Prince on Sheff United Way

[Flatulent_Bob]

The content is what it is, you either take it on face value, accept the owner can't be 100% open and honest all the time, or you won't.
However, a lot of the pre-interview chat was that it was going to be an easy interview where difficult questions wouldn't be asked or followed up.
I don't think either Hal or Nick gave him easy pitches and they held him to account on the questions they asked and had reasonable follow ups.

It won't be enough for some, but the questions from the fans were put to him and answers sought.
I thought there was some fair justification from him, some answers that I personally don't accept, and there's some smoke and mirrors but Hal and Nick did as good a job as they could.

 

[AWetFlannel]

I actually wanted to jump in and ask about this.answer Nick beat me to it with a different question and then the moment was gone, we'd moved on.

Interview was good, well played. Don't think mainstream media would've got anything better.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Things notably omitted in questions:

1) Prospect of land being bought from Mccabe?

2) Has a new site been found for a training ground? What is the thinking here? This was massively on the agenda and seems to have vanished

3) Is the Kop posts project on the agenda? This question was attempted

4) Any information on upgrading the Academy to Cat 1?

5) What vision does the new owner share/have to share with UW/PA before you will sell to them? Why are you selling?

I think all are fair questions - especially when UW/PA are intent on retaining an interest in the club.

 

[TJB.]

PA says he has invested up to £70 million in Club in answer to the question about the Clubs valuation.

So he's in it for £70m but wants £170m? Surely he could recoup what he's paid in and still make a healthy profit just by charging a little less for the club and its assets? Unless my maths is a little off...

 

[TJB.]

Things notably omitted in questions:

1) Prospect of land being bought from Mccabe?

2) Has a new site been found for a training ground? What is the thinking here?

3) Is the Kop posts project on the agenda?

4) Any information on upgrading the Academy to Cat 1?

5) What vision does the new owner share/gave to share with UW/PA? Why are you selling?

I think all are fair questions - especially when UW/PA are intent on retaining an interest in the club.

As has been said, you'd need an eight-hour interview to ask everything we want to know!

 

[nopigfansintown]

As has been said, you'd need an eight-hour interview to ask everything we want to know!

True, but they seem particularly important. More Important than much of what was asked tbh. They did ask the Kop post question but I'm not sure he really answered it. He didn't answer safe standing.

 

[JayGreen17]

He‘s confident that we’ll stay up but it sounded like we’re more than planning for the Champ next year…..mmmm

i really do hope we get some decent signings in over the next week…

Great interview by all accounts by the guys, asked some difficult questions. Prince always comes across well, and I still really believe he has the best interest of the club at heart.

 

[Eric_Brooks]

I actually wanted to jump in and ask something about this.answer Nick beat me to it with a different question and then the moment was gone, we'd moved on.

He did that a few times unfortunately. Can’t remember what he the prince was talking about when suddenly nick asked him about berg, but that’s where I ended my listening. I will listen again and thanks for doing it Hal, but i won’t be able to look objectively on this interview until the business is done. I have never been so depressed going into a season.

 

[cooperblade]

Thanks to SU Way for getting the interview and raising fans concerns. The problem was many of the answers deteriorated into long drawn out waffle. What I got from that was;

1. The Prince has now changed his mind about the sale and wants to be a part of the Club moving forward. He also said he wants UW to continue to be involved in a minority stake if possible. That may explain why there is little progress to report as potential buyers may want a clean break. He later talks about 70/80% chance of selling and 20% prefer to stay in a partnership. Not sure if thats the stake he wants to retain in the Club or the odds of him selling at all?
2. PA says we are in advanced talks with 2/3 parties but nothing is imminent. Not sure how advanced can become not imminent.
3. His reasoning behind why he uses third parties to communicate rather than more traditional media channels is down to 2 issues. One he's not forgiven local media for the court coverage. That was 4 years ago!! Two he doesn't like speaking to newspapers because they twist facts. Welcome to the real world!!
4. Darren Smith was positive about the Court case on twitter thats his reasoning for him being used for information. That was also 4 years ago. Good question from Hal about Radio Sheffield which PA conceded he may now give an interview to.
5. PA says he has invested up to £70 million in Club in answer to the question about the Clubs valuation.
6. Prefers to let EPL do the majority of due diligence on new owners as they have the resources and process. So expect more of the same in terms of owners credibility.
7. The embargo happened because we were expecting a down payment from Dozy of £11 million and only got £9 mill. Half answered the question as to why we got into a financial mess by saying he took the decision not to sell players to aid promotion.
8. Says we are on top of contracts- open to debate - and we never forget where a players contract position is. Then a long meander into how the NFL deal with contracts and usually wait until the last year of a contract because a player tries his best to get a new contract and then his performances drop off when he signs the new one. Don't understand this logic at all a players value decreases rapidly in the last year of his contract??? Not saying he's suggesting this is how SUFC operate so no need to mention it surely?
9. Got more than £14/15 million for Ndiaye. Says Ndiaye missing for 5/8 games in Africa cup was one of the considerations for selling. So why have we bought Slimane?
10. Made a comment about obtaining matching rights with OM for the Ndiaye deal. Not sure how this works other than if OM sell him for less than they paid we get something in return?
11. Didn't really answer the question about Berges contract other than to say he along with Ndiaye had indicated they didn't want to renew. Said delay on some contracts is because we don't know what division we will be in but surely thats going to be the norm over the next few years unless we storm the EPL.
12. Finishes on him putting money back into the Club from player sales so hopefully PH will get all the money.

