Former Sheffield United owner claims Championship side face 12-point deduction in payment row – as club fires back at ‘publicity stunt’
The former owners of Sheffield United have claimed the club could be hit with a 12-point deduction amid a row over payment.
United World, which sold the Championship side to current owners Helmy Eltoukhy and Steven Rosen, is attempting to wind up the company the Americans used to buy the club, claiming they are owed more than £35million.
A hearing is due at the High Court this week and – should it result in further action – United World say the Blades could be docked a potentially season-defining 12 points.
United World is the investment arm of ex-United owner, Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It claims that Eltoukhy and Rosen transferred their shares to a new company in June in ‘what appears to be an attempt to avoid paying creditors’ and that, following the transfer, the company which owes them £35m no longer has any assets with which to pay the debt.
The hearing is listed for Wednesday in London.
‘In short, they are trying to take the club without paying for it,’ a United World statement added.
United World, the investment arm of ex-United owner, Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah have claimed the club could be hit with a 12-point deduction amid a row over payment
Sheffield United’s owners have dismissed the statement as being a ‘publicity stunt’
‘If the winding-up petition is granted on 19 August, as we expect, EFL Regulation 2.1.16 provides that Rosen must be disqualified from being a controlling owner and director of SUFC. He will no longer be able to be chairman, or a director, he will no longer be able to exercise any control over the club and will have to sell a significant proportion of his controlling interest in the club.
‘In addition, we understand that, once investigations are completed, there is a real prospect that the EFL may have to impose a 12-point deduction on SUFC under EFL Regulation 12.3, in order to “protect the integrity and continuity of the League Competition” and “the reputation of The League.”
In an escalating row, sources close to Eltoukhy and Rosen dismissed the statement as a ‘publicity stunt’.
‘We are disappointed Prince Abdullah is trying to hurt the club and its supporters with publicity stunts,’ an insider said.
‘The deal between sophisticated parties in 2024 was well advised by his financial advisors.
‘Sheffield United is financially healthy, unlike under Prince Abdullah when the Club incurred a points deduction for missing payments to football creditors.
‘Nonetheless, Helmy Eltoukhy and Steven Rosen invited Abdullah to re-invest in the club and join the ownership of Sheffield United and to help use his skills to support our promotion efforts.
‘Helmy and Steve are focused on the sustainability of the club and the season ahead.’