James Bord has emerged as one of Sheffield Wednesday’s three surviving bidders, as a final decision on a preferred buyer approaches.
According to The Athletic, the Dunfermline owner is in the running to take up the Championship team.
Bord has worked with Sheffield United’s new owners through his consultancy firm Short Circuit Science, and his goal is to use his skills in data analytics and artificial intelligence to finance teams through player trading profits and on-field success.
It remains to be seen whether he will win the contest to buy Sheffield Wednesday, as Mike Ashley and a consortium led by John McEvoy and the Storch family have already placed bids.
The Owls are now in administration and face relegation to League One in 2026 after being docked 18 points by the EFL.
James Bord’s Sheffield Wednesday red flags
When asked about Bord’s aspirations for the club, FLW’s Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna stated that there are numerous red lights surrounding his time at Sheffield United.
He believes the businessman’s goals do not align with the Owls’ ambitions under new ownership, implying that he is not wanted at Hillsborough as a replacement for Dejphon Chansiri.
“Absolutely not what we want here,” McKenna explained to Football League World.
“He was behind Sheffield United’s disastrous summer transfer policy, which has set the club back and had a negative impact on his season.”
“His AI methods failed at Sheffield United, and there’s no reason to expect a different outcome at Wednesday.”
“The man is a professional gambler, and he wants to finance us with player trading earnings, which is not a good sign.
“So you’re simply wondering if he’s the type of person you want at the club.
“We need someone coming in with ambitions to fully invest in the club at all levels, and his sort of attitude just makes you think no, wouldn’t be the case.”
Sheffield Wednesday are set to be relegated to League One this season, as Henrik Pedersen’s club sits at the bottom of the Championship standings.
As the halfway mark approaches, the Yorkshire outfit still has a negative points tally and is a long way from safety.
Ames Bord takeover is the least enticing alternative for Sheffield Wednesday.
On paper, the McEvoy-Storch consortium and the prospect of Ashley appear more tempting than Bord’s intentions for the Owls.
His track record at Sheffield United is dismal, with Sheffield Wednesday’s fierce rivals regressing in their recruitment intentions over the summer.
While McEvoy and the Storch family lack football expertise, their resources are immense, and there is opportunity for them to rebuild the Yorkshire team from the low position they reached under Chansiri.
Meanwhile, Ashley has ran a football club before and will understand what it takes and costs to get the team back to where fans want them to be.
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