Ryan Howsam outlines stance on potential Sheffield Wednesday takeover as he explains Simon Jordan discussion
Insurance entrepreneur Ryan Howsam has outlined his stance on the possibility of involvement in a Sheffield Wednesday takeover.
The Sheffield-born businessman took a look at the Owls earlier in the process, with support from ex-Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan.
However, they pulled back before the first stage of bid-tabling when it became clear they would not get the value for money they wanted.
The Owls are now back on the table following the James Bord-led consortium’s withdrawal from a takeover process they were at the centre of.
Wednesday are at risk of a 15-point deduction next season, as one will be applied unless a new owner stumps up a 25 per cent payment on monies owed to the football creditors on exit from administration. Controversially, the bulk of that money would go to the outgoing Dejphon Chansiri.
Ryan Howsam’s stance
In an interview with The Star, Howsam has conceded he is “still deliberating” and that the possibility of a sanction is a major sticking point.
He said: “I've had a chat with him (Jordan) actually. But I think ultimately the reality is that there's no way I will be paying the minimum amount to get the club without a sanction.
“The only way that I would entertain anything would be on the basis of them coming to the table and saying that there would be no sanctioning at the bid that I would put in. That’s just the reality of it.
“Maybe that's something that the administrators can can pick up and speak about. Simon is better versed in these things and has spoken about some wiggle room.
“So in that sense, I'm still deliberating where we sit, but if that wasn't a cast iron stance on the sanction, it makes things difficult. For us and for others.”
Simon Jordan’s position
Jordan, now a regular pundit on talkSPORT, has made it clear he has no desire to return to football ownership.
Howsam said: “Beyond the sanction, there is the point with regards to Simon and whether he’d be involved. He’s been pretty unequivocal, hasn’t he? He is a mate, though, so you just never know.
“I had a chat with him, I asked him what he thought, and I think he’s at a point where it’s moved on from him with other things he's got going on and so on.
“And he would have been an important person for me to go in and do it with if I was doing it. But even with Simon, even if a lower-level bid was accepted, going in with that 15-point deduction is just not a smart place to start. I’m definitely interested but on that basis, it's unlikely, to be honest.”