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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →James Bord’s consortium withdrew its proposed £47.8 million takeover of Sheffield Wednesday on 25 February 2026, but the sale process continued. The English Football League confirmed on 2 May 2026 that Arise Capital Partners had completed the purchase. Mike Ashley was reported to have made a bid, but he did not become the club’s owner. The EFL also decided not to impose the 15-point deduction that had been expected during negotiations.
Why did James Bord pull out of the Sheffield Wednesday takeover?
Bord’s consortium withdrew from its proposed £47.8 million takeover on 25 February 2026. BBC Sport reported that the group considered the club’s valuation lower than its offer and said it could not renegotiate the price under the terms of its agreement. The withdrawal ended Bord’s bid, not the club’s sale process. BBC Sport reported the withdrawal and administrators’ response.
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The administrators said other parties involved earlier in the sales process remained interested and that they would re-engage with them on an expedited timetable. Bord had been named preferred bidder on 24 December 2025.
Who eventually bought Sheffield Wednesday?
Arise Capital Partners LLC completed the asset transfer on 2 May 2026. The EFL identified the consortium as led by David Storch, alongside Michael Storch and Tom Costin. Sheffield Wednesday exited administration after meeting the league’s requirements. The EFL’s statement confirmed the completed sale and its terms.
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Mike Ashley was not the buyer. On 11 March 2026, BBC Sport reported that Arise was in an exclusive negotiation period and that Ashley was understood to have made a bid. That report described the state of the process at the time; the later EFL confirmation establishes that Arise completed the purchase. BBC Sport’s March report covered the negotiations and reported bid.
Did Sheffield Wednesday receive the threatened 15-point deduction?
No. Before completion, the proposed Arise deal did not meet the EFL’s creditor-repayment threshold, so a 15-point deduction was expected if it completed on those terms. That was a contemporaneous expectation, not the final outcome. When the sale was completed, the EFL said the club had met its requirements and the Board decided it was not appropriate to impose the deduction.
The club did, however, leave administration under a budget restriction for the next two seasons. Player registrations must comply with an agreed business plan.
What did Simon Jordan say about the takeover?
BBC Sport reported that former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan believed the automatic 15-point penalty should be challenged. The report does not establish that he made the comment specifically in response to Bord’s withdrawal, and it does not provide an exact quotation in the accessible passage. It is therefore more accurate to describe this as Jordan’s reported view on the penalty than as a direct reaction to the failed bid.
What was Simon Jordan’s Mike Ashley prediction?
The exact prediction implied by that wording is not verified by the available material. A talkSPORT video published on 27 November 2025 is titled “’HOW COULD YOU!?’ Simon Jordan REACTS to Sheffield Wednesday MERGER Reports & Mike Ashley Interest!” Its description says Jordan and Jim White discussed merger reports and whether Ashley was a genuine contender, but the accessible video information does not establish Jordan’s precise words or prediction. The talkSPORT video metadata identifies the discussion topic.
What is established is narrower: Ashley’s interest was discussed in 2025 and BBC Sport later reported that he was understood to have made a bid. Neither fact makes him the eventual buyer; the EFL confirmed Arise as the purchaser in May 2026.
Quick Recap
Sheffield Wednesday takeover timeline
| Date | Reported status | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 24 December 2025 | Preferred bidder | BBC Sport reported that James Bord’s consortium had been selected as preferred bidder. |
| 25 February 2026 | Bord bid withdrawn | The consortium withdrew its proposed £47.8 million takeover; administrators said other interested parties remained in the process. |
| 11 March 2026 | Negotiations | BBC Sport reported Arise Capital Partners in an exclusive negotiation period and said Ashley was understood to have made a bid. The 15-point deduction was then expected if Arise completed on the reported terms. |
| 2 May 2026 | Sale completed | The EFL confirmed Arise Capital Partners’ purchase, Wednesday’s exit from administration without the 15-point deduction, and continuing budget and player-registration restrictions. |
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