salary payments to players and staff in 2024, while a player registration embargo is also in place for unpaid transfer fees.
New boss Pedersen admitted the club were in 'rough waters' following his appointment, with registration restrictions and the departure of several key players leaving him with a threadbare squad.
Josh Windass joined Wrexham after his Wednesday contract was ended by mutual consent (Mike Egerton/PA)
Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba have been sold this summer to Rangers and Samsunspor respectively, while Josh Windass and Michael Smith had their contracts terminated by mutual consent to allow them to join Wrexham and Preston.
The latest missed payments to players and staff heaps further pressure on Chansiri, who insists he is willing to sell the club for the right price.
He recently revealed he had rejected one consortium's £40million bid, while talks with various other interested parties have stalled.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
People urged to check details as £100m of premium bond prizes going unclaimed
People urged to check details as £100m of premium bond prizes going unclaimed NSandI has urged Premium Bonds holders to make sure their details are up to date Premium Bonds holders are being urged to verify their particulars as nearly a dozen £100,000 jackpots remain uncollected (Image: PA) Premium Bonds holders are being urged to verify their particulars as nearly a dozen £100,000 jackpots remain uncollected. National Savings and Investments (NSandI) has revealed that more than 2.5 million Premium Bond prizes worth over £103 million are still waiting to be claimed. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown financial services firm, is urging savers to maintain current contact details and verify their numbers. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . She said: "Eleven people in the UK have £100,000 with their name on it, just sitting, collecting dust, in the vaults at NSandI. They're among an eye-watering £103 million worth of unclaimed Premium Bond prizes, so it's worth checking whether you've already won big. People tend to get separated from their accounts when they move house and forget to update their address with all the companies they hold money with." She continued: "It's not just Premium Bonds, vast sums of savings, investments and pensions go astray this way too. "It's why in the first few weeks after you have moved in, it's essential to make a list of everything you hold, and methodically work your way through contacting every company to let them know your new address." She also advised that people should think about merging their accounts for easier management, as noted by the Express. The specialist recommended: "The easiest way to avoid losing track of Premium Bond prizes is to have your winnings automatically paid into your bank account - or automatically used to buy more bonds. Around nine in ten prizes are paid this way." Moreover, there are 11 unclaimed prizes valued at £100,000, along with 19 unclaimed £50,000 prizes, 38 worth £25,000, and another 75 of £10,000 still up for grabs, according to MyLondon. How to find out if you're a winner NS&I sets no deadline for claiming prizes or cashing in bonds, offering various methods for winners to discover their good fortune. You can check if you've won by visiting the NS&I website directly. If you're unsure about your bond information, NS&I provides a tracing service – simply fill out a form on their site to get started. For additional help, the 'My Lost Account' service is also at hand. Article continues below NS&I has made headlines recently for reuniting over £166 million with rightful owners across more than 52,000 accounts, thanks to its tracing efforts and the My Lost Account service.
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Father who fell to death at Oasis Wembley show was a ‘lifelong fan'
The father of a 'lifelong fan' who fell to his death at the end of an Oasis concert at Wembley Stadium has said the whole family is 'devastated'. Landscape gardener Lee Claydon, 45, of Bournemouth, Dorset, died following the incident at the London event on Saturday, according to his family. Speaking at his Bournemouth home, Clive Claydon, 75, told the PA news agency: 'He was a lovely bloke, loved to be with his family – a hard-working family man, he loved his kid, looked after them really well.' He added: 'He had everything going for him. I am so devastated, I have been to the doctor for tablets and everything to get over it.' He said that Lee, who is a father of one and was set to go on holiday with his family soon to Turkey, had gone to the concert with his brother and his brother's children, might have had a 'couple of beers' but had not taken any drugs. Mr Claydon said: 'He doesn't take drugs, he may have had a couple of beers but who hadn't there, people have said horrible things but it was just an accident.' Mr Claydon said that he was concerned about the safety measures at Wembley but added his son's brother and family had not seen the accident happen. 'It must have been horrific,' he said. 'All I know is there was beer everywhere, it's slippery, he slipped apparently, we do not know the rest of it, there's questions about the barriers.' He added: 'Of all the thousands of people there, it had to be my son.' A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said: 'Wembley Stadium operates to a very high health and safety standard, fully meeting legal requirements for the safety of spectators and staff, and is certified to and compliant with the ISO 45001 standard. 'We work very closely and collaboratively with all relevant event delivery stakeholders – including event owners, local authorities, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority and the police – to deliver events to high standards of safety, security and service for everyone attending or working in the venue.' The Health and Safety Executive has been informed. The Metropolitan Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident, or have mobile phone footage, to come forward. A fundraising page, which has been set up to help raise money for Mr Claydon's partner and son, has already reached over £2,000. 'Our family has been turned upside down and are struggling to deal with this devastation and unexpected loss,' Aaron Claydon wrote on the page. 'Lee was a loving family man who was a role model to his son. 'Lee would have done anything for any of us and he was taken from us far too soon, and we will miss him so very much. 'Lee loved all outdoor activities, one of his favourite hobbies was fishing. He also loved music and his guitar. He also really enjoyed going to watch and support the boys and his nephew at their football games.' The fall happened during a run of stadium shows for the band's sell-out Live '25 reunion tour – their first since splitting in 2009. Oasis said in a statement: 'We are shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan at the show. 'Oasis would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.'
