Victoria Foyle retweetledi
Apologies in advance - this is a long one.
Now that the transaction is complete, I wanted to take a moment to thank the people who made what many thought was impossible… possible.
This has been one of the most complex, demanding and important processes I’ve ever been involved in. It simply does not get done without a huge number of people going above and beyond.
A few key aspects defined whether this club had a future:
1. Bringing S3 Limited into Administration alongside the Club -
This allowed us to market and sell the Club and stadium together. Without it, the outcome could have been terminal.
Thank you to New Avenue Projects for working with us to make this happen.
2. Funding the Club through the process
Cash was critical.
To the fans - thank you. You backed the Club when it mattered most, buying tickets and merchandise in huge numbers.
To the individual who loaned £1 million - incredible support at a critical time.
And to Henrik Pedersen - for his understanding and leadership when difficult football decisions had to be made.
3. Securing the outcome with the EFL
A huge amount of work went into finding a solution that worked for all parties and protected the Club’s future.
I want to thank a colleague (who would absolutely want to remain anonymous) for the creativity, technical expertise and, quite frankly, one of the most effective pieces of work I’ve ever seen in delivering a solution everyone could get behind.
A number of advisers were outstanding:
Wiggin LLP — David Hinchliffe and team. Relentless, often working through the night.
Freeths (Sheffield Insolvency Team) - led by Oliver Jackson, assisting throughout but crucial in the final weeks.
MD Law - Matthew Dixon (despite his football allegiances…), stepping in to solve a late-stage issue.
BTG Eddisons, BTG Insurance Services & BTG Forensics - supporting throughout.
Shorts Accountants - Scott Burkinshaw and team on tax.
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My BTG team - quite simply exceptional.
Jo Hammond, Mark Weekes, Paul Stanley, Julian Pitts, Phil Stone, Karis Cordery, Ben, Aidan, Niamh, Harry and many others.
And the wider Sheffield office who picked up the slack while we lived and breathed Hillsborough for six months.
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The Sheffield Wednesday staff have been nothing short of incredible.
Henrik Pedersen - one of the best leaders and people I’ve worked with. We were competitive throughout - that’s down to him.
Lindsey - “Mrs Sheffield Wednesday”. Tireless.
‘Stan’ - Mr Safety. Outstanding.
Rob, Louise, James and so many more behind the scenes.
I also want to mention Trevor Braithwaite and Alastair Wilson. Both have taken unfair criticism. They did their jobs professionally in extremely difficult circumstances, and the Club would not have functioned without them.
James Wheelhouse - for answering our SOS when appointed and keeping the IT infrastructure together under real pressure.
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A few others who played important roles:
Lee Strafford - trusted counsel throughout.
Alex Miller and Rob Staton - responsible journalism when it mattered.
Lee Wildgoose, Matt Bruce, Chris Cotterill and many more.
From the Trust - James Silverwood, Rob Brooke, Steven Chu.
And finally, Asher Simons - he was on the other side of the deal but was a huge driving force and without a Wednesday fan either side, I’m not sure it would have got done.I’m proud to now call him a friend.
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This has been a collective effort - but one driven by a clear objective from day one:
to protect Sheffield Wednesday and give it a future.
There is still a lot of work ahead (thankfully not for me 😀)
But today, the Club has stability, a new owner, and a real platform to move forward.
WAWAW
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