Prince, thank you

[Camden Blade]

We were in the wilderness before he arrived. Yes, last season was dire. But three seasons in the Prem, one successful, was beyond our wildest dreams not so long ago. Three promotions. Leaves us top of the league primed for a fourth. Good owner. Seen some top players grace the turf. Iliman, Berge, the academy players, the list is endless if you compare the quality we've seen in recent years to what we were served before.

 

[GymClassHero]

I agree tbh. Whilst I'm glad he's moving on, I feel he did his best for us.

Was also refreshing to see us get proper transfer fees for youth etc rather than selling to the first bidder.

 

[Gin&Juice]

He’s not gone yet..

 

[Camden Blade]

I agree tbh. Whilst I'm glad he's moving on, I feel he did his best for us.

Was also refreshing to see us get proper transfer fees for youth etc rather than selling to the first bidder.

Yeah, I recall an interview with him incredulous at the Calvert-Lewin fee. He put an end to that. Yes, he didn't have the resources to establish us in the top tier. But he progressed