Sheffield Wednesday fans have encouraged Stoke City supporters to boycott the Owls’ opening home EFL Championship fixture.
Wednesday have been plunged into chaos over the summer. Unpaid wages, transfer embargoes and stadium issues have made headlines, with near-total silence from the club’s owners.
Such has been the disarray at Hillsborough that it was uncertain whether Wednesday would be able to fulfil their opening fixture against Leicester City.
But while it appears that Sunday’s league opener will go ahead, fans are demanding a boycott of future games.
Wednesday are currently favourites for relegation ahead of the new season, with UK betting sites pricing them at 7/20 for the drop.
Sheffield Wednesday Fans Ask Stoke City Supporters To Boycott Game
Ahead of Wednesday’s first home game against Stoke City on 16 August, Owls fans have taken to social media, encouraging rival supporters not to ‘waste their money’ on tickets.
That’s because many Wednesday fans are hoping the game will be abandoned.
I'd advise Stoke City fans not to waste £35 & line our owners pockets, our intentions are to get the game abandoned, so save your money. #swfc #scfc
— Mark Fleming (@mark_flemdog) August 5, 2025
Such a drastic move from supporters at one of football’s oldest clubs is a grim sign of just how bad things have gotten.
But what exactly is the issue at Sheffield Wednesday, and how did it start?
What Is Happening At Sheffield Wednesday?
The first signs of trouble came in 2020, when Wednesday were deducted 12 points for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
This was due to owner Dejphon Chansiri failing to sign a crucial document in time to sanction the sale of Hillsborough to another company in his name.
Although the deduction was halved to six points on appeal, it still saw Wednesday relegated to League One.
Since then, Chansiri has failed to pay players and staff – including club shop workers and ticket office staff – on time and in full on numerous occasions.
The club was placed under a triple transfer embargo in June due to failure to pay players.
Chansiri was also late paying the club’s tax bill, and Wednesday still owe other clubs outstanding transfer fees.
Day 79 of posting Chansiri Out until he sells the club #swfc pic.twitter.com/gMvgcXRjAv
— Ben (@benswfc15) August 5, 2025
Due to the late wages, players were able to terminate their contracts and leave on free transfers.
This meant key men like Joshua Windass and Michael Smith both departed for free, joining Wrexham and Preston respectively.
Others had to be sold to help pay bills, such as winger Djeidi Gassama to Rangers.
And highly-rated manager Danny Röhl has also left the club by ‘mutual consent’ this summer.
On top of this, the club’s North Stand has been forcibly closed by the council after Chansiri failed to carry out vital safety work.
As it stands, Wednesday have 16 senior players left, including only one goalkeeper.
Among those, several have reportedly served notice of contract termination, following the example of Windass and Smith.
The club played no pre-season friendlies and currently have no senior coaching staff.
Who Is Sheffield Wednesday Owner Dejphon Chansiri?
Sheffield Wednesday are owned by Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri.
There is very limited information available about his background, or how he funds Wednesday.
His family owns Thai Union Group, the world’s largest canned tuna and seafood producer.
But Chansiri himself holds no role on the company’s board.
When he purchased the club ten years ago, Wednesday had a brief spell of success.
The club reached the Championship play-off final in 2016, losing to Hull City.
But after huge overspending and poor transfer business, Wednesday have declined sharply.
Chansiri makes all decisions himself, with no director of football or chief executive.
This has lead to strong criticism of his autocratic style, with many blaming him for the club’s recent plight.
Wednesday’s EFL Championship opening round fixture is due to be played on Sunday, with kickoff against Leicester City at 16:30 BST.
