On social media, pictures of Charlie Methven, the former CEO of Charlton Athletic and Sunderland, watching Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with a lowly Norwich City on Wednesday night have gone viral, causing division among the respective fan bases.
Henrik Pedersen’s team took the lead in the first half with another goal that club legend and captain Barry Bannan could add to his collection of world-class finishes in what the Owls’ current administrators, Begbies Traynor, dubbed “Blue and White night” at Hillsborough. However, they were tied early in the second period by Mathias Kvistgaarden’s second goal for the Canaries.
The Championship’s bottom team is hoping that a deal can be reached quickly with a new buyer to remove the team from administration after it was put into such measures on October 24th by its former controversial owner, Dejphon Chansiri. Recent events in S6 have been widely reported.
In order to help stabilize the club in the interim, supporters have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on official merchandise and ticket sales during the last two weeks, celebrating the fact that Chansiri’s time in the boardroom is virtually over. The administrators eventually hope to remove the club from the market.
Although it is unclear if Methven is seeking to join a “double-figure” queue—at least three parties can provide evidence of at least £50 million in funds—his appearance at Hillsborough in the middle of the week undoubtedly generated discussion. Several well-known parties, including John Textor, Mike Ashley, and John McEvoy, have reportedly expressed interest.
Opinions are mixed about Charlie Methven’s photos at Hillsborough for Sheffield Wednesday vs. Norwich City.
Along with his passion for Wednesday’s divisional rivals, Oxford United—who, strangely, were their first opponents after being placed in administration and given a 12-point deduction—the 49-year-old has gained notoriety in the EFL in recent years.
Following back-to-back relegations into League One, Methven played a significant role in the agreement that saw Stewart Donald take over as chairman of the Black Cats in May 2018. He also acquired a five percent ownership in the company and rose to prominence on the board.
He was prominent during the second season of the Netflix documentary “Sunderland ‘Til I Die.'” He resigned from his position in December 2019, however he kept his shareholding for a while.
After working with Edward Warrick to negotiate the takeover of The Valley by SE7 Partners, Methven was appointed CEO of Charlton in July 2023. But in March, two months before Nathan Jones’ team defeated Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final, he would resign from his position in the Addicks’ hierarchy.
He may be seeking a quick way back into ownership, though, as evidenced by his presence in the Steel City on Wednesday night with Owls supporter Symon Quick, who has been especially outspoken about takeover talks for a number of outlets. This has undoubtedly generated mixed reactions from Wednesday supporters and those of Methven’s previous clubs.
In the Black Cats’ documentary series, Swedish international legend Zlatan Ibrahimović was featured at the bottom of a scouting report, underscoring the North East team’s desperate circumstances at the time. One Owls fan was keen to point out this pretty niche reference.
Another was not happy, obviously thinking the two would do more harm than Chansiri, who nearly threw the club into the wall.
One Wednesdayite, meanwhile, thinks the former journalist’s future involvement wouldn’t be as terrible as many think.
Even though the Black Cats are back in the Premier League and it has been six years since he left, it’s safe to assume that Methven is still hated at the Stadium of Light.
Another Sunderland supporter agreed, saying Wednesday would be in far better hands under Ashley than their previous CEO, despite the two teams’ bitter Tyne-Wear rivalry.
Another stated that the very concept of his being at Hillsborough should elicit additional protests from Wednesday supporters.
When Sheffield Wednesday can complete takeover deal amid Charlie Methven sighting
The first bids to take over the South Yorkshire firm are expected by the end of this week, albeit this does not guarantee an immediate takeover.
Kris Wigfield, a lifelong Wednesday fan and administrator, supplied supporters with an update on the club’s situation prior of the midweek match against Norwich, stressing that the club must be on the market for at least 28 days.
This means that the club can be sold to a new bidder as early as Friday, November 21st, which is the date Chansiri placed the club into administration.
However, there is still a positive vibe surrounding Wednesday right now, despite the fact that it would take a miracle for them to avoid relegation to League One.
The Owls’ next game is a trip to Southampton on Saturday afternoon, and while things appear gloomy on the pitch, there’s still a sense of pride in the stands that they can finish the season without losing hope.
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