Billionaire on standby to buy up Sheffield Wednesday if James Bord’s takeover fails ‎

A billionaire is reportedly poised to step in and attempt a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday should the James Bord-led consortium fail in their bid to buy the club.

Relegation to League One was confirmed following defeat in the Steel City derby an outcome that had felt inevitable for some time. Not specifically on that day, at Bramall Lane, or even as early as February, but the damage had long been done.

A 12-point deduction in October after entering administration, followed by another six-point penalty in December for repeated breaches of EFL payment regulations, left Wednesday fighting a losing battle. With just one Championship victory all season coming back in September survival hopes were already hanging by a thread.

By the time Henrik Pedersen’s side faced their fiercest rivals, only a miracle could have preserved their status. Instead, they became the first club in English Football League history to suffer relegation as early as February.

An early goal from Patrick Bamford put them on the back foot, and Harrison Burrows doubled the advantage before the half-hour mark. Although Kalvin Phillips was sent off after the interval and Wednesday managed to pull one back, they never found the equaliser they so desperately required. Gabriel Otegbayo’s late red card extinguished any lingering hope.

“It’s painful that a club like Sheffield Wednesday is relegated in February,” Pedersen admitted afterward, insisting the players and staff had given everything despite months of writing on the wall.

Off the pitch, uncertainty continues to cloud the club’s future. Still in administration, Wednesday’s protracted ownership saga shows little sign of immediate resolution.

James Bord, the sports analytics entrepreneur named preferred bidder on Christmas Eve, remains in limbo as he awaits EFL approval for his £32.5 million offer. Reports suggest he is targeting completion in early April, but with the Independent Football Regulator expected to assume responsibility for vetting processes by May, further delays could subject the deal to additional scrutiny.

Should Bord’s takeover collapse, talkSPORT claims former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is prepared to re-enter the frame. The billionaire had previously been involved in discussions before Bord emerged as the frontrunner, and sources indicate he remains interested depending on how events unfold.

For supporters still absorbing the shock of a historic relegation delivered by their bitter rivals the possibility of Ashley’s arrival may not provide universal reassurance. Yet with League One football looming, the immediate concern is stability.

The pressing question now is not the division Wednesday will compete in next season that is settled but who will be in charge when the rebuild begins.