James Bord: Ex-poker player chosen as Sheffield Wednesday preferred bidder

BBC Sport has confirmed that former professional poker player James Bord has been named as the preferred bidder to take over Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls have been in charge since October, ending 10 years under Dejphon Chansiri’s ownership.

On Wednesday, administrators of the troubled Championship club announced an agreement had been reached with a potential buyer.

London-born Bord began his career working for gambling firms Starlizard and Smartodds, winning $4.3 million (£3.18 million) on the poker circuit.

He now runs data company Short Circuit Science, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) for sports analytics, and took on an advisory role for COH Sports after taking over Sheffield United in the summer, but he now has no links to the Owls’ rivals.

Under the Park Bench SFC LLC banner, Bord also has stakes in Spanish Segunda Division team Cordoba CF and Bulgarian club Septemvri Sofia.

Bord, based in Las Vegas, has owned Dunfermline with partner Evan Sofer for almost a year. He made his first appearance of the weekend, losing 3-2 at home to Ayr United.

It is currently unclear whether Bord will be part of the consortium that will buy on Wednesday, who sit at the bottom of the Championship table with -9 points due to cuts, or whether he will be part of Park Bench SFC LLC.

Bord’s bid still has to pass the EFL’s Owners and Directors test, which may have some hurdles to overcome given his past involvement in gambling.