Birmingham City rivals in turmoil as 'wages delayed' and transfer embargo fear

Birmingham City's rivals Sheffield Wednesday are potentially in disarray amid reports that they've failed to pay their staff on time again

Birmingham City's Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday are running the risk of being imposed with a transfer ban amid reports that they have failed to pay the wages of the players on time again.

Blues are returning to the second tier with financial issues thankfully a distant memory under the previous regime before Knighthead's takeover, and they intend to spend again on the squad in order to make it as competitive as possible.

Talk of money worries and mismanagement at ownership level are emotions the Wednesday fanbase are currently experiencing, feelings Blues supporters themselves are well versed in.

Wednesday have had problems with wages and tax payments over the last year and the BBC and Sheffield Star claim that at least some players and staff did not receive their monthly pay as expected on Friday. The club had the same issue in March, when wages were eventually paid on April 7 - just before a deadline that would have resulted in a registration embargo.

On that occasion, Wednesday blamed "a temporary issue" with cashflow because of debts owed to owner Dejphon Chansiri, who has been in charge for 10 years and whose family runs a canned tuna business.

The Star writes: "Everybody has to be paid in full in order for the ban to be avoided.

"Technically it is still payday for those owed money, and should they be paid tomorrow then it would still be classed as before the end of the month. It’s understood that club have two days after the original default to either pay up or report it to the league, after that the ‘30 day rule’ will apply."

The EFL's 30-day rule means a punishment for any club which default on payments for a period of 30 days or more during a 12-month period from July 1 to June 30. This can be one 30-day default or a series of individual defaults which cumulatively reach 30 days - and this includes late payments to HM Revenue and Customs.

The Star adds: "Wednesday will have been fined the greater amount of either ‘£6,000 or five per cent of the outstanding sum due’ when they hit 20 days, whenever that may have been – the next punishment is a ban for ‘three full transfer windows’ commencing on the date on which the ‘persistent default’ occurred."

All this comes amid continued speculation about the future of popular manager Danny Rohl, who has talked candidly about his career and has been linked with jobs in Germany.

BBC Sheffield reporter Rob Staton said: "Sheffield Wednesday fans ended the season protesting against chairman Dejphon Chansiri in a way we haven't seen from this fanbase in the past.

"There was concern the last time wages were not paid on time - in March - that if it happened again within a certain timeframe, the club faced a potential transfer embargo. I suspect that can still be avoided, depending on the length of the delay. However, it is clearly a big concern that on the final Friday of the month, wages have again not been paid on time.

"There's so much uncertainty around Hillsborough. What is happening with manager Danny Rohl? What kind of plans are being made for next season? More importantly, though, how financially stable is this club? What is the future? There simply aren't any answers coming from the chairman.

"Looking at what is being said online and speaking to supporters, many have had enough. They worry about the reputational damage of their club. They wonder if there's a financially viable future. They look at the troubles at Reading recently and wonder if that could happen to them. It's a worrying time and many want change."

Rohl gave the impression that he'd had enough towards the end of the season.

He said after a defeat at Stoke last month: "Some players showed that they’re not able to play my football. We speak about quality, decision-making.

“If you want to improve as a club, you have to do a lot of things right in the summer, otherwise – and this is what I tell you – next season will be a big, big fight to stay in this league because we have a group of players that are not able to play at this level – not my football. I must say this today very directly.

“I think I protect all my players again and again, I take all the responsibility, I give chances now to players to see what they can do, but the results at the moment are not what they should be. And I demand, at the moment, not special things. For me, it’s about basics.”