Sheffield Wednesday non-football staff paid just £700 of monthly salary
On Friday it became clear that at least some senior players and backroom staff had not been paid as expected on the morning of May 30 and that payments had been delayed.
This is the second occasion that payment delays have been incurred by the club this year after some players and staff were paid late for the month of March, when club owner Dejphon Chansiri cited ‘cashflow issues’ in his private business affairs. On that occasion, it was made clear by Wednesday that lower-paid, non-footballing staff had been paid in full, with only players, football staff and a handful of non-football staff not in prompt receipt of their full wages.
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Correspondence seen by The Star, sent to non-football staff by the club on Friday afternoon, confirms that this time around at least some non-football staff have been paid only £700 of their expected payments. Impacted individuals have been told that the club anticipates it will be able to pay them in full ‘during the course of this Monday’.
With lower-paid staff not paid in full, the latest developments paint a concerning financial picture at Wednesday. Emergency funds have been made available to anyone who employees who are in immediate need, the correspondence claims. The correspondence goes on to thank those impacted for their understanding and support.
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“We understand that such delays create financial pressure and want to reassure our staff that the club is here to support you and ensure that no one suffers any financial hardship,” it reads in part. “If you are facing any immediate financial difficulties as a result of this delay, please don’t hesitate to contact your Line Manager or Department Head, who will aid the access of emergency funding we have in place.”
The situation puts Wednesday in a perilous position in that due to previous payment delays, they are within one default day of breaking the EFL’s ‘30-day rule’ – and run the risk of a three-window transfer embargo. A two-day self-reporting period is in place, meaning – as per guidance from authorities – without dispensation they have the weekend to pay players and staff in full or face the reality of a three-window registration ban.
