Bord-led consortium withdraws bid for Sheffield Wednesday

The joint administrators of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club have confirmed that the preferred bidder in the club’s ongoing administration has withdrawn from the acquisition process, derailing a £47.8 million deal that would have delivered a full exit from insolvency.

Sheffield Wednesday entered administration on 24 October 2025, shortly before HM Revenue & Customs was expected to issue a winding-up petition against the club. Joint administrators Kris Wigfield, Paul Stanley and Julian Pitts of Begbies Traynor conducted a sales process, ultimately naming a preferred bidder on 24 December, saying the offer represented the “highest and best proposal” received. The bidder was widely reported to be a consortium made up of James Bord (former professional poker player and the co-owner of Dunfermline), Felix Romer and Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil. The transaction, worth £47.8 million, had been expected to facilitate a clean exit from administration ahead of next season and avoided a points deduction for the 2026 to 2027 season.

During a period of exclusivity, the consortium injected more than £4 million into the club to fund trading. The administrators said those funds were applied to operating costs, including wages for staff and players, and were not loans requiring repayment.

Unfortunately, however, after months of negotiations and due diligence, the consortium has now withdrawn their offer, prompting the sales process to resume. The administrators have stressed that the process is not reverting to square one, and that other parties that previously participated have already re-engaged and affirmed interest in acquiring the club.

An expedited timetable has now been implemented, with a deadline set for fresh indicative offers. The administrators said they will move forward swiftly with the strongest proposals in order to secure a structured exit from administration and protect the club’s long-term future.

Importantly for supporters and creditors, the club has sufficient funding to trade through to the end of the current season. The administrators said prudent contingency measures were put in place in January to mitigate the risk of delay or non-completion of a transaction, ensuring operational continuity in the event of a failed sale. The club continues to fulfil fixtures and meet payroll obligations. For now, the administrators’ message is one of continuity rather than crisis. The club remains operational, funded for the remainder of the season, and the sale market remains active.

Read their announcement here.