Exclusive:Sheffield Wednesday players could pay for own hotel rooms ahead of Leicester City opener
Sheffield Wednesday players are considering paying for their own hotel rooms ahead of their opening day trip to Leicester City after being told pre-match accommodation may not be provided by the club, The Star understands.
The cash-strapped Owls open their Championship campaign against the title-chasing Foxes on August 10 amid a summer of discontent that has seen the bulk of the squad leave with no incoming recruitment. Players, backroom staff and non-football employees at the club have been warned not to expect the payment of their monthly salaries today, their scheduled payday.
Off-field turbulence has shrouded their preparation for the forthcoming season throughout, with the protracted exit of former manager Danny Röhl having been played out to the backdrop of repeat missed wage payments, further financial discrepancies and the closure of Hillsborough’s North Stand due to safety concerns. It’s possible the club could be hit with a points deduction with an appeal against EFL charges in process.
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Now, with just 10 days to go until the start of the new season, sources have indicated to The Star that the booking of any en masse pre-match accommodation for the trip to Leicester is far from certain and that plans are being drawn up by the club to make the 70-mile journey on the day of the game. The situation has left players concerned for the suitability of their preparation and many are believed to be considering driving themselves down the night before - and paying for hotel rooms out of their own pocket.
Payday challenges have hit the Wednesday changing room for the fourth month in five and it’s understood that players are considering a refusal to play in this weekend’s scheduled behind-closed-doors run-out at Burnley by way of protest against their current situation, with many understood to weighed up a decision on whether not to report for training today.
It’s understood that Burnley had offered to pay for the Owls’ pre-match accommodation in order to facilitate a morning kick-off that would allow Clarets staff to attend both that match and a friendly at Stoke City later in the afternoon. The likelihood of the match going ahead - or what team Wednesday are able to send across the Pennines - is as of yet unknown.
The club’s likely failure to pay players today would re-open the possibility of individuals being able to tender notices to leave the club, with the successful mutual termination of the contracts of Josh Windass and Michael Smith earlier this month having effectively offered a blueprint for those wishing to do so.