Mike Ashley has been revealed as one of the three final contenders to buy Sheffield Wednesday.
The Championship’s bottom club were deducted 12 points as a result of going into administration in October before receiving a further six-point penalty from the EFL this month.
Shutterstock EditorialThree parties are in a race to buy Championship club Sheffield Wednesday[/caption]
The second points deduction was related to failing to meet payment obligations.
As a result, the Owls are on -9 points after 19 matches ahead of their clash with Derby County on Monday.
However, fans have been handed an update as potential buyers jostle to complete a takeover.
According to the Daily Mail, Ashley is in a three-horse race alongside an American consortium and a group including Dunfermline owner James Bord.
The US-based group is made up of billionaire John McEvoy and the Storch family.
Any purchase of the club would be subject to the preferred candidate passing the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test.
The report adds that the club’s administrators Begbies Traynor have slapped a £30million price tag on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, they are looking to secure as much money for creditors as possible in their process of choosing a buyer.
Former Newcastle owner Ashley is interested in buying WednesdayGetty
Who wants to buy Sheffield Wednesday?
Ashley is no stranger to football club ownership having previously been Newcastle owner for 14 years.
He bought the Magpies in 2007 and oversaw two promotions to the Premier League during his tenure, albeit after they were relegated to the Championship on two occasions before each promotion.
The club would be sold by Ashley to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2021.
His time as Newcastle owner also overlapped with Ashley’s spell as a minority shareholder in Rangers.
The former Sports Direct CEO is not the only interested party in Wednesday to have a connection to Scottish football, though.
Bord is part of the group which bought second tier Dunfermline back in January.
POKER VIDEOFormer poker player Bord already owns Dunfermline as well as stakes in clubs in Spain and Bulgaria[/caption]
The ex-poker player also holds a minority stake in clubs in Spain and Bulgaria.
Dunfermline are currently fifth in the Scottish Championship following a seventh place finish last term.
As for the Storch family, they have previously shown an interest in buying Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims have been owned by American businessman Simon Hallett since 2018 and are currently 21st in League One.
The Saints had won six of their last seven and are looking to make the play-offs.
What has been said?
After the game, Makama was interviewed by talkSPORT’s Mike Sewell.
The goalscorer was asked about the importance of the win.
He said: “We’ve been working incredibly hard over the past few weeks, and we went after a team that was in incredible form, and it just shows what we can do as a team.
“We can go out there and fight and compete with the teams that are above us. It was such a good feeling to go out there and get three points.”
Things could have been very different for Norwich had Vladan Kovacevic not saved an Adam Armstrong penalty in the first half.
That gave Makama the chance to be Norwich’s hero.
Speaking about his double and taking on the responsibility of leading the line in Sargent’s absence, he said: “I want to score goals, and I could have scored more.
“But the impact I have had has been good, and with Sargent out of the team today, I had to step up and really take that on my back and try to get the win for the boys, and I did just that.”
Norwich have now won two of their last four in the Championship since Philippe Clement became manager, and the push to get out of the drop zone is well and truly on.
Antonio was at West Ham for ten years before leaving in the summerGetty
The Jamaica international broke his leg in four places having crashed his Ferrari in December 2024.
Antonio hasn’t played competitively at club level since the horrific traffic accident a year ago but did turn out for the Reggae Boyz during the Gold Cup over the summer.
West Ham opted against extending his stay in east London, yet allowed Antonio to continue his rehabilitation, and the forward even turned out for the U21 side against Nottingham Forest back in August.
The 35-year-old has made it clear that he didn’t want to retire from football despite his Hammers release.
Antonio had previously trained with Brentford to build up fitness, though wasn’t offered a deal by the Bees.
The powerhouse forward is now training with Leicester over a potential return to club football.
Speaking on Friday, Foxes boss Marti Cifuentes confirmed the club was in discussions over a permanent deal for Antonio, who he claimed was ‘looking good’ in training.
“He’s a player who’s got big experience in the Premier League,” Cifuentes said.
“He’s training with us at the moment and we’re having a look.
“He’s a good football player. He comes from a period without a team, but he’s been training only a couple of days with us and he’s been looking good. He’s a good lad to have around as well.”
Cifuentes’ Leicester side are struggling this season.Getty
Cifuentes added Antonio wasn’t showing any effects of last year’s car crash.
“He’s looking good in that sense. It would take some time (for match fitness) because he has been away for a long period.
“It’s never easy. It doesn’t matter how hard you train, the level in games is different. But he’s looking good.
“It’s something we’re discussing. We’re having a look and he’s happy to train with us. We’ll see.”
Antonio is currently out of contract, so is free to sign for the Foxes outside of the transfer window.
The addition of the Premier League experienced striker would prove a boost for Leicester, who are struggling in the Championship this season.
GettyAntonio has 68 goals and 36 assists from 268 Premier League appearances[/caption]
Leicester sit 13th in England’s second tier after 20 games having won just seven times.
The Midlands side, meanwhile, have struck just 27 league goals this season as they look to secure a Premier League return.
Strikers Jordan Ayew and Patson Daka have netted just four league goals between them, with the Foxes in dire need of attacking reinforcements.
However, Leicester could soon find themselves in a relegation dogfight as they wait to hear whether they breached Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Leicester are alleged to have breached PSR regulations during the 2023/24 Championship campaign, their most recent in England’s second tier.
The club are also accused of failing to submit their annual accounts by the December 31st deadline.
Leicester are facing a points deductionGetty
As such, the Midlands outfit could be handed a six-point penalty, which if handed out today would see them go level on 22 points with 20th-placed Blackburn.
