Latest news with #JohnFlanagan
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Danny Rohl in talks to leave Sheffield Wednesday as club crisis worsens
Manager Danny Rohl is on the verge of leaving Sheffield Wednesday and is speaking to the club about his potential exit. The 36-year-old German has not returned to pre-season training with the Wednesday squad, as he seeks to negotiate a way out of his contract, in order to further his ambitions elsewhere. Having been linked with clubs such as Leicester City, Southampton and Middlesbrough, there may be a future for him in England but it's a return to Germany that excites him. Rohl has steadied the ship at Hillsborough, lifting them out of the relegation zone in his first season in charge and up to mid table at the end of last season but the club is far from being out of trouble. Staff were not paid their wages on time in both March and last month and there is a possibility that June could be the same. As a result of those March and May issues, the club has had spending restrictions imposed for the next three transfer windows, meaning they won't be able to buy or loan players in deals where there's a fee involved. They were also subjected to a transfer embargo until wages were paid in full. On top of that, an upgrade to the facilities at the club's training ground at Middlewood Road have also been delayed. The club's owner, Dejphon Chansiri, recently rejected a £40m bid for the club from Florida-based property investor John Flanagan after communication issues left Chansiri doubting that Flanagan's consortium would be the right people to look after the interests of the club. Rohl recently spoke to German media outlet Bild about the situation and his desire to return to Germany. He said: 'If it were up to me, as soon as possible, 'The Bundesliga is obviously something special because I grew up with it. For me, it's always about working at the highest level. I want to compete against the best teams, with the best coaches.'
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Former Premier League side could build 55,000-seater stadium, prospective new owners claim - as they outline plans to make the club 'way bigger than Wrexham'
A group that are hoping to purchase Sheffield Wednesday have announced ambitious plans to build a 55,000-seater stadium and make the club 'way bigger than Wrexham '. Wednesday, who are the second oldest professional football team in England, were part of the Premier League for its inaugural eight seasons, but they have spent the following 25 years yo-yoing between the second and third tiers. The Owls are currently in a period of crisis, with the club - who are owned by Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri - yet to pay their wages in full for May, having also been late with payments in April. Chansiri took over the club in 2015 and initially spent big as they pushed for promotion, but the financial support from him has long dried up and he has been looking to sell Wednesday since 2018 amid protests from fans. Two US-based groups are said to be in talks, and while one is remaining private, another group has gone public with their interest. John Flanagan, a property investor from Florida and Sheffield-born businessman Adam Shaw are leading a 16-strong consortium to buy the Owls that is said to include a former Premier League star, several baseball stars and a major celebrity. Chansiri's price tag for the club is said to be coming down after rejecting a £48million offer from the group and Shaw has outlined the prospective new owners' bold plans for the Owls. Alongside a desire to build a 55,000-seater stadium to replace their current Hillsborough home - which holds 34,000 - an elite academy is on the table. Speaking to The Athletic about their ambitions to take Wednesday, who finished 12th in the Championship in 2024-25, back to the top of English football, Shaw said: 'Sheffield Wednesday are nowhere in America. 'We sell zero shirts and have no commercial presence there – that's got to change. 'With the World Cup in the US next year and with the individuals we have in our ownership group, we could easily become Florida's English football team. 'We should and can be way bigger than Wrexham. Ryan Reynolds would give his left leg to have what we already have at Wednesday in terms of our history and fanbase. Let's use that.' The group are hugely motivated to return the club to the top flight and they would make Wednesday one of several second tier sides under American ownership. That 55,000-seater new stadium would be a huge part of that and Shaw also outlined a desire to reduce ticket prices and hand out 5,000 seats per game to ambulance crews, fire fighters, NHS staff, police offices and current and former members of the army. And Shaw insisted the views of supporters would be taken into consideration throughout their ownership, although he outlined the importance of a new stadium. 'We wouldn't do anything without consulting the fans,' he added. 'But we think the club should have a home where people can park more easily and have up-to-date facilities. 'If we want to create a culture that ensures we become a sustainable, competitive and successful Premier League side, then we must be proactive. Premier League clubs are all upgrading their stadiums.'
