Prince Abdullah

[RammyBlade]

He's been at the helm for 2 promotions to the PL in 4 years. We could have been in the hands of somebody much, much worse. I will only ever look back on his reign with a large amount of positivity.

Yes got to hand it to him .. we could have sold some of the top players in the summer and/or Jan and now been looking forward to championship mediocrity or even playing our friends in blue in league one soon !

 

[Balti Pie]

We were supposed to be not hearing fuck all from him again according to Jim royale a while back...but now he's back tonight and a few days ago at Wembley... how's he managed that..on the bandwagon.. make you,re fuckin mind up..or are you doing the oke koke.

Jim Royle!

 

[Trigger Blade]

I might be alone in this but has anyone else completely stopped giving a shit about the embargo?

No, you’re not alone, I didn’t worry about the embargo, or the possible takeover, despite the gloom mongering which is prevalent on here. By rights, we should be in L1 now, or gone bust.

This message board is completely atypical of our overall fan base, if you base your views on what you read on here, you will end up with a very distorted view of United reality and indeed, the world. Hyperbole rules!

 

[DI36O]

Regardless of what's going on behind closed doors, a well-run club (still receiving parachute payments) should not be getting placed under a transfer embargo.

It is a total shambles behind the scenes!

You say that but the alternative was the well-trodden path of selling our best players. That's what most clubs have to do when they come down.
I'm not a big PA fan but I'd defer to Hecky's opinions on the matter. If it was threatening to derail our season because we didn't have the setup you would expect then fair enough but its probably a choice between good quality players or undersoil heating on the training pitch.
Would you have been upset about a transfer embargo if we'd gone up with Deane and Fjortoft up front?

 

[paidsy]

Yes got to hand it to him .. we could have sold some of the top players in the summer and/or Jan and now been looking forward to championship mediocrity or even playing our friends in blue in league one soon !

Took some calculated risks with not selling players, it's paid off. I won't be criticising him, got to applaud the decision to change the manager at some cost last season too. A defining moment in our history that now really.

 

[BLADES1988]

He's clevererer (intentional) than we give him credit for. Totally had McCabes pants down and now scammed a scammer. Comedy gold. Love it.

 

[Bert]

He vanished for months, tried to sell the club to two buffoons, got us in an embargo and never set foot in the place when Middlesbrough and Luton were threatening to catch us.

Yet when glory beckons he turns up last night and at Wembley.

 

[Caseh]

He vanished for months, tried to sell the club to two buffoons, got us in an embargo and never set foot in the place when Middlesbrough and Luton were threatening to catch us.

Yet when glory beckons he turns up last night and at Wembley.

That embargo caused by not selling players is probably also a big reason to why we had a good enough squad for promotion.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

We've been promoted twice with him as owner. He provided Wilder with tje funds to break our transfer record numerous times. That wouldn't have happened under any of our previous owners.

The embargo was the result of us gambling on promotion by not selling Ndiaye or Berge and that has now paid off. It was said we needed to raise 40m when we went down but we only sold Ramsdale as he wouldnt undersell Berge. Previous owners would have sold Berge for 10m but PA didn't.

WBA came down with us, they are in a financial mess and have massively under performed us in the 2 years since relegation.

It's clear that we need a new owner to take us to the next level but whilst waiting for a buyer PA has done a good job. We are going up FFS what do people want ?

what I want is better than him.

 

[Caseh]

what I want is better than him.

At 34 I believe he's comfortably the best owner in my time as a Blade.

 

[Tickhill Blade]

At 34 I believe he's comfortably the best owner in my time as a Blade.

He must be older than 34 surely? Either that or a tough paper round

 

[cooperblade]

The Prince getting applauded by the fans last night was the only tiny blot on a wonderful evening.

Anyway, incredible achievement by the coaching staff and players to clear every hurdle placed in their way (and a massive thanks to Dozy). Arguably the best and most important promotion in our history.

 

[FTPE]

I'll always remember PA saying the tying down of Ndiaye (who wasn't well know at the time) was the biggest signing we could possibly make.

 

[CrookesBlade]

I might be alone in this but has anyone else completely stopped giving a shit about the embargo?

