Sheffield Wednesday Hit With Fresh Six-Point Deduction as Chansiri Banned and Survival Hopes Vanish

Sheffield Wednesday’s nightmare season somehow got even worse as the EFL slapped the club with another six-point deduction, leaving the Owls a massive 27 points from safety and practically resigned to League One. Former owner Dejphon Chansiri has also been banned from running or owning any EFL club for three years, drawing a brutal line under his messy decade in charge.

The fresh punishment stems from failures to pay players in March, May and June, plus further missed payments to staff and HMRC, according to BBC Radio Sheffield. It follows October’s 12-point hit for entering administration — a blow that sent Wednesday to the bottom of the table and they’ve barely budged since.

This latest ruling drops them to minus 10 points overall, 27 behind Swansea in 21st place. It’s bleak stuff, though the EFL says it isn’t chasing any further deductions this season despite ongoing investigations by the Club Financial Reporting Unit. Small mercies, perhaps.

“The EFL can confirm that Sheffield Wednesday FC are to be deducted six points with immediate effect… with Mr Dejphon Chansiri prohibited from being an owner or director of any EFL club for a period of three years,” read the league’s statement, quoted on the club’s website. The Owls also remain locked in discussions with the EFL over their fee restriction, currently set to run until winter 2027, though that looks likely to be resolved once they exit administration.

Chansiri, who led the Thai consortium that took over in 2015, effectively waved goodbye to the club the moment Wednesday went into administration. Administrators are still sifting through bidders and had hoped to name a preferred buyer by Friday. One group was given a tour of Hillsborough today, and insiders say there are multiple bidders above the ‘25p in the pound’ threshold — meaning Wednesday shouldn’t face further penalties once a deal is struck.

And yet, for all the doom, there’s finally a bit of light. Next season, Wednesday will start on zero points, not buried under a mountain of deductions. Even better, the fee restriction that was expected to last until 2027 will now end in January, giving new owners a fair crack at rebuilding and a realistic shot at assembling a promotion push straight away.

Relegation to League One looks inevitable — that ship has sailed — but at least the club’s future feels clearer than it has in months. A clean slate, new owners incoming, no extra deductions hanging over them. After a chaotic, gut-punch year, Wednesday fans might just be able to breathe again.