Sheffield Wednesday’s six-figure sponsor queried but Owls thought to be in the clear

WANdisco, who have sponsored Wednesday in the past, are said to have been ‘unaware’ of the six-figure sum that was paid out to the club this season as they replaced Host & Stay on the front of their shirts for the upcoming campaign.

According to the report, which was released on Tuesday, “WANdisco’s board was “not told” that the data software business had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars so that a company co-owned by its founder and then chief executive could sponsor his favourite football team.”

The former chief executive in question is long-term supporter of the club, David Richards MBE, and he’s had a tumultuous few months, resigning from WANdisco in April whilst the company was going through a – unrelated – fraud scandal.

WANdisco’s annual report showed a that a figure of $362,691 had been agreed last year with regards to sponsoring the Owls on behalf of EyUp Skills Limited, and The Star understands that that was paid in advance early into the 2022/23 campaign. Part of the second $362,691 ‘contingent on certain post year end outcomes’ is also thought to have been paid following promotion into the Championship.

As things stand there are no plans in place to remove the EyUp logo from the shirts for the upcoming season, and there could still be more money coming in with those ‘post year end outcomes’ depending on what happens this season.

EyUp, who have said that they are about ‘creating software developers, generating jobs and investing in start-ups’, listed net assets of £1,555 in their most recent accounts, and recently the company’s website changed to a holding image saying that it was ‘under maintenance’.

WANdisco were founded by Richards and Dr. Yeturu Aahlad in 2005, and were the front-of-shirt sponsor on the Owls’ 2013/14 shirt during their last spell in the Championship.

Also according to the Times’ report, ‘Its shares were suspended in March after it said it had discovered a sales and accounting scam. WANdisco’s value collapsed by more than 96 per cent on its return to London’s Aim market yesterday, all but wiping out the holdings of shareholders, including Richards.”