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Thousands of Sheffield Wednesday fans march in protest against Dejphon Chansiri

Thousands of Sheffield Wednesday fans march in protest against against Dejphon Chansiri, with it said to have ‘struck a chord’.

The demonstration was organised by the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust (SWST) and began at the site of the former Adelphi Hotel in Sheffield city centre, where the club was founded in 1867, and proceeded through Hillsborough Park to the stadium ahead of the Championship fixture against Portsmouth.

Fans, many wearing yellow and black protest colours, chanted “We want our Wednesday back” and “Dejphon Chansiri get out of our club,” while carrying banners, balloons, flares, and leaflets stating “95% want you to sell,” referencing a recent SWST survey.

The protest was part of a series of actions, including fans turning their backs during matches, prompted by ongoing issues like unpaid player wages, financial mismanagement, and Chansiri’s perceived disregard for the club’s heritage and fanbase. Local MPs supported the fans’ right to protest, citing “legitimate concerns” about the club’s future under Chansiri’s ownership.

The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust said leading up to the protest: “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”

Meanwhile, report on Monday claim that Dejphon Chansiri has rejected what Sheffield Wednesday have called a ‘derisory’ offer from a US-based consortium said to be made up of ‘successful business people and professional athletes’.

SWFC Trust wrote in a statement: “Wednesday Supporters Trust today issued a call to action, urging all Wednesday fans to unite in protest against the management of the football club by Chairman Dejphon Chansiri, son of Kraisorn Chansiri, the former chairman of Thai Union Group, owners of John West Tuna. In releasing a damning risk assessment of Chansiri’s ownership, the Trust encouraged fans to march to Hillsborough as a show of solidarity, demanding change from the toxic club he has fostered.

“The findings of a survey conducted by the Football Supporters Association reveal that 95% of Sheffield Wednesday fans have declared #EnoughisEnough, expressing profound dissatisfaction with a decade of mismanagement. The Trust emphasizes that the club’s current trajectory under Chansiri’s leadership has no potential for a sustainable and thriving future.

“The protest took place on Saturday, 26th April, coinciding with the final home game of the season against Portsmouth FC.

“Thousands of Sheffield Wednesday supporters marched through Hillsborough Park, culminating in a gathering in front of Hillsborough Stadium. The goal of the protest was clear: to urge Dejphon Chansiri, after his chronic failures, to make the honourable decision to sell Sheffield Wednesday Football Club to new ownership committed to implementing and funding a forward-thinking, strategic plan for the club’s success.

“The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust applauds all fans who participated in this pivotal moment for the club’s future. The march was a peaceful yet impactful demonstration of the supporters’ dedication
to seeing Sheffield Wednesday flourish once more under capable leadership.

Trust Chair Ian Bennett remarked, “It was amazing to see the determination of so many fans. Their incredible dedication to the club—one of the best-supported in the country—must not continue to be repaid with ongoing and countless acts of poor decision-making, bad business practices, and the careless management into decline of a great institution.”

“With one unified voice, Wednesday fans have declared: Enough is Enough. Chansiri, sell the club.”

Rob Staton said on the protest, in a piece for BBC Sport: “The protest on Saturday, arranged by the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, was the most participated in protest I can recall at Hillsborough.

“As noted a few times recently, this isn’t a fan base with much appetite for protest. You’re unlikely to see anything like you’re witnessing at Spurs currently or Manchester United.

“However, this one apparently struck a chord.

“Not everyone took part but a lot of people accepted the call to turn their backs on the pitch in the 10th minute against Oxford, selected to mark 10 years of Dejphon Chansiri’s reign as Chairman. Calls for Chansiri to go were heard in the stadium during the minute-long stand.

“The plan from the Trust clearly sent a message. Chansiri published a letter to supporters just before the game where he apologised for the recent situation of unpaid players and senior staff. He admitted he would happily leave the club if someone more suitable comes along.

“Tellingly though, he also said he had no intention to leave. He also admitted his lack of interest in a NDA with any prospective buyer, which some argue is a roadblock to ever discovering if a stronger alternative is out there or any future sale.

“The Supporters Trust read the letter and quickly published a response saying it was still time for Chansiri ‘to do the honourable thing and step aside once a buyer offering market valuation is found.’

“All attention now turns to a Tuesday meeting between Chansiri and a supporters engagement panel, which includes the Trust.

“What will the chairman say? Will the wider fan base find out what is discussed? Will fans be provided with answers to the significant number of questions they tell us they want asked? Will there be further protests, with Sheffield Wednesday playing two games over the Easter weekend?

“We recently requested an opportunity to interview the chairman but were told he isn’t doing any audio interviews.

“Clarity is required for fans who have been very patient during what has been at times a turbulent period.

“They’ve been asked to pay high ticket prices compared to other clubs and they’ve been asked to pay for early bird season tickets at Christmas time. They’ve invested their money and faith into the club and deserve to know what’s going on.”

As per Rob Staton, a statement was released from Sheffield MP’s following a meeting with the @SWFCTrust. Clive Betts, Louise Haig, Gill Furniss, Abdisam Mohamed & Marie Tidball attended the meeting. Olivia Blake was unavailable but is supportive of the statement. Lord Blunkett was also in the meeting #SWFC.

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