Sheffield Wednesday News spoke exclusively to the protest group The 1867 Group about what owner Dejphon Chansiri must do this summer.
Sheffield Wednesday fans’ frustration towards controversial owner Chansiri reach an all-time high during the 2023/24 campaign.
Fans were left beyond frustrated at the improper running of the club, with Chansiri’s outbursts in the media only serving to worsen his reputation among fans.
But manager Danny Rohl stemmed the tide somewhat, guiding the Owls towards a miraculous 20th place finish in the Championship despite their season looking dead and buried for a long time.
Despite Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday turnaround, fans’ anger towards Chansiri has remained, with a section of supporters forming The 1867 Group.
They’ve grown in popularity and stature throughout the season, staging several protests against Chansiri in games against Leeds United and Plymouth Argyle earlier this year.
And Sheffield Wednesday News has now spoken exclusively to The 1867 Group.
The 1867 Group tells Dejphon Chansiri what he needs to do at Sheffield Wednesday
There’s plenty of issues, both off the pitch and on the pitch that Chansiri needs to patch up at Sheffield Wednesday this summer.
But The 1867 Group believes that the main issue isn’t so specific, but more objective, in that the Owls simply don’t have any kind of long-term plan in place.
The 1867 Group told Sheffield Wednesday news: “He [Chansiri] needs to put a proper strategy in place. A proper transfer strategy, a proper business strategy. A proper club policy going forward.
“It’s just him that makes all the decisions, which in today’s day and age, is absolutely mind boggling. If that comes in with the [Independent Football] Regulator, he won’t get a licence for the club.
“There needs to be some sort of dialogue with the fan base, the manager, the playing staff. There needs to be a proper process.
“Look at clubs like Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth to an extent; they’ve all got proper policies in place and look where they are.
“We’re struggling to stay in the division. But we’ve not been in the Premier League for nearly 25 years now.”
One key concern persists for Dejphon Chansiri at Sheffield Wednesday
It’s clear to see that Sheffield Wednesday are operating on something of a season-by-season basis, if not transfer window-by-transfer window basis.
Every summer, the Owls are in need of a new playing squad, and they’ve almost hit a ceiling now wherein their stuck between the bottom end of the Championship and League One.
Like The 1867 Group allude to, Sheffield Wednesday is an historic club with a fan base and heritage worthy of at least toying with promotion to the Premier League, if not being a regular Premier League feature.
But the club is being held back by its planning, and once again, the need for some kind of director of football or sporting director, or more names around Chansiri to take the load off him and help to lay down some foundations and plans, is clear.
Like The 1867 Group also mentions, there are plenty of case studies to follow; the above mentioned clubs have all been in the Football League recently but have all established themselves in the Premier League by means of planning and sustainability, which are two things the Owls simply don’t have right now.
This summer is certainly a big one for Chansiri, if not his biggest since arriving in 2015, and failing to put at least some kind of plan in place will surely see the Owls struggle again next season.
The post 'Mind-boggling': Sheffield Wednesday protest group tells Dejphon Chansiri what he 'needs' to do this summer appeared first on Sheffield Wednesday News.