SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY'S takeover saga took yet another new twist with three mystery businessmen – thought to be Indian – taking their places in the directors' box for the match with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
The trio are understood to have been guests of the club.
It is known that the Owls have been involved in efforts to encourage new investment, quite apart from the Geoff Sheard affair.
Wednesday night's trio are now at the centre of fresh specul
ation about the takeover talks.
The Owls have remained open to offers for a buy-out of the club during the last few months.
Sheard – apparently not in the directors' area on Wednesday night – has never made a bid for the whole club, preferring to try to buy the shares of individual major shareholders as a way of gaining control.
The club's financial advisers, Deloitte and Touche, have been co-ordinating the hunt for an overall buyer.
Wednesdayite chairman Darryl Keys revealed last week that the fans group have been sounded out by several parties who wanted information.
The presence of Wednesday night's mystery men is understood to be further evidence of interest in the club from possible backers.
It is also reminiscent of a game two seasons ago when a then unknown Chinese businessman was in the directors' box.
It was later revealed to have been Carson Yeung, who did have talks with the Owls but who ended up taking a stake in Birmingham City.
Manager Brian Laws has said that he believes Wednesday could really take off with the right investment and that if the club can hold down a top-ten spot then it would be more attractive to a prospective buyer.
But he refuses to overplay the club's current encouraging league position.
"It's nice to be where we are," said Laws. "However, there are still another 30-odd games to go."
Team skipper Richard Wood prefers that the Owls are not talked about as promotion dark horses.
"Not many people are mentioning us at the moment and that's the way we want it," he said.
Meanwhile, the Owls reserves were beaten 3-2 at Macclesfield Town on Wednesday.
Macclesfield raced into a two-goal lead, but a young Wednesday side, featuring just Kenny Lunt as the only established professional, pulled a goal back through Charlie Tunnard only for the hosts to restore their two-goal advantage.
Rocky Lekaj then pulled another goal back for the Owls – his fourth strike in five reserve team starts.
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