OWLS fan group Wednesdayite could be set to call time on Geoff Sheard.
Sources close to the organisation suggest that they are close to withdrawing their offer to sell their 10 per cent holding in the club to the takeover frontman.
There are understood to be concerns among the group's board members that the Sheard saga has dragged on since January and that there appears to be no sign of a deal being completed with Wednesdayite or other major shareholders.
Wednesdayite recently expressed doubts about whether the Sheard bid would be finalised and they entered into talks with four other parties
It is believed that two of those parties have now dropped out but two remain interested
The fan group only recently insisted that they have yet to see satisfactory proof of funds from Sheard since their members agreed in a ballot on August 6 to sell to him. Proof of funds was one of the conditions of sale.
If Wednesdayite withdraw their willingness to sell to him, it does not mean that he and his backers can now no longer take over the club, for the 30 per cent stake shared by Dave Allen, Keith Addy and Geoff Hulley so far remains available.
Sheard has been targeting that trio's holding rather than Wednesdayite's, as his consortium's first step.
But this latest move by the fan group - if it arrives - would seem to indicate underlying concerns in their leadership about the Sheard affair.
The news coincides with a newspaper report that claims Sheard's backers are a British businessman called Clive Smith and a German, Andreas Pilz.
Meanwhile, Brian Laws has confirmed that Leon Clarke is in contention for his first home League start of the season against Plymouth tonight.
The Owls boss said: "Leon played the lone-striker role quite well at Birmingham on Saturday. He worked hard and looked bright. He's given himself half a chance."
But Laws is keeping his line-up under wraps and looks set to pick two from three strikers, Clarke, Deon Burton and Francis Jeffers, with Akpo Sodje probably on the bench.
BREAKING: Wednesdayite call time on SheardWhat do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORE Blades Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarOwls Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarWatch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much moreFootball headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 426 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