The Sun
17-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Former Premier League club could build 55,000-seater stadium as buyer says ‘we should be way bigger than Wrexham'
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY'S potential new owners have declared plans to become 'way bigger than Wrexham' with a new 55,000-seater stadium. Florida property investor John Flanagan and Sheffield-born businessman Adam Shaw, also based in the USA, front a consortium looking to buy the Owls from current owner Dejphon Chansiri. 2 2 It's believed the group of 16 contains an ex- Premier League star, a major celebrity and several pro baseball stars – both past and present. Talks are ongoing over a price for Wednesday, who finished 12th in the Championship this season and are struggling with finances after Chansiri stopped his investment. The Thai businessman has already turned down an offer of £48million. But a breakthrough could be close following fresh negotiations. And Wednesday's prospective new owners have now given an insight into their plans for the club. They declared that as the second-old pro club in English football, the Owls will be brought back to the top of the perch. A new 55,000-seater stadium, to replace current 34,000-seater home Hillsborough, and an elite academy are part of the proposal to return Wednesday to the Premier League – which they helped found in 1992. And after seeing Wrexham's success under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wednesday's hopeful proprietors insisted that the Owls should be 'way bigger' than the Welsh club. Lifelong fan Shaw told The Athletic: 'Sheffield Wednesday are nowhere in America. We sell zero shirts and have no commercial presence there – that's got to change. 'With the World Cup in the US next year and with the individuals we have in our ownership group, we could easily become Florida's English football team. 'We should and can be way bigger than Wrexham. Ryan Reynolds would give his left leg to have what we already have at Wednesday in terms of our history and fanbase. Let's use that.' As well as boosting Wednesday's academy, the consortium are also eyeing a brand new 55,000-seater stadium. Shaw added: 'We wouldn't do anything without consulting the fans, but we think the club should have a home where people can park more easily and have up-to-date facilities. 'If we want to create a culture that ensures we become a sustainable, competitive and successful Premier League side, then we must be proactive. Premier League clubs are all upgrading their stadiums.'
New York Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Potential Sheffield Wednesday owner calls for 55,000 stadium and says club ‘way bigger than Wrexham'
Sheffield Wednesday should have a 55,000-capacity stadium, one of England's best academies and be 'way bigger than Wrexham', according to the co-leader of a North American group trying to buy the crisis-hit Championship club. The four-time title winners are the second-oldest professional club in English football, and were founding members of the Premier League in 1992, but they dropped out of the top flight in 2000 and have spent the 25 years since yo-yoing between the second and third tiers. Advertisement Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri bought the South Yorkshire side in 2015 — and initially spent heavily on a push for the Premier League — but that financial support has long since dried up and Wednesday are yet to meet all of their wage bill for May, having also been late with April's payments. Having first said he would sell the club in late 2018, only to place a Premier League-level valuation on the business, Chansiri's price tag is coming down fast and he is in talks with two U.S.-based groups about a sale. One of those parties wants to remain under the radar for the time being but has hired a club broker from the UK to negotiate with Chansiri on its behalf. But the other has chosen to go public with its interest, with Florida-based property investor John Flanagan giving an interview to the local BBC radio station last week and his partner in the venture, Adam Shaw, a Sheffield-born businessman based in the same U.S. state, now speaking exclusively to The Athletic. 'Sheffield Wednesday are nowhere in America. We sell zero shirts and have no commercial presence there — that's got to change,' says Shaw, a lifelong Wednesday fan. 'With the World Cup in the U.S. next year and with the individuals we have in our ownership group, we could easily become Florida's English football team. 'We should and can be way bigger than Wrexham. Ryan Reynolds would give his left leg to have what we already have at Wednesday in terms of our history and fanbase. Let's use that.' Neither Flanagan nor Shaw has wanted to reveal the identities of their investment partners, but the latter says the 16-strong group includes current and former Major League Baseball players, an ex-Premier League star and, if the deal can be done, a well-known celebrity. He is adamant the star power of this group would have the same transformative impact at Wednesday that Wrexham's owners Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have had since their arrival in north Wales. The Hollywood duo paid £2million to buy the club, then in the fifth-tier National League, in 2021 but sold a minority stake in the team, now in the Championship with Wednesday after three straight promotions, earlier this year which valued them at £100m. And now, according to reports, they are looking for new partners at a valuation of £350m. Advertisement While most football finance experts believe that is an unrealistic price for a newly-promoted second-division side with a relatively small stadium, no training ground and no real tradition of developing players, every expert believes McElhenney and Reynolds have a much better chance of attracting investment at that level than Chansiri, as that was his original asking price, too. That number has fallen as Wednesday's recurring annual losses, late payments and English Football League (EFL) sanctions have piled up but Chansiri is still holding out for significantly more than what anyone has put on the table, so far. Shaw, who has been speaking to Chansiri about buying the club for two years, says his group offered $65million (£48m), with a significant chunk of that in performance-related bonus payments, in April. That was flatly rejected, so the group returned the following month with a bid of a guaranteed $75m, only to receive short shrift once more. Chansiri seems to believe Wednesday's history, large stadium and loyal fanbase are worth a premium on top of the usual valuation for Championship clubs, which is about double a side's annual revenue. Wednesday earned just over £26million in the 2023-24 season, their first back in the Championship after two years in League One, which would suggest an enterprise value in the £50m to £55m range. For comparison, American investor Shilen Patel bought second-tier side West Bromwich Albion for £60m last year, while British businessman David Clowes paid £55m to rescue Derby County from bankruptcy in 2022, shortly after their relegation from the same division. Chansiri, of course, is probably thinking more about the £105million that U.S.