Sheffield Wednesday are facing a new winding-up petition over an unpaid £1 million tax bill, as fans prepare to boycott the home match against Middlesbrough. The club, which is bottom of the Championship, has been served with the petition from HMRC, according to a joint investigation by BBC Radio Sheffield and the Sheffield Star.
The boycott, organised by the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, is the latest protest against owner Dejphon Chansiri. Fans are urging the Thai businessman to sell his 100% stake, which he is reportedly asking around £100 million for — more than two-and-a-half times what he paid in 2015. The trust's vice-chairman, James Silverwood, said the boycott is a sacrifice for a greater good, to accelerate Chansiri's decision to sell.
This is not the first protest this season. Earlier, fans boycotted League Cup matches against Leeds United and Grimsby Town. During the Coventry City match, a small group of fans invaded the pitch, forcing a brief delay. The club is also under five separate EFL embargoes and has failed to pay wages on time in five of the last seven months.
On the pitch, the Owls have won just one league game all season. Former manager Danny Rohl left in pre-season, and his replacement Henrik Pedersen has struggled. Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath was sent off in the last match, leaving the club without a senior keeper for the Middlesbrough game. They have signed Joe Lumley on a seven-day emergency loan from Bristol City.
