Chansiri is part of one of Thailand’s richest families – his father Kraisorn founded the Thai Union Group, a seller of seafood which makes billions of pounds per year shipping products around the world. The business is now managed by Dejphon’s older brother Thiraphong.
The Owls owner, therefore, has little true business pedigree as an individual, and vast familial financial resources behind him.
“While Chansiri has a significant number of shares in the family business, the value of those shares have fallen in the past few years, and so has his personal wealth,” says Maguire.
“You can sometimes be asset rich and cash poor. He is certainly not poor by normal standards, but his Sheffield Wednesday losses and the decrease in the value of the family business has hit him.”
Wednesday supporters are attempting to force Chansiri to sell by restricting the club’s income.
Earlier this week, only 7,801 fans attended their penalty shootout victory over Leeds at Hillsborough. That is 20,099 fewer supporters than watched their most recent home fixture against the same opponents in the Championship last season.
With fans calling for a boycott of the match, the club dropped ticket prices to £15.
Even at that price, had the same number of fans attended this time, the club would have made about £300,000 more in gate receipts than the roughly £120,000 they will have taken with a heavily reduced attendance.
“The commitment from the Wednesday fans to get behind the team, not the regime, is designed to put further pressure on Chansiri,” says Maguire.
Even if fans’ attempts to damage the club’s income do increase the pressure on Chansiri, there still needs to be a buyer who can offer an amount that convinces him to finally cut ties.
Earlier this summer, former Crystal Palace owner John Textor – who remains in control of both Lyon in Ligue 1 and Brazilian club Botafogo – confirmed his interest in taking over Wednesday, saying: “It’s true that I am looking for a traditional English club to buy, or with which I can partner. I am monitoring the situation.”
Whether Textor would, or should, now pass the EFL’s Owners and Directors’ Test is not necessarily certain.
His ownership of Palace ended in acrimony and widespread derision from fans earlier this year after errors over Uefa multi-club ownership rules led to the Eagles being demoted to the Conference League from the Europa League.
“Textor does have £180m burning a hole in his pocket following the sale of his shares in Crystal Palace,” says Maguire.
“He is a colourful character who certainly likes the limelight. I guess some Wednesday fans would probably welcome anybody given the current circumstances.”
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