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Truss ‘carries quite a lot of blame' for Tory record, Badenoch claims
Speaking on a farm near Saffron Walden in her constituency, Mrs Badenoch also described herself as an 'Essex girl', and added that people from the county 'are grafters; they work hard'. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch wipes away grain dust after trying her hand at harvesting wheat (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Leader of the Opposition faced questions about Ms Truss's claim that under the Conservatives, 'the economy was wrecked with profligate Covid spending by (Rishi) Sunak' and that 'the huge increase in immigration has been a disaster'. Mrs Badenoch told ITV Anglia: 'I know that, as a former prime minister and a former foreign secretary, (Ms Truss) carries quite a lot of that blame. 'The party's now under new leadership. 'I wasn't in charge during those 14 years; she was. 'That's a criticism she's probably levelling at herself.' The Tory leader also said she was 'telling the truth' about her party's record. Kemi Badenoch speaks to farmer Sam Goddard during her visit to Hall Farm in Little Walden, Essex (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'I'm telling the truth that immigration was too high – that's why we have much tougher policies to fix immigration,' she continued. 'I am telling the truth that taxes were too high, that we were putting a lot of regulation on businesses, and what we're seeing is Labour making every single thing worse. 'They're doing that because they haven't learned many of the lessons that we learned. They haven't learned from our mistakes. They're making worse mistakes.' The Labour Government's mistakes include making 'no cut in spending at all – the books were not balanced', Mrs Badenoch claimed. 'We're spending more on welfare than we are on defence – that cannot continue,' she said. Mrs Badenoch had previously told The Telegraph that 'for all their mocking of Liz Truss, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not learnt the lessons of the mini-budget and are making even bigger mistakes'. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch drives a combine harvester during her visit (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Ms Truss, who spent 49 days in Number 10, hit back when she said that 'instead of serious thinking', Mrs Badenoch was 'repeating spurious narratives'. She continued: 'I suspect she is doing this to divert from the real failures of 14 years of Conservative government in which her supporters are particularly implicated. 'It was a fatal mistake not to repeal Labour legislation like the Human Rights Act because the modernisers wanted to be the 'heirs to Blair'. 'Huge damage was done to our liberties through draconian lockdowns and enforcement championed by Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings. 'The economy was wrecked with profligate Covid spending by Sunak. The huge increase in immigration has been a disaster.' Mrs Badenoch also took questions about her identity, after she told the Rosebud podcast: 'I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s. Kemi Badenoch speaks to farmers during her visit to Hall Farm in Little Walden (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to.' The North West Essex MP told ITV Anglia: 'I am definitely an Essex girl, that is a fact.' A London Assembly member before she took her Commons seat in 2017, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I represent an Essex constituency, these are my people. 'I was a Londoner, but Essex people asked me to be their MP, and I want to make sure that I do them proud. And I love this part of the world. 'It's fantastic being here. It's a rural community, and I've been talking to the farmers here. I talked about how my grandfather was a farmer, it's very hard work. 'The people of Essex and East Anglia – they are grafters. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch sits in the cab of a combine harvester (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'They work hard, and I want to make sure that we do right by them.' Mrs Badenoch spent Tuesday morning at a farm in Little Walden, where she tried her hand at harvesting wheat using a Claas Lexion combine harvester. She told farmers: 'A lot of farming just feels like constant interference. 'Everything is interfered from the minute you wake up.' Examples of interference included 'chemicals and insecticide, people you're hiring, how much you've got to pay them', plus changes to 'employers' NI (national insurance), then somebody wants to put pylons on, there's compulsory purchase, it's impacting the cost of the land, if you want to add a new farm building, there's planning applications', she said. 'It's just endless constant Government saying, 'You can't do this, you can't do that, you can't move forwards'. 'And the burden in my view has now crossed the threshold.'
