An ownership group that failed in its attempt to buy Sheffield Wednesday is said to have drawn up an astonishing proposal to merge the Owls with fierce rivals Sheffield United—an idea they hoped to push forward had their takeover succeeded.
Sheffield Wednesday have been searching for new ownership ever since Dejphon Chansiri placed the club into administration after being unable to settle a £1 million HMRC debt at the end of October. Since then, several potential buyers—including well-known names such as Mike Ashley and John McEvoy—expressed their interest. The initial field has since been narrowed to 11 bidders, with formal offers already submitted.
A final decision on the club’s next owner is expected on December 5, a date that could finally give Wednesday supporters the chance to close the book on the Chansiri era and start fresh.
Although the takeover process has advanced significantly, surprising details have emerged about one bidder’s bizarre intentions for the club. According to reports, one group put forward an outlandish plan that would have seen Sheffield Wednesday attempt to merge with their cross-city enemies, Sheffield United.
While nobody yet knows who will eventually take control of the Owls or what direction the club will move in, this particular group was quickly dismissed. After years of frustration under Chansiri, Wednesday fans are desperate for a stable, sensible owner focused solely on restoring success—not someone looking to push wildly unrealistic schemes.
A merger with United would have been instantly rejected by anyone connected to Hillsborough. Supporters would have viewed such an idea as nothing short of ridiculous, and club administrators would never have entertained it.
Thankfully for the fanbase, the group behind the proposal has already been removed from the running. Even if they had somehow won the bidding process, the chances of Sheffield United agreeing to such a plan were virtually nonexistent. The proposal seems to have come from individuals with ideas far beyond their reach, and administrators like Begbies Traynor would almost certainly have dismissed it.
The Daily Mail reports that this odd offer came from an unnamed consortium whose ambition was to create a joint entity with the Blades—an idea that would have gone down disastrously with both sets of supporters.
Unsurprisingly, their bid is no longer under consideration. Meanwhile, several genuine, serious offers remain in the mix as Wednesday look to find the right buyer to revive the club.
Despite the turmoil of administration and the chaos that followed Chansiri’s exit, Wednesday fans have continued to back their team in huge numbers. The report even notes that the club recorded some of the highest matchday revenue figures in their history during the recent Steel City derby loss.
One thing is certain: no matter the circumstances, Sheffield Wednesday supporters would never have tolerated a merger with Sheffield United.
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