What was said at Sheffield Wednesday’s fan forum as Dejphon Chansiri addressed supporters

It’s been a turbulent couple of days for the Owls as supporters went from being excited about the season ahead to wondering what happens after it was announced that Moore would be moving on, and as things stand they have no manager, a depleted technical staff and only 14 senior players going into their 2023/24 campaign.

This evening fans hoped to get some answers about where things will go from here, with just a few weeks to go until their first season back in the Championship gets underway - with many eager to find out more regarding why a record-breaking, promotion-winning manager was leaving the club despite being so well liked.

On the panel sat Stadium Operations Manager Richard Stanford, Chief Operations Officer Liam Dooley, Director of Communications Trevor Braithwait and chairman, Dejphon Chansiri...

Here’s some of what was said on the evening:

Q: Can you please update us on the situation with Darren Moore?

A: It’s not a complicated situation, in football this happens. Coaches come and go. I cannot talk much, because I promised with him that I wouldn’t say anything unless he said something first... Our relationship is still good, on Saturday we were out for dinner together. The fans may think why now, but he went on holiday after the game - he just came back last week, and we had a meeting on Wednesday. It’s just the football business... We still have a good relationship, maybe he will come and watch games, he’ll sit next to me - he even said he was happy to come to this meeting, but I said it was fine.

We want to have the new coach soon, we’re trying, and we want to have it done by the time the players come back... Please be patient, it’s not as fast as in League One unless you recruit the players that nobody wants. We have the list, of our targets, and we’ve already started work.

I spoke to (Barry) Bannan this morning because last night they contacted me… He asked me what happened, and then we talked about the coach - I said I’d try to bring as fast as we can. He joked he could be the coach if we don’t have one yet for preseason... I hope that the next manager is better, and that you don’t need to Google him.

Q: Who is in charge of recruitment now?

A: The one who has done the recruitment list is our team, not Darren... We have a long list, then we make a short list - then that’s presented to me and we go, one by one. We don’t need to worry about the coach or not, whoever I bring in will still use that list. I won’t allow a coach to come in and change my player - they have to come in and fit to my players.

Q: Darren Moore deserved a chance, why has he not been given a chance in the Championship?

A: I agree with you, after bringing us to the Championship he deserved a chance. I always support as much as I can, I would have been happy to leave him here. But as a football business this is normal... I’m sorry that I can’t go more in depth - if you want to know more you need to go and ask Darren...

Q: I don’t think you appreciate what it’s like to live and try and pay your ticket prices - you had a perfect opportunity after Wembley to get more fans in, but the prices go up. Why do we have to pump the money in?

A: I like it when people say this face to face rather than from the outside. Even with the money from the fans doesn’t make us break even... You have your opinion, I have mine, we don’t have to agree. I understand the fans want cheaper, that’s normal... But everything needs to be balanced. We startet at £395, why did people not buy? I want to give back to the fans who show loyalty and buy the cheaper tickets. I lose £1m giving back to loyal fans, I could start at four hundred and something... Our expenses are a lot at our big stadium, more than other teams - at matchday we have hundreds of staff, you don’t know what it costs.

*Meanwhile, Dejphon Chansiri says that if 30,000 commit to buy season tickets this season then he’ll make all of them £400… And those that have already paid over £400 will get a refund for the amount they’ve paid over that figure.*

Q: I’ve seen that Amadeu Paixao is back, how you you appeal to new coaches when there are ‘puppets’ behind the scenes regarding recruitment?

A: Media don’t know 100%, sometimes they know nothing. Amadeu is my personal advisor, he’s always with me. Maybe for a few years you didn’t see him because I wasn’t here - he’s here with me... The process for recruitment has many channels, including agents who provide for us, and then we analyse, put together a list, we have a committee and have the coach involved. The coach says who he wants, then he explains to me, and we make a decision. It’s not Amadeu... Amadeu helped the club a lot.

With David Downes, he was in-house, who handled things and analysed - and he also helped me negotiate. Darren wanted to learn, so he also got involved... Whether David Downes is here or not, it doesn’t cause any problems... He left for personal issues, not job issues.

Q: Are there plans this season and in coming seasons to recruit younger players with resale value?

A: Every club wants young players - but you have to think what fits to you... Firstly we need to push to go up, and secondly we need to make more value - it can’t always be both. We want to push to go up as priority... People say I never sell players, and on average they sold one player, I believe I’ve made more money than them. Fans say I don’t like to sell, but sometimes it’s not me - sometimes it’s down to whether clubs want them, whether the player wants to go.

My only mistake was Fernando. Every fan said not to sell him, and we wanted him to help us to push to the Premier League...

Q: Why do we often offer short contracts not longer ones?

A: It depends on the situation. With younger players we need longer contracts, if they’re older than they’re shorter. Players in their last year will push for a new contract - but it depends on the player. Sometimes if they have longer contracts then they relax.

Q: What would you define as a good season next season, and what are the plans to get back to the Premier League?

A: I think next season is not easy, there are big teams that have come down and big teams that have stayed in the Championship. There are a lot of former Premier League teams in there. Teams that were relegated and have parachute payments, so that’s why it’s difficult... If you stay in the Championship too long you will die, you have to find a way to go up.

If I said the top two it would be a dream, but for me my minimum aim is to get into the play-offs. If we aren’t going to try, what’s the point in staying in the Championship?

Q: What’s being done about the drug use in the North stand?

A: (Stanford) It’s something that we’re working with the police on. It’s cocaine, it’s a massive problem across football, it can be got really easily. We’re looking at bringing dogs in because we can’t legally search 14-year-olds... Searching regimes will have to increase now that we’re in the Championship, that brings bigger problems. Everything you’ve said I’m listening to because you’re not the only person - there’s a text messaging service that helps us on a matchday. If we get those texts then it comes into the control room, and can be used as evidence.

More will follow on thestar.co.uk as the week goes on.