Probably one of his poorest interviews to date imo and thats no reflection on SU Way as they raised a number of challenging questions. We don't seem to be any further forward in changing ownership and the waters have been muddied by the implication PA wants to stay on in part. Until this is resolved we will continue to flounder imo.

Thanks for the summary. Don't want to watch myself but can't help but be intrigued by what he said.

Point 8 is terrifying. If we're applying logic from a sport that has few parallels from a contract point of view then it's no wonder we're screwed. Appreciate I haven't listened myself so might be misinterpreting.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

So he wants praise for appointing Hecky because it was a big decision and he got it right. In fact, he always knew Hecky was the right choice. It was the bloody fans who wouldn't have accepted him, so he went for Slav instead. So despite knowing Hecky was the best man for the job, he bottled it because he was scared of the fan reaction.

He caps this rambling mess off by saying anyone can make obvious decisions, but big decisions, when the fans are against you, are when an owner really deserves credit.

…or to look at it another way, the fans might actually be right and this shambles is down to him, Dozy being the prime example.

 

[YorkBlade]

Thanks for the summary. Don't want to watch myself but can't help but be intrigued by what he said.

Point 8 is terrifying. If we're applying logic from a sport that has few parallels from a contract point of view then it's no wonder we're screwed. Appreciate I haven't listened myself so might be misinterpreting.

I'd suggest you watch or listen and then share your opinion. Same with a film.

 

[Eric_Brooks]

So did he accept a bid for ndiaye in January YorkBlade ?

 

[AWetFlannel]

So did he accept a bid for ndiaye in January YorkBlade ?

He said absolutely not.

 

[Frank the tank]

So did he accept a bid for ndiaye in January YorkBlade ?

No
so you look a bit of a mug there

 

[YorkBlade]

So did he accept a bid for ndiaye in January YorkBlade ?

Watch the full video then I'll answer any questions.

 

[Nesh Blade]

True, but they seem particularly important. More Important than much of what was asked tbh. They did ask the Kop post question but I'm not sure he really answered it. He didn't answer safe standing.

You do kind of get the impression with him that he doesn’t really care about match day experience. It’s all well and good talking about how COVID impacted us with not having fans in, but the club need to help us to have a better match day and intimidating atmosphere by making improvements to the ground.

One of the longest running threads on here last season was about the Kop closure. For a club of our size the match going fans are the bulk of the supporters and safe standing is a topic of conversation for most that attend week in week out. He said he didn’t know anything about it.

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Someone has got it wrong then. You could explain why you think the opposite based on what he said?

Well I didn’t think think the point he was making was a rambling mess for a start. He’s was totally correct about how the fans would have reacted if he’d have appointed PH before Slav. He of course has to take the fans into consideration whenever he makes big decisions as a disgruntled and fractured fanbase is not what anyone wants. I also didn’t hear him asking for any praise over his decisions.

It was good to hear how he saw things. I also think he made a good point about how he could have been a hero over Illiman if he forced him to stay regardless of the implications of we went down and he left for nothing at the end of the season. He made the tough decision to sell for the benefit of the club at the expense of his own popularity.

On a separate issue he mentioned the Kop being looked at next summer with the removal of the poles. The only people who will benefit are the fans, not him. I think having something done with the Kop is essential and there will never be a right time to do it or the money to totally rebuild it. We do what we can when we can.

I truly think he wants the best for the club. This is a man who remortgaged his house to raise funds for Sheffield United. How many of us would do that?

 

[JohnDenver]

I still really believe he has the best interest of the club at heart.

He’s not the devil, but the fact is he was happy to sell us to a criminal and then a bullshitter. Most of all he wants a profit - as he stated when he first arrived.

 

[Rodley]

Be interested to find out what reassurance people took in terms of the current transfer strategy and their hopes for this season?

