'It is tough' - former Portsmouth favourite Jamal Lowe opens up on life at crisis club Sheffield Wednesday as another deadline missed

Former Pompey forward Jamal Lowe has expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing financial issues that are impacting crisis-club Sheffield Wednesday at present.

The winger, who was part of the Blues’ League Two title-winning side in 2017, admitted all staff at Hillsborough - including non-playing personnel - are finding the current situation ‘tough’.

The Owls, who are owned by Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri, have failed to pay their employees on time for four of the past five months, with July’s payment of wages due on Thursday also not forthcoming for the vast majority.

Those delays saw the Football League impose a three-window transfer ban on Wednesday. It has also seen some players terminate their association with the club - including former Pompey striker Michael Smith and Josh Windass.

Meanwhile, this week, manager Danny Rohl left the club by mutual consent after months of uncertainty surrounding his Hillsborough future.

More first-team squad members are expected to follow suit, with defender Max Lowe understood to have handed in his notice following the delay of July’s wages.

Jamal Lowe: situtation at Sheffield Wednesday is ‘tough’

Lowe, who joined the Owls from Bournemouth last summer on a free transfer, didn’t say whether he’d follow the same course of action when he spoke to Sky Sports on his way into Wednesday’s training ground on Friday morning.

However he did express dismay at the situation and the uncertainty it inevitably brings for all involved.

The 31-year-old, who has a year remaining on his Owls contract said: ‘There’s just a lot of uncertainty really, for the fans and everyone

‘We (the players) are finding things out at the same time, so if it’s on Twitter, that’s when we find out sometimes. No-one has experienced this before, so nobody knows what to do, when to expect stuff. It’s all unknown territory for everyone.

‘Players aren’t getting it (paid), but a lot of the staff that work here everyday or at the stadium everyday, they aren’t getting paid either. It’s tough for us, but it’s tough for everyone.

‘We think more about them in hard times like this when they only find out the day before payday whether you’re getting paid or not.

‘It’s not enough time to organise whatever you’ve got to organise, whether you’ve got stuff coming out, nobody knows. Everyone has got a different story. It is tough.’

Jamal Lowe - life after Pompey

Lowe featured 118 times for Pompey and scored 28 goals following his move to Fratton Park from non-league Hemel Hempstead.

He left the Blues in 2019 by moving to Wigan and has enjoyed spells at Swansea (twice), Bournemouth and QPR since then.

He was linked with a return to Fratton Park last summer, yet that is something that never materialised, with the Blues not pursuing a move.

Sheffield Wednesday are due to face Pompey in the Championship at Fratton Park on September 20. However, what sort of team the Owls will be able to field remains to be seen.

The remaining first-team squad has already refused to play in this weekend’s behind closed doors friendly at Burnley. The players are also considering their options ahad of next weekend’s season-opener at Leicester City.

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