Sheffield Wednesday’s Controversial Vote

It is becoming an increasingly common practise by several clubs to let their supporters decide in a democratic vote about the colour and design of their football shirt. One problem that this practise solves is the moaning of a large portion of the fans that do not agree with the decision of the board. Democracy in football is being introduced lately, after a long period of takeovers by foreign investors in English football. An example where the fans were given full control of their club is Ebbsfleet United which will be run by a group of some 50000 fans through a forum which will decide on various problems through online polls. In the higher leagues, this ‘football democracy’ has only reached until the level of deciding on the football kit…and this is still absent in the highest league clubs.

Sheffield Wednesday, a team in the Championship, just above the relegation zone, performed this exercise to decide the away kit for next season. The result of this poll was published on the 22^nd January on the official Sheffield Wednesday website. This was when the controversy started, whose consequences may have a trickle-down effect on the other clubs contemplating similar practise. A white shirt with blue shorts got half the votes of the public and will be next season’s away kit for Sheffield Wednesday.

However, it seems that this vote was not that of the public…in the sense, not THE public that the board had intended. Many Sheffield Wednesday fans sounded their disapproval for the selection, as it looks a lot like the Leeds United home shirt; harsh rivals of the Sheffield Wednesday club. Fans protested on the forums, saying that opposing teams’ fans learned of this activity by the club, and voted maliciously for this controversial shirt.

This poll limited members to one vote per IP address, but this did not stop rival fans from voting in this shirt-selection poll. As the rules stated, the club will embrace the vote of the public, so unluckily the ‘Owls’ fans will have to embrace this selection, even though it was not their selection. The administration would rather set their focus upon escaping relegation, as the fans will have a double-disappointment next season, seeing their team playing in the ‘Leeds shirt’ as well as joining their foes in League One.