Sheffield Wednesday served winding-up order

The South Yorkshire club, due to play the Iron in a friendly tommorow: have been served a winding-up order by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs: whom believe they are owed over £550k due to an unpaid PAYE bill.

As such- the club’s future has been thrown into doubt: for despite Chairman Lee Strafford having been searching for investment for numerous months now: he has so far been unsuccessful.

They will thus appear in the High Court on the 11th August.

Despite, the club released a statement declaring that they are confident the money will be paid in full;

‘We have been involved in dialogue with HMRC for a number of weeks. As such, we are disappointed by their decision.’

‘Sheffield Wednesday would like to inform supporters their club is not about to be wound up.’

‘We understand that HMRC is taking a tougher line in general with football clubs, but feel their actions are disproportionate and will raise unnecessary speculation as to the financial situation of the club.’

‘We can inform supporters that the club, working in partnership with the Co-operative bank and their advisors, will seek to settle this matter as soon as practical.’

The Co-operative bank have also issued a statement, indicating that they are dissapointed by HMRC’s actions;

‘It is disappointing to note that HMRC has presented a winding up order in respect to Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.

‘The Co-operative bank has been working extremely hard for some time with representatives of the football club and investors to explore ways to ensure its future stability.

‘At present we are continuing to enter in to dialogue with our advisers, Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and potential investors to explore solutions which will allow the club to operate on a sound and secure financial footing for the future.’

Despite the club’s assurances to the otherwise, Wednesday are another club joining the growing list of English clubs in dire financial straits.

Portsmouth, Crystal Palace, Southend & Cardiff City are just 4 others who have faced numerous winding up orders: with the first 2 having to enter administration to ‘protect themselves’ from their creditors.

Whether or not this is a step that Sheffield Wednesday may have to utilise: it is still another indication of the scale of the problem’s of English football.

And considering their size as a club, it perhaps shows that indeed- no club is safe: and makes you a little bit more grateful that Scunthorpe are run conservatively: as frustrating as that can be at times.

There will no doubt be many, many other financial twists and tales to come over the course of the Football League season: no doubt many of which may turn out to be in the Championship.