Barry Bannan reveals what Sheffield Wednesday players will not ‘stand for’ as strike action mooted

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As Dejphon Chansiri continues to be silent among the chaos at Sheffield Wednesday, club captain Barry Bannan has spoken freely about the current situation and how the players feel.

Sheffield Wednesday fans ran out of patience with Dejphon Chansiri a long time ago, but the Owls chairman’s continued lack of communication is making them even more frustrated.

As Wednesday gear up for their opening fixture of the new season on Sunday, there is talk of the situation getting so dire that players may even consider going on strike and refusing to play against Leicester City.

The one shred of positivity amid all the mess is that Barry Bannan has signed a new contract, and now the Owls skipper has shared an update on the feeling within the players’ camp.

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How Sheffield Wednesday players feel about going on strike

Bannan made an appearance on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning to discuss what’s going on behind the scenes in S6, and was naturally asked about whether the players were planning to fulfil the fixture this weekend or not.

Bannan said: “The lads have been brilliant, since we’ve come back I can’t complain. I thought it would be hard to keep them going but they’ve been ultimate professionals, they’ve done the work, and there are lots of excuses to pull out but we’ve been doing the running.

“It’s hard to know what to do. This doesn’t normally happen, so we don’t know what the rules are; we don’t know what we’re allowed to do.”

When asked if the players will refuse to play on Sunday, Bannan answered definitively, “No… we pulled out of the Burnley [friendly] because it’s just happened too much now, but it’s a lot easier to pull out of a friendly than a Championship fixture.

“We’ve come into training and made it look like we’re fine and getting on with it. The Burnley one was a signal that we’re not going to stand for it.”

The Sheffield Wednesday players sent a message this week, in writing, about their concerns regarding payment and what the future holds for the club. And as per Bannan’s comments, it’s clear the issue is taking its toll on everyone involved.

He added: “It was starting to go quiet, forgotten about… but it’s not forgotten about here. Staff can’t pay mortgages, players are ok but it’s the staff we worry about.

“It’s the little things like that that affect us as players, the staff are struggling. We’re at the top of the ladder and this was a strong stance from us to demand some clarity.”

Clarity is the key word here. It’s something the fans have been crying out for, and the players need some communication just as much, clearly.

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Can Sheffield Wednesday players actually go on strike?

Obviously, the Owls squad can technically do what they want this Sunday. No one would blame them if they refused to play, and it could be exactly the kind of strong message needed to enforce some change.

But, with so many issues already and with further punishments potentially heading Sheffield Wednesday’s way, it’s also understandable that the players would be wary of kicking up a fuss.

If they did refuse to play, Leicester City would obviously be awarded all three points as a forfeit. Sheffield Wednesday would also incur a fine, and in extreme cases, even disqualification.

It’s hard to say what the right thing to do would be in this situation. But, it sounds like the Owls squad are ready and raring to go this Sunday regardless.