Mike Ashley and the Storch family are apparently waiting in the wings if James Bord’s bid to purchase Sheffield Wednesday fails.

The Owls hit the 100-day mark in administration earlier this week, raising more worries about how long it will take the EFL to approve the club’s acquisition.

Bord’s consortium emerged as the preferred bidder on December 24, but the January transfer window has passed without the EFL making any decisions.

According to The Times, Ashley and the Storches, who were both involved in the negotiating process that resulted in Bord’s victory, are waiting to seize the opportunity if things change.

It is reported that the former poker player is subject to the Owners and Directors’ Test, although it is uncertain whether he will pass.

Sheffield Wednesday is not concerned with Mike Ashley and the Storch family just yet.

When asked about the prior bidders who are still waiting in the wings, FLW’s Sheffield Wednesday fan commentator Patrick McKenna stated that he isn’t interested in thinking about them until they are able to re-enter the negotiating process.

He feels Bord’s candidacy should be the primary focus of supporters because they have raised the most funds and followed the same procedures as Ashley and the Storch family.

“I’m not really going to put my energy into thinking about them,” McKenna told Football League World.

“At this point, I’m just going to support the preferred bidder.”

“At the end of the day, these are the guys who placed the highest bid; they outbid Ashley and Storch, therefore they have the right to move forward in the process.

“So, as fans, we’re waiting to see how this James Bord consortium goes, and I’m hope it goes through so we can see their ideas and have some closure on the process.

“Because I know there are checks to go through, but I just want the administrative process to be completed.

“At the end of the day, Ashley and Storch claimed we were in the same bidding process, and the rules were the same, but they refused to pay enough to avoid a 15-point deduction.”

“I believe that is quite telling, so we all know what Ashley is like.

“Of course he’s going to be hanging about, looking to get it on the cheap, and for some reason fans seem to be backing this approach.”

McKenna feels Ashley and the Storches are merely a distraction at this time, and that they can re-enter the picture if the bidding process is ever reopened.

“But no, my energy and focus is on the current preferred bidders and I think, as a fanbase, that’s where our focus should be,” according to him.

“We should not be distracted by those already waiting in the wings.

“If this bid does not go through and the bidding process reopens, we will surely pay them attention if they re-enter.

“But, for now, I’m not really worried about it.”

Sheffield Wednesday sit at the bottom of the Championship table and are almost certain to be relegated, despite having 16 games still to play.

For now, James Bord’s consortium, including Felix Roemer and Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil, is the favored bidder. It is unclear whether their buyout will be authorized by the EFL.

Until a decision is made, Sheffield Wednesday’s main attention should be on what their potential takeover will mean.

If the EFL rejects Bord’s bid, Ashley or the Storch family may re-enter the race to buy the club, although it is a moot point for the time being.

While their Championship season is now nearly over, the sooner this takeover scenario is settled, the sooner the team can begin planning for life in League One.