Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust – Press Statement
Protest – 26/04/25 - Sheffield Wednesday: 'Toxic Club'
The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust is joining with Owls fans from across the country to protest against the ‘toxic’ reign of the current owner. We will be gathering at the site of a blue plaque on the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, and from there, we will walk together to Hillsborough Park for the main march towards Hillsborough Stadium.
This location – now the site of the Crucible Theatre – holds special historical significance for Wednesday fans, and indeed, for football supporters across the world.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club was ‘born’ on the evening of Wednesday, 4 September 1867, during a meeting of members from The Wednesday Cricket Club. The club was named after the day its players – primarily local craftsmen – took a half-day off work to participate in matches. That historic meeting took place at The Adelphi public house, on the corner of Arundel Street and Sycamore Street,
now the site of the Crucible Theatre.
The Adelphi Hotel in Sheffield is also the location of a landmark meeting held on 28 October 1858, where the original "Sheffield Rules" for football were adopted. These rules laid the foundation for modern association football and were a major milestone in the development of the sport. Another major sports club was formed here, the Adelphi is also linked to the founding of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1863.
Now, in 2025, we find ourselves fans of a club whose owner has no regard for football’s tradition, the club’s history or the fans and community.
We believe that he is ‘gaslighting’ us; he belittles the fans, showing no respect for their loyalty or voice. The club is visibly neglecting Hillsborough Stadium, ignoring essential maintenance. Our national reputation has been trashed, as publicised nationally, staff and players must deal with late payments blamed on "business cash flow".
Above all he offers no vision, sharing no plans and providing only the ten years track record of chaos as any clue to what will happen to us next.
What is happening at Sheffield Wednesday is not normal – not for a club with our legacy, and not for any of the 92 football league clubs. We are a slow-moving car crash with the test dummy an inch from the windscreen, plenty of people are watching on horrified, but unable to stop it. We are trying.
We don’t know why he is here.
We know we don’t want him here.
Under his ownership, we have become a Toxic Club.
95% of our members want you gone.
Chansiri – Sell the Club
Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust