Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri delivers eyebrow-raising ambition statement - makes fan cash plea

Chairman Dejphon Chansiri took questions from an audience of Owls supporters at Hillsborough Stadium on Tuesday evening and was asked of his ambitions and goals this season after the club was promoted via the League One play-offs three weeks ago.

He delivered an ambitious answer for a newly-promoted club who are yet to put a manager in place just days out from the return of players for pre-season.

“If I say top two, it’s too much,” Chansiri said. “For me, minimum play-offs. That’s what we need to do. Then it’s 50/50, we don’t know. In the play-offs, anybody can lose or win.

“If I say we don’t try, what is the point? I need to lose money, there is no point. It’s easier in League One than the Championship, not this season, but it is not easy.

“Of course I always think of the Premier League. We need to think realistically, it is not easy. But we have potential.”

Explaining the importance of incoming revenue when it comes to the ability to stay within football finance regulations - which Wednesday failed to do earlier in Chansiri’s ownership and found themselves slapped with a points deduction that saw them relegated to the third tier - the Thai businessman appealed to supporters to up their contribution financially in order to aid a charge for the top tier.

Wednesday have been criticised in the last few weeks for season ticket prices and the cost of next season’s shirts.

Chansiri explained that ticket prices were raised in an attempt to drive revenue - making the claim that if 30,000 tickets are sold he would lower the price to £400 and embark on another vast refund programme for those who have already committed to higher prices - and claimed shirts should have been priced higher after a hike in costs.

He said in part: “If you want to help, we expect the fans to help us a bit. Not a lot, at least a bit better. Give us more money, then we have more chance.

“If I say to my kid at school, do good. But I don’t give him the books, they will struggle by themselves. We need to have the two.”