OWLS GIVEN TOP FLIGHT DEADLINE
Premier League by 2017 insists new Thai owner
NEW owner Dejphon Chansiri last night insisted his target of taking Sheffield Wednesday back to the Premier League by the club’s 150th anniversary year in 2017 is attainable.
The Thai businessman has formally concluded his purchase of the Owls for £37.5m, a price that includes wiping out the Championship club’s debts.
After conducting a symbolic signing session with out-going owner Milan Mandaric in front of the media, Chansiri made it clear he wanted top-flight football back at Hillsborough within at least two full seasons.
Speaking through an interpreter, the 46-year-old, who is based in Bangkok, told The Yorkshire Post: “Myself and my team will do our very best to get the team into the Premier League.
“And seeing as Sheffield Wednesday will be celebrating their 150th anniversary in 2017, that would be the approximate goal for when we would like to see the club back up.”
Yesterday’s completion of the 100 per cent takeover of Wednesday brought to an end several months of talks between Chansiri and the club.
It also ended a period of uncertainty at Hillsborough, with last summer seeing a prospective takeover involving Azerbaijani businessman Hafiz Mammadov collapse at the eleventh hour.
Chansiri, who has given his full backing to head coach Stuart Gray, was first approached about the possibility of investing in Wednesday in the wake of that aborted deal.
And despite having fielded similar enquiries on behalf of other clubs, he felt Wednesday’s had potential.
The purchase was made possible by Chansiri, whose father set up the Thai Union Frozen Group, having enjoyed business success in real estate and construction.
He was at pains yesterday to stress that the £37.5m he paid to buy the club and wipe out existing debts – a pre-condition of the deal going ahead – had come from his own funds and not those of TUF, who own John West Foods.
Just how much more money will be available for team strenthening remains to be seen but Chansiri is adamant that his dream of bringing Premier League football back to S6 for the first time since 2000 is a realistic one.
“We are looking at making all the necessary investments to put the club in a position to get back to the Premier League,” said the new owner of Wednesday, who sit 10th in the Championship and 14 points adrift of the play-offs.
“As our chances of reaching a promotion spot at this point are a bit remote, we are using this time to make evaluations on how to make improvements to set the team up for success next season.
“At the end of this season, we will evaluate the players and also the market in consultation with the manager and the staff.
“I believe that there needs to be some investments into the club, but just throwing money at it is not a guarantee of success.
“We need to do it in a smart and sustainable manner. Some clubs throw a whole lot of money at it in the transfer market but are not successful.
“Some are somewhat frugal but are able to achieve success because they buy smart.
“So, I believe that if we work together and are intelligent about our approach in the transfer market then we can make the necessary improvements.
“What I see is a squad that is pretty strong. It just is lacking in some areas and perhaps needs improvement to strengthen the possibilities of competing for a promotion.
“We feel that if we make smart decisions and savvy investments, within three seasons it is very possible to get up to the Premier League.”
Chansiri, who will retain the services of chief executive Paul Aldridge, plans to appoint a couple of Thai representatives to the club’s management structure to keep him in daily contact with the Owls when in his native country. He will also seek advice from Mandaric, who admitted in the wake of selling Wednesday that he needs a rest.
“This was a special mission for me,” said the 76-year-old, who sold Leicester City just a few months before taking charge at Hillsbor- ough. “I needed a break before coming to Sheffield Wednesday but I couldn’t resist jumping in and rolling up my sleeves.
“Now, though, it’s the right thing for the club and everyone else concerned. I am not saying I am going to open a champagne bottle but I had to do what I had to do. It is the right decision and that is the most important thing. I only feel happy and relieved because of the person I am handing the club to. I will be part of the club, I won’t be going away.
“I will be here to give him all the support he needs.”
Asked about his own long- term future and a possible return to football elsewhere, Mandaric, who also had an eight-year spell in charge of Portsmouth, replied: “Right now, I have just finished my mission with three clubs after around 16 years and I need a rest. I need a break.”
Just throwing money at it is not a guarantee of success.
New Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri on strengthening the Owls’ squad.