I get that it doesn't look great, and will damage some reputation, but absolutely nothing happened because of it. It was the equivalent of being on the naughty step or having your name written on the board. Unless there is an actual consequence, I couldn't give a shit.

If being put under embargo was the mechanism to allow us to keep our best players and go up, I say bring it on!

Viva la embargo!

Nobody in wider football will care other than the pigs and maybe a few Blackburn and Boro fans.

You can reel off loads of clubs (starting with Man City) who’ve either bent/broken the rules or pushed themselves too much financially and got into trouble.

 

[metalblade]

Correct - getting placed under a transfer embargo and not paying money for a player for 2 seasons. Good times.

We won promotion despite the Prince, not because of him!

The alternative was McCabe and another five years in League One.

 

[bigbirdblade]

A seriously rich investor, hopefully, will come in and turn this club into Man City. Or maybe it is the beer talking

I don't want us to be a man city. To fake. Brentford, villa maybe but not city.

 

[Hillsboro Blade]

It’s like being on the train platform trying to piss in, or being on the train trying to piss out. It’s revolution not evolution. The Prince evolves but doesn’t revolve. Or vice versa. Type stuff.

 

[Yoonited]

The Prince getting applauded by the fans last night was the only tiny blot on a wonderful evening.

Anyway, incredible achievement by the coaching staff and players to clear every hurdle placed in their way (and a massive thanks to Dozy). Arguably the best and most important promotion in our history.

Yeah what a shame the Prince has contributed naff all to our success,bleedin sponger.
I clapped him

 

[Andy67]

The Prince getting applauded by the fans last night was the only tiny blot on a wonderful evening.

Anyway, incredible achievement by the coaching staff and players to clear every hurdle placed in their way (and a massive thanks to Dozy). Arguably the best and most important promotion in our history.

Best comment of the day

 

[Addison]

Its not whats gone before but what happens next as far as the Prince is concerned. PH has got him out of jail and hopefully this will reinvigorate PA looking forward. Lets not forget the alternative to promotion would have been a fire sale, a 2 window transfer ban and spiralling debt due to a lack of revenue.

Many mistakes have been made in the off field operation and management of finances which has led to this do or die scenario. You can not gloss over the fact the football manager had his hands tied behind his back this season including the fiasco over the training pitches and unpaid bills. Add in a failure to develop the infrastructure at Shirecliffe with regard to player facilities and the poor post medical treatment services and you can understand the players thinking is it going to be more of the same even when we are in the EPL. That is something no doubt will be in their minds and those of their agents when they are considering signing new contracts.

Despite all this Paul Heckingbottom and his coaching team have got us over the line which makes it even more remarkable and has to be the best promotion for many years as the future of the Club was potentially at risk.

Chris Wilder had an owners dispute to contend with but he did have Kevin McCabe in situ whilst it was going on and herein lies the current problem imo. Expecting Bettis to plate spin in Sheffield whilst the Board are permanently absent overseas just isn't going to work for the magnitude of issues and profile the EPL brings. The Head of Recruitment has lost his second in command to Reading and the policy of incurring consultant fees from United World to negotiate transfers has brought little return in the way of benefits to SUFC as a separate entity.

There is also the matter of whether PA can disavow himself from his obligations under the SPA between himself and Dozy and whether there are any financial penalties as a consequence.

If the intention is still to sell then negotiations with interested parties need to be accelerated with a significant improvement in the Princes own due diligence process in selecting preferred candidates. The EPL are signing off an even more stringent owners and directors test in June and those with experience of this process should be brought in to oversee the matter. We just can't afford another year of being in owner limbo.

The EPL now requires Clubs to develop a Fan Engagement Plan and the setting up of a Fan Advisory Board. It ensures there is consultation which we have seen little of over the last 18 months. The first item on the agenda should be PA's plans for the future direction of the Club. Hopefully this time it will be a plan that doesn't need to be re written after a few months.

 

[Whiston Blade]

The Prince getting applauded by the fans last night was the only tiny blot on a wonderful evening.

Give over.

 

[Camden Blade]

The tight budget should mean that we don't resign players that won't be able to cut it at EPL level. Hecky shouldn't be loyal to the old guard for the sake of it. That's not how football works.

 

[JJBlade]

Should be getting slaughtered for having us under a transfer embargo in January, but seems to have gotten away with it.

