Union leaders have launched an all-out campaign to ensure Sheffield Wednesday’s non-playing staff receive their full wages after repeated delays in payment, calling owner Dejphon Chansiri’s conduct “disgusting.”
The troubled Championship side has failed to pay employees on time five times this year, with the latest delay coming in September. The situation has left many of the club’s behind-the-scenes workers — including administrative and operational staff — struggling to make ends meet.
Union pressure intensifies on Chansiri
The UK’s largest trade union, Unite, has now stepped in, vowing to use every legal and industrial tool available to protect workers at Hillsborough. Membership among Sheffield Wednesday staff has reportedly “surged” in recent weeks, as employees were handed just a £1,000 partial payment instead of their full September wages. Some have even been forced to take out loans to cover rent and household bills.
Players and coaching staff have also experienced wage delays, further underscoring the deepening financial crisis engulfing the club.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham issued a scathing statement condemning Chansiri’s handling of the situation:
“Unite will do everything in its power to ensure these workers receive the pay they are owed. Dejphon Chansiri has millions at his disposal — these workers do not. His behaviour is disgusting. He must pay his staff immediately and sell this historic football club to someone capable of running it properly.”
Mounting financial and sporting turmoil
Sheffield Wednesday, who have already been hit with transfer embargoes and tax debts, sit second-bottom of the Championship after a humiliating 5–0 defeat at home to Coventry City. The match was briefly halted when furious fans invaded the pitch in protest against Chansiri’s ownership.
Unite regional officer Daniel Gawthorpe said the club’s workforce has been pushed to breaking point:
“These workers have had enough. They love Sheffield Wednesday and give everything for it, but their loyalty is being exploited. People are suffering real financial hardship, and Chansiri seems to expect them to survive on thin air. Unite will not allow that to continue.”
The turmoil comes amid an exodus of players and staff, including former manager Danny Röhl, leaving current boss Henrik Pedersen with a depleted squad as the team faces an early-season relegation fight. A points deduction could also be imposed if financial problems persist.
Calls for reform and regulatory action
The crisis has caught the attention of David Kogan, the newly appointed head of English football’s independent regulator, who described the situation at Hillsborough as a “significant problem.”
Speaking to the BBC, Kogan confirmed that under proposed new powers, the regulator could force irresponsible owners to sell their clubs if necessary:
“We see this as a last resort, but if the evidence shows an owner is failing to act responsibly, intervention will happen. Football cannot continue to tolerate ownership that endangers clubs and communities.”
Kogan added that Sheffield Wednesday — one of the country’s most historic football institutions — represents a clear example of why greater oversight is needed:
“Sheffield Wednesday has been a longstanding issue for both the EFL and English football. It’s a great club, but it needs proper stewardship. We’re seeking powers that would allow us to step in when clubs like this require investigation or action.”
Chansiri, who took control of the Owls in 2015, has faced growing backlash from supporters and now finds himself under unprecedented pressure to either stabilize the club or sell up entirely.
For Sheffield Wednesday’s loyal staff and fans, however, patience is wearing thin — and the call for accountability has never been louder.