 

[nopigfansintown]

You do kind of get the impression with him that he doesn’t really care about match day experience. It’s all well and good talking about how COVID impacted us with not having fans in, but the club need to help us to have a better match day and intimidating atmosphere by making improvements to the ground.

One of the longest running threads on here last season was about the Kop closure. For a club of our size the match going fans are the bulk of the supporters and safe standing is a topic of conversation for most that attend week in week out. He said he didn’t know anything about it.

United fans seem.to care and not care. An obvious and unarguable point is that United's more expensive seats and hospitality (such as it is) routinely sell out. Yet people are comfortable with third world facilities on the Kop. There is a clientele out there that expects (and will pay for) better. The evidence is up and down the football league and is evidenced in our own ground already.Football has changed and isn't going back. Funding it is, of course, a different matter
The irony of the whole thing is absence of progress is likely to result in a future move from BL rather the medium to long term maintenance of the status quo which is the opposite of said fans desire.

 

[nopigfansintown]

You do kind of get the impression with him that he doesn’t really care about match day experience. It’s all well and good talking about how COVID impacted us with not having fans in, but the club need to help us to have a better match day and intimidating atmosphere by making improvements to the ground.

One of the longest running threads on here last season was about the Kop closure. For a club of our size the match going fans are the bulk of the supporters and safe standing is a topic of conversation for most that attend week in week out. He said he didn’t know anything about it.

He said to ask Bettis re safe standing btw.

 

[MagnifiqueShorehamStreet]

Be interested to find out what reassurance people took in terms of the current transfer strategy and their hopes for this season?

None whatsoever!

 

[AWetFlannel]

Well I didn’t think think the point he was making was a rambling mess for a start. He’s was totally correct about how the fans would have reacted if he’d have appointed PH before Slav. He of course has to take the fans into consideration whenever he makes big decisions as a disgruntled and fractured fanbase is not what anyone wants. I also didn’t hear him asking for any praise over his decisions.

It was good to hear how he saw things. I also think he made a good point about how he could have been a hero over Illiman if he forced him to stay regardless of the implications of we went down and he left for nothing at the end of the season. He made the tough decision to sell for the benefit of the club at the expense of his own popularity.

On a separate issue he mentioned the Kop being looked at next summer with the removal of the poles. The only people who will benefit are the fans, not him. I think having something done with the Kop is essential and there will never be a right time to do it or the money to totally rebuild it. We do what we can when we can.

I truly think he wants the best for the club. This is a man who remortgaged his house to raise funds for Sheffield United. How many of us would do that?

Hal and a few others thought the same as me, but fair enough. Fans would've reacted badly if he got in a big name, didn't back him and it clearly didn't fit, but he did that. They would've initially reacted badly to Hecky (as they did anyway months later), but been won around by winning football. No reading of this has Abdullah come out well. And he was definitely wanting praise.

He's alright, but like any owner, if you think he gives a shit about the club besides his stake in it, you're a mug.

 

[cooperblade]

I'd suggest you watch or listen and then share your opinion. Same with a film.

Decided a while ago not to read or watch stuff that I knew would annoy me. That's why I've blocked so much of twitter and have so many on here on ignore.

I know that's not for everyone but it works for me.

 

[john Mathison]

The truth is, whatever the prince says or does, he will as bad burnt or scalded. There are people on here , who will never be satisfied. I for one, was of the opinion Illy should have stayed, and did the board do enough to keep him. That was answered clearly today. Yes the recruitment is horrendously slow, thanks to local journo's saying who we are after, along come Burnley with money to burn for Souza!!!!!! As for the budget, the 20mill, it actually made the prince laugh.
There is one player Hecky really wants, and they are going all out to get him!!!!!

 

[AWetFlannel]

The truth is, whatever the prince says or does, he will as bad burnt or scalded. There are people on here , who will never be satisfied. I for one, was of the opinion Illy should have stayed, and did the board do enough to keep him. That was answered clearly today. Yes the recruitment is horrendously slow, thanks to local journo's saying who we are after, along come Burnley with money to burn for Souza!!!!!! As for the budget, the 20mill, it actually made the prince laugh.
There is one player Hecky really wants, and they are going all out to get him!!!!!

Must be true because he said it...

 

[Grey Blade]

Dozy has paid part of a down payment but not all of it.

7. The embargo happened because we were expecting a down payment from Dozy of £11 million and only got £9 mill. Half answered the question as to why we got into a financial mess by saying he took the decision not to sell players to aid promotion.

I might have missed this but what happened to the £9 million? Has it been refunded?

 

[Bladesman]

 

[Bladesman]

 

[nopigfansintown]

I might have missed this but what happened to the £9 million? Has it been refunded?

It was never mentioned. The context was due diligence. Dozy was more believable due to the downpayment which wasn't required of the first bidder