Maybe some understand that the reason we ended up in embargo was because he didn't sell every player we needed for a toffee apple, like every other owner we've ever had.

It paid off for him because we kept our squad together.

We ended up in Division Four and spent eleven seasons of our history in Division Three because previous owners didn't.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Maybe some understand that the reason we ended up in embargo was because he didn't sell every player we needed for a toffee apple, like every other owner we've ever had.

It paid off for him because we kept our squad together.

We ended up in Division Four and spent eleven seasons of our history in Division Three because previous owners didn't.

It paid off for him to cheat another club out of money we owed them. Inspirational stuff, let's hope any new owner keeps up this shrewd tradition.

Very Tory Britain. Lying, cheating, and financially incompetent with no consequences.

 

[nopigfansintown]

The alternative was McCabe and another five years in League One.

*ALK Capital - current owners of Burnley.

 

[JJBlade]

It paid off for him to cheat another club out of money we owed them. Inspirational stuff, let's hope any new owner keeps up this shrewd tradition.

Very Tory Britain. Lying, cheating, and financially incompetent with no consequences.

The alternative was to sell Berge, Ndayie, and not bring Anel, Doyle and McAtee in

And been shit for another 15 years, and when it's shit at Bramall Lane it's doubly shit as we all know.

We've been the victim of the actions of other clubs in full on administration and outright cheating.

You could say Burnley have.

So bollocks to them, the first time United hit a small cash flow problem, and it was only a small, temporary problem that would be fixed just as quickly

 

[nopigfansintown]

It's a hard one. His reign ultimately leaves me with a feeling of mistrust and unease, yet I still remain somewhat ambivalent. Broken training ground and infrastructure promises. Criticisms of the transfer policy - only to then do more or less the same under new managers. Transparent bullshit to lure in the gullible always leave me with a feeling of distrust of anyone. The one about underwritting the signings being an obvious one. Yes, I'm sure he'd have done that if he was advised he'd lose the court case . Failed takeovers to charlatatans that would surely have put us in even more trouble. Gambling the future of the club financially albeit admittedly in the end to our betterment. The transfer embargo. One permanent signing in five windows. The failure to renew the contracts of all our best assets.

The gamble paid off which is the main thing,don't get me wrong. Ultimately success on the pitch will cover up a multitude of sins. I almost forgot THAT interview with his tracksuit clad assistant which was pretty disgusting. Vanishing when times are bad and appearing when times are good . The United World failed project needs mentioning, as does the failure to still not reopen the hotel or get back the land from Mccabe.

I do think that some things have improved. The ticket office and boxes getting makeovers is an obvious positive. Fan engagement over things like kits. Social media engagement. The easier, less costy things that make things better visibly seem to have been done. The acquisition of Anel showed good scouting if we can forget the nature of the deal.

I always hark back to his first interviews where he said he couldn't afford to be sole owner. It looms ever larger in the mind now I've just heard his recent talksport interview. He seems to have gambled far more than seems sensible for both himself and our club. I'll never choose a promotion over the continued existence of SUFC. I would have been left with huge worries if we weren't promoted. Hopefully he moves us on to a minted owner with big ambitions now and leaves a hero.

 

[Balti Pie]

FFS!
Whoever owns United is on a hiding to nothing, they get pelters no matter what they do!
If an owner sells our best players in order to stave off administration....."Wanker! Cashing in, should've kept our best players, we would've gone up!"
If an owner keeps our best players when it looks like we're in financial trouble....."Wanker! Embargo! He's not paid our bills, he's dragging this club's name throught the mud!"
If I had enough money to buy the club I probably wouldn't - thankless task!

 

[Sean Thornton]

It paid off for him to cheat another club out of money we owed them. Inspirational stuff, let's hope any new owner keeps up this shrewd tradition.

Very Tory Britain. Lying, cheating, and financially incompetent with no consequences.

“Cheat”

He’s got away with it then has he.

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

Nothing but kudos to the Prince from me. Yes, a bit crazy behind the scenes this season but he showed proper courage to keep Sander and Ndiaye In January. Our previous owners would have cashed in as soon as one invoice was late. Not to mention three out of five seasons in the PL under his stewardship. Better than donkeys years in the pub league IMO.