Club response to open Letter
Please see below SWFC’s formal response to the Trust’s open letter published in late December 2020 and signed by almost 6000 people.
We thank you for sending the open letter and are pleased to confirm a revised strategy on supporter engagement as we navigate some of the most challenging times in the history of our club.
The last thing we want is for a single supporter to feel disengaged or disconnected, particularly during a crisis that continues to engulf our city, the country and indeed the world.
Every one of our loyal supporters can be assured that we are trying our level best to meet these challenges head on and we agree that a new engagement strategy is welcome for all parties moving forward.
To that end, we have devised a formula that we believe will provide a firm foundation for future relations, incorporating full engagement across all age groups, backgrounds and recognised SWFC fan organisations.
In keeping with our open door policy, we will endeavour to answer all questions presented in a communal, structured meeting environment.
We look forward to introducing this strategy in due course and in the meantime, as always, we thank you all for your support and hope to welcome you back to Hillsborough as soon as it is safe to do so.
Open Letter concerning Sheffield Wednesday Chairman Dejphon Chansiri.
Dear Mr Chansiri,
We, the undersigned, all passionate supporters of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, believe that urgent reform is needed to stem the steep decline the club has suffered in recent seasons.
The team’s fall from grace since the 2016-17 season, the independent disciplinary commission deduction of six points, and more recent reports that players have not been paid on time must be catalysts for significant change at Sheffield Wednesday.
We passionately believe action needs to be taken before it is too late. It is becoming increasingly clear that the issues at Sheffield Wednesday extend far beyond the boundaries of the pitch, to the point that any manager or group of players would most likely struggle to succeed. The sacking of Tony Pulis is another indication of the lack of foresight and long-term planning at the football club.
We are alarmed at the apparent lack of urgency shown by yourself and the Executive team to address the wholesale challenges faced by the football club, or even a willingness to acknowledge the apparent severity and scale of problems off the pitch. There is a desperate need for new thinking at Hillsborough beyond simply changing the manager.
We‘re concerned that the club misunderstands the source of our increasing anger and frustration and would like to set this on the record. Everyone hurts when Sheffield Wednesday loses football matches, but in signing this letter we aim to show the club that our distress and disillusionment extends far beyond poor results and performances.
As supporters, we feel taken for granted and disconnected and it is leading to apathy. Combined with systemic failures in club governance and management this makes for an alarming picture.
Now is the time for openness, communication and engagement with Sheffield Wednesday fans, the lifeblood of the football club. Now is the time for humility in the face of adversity and bold leadership to steer us through our current troubles. It’s not too late, but time runs shorter as every game ticks by. Now is the time for action, and it will not wait. History will look unkindly on those who cannot meet the challenges of the period and halt the descent of our great football club.
If you cannot find it within yourself to lead Sheffield Wednesday in a new direction, we implore you to make way for those who can or appoint new personnel into leadership positions and step back from day-to-day decision making at the football club.
Fans will undoubtedly differ on the precise nature of the reforms required, but in the long-term we support the positive suggestions outlined in the five-point action plan below.
Yours sincerely