Leicester were held to a 2-2 draw at Bristol City in midweek, a result that means Cifuentes’ side have won only one of their last four league matches.
The Foxes will look to return to winning ways when they host Ipswich at the King Power Stadium this weekend.
Ipswich, like Leicester, made an immediate return to the Championship followed a doomed season back in the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys currently sit six points above Leicester and occupy one of the four playoff spots.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenneyhave sold a stake in Wrexham to Apollo Sports Capital.
The giant sports company are expanding into football, recently acquiring a major stake in Atletico Madrid. Now they’ve added Wrexham to their roster by purchasing a small stake in the Welsh side.
Wrexham are poised for some potentially huge investmentGetty
Apollo Sports Capital is estimated to be worth an incredible $900billion, and they have some plans already.
The club’s Racecourse Ground is set for redevelopment, and Apollo Sports Capital are set to fund that.
They hope the ground will be in position to host a match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035 should the home nations be successful in a bid.
One member of the group, Lee Solomon, said: “Wrexham is on an incredible journey.
“We are thrilled to be a part of it and to support the Club, the Wrexham community and Rob and Ryan.
“This is a multi-faceted investment where Apollo Sports Capital can provide long-term, patient capital to help Wrexham reach its goals.”
This isn’t the first time that Reynolds and McElhenney have teamed up with the chief of Apollo Sports Capital.
Al Tylis is the chairman of Mexican side Nexaca and was part of a group that invested in Colombian side La Equidad, which Reynolds and McElhenney have also put money into.
And in a statement, Reynolds and Mac said: “The dream has always been to take this club to the Premier League while staying true to the town.
“Growth like that takes world-class partners who share our vision and ambition, and Apollo absolutely does. We have known Al Tylis, the chief of Apollo Sports Capital, for many years and are thrilled to now have ASC join the Wrexham family as we take the next step forward together.”
Before this stake was sold, the American Hollywood duo owned 85 per cent of Wrexham. It’s unclear how much of the club they now possess.
But this isn’t their first stake sale, with 15 per cent being sold to the Allyn family in October 2024.
The club has also made money through the Disney documentary and a host of other big-name sponsors.
Reynolds and Mac have transformed WrexhamGettyNo matter what happens, they’ve changed that club foreverGetty
Next stage
Since Reynolds and Mac stunned the football world by buying Wrexham in 2021, the club has been on a constant upward trajectory.
Phil Parkinson has remained the manager the whole time, but the American duo have happily backed him in the transfer market.
They’ve been ruthless with some players as well, with cult heroes like Paul Mullin departing and new, better and more experienced players arriving.
It does look like the run of promotions is going to end this season in the Championship, but Wrexham have already admitted they aren’t ready for the Premier League yet.
So, the only aim for them this year is to stay in the Championship, and they are on course to do so.
They are currently tenth, nine points above the drop zone and are only three points off the play-offs.
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The family of the Charlton fan who passed away during their match against Portsmouth have released a heartfelt statement.
It was confirmed on Monday morning that recognisable supporter, Norman Baker, was the man who sadly died on Saturday.
GettyBaker passed away during Charlton’s match against Portsmouth on Saturday[/caption]
Charlton’s Championship clash at The Valley was abandoned after 12 minutes when referee Matthew Donohue stopped the game due to a medical emergency.
And less than two hours after the match was called off, the Addicks confirmed in a statement that a fan had passed away.
“The club are devastated to report that a Charlton Athletic supporter has died following a medical emergency during today’s game at The Valley against Portsmouth,” it read.
“The match was halted in the 12th minute while the supporter received treatment and was subsequently postponed.
“The club would like to thank the Charlton staff and first responders who did everything they could, but sadly the supporter later passed away in hospital.
“The club are grateful to supporters in attendance and the Portsmouth players and staff for their patience and understanding as this tragedy unfolded.
“Everyone at the club sends their heartfelt condolences to the supporter’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
Two days later, it has now been revealed that Baker, also known as ‘Headphones Norm’ within the Charlton fanbase, was the supporter who sadly passed.
Charlton wrote: “Charlton Athletic are devastated by the loss of one of our most loyal and recognisable faces, Norman Barker.
“A true beacon of the Addicks faithful, home and away, ‘Headphones Norm’ will be dearly missed by all.”
They wrote: “The family of Norman ‘Heaphones’ Baker, a beloved brother and uncle, would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the many people who have responded so kindly and movingly to the news of his sudden and unexpected passing.
“The Charlton Athletic community was Norman’s second family.
“He was thrilled to have won the 2024/25 Colin Cameron Supporter of the Year award, bringing his trophy to our most recent family party at the time.
“He was quite clearly a cherished Charlton fan, a friend to many, and very obviously well loved.
“Norman died doing what he loved so dearly. We, the family, are all truly astounded by the heartfelt tributes, thoughts and prayers that he has received, from the Charton community and beyond.
“Your kind words will bring out family much peace and comfort in the difficult times that we will inevitably have to face in the future, now that Norma has left us.
“Again, to you all, that you – it really does mean so much to our family.”
A Basic list of recent teams in the Championship
Barnsley
Birmingham
Blackpool
Bristol City
Brighton
Burnley
Cardiff City
Coventry City
Crystal Palace
Derby
Doncaster
Hull City
Ipswich Town
Leeds United
Leicester City
Middlesborough
Millwall
Nottingham Forest
Peterborough
Portsmouth
Reading
Southampton
Watford
West Ham
More Information on each Football Team will be duly added shortly, along with Daily Motion details on the latest Videos.
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