It’s fair to say that Sheffield United’s first year under new owners COH Sports has been difficult.
COH Sports completed its purchase of Sheffield United in December, purchasing the club from former owner Prince Abdullah for £110 million, although their decision-making has been questioned on several times by fans over the last year.
COH Sports’ first controversial decision came in the summer, when they parted ways with manager Chris Wilder just weeks after losing the play-off final to Sunderland, but in a humiliating U-turn, they brought the 58-year-old back to the club in September after his replacement Ruben Selles lost all six of his games in charge in all competitions.
Wilder’s resignation was said to be owing in part to conflicts over the new data-driven recruitment approach, but COH Sports has since distanced itself from former consultant James Bord after using his AI model to sign a series of transfer flops.
The Blades’ owners came under criticism again last month after it was claimed that they inquired about a possible merger with Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday, and they have been in the news again this week due to a disagreement with Prince Abdullah.
According to Sky Sports, Prince Abdullah was preparing to issue a winding-up order against the club over an unpaid £10 million debt, and while that particular sum has now been settled by COH Sports, two payments are still believed to be outstanding to complete the formal takeover, with nearly half of the agreed-upon price yet to be paid.
Sheffield United fans gave a verdict on COH Sports and the Prince Abdullah conflict.
When asked for his thoughts on the situation, FLW’s Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy, from the YouTube channel Blades Ramble, suggested that there could be a business reason for COH Sports’ late payment of the £10 million owed to Prince Abdullah, but he admitted that it would be a concern if they were experiencing financial difficulties.
“Obviously, the late payment to Prince Abdullah is going to cause concern among some fans,” Jimmy told the news station.
“I believe, in my own judgment, that it is more of a case of wouldn’t pay than couldn’t pay.
“While that is extremely unethical, it could just be a business decision.
“I could be mistaken; it’s possible that they struggled to raise the funds, and if that’s the case, it’s cause for concern.
“Perhaps they used it to leverage something and try to get some investors on board, or to re-engage Prince Abdullah.
We don’t know the specifics, but it’s definitely broken down, and it’s an agreement between the two of them that was reached before it got any further.”
The Prince Abdullah saga is the latest in COH Sports development at Sheffield United.
COH Sports has made a number of questionable decisions during its first year in charge of Sheffield United, and while they deserve credit for admitting their mistake and bringing Wilder back to the club, they still have a lot of questions to answer.
As Jimmy pointed out, there could be an innocent explanation for why they were unable to pay Prince Abdullah on time, but the situation raises a few red flags, especially given all of the previous troubles over the last year.
COH Sports has recently stated that they are willing to sell 20% of their stake in the Blades to investors with the necessary experience, and the arrival of individuals with more football knowledge and deeper financial resources could be exactly what United needs to provide some stability off the pitch.
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