Dear Mr Chansiri,

We are writing to you again because, like all fans of Sheffield Wednesday, we are fearful of the future and worried that our club stands on the precipice of crisis. 

As custodian of our historic and cherished football club we implore you to take urgent action before it is lost to us forever. The current trajectory is both frightening and unacceptable, and so in a spirit of collaboration we urge you to take the following action now:

  1. Take steps to save the 20/21 season: Make an immediate managerial appointment and give the new manager delegated authority on all first team affairs including recruitment, within a defined budget
  2. Set out your strategy: reassure fans, stakeholders and potential sponsors that there is a plan for improving how the club is managed on and off the field - and explain what that plan is.
  3. Establish some financial transparency at SWFC: a) Publish the 2018/19 accounts immediately and present them in such a way that all income and expenditure can be clearly understood.b) Set out a clear milestone plan to publish the 2019/20 accounts and stick to it.c) Provide reassurance and information for fans about the repayment of the loan secured against Hillsborough Stadium which is due to be repaid in September this year. To be really clear, we are worried that we could lose our 122-year-old home in a matter of months. d) Provide a fixed and timely deadline for all outstanding 19/20 season ticket refunds to be paid.e) Set out a clear plan for 20/21 season tickets. 

It is now clear fans won’t be returning to stadia this season and whilst we accept Covid-19 has been financially challenging for all football clubs, please understand that many individuals are also facing unprecedented financial challenges in our community. For this reason, the options must include a refund.

Taking the actions above coupled with concerted effort to rebuild the club’s connection with fans at mass scale may result in many more fans who can afford it opting to roll over their money into the 21/22 season. The sad reality is that, such is the discontent and disconnection with the way the club is being run, without those actions we fear very little support for that plan.

This is our key message to you Mr Chansiri – if you want to save our club doing nothing is now not an option. Your current way of leading fosters damaging indifference.  However difficult it may be, the very existence of the club relies on you changing the way you do things. It needs you to be transparent, be open, be bold and most of all to involve us – because without us, our club will die.

This letter simply urges you to find it in your heart to make the right leadership level changes to ensure our great football club continues to exist. Many fans undoubtedly believe that change will never come under your stewardship, and ultimately you may decide to sell the club. Perhaps this is the watershed you need to change hearts and minds – and we believe this can still be done if you act positively and decisively now.

Yours
The Trust Interim Board

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