Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are extremely pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached between Milan Mandaric on behalf of UKFI Limited and Mr Dejphon Chansiri to acquire 100% of the shareholding in the football club.
Mr Chansiri is a distinguished businessman in Thailand whose family control the Thai Union Frozen Group, the world’s largest producer of tuna as well as one of the biggest worldwide general seafood producers.
Speaking exclusively to swfc.co.uk, he revealed his delight at acquiring the club:
“I am very excited at the prospect of taking over control from Milan. I believe this club has huge potential and I can assure all our supporters that I will be working extremely hard to bring the success that I already sense from my short time in your city our supporters so desperately crave.”
He added: “My son Att, who was a mascot at the recent Blackpool game, is passionate about football and I know will be my inspiration in this project. I have made the same promise to him as I do our supporters, he will not let me forget this until we are back in the Premier League.”
He went on further: “Milan has been a wonderful owner of the club, taking over at a very difficult time and guiding it out of League One and handing it over with much still to play for this season in the Championship. I am pleased he has agreed to remain a supporter of the club, I am sure with his football knowledge and business expertise he will be of invaluable help to me.”
It can be revealed that during the period of negotiations that have taken place between the two parties recently, Mr Chansiri has made funds available to assist the club in bringing in two recent loan signings from Chelsea and Manchester United.
He said: “I was very pleased to help Milan with his plans to strengthen the squad and I am hopeful that now everything is agreed we can work together to bring in additions to the team before the end of the transfer window. We haven’t got long but we will all work very hard to strengthen the team for the second half of the season.”
Chairman Milan Mandaric spoke of his delight at passing over the responsibility of the club to the new owner: “From the first time I met Dejphon I felt he was the right person for this fantastic club, his business expertise and passion made him stand out from the other interested parties that I have spoken to since I announced that Mr Mammadov could no longer fulfil his obligation to purchase the club.”
He spoke further about the future: “Once the final details and Football League approval have been concluded I will step down as Chairman and as a director but will retain an advisory role, wherever Dejphon needs my help, I will only be too pleased to assist. In my four years in Sheffield I have come to regard this city as my home and desperately want to be a part of the journey we all started together when I arrived which I am sure will ultimately see our club back in the Premier League very soon.”
The deal is still subject to ratification by the Football League and during that process Mr Chansiri and his team will become involved in the operation of the club to ensure a smooth handover upon completion.
Mr Chansiri has pledged to outline his vision for Sheffield Wednesday when appropriate once the formal requirements are concluded and the club asks its supporters for patience until that time.