Dejphon Chansiri doubles down on Sheffield Wednesday season ticket claim but sends FFP warning

Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has doubled down on a promise to keep season ticket prices at £400 if the club can sell 30,000 of them. The Owls are preparing for life back in the Championship, but the average cost of a season ticket at Hillsborough is £623 – the second highest in the second tier – with only Norwich City (£635) coming in higher.

Chansiri said: “We have phases of Season Ticket sales and the price of the Early Bird started at £395 on the Kop. It started low because of loyalty to the fans and this cost the club over £1m in potential ticket revenue.

“For example, prices could be higher at the first phase. Each phase will always go up in price, that is normal. There are more phases so the rise in price is smaller through each phase and gives more flexibility to the fans.

“Let me make it clear, I appreciate and say thank you to every fan who has bought any kind of ticket or anything from our club. Sometimes because of my English, some may ‘catch my word’ but it is never my intention to criticise any fan, apart from someone, a small minority as I always say, who is consistently negative and tries to cause damage who I am always prepared to meet face to face.

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“If anyone buys a Season Ticket, a match ticket or who may not even buy any ticket at all and support with your heart, I appreciate the fans very much and say thank you to you all. I was asked by a fan on Tuesday: ‘If you reduce the price of Season Tickets to £400 you would sell 30,000, is this something you could do?’

“My response has been widely reported but not the question itself, but my answer is the same. If we sold 30,000 Season Tickets, which would be possible, the cost would be reduced to £400, with the balance refunded immediately.

“If we could sell that number of Season Tickets then that is my pledge. Overall, my message is that we must drive every revenue possible to be competitive and stay within the constraints of FFP.

“I always say the truth, because we have to balance. I understand any fan who has any issue that prevents them buying a ticket and we have different schemes to help, like finance with V12 which allows fans to spread the payment and interest-free with the Owls Mastercard.

“But not everyone can afford which is why I highlighted on Tuesday our Community Engagement Scheme, which has been in place since my first year. I am happy that we have had emails this week from fans who wish to join this scheme.

“It is there to help and our door is always open to talk. I will continue to do the best I can for Sheffield Wednesday and all I can ask is that our loyal fans do the same, together as one.

“We will start the season with a new manager, we will have new players to join our squad and I am looking forward to another exciting season.”