-based investors Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy paid for Wednesday's city rivals Sheffield United last Christmas, although United were vying for promotion out of the Championship at the time, have Premier League-level facilities and are still in receipt of parachute payments following their 2024 relegation from the top flight. Advertisement Shaw believes Wednesday could and should be worth more than neighbours United one day, too, but the road back from years of fan unrest, too many managers and not enough investment will require radical thinking. The 47-year-old, who runs a mental-health platform and publishing business called Triggerhub, says his group would immediately upgrade Wednesday's academy and training ground, renovate their near 35,000-capacity Hillsborough stadium and lean into their American contacts to boost commercial revenues. 'We are Sheffield Wednesday, we are a big enough club to create the best academy and training facilities in the UK if we put our minds to it,' he says. 'Let's get Hillsborough fully open and give fans something decent to eat and drink, with service with a smile. We'd also really like to see if we can wrap three of the sides, to create a more modern, bowl effect but we would leave the South Stand (main photo) alone, as we want a mix of old and new.' Shaw would also like the club to 'review and increase the honour' it has shown to the 97 Liverpool fans who died in a crush at the stadium in 1989, the worst disaster in British sporting history. While this may sound a noble idea, it could perhaps be controversial with some Wednesday supporters, as the club has struggled with the legacy of the tragedy for decades. As an expert on mental health, Shaw believes 'one way to overcome something that traumatic is to embrace what happened for all those affected'. He said one possible idea for marking the tragedy in a more public way is to let the families of those who died rename the West Stand, also known as the Leppings Lane End, which is where the crush occurred. Looking further ahead, 'perhaps five years', Shaw's group would like to move Wednesday away to a new, 55,000-capacity ground. Advertisement 'We wouldn't do anything without consulting the fans, but we think the club should have a home where people can park more easily and have up-to-date facilities,' he says. 'If we want to create a culture that ensures we become a sustainable, competitive and successful Premier League side, then we must be proactive. Premier League clubs are all upgrading their stadiums.' He said the group have a site in mind but reiterated that it would not do anything without the fans' support. In the meantime, he wants to cut the cost of tickets for all fans and give away up to 5,000 seats per game to ambulance crews, fire fighters, National Health Service staff, police officers and current and former members of the military. 'I know this is an American tradition, but I believe all Sheffield Wednesday fans would get behind this initiative,' he says. 'It's the very least our great club can do for all those brave first-responders and military personnel who have sacrificed so much for others every single day of their lives.' Among the group's other plans are improving the quality of the club's merchandise and its retail operations, going back to a more traditional version of Wednesday's distinctive owl logo and backing manager Danny Rohl, who is currently in dispute with Chansiri over his return to work this month. Shaw would also like to see a fans' representative join the board. Whether Shaw and his partners — or the other group in takeover talks — will ever get the chance to deliver any of their plans is likely to depend on Chansiri's tolerance for bad news. His most recent failure to pay his staff on time means the club have been in arrears for more than 30 days in the past 12 months, which brings an automatic three-window registration ban. That sanction cannot be published on the EFL website under its current rules but the league is in the process of changing these so that three-window bans can also be listed. Advertisement The EFL has also charged Chansiri personally for breaching regulation 21.2.2, which states that a club owner should not take, or omit to take, any action that would result in breaking the rules. With the main source of the Chansiri fortune, the family's stake in the world's largest tuna producer, Thai Union Group, under pressure from U.S. tariffs and a plummeting share price, pressure is mounting to sell up. Wednesday have not responded to requests for comment.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
US-based consortium on failed attempts to buy Owls
After local MP Clive Betts accused current Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri of holding the team "hostage", he urged Chansiri to sell the club to "prevent a complete collapse".But who is looking to buy the Championship club?John Flanagan is a member of an US-based consortium which has made bids to purchase the club. He spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield on Tuesday about where they currently stand."We originally approached the team back in April with an offer. That offer was promptly rejected," Flanagan said."After a couple of weeks of seeing some new developments with the club, we went back with an improved offer about a week-and-a-half ago. That offer was also rejected, also with no counter-offer."Our offer we thought was a fair offer with upfront money but with some significant, we will call them kickers, on the back end should the club be able to achieve certain successes."Flanagan added it was the Owls' history which drew his attention to the club and that the "goal is to rebuild the foundation of Sheffield Wednesday", but as it stands, he and his consortium are no closer to taking for what it has been like to try and purchase the side, the American said it has been a "unique" experience for him."It's been a bit surprising. I've done a lot of business, had a lot negotiations throughout my career, and this has been the most unique to say the least," he added."It may be a cultural thing that I'm not understanding, every country is a little bit different in how they do business negotiations, but I was a bit surprised that even on the second offer, we were basically told if this is what you are willing to spend, then go and buy a League One or League Two club."Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.
