Michael Storch outlines Premier League club that Sheffield Wednesday can follow - makes Barry Bannan claim
A year has passed since Sheffield Wednesday were plunged into the uncertainty of administration.
Sheffield Wednesday co-owner Michael Storch has reflected on the ambitions for the club going forward, 12 months on from the club’s shift into administration and away from the control of failed owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Today marks a full year since Wednesday was moved into administration, with a previously crazed sales process overseen by Chansiri moved into the hands of administrators at Begbies Traynor LLP. After a false start with a consortium led by former Sheffield United advisor James Bord, the Owls were taken over by US consortium Arise in May and have made huge strides in moving the club to a firmer footing.
Michael Storch, son of chairman David, is a co-owner of the club alongside his father and Tom Costin and in a week that saw Bournemouth beat Italian giants AC Milan having risen from League Two in the last two decades spoke of the south coast club as an example to follow in terms of good practice.
Wednesday have a much storied history and a greater fanbase than the likes of the Cherries and Brighton & Hove Albion, who has transformed their clubs in the last decades to become Premier League mainstays. Storch jnr believes Wednesday can follow suit - though it will take time.
He told the PA news agency: “(Bournemouth) shows us what we could go on and achieve. In the case of that club, it’s been a lot of very good decisions over a long period of time that results in success.
“We look at clubs like that as aspirational, these are clubs that have done incredible things. We talk about football clubs having their rightful place in the English pyramid. Wednesday has shown that it’s been at the heights of the game, and we believe that’s the potential of this club. We think the potential is great. It’s really about just building the blocks and the foundations over a period of time. There aren’t going to be any short cuts.”
Storch snr has been the face of the Arise takeover, though Michael has been a regular visitor to South Yorkshire along with other stakeholders as the new ownership carry through on their promises to be a regular presence around S6. Chairman David has spoken about the personal connection he has made with the city and of the responsibility he already feels for the civic role Wednesday play in the community.
Asked whether they feel the club can be passed on for generations of Storchs to come, Michael said: “That would be incredible. We have a lot that we have to get right. It’s a tough business. Hopefully the fans and the community in Sheffield want us to be around. But yeah, if they do, we’d love to be here with them for a long time.
“A key precept for us is working closely with the supporters,” he added. “The club has rolled out our FAB (Fan Advisory Board) to meet and take input from various fan groups. It’s central to what we’re doing. We want to be with the supporters, we want to build relationships with them. My dad, myself and Tom all want to spend a lot of time here in Sheffield. We want to be present and get involved in community initiatives, outside as well as inside the club.”
Among a vast summer rebuild of the squad, club legend Barry Bannan was brought back to the club after a brief hiatus at Millwall and has spoken about a desire to remain with the club beyond his playing days. Bannan has for many years admitted a wish to retire at S6 and go onto a career of coaching and managing at Wednesday - an outcome Storch jnr feels would be beneficial.
“Absolutely we would want him to do that,” he said. “As we were coming in, having somebody back at the club like him for a myriad of reasons was just so important. He is an icon at this club.
“What those leaders of the club did in the last few years, to stay through the difficult conditions at the club and to persevere and show up day in and day out and maintain that professionalism – I have so much respect for what they did for this club. We’d love to have someone like Barry or Liam (Palmer) be here for as long as they want to be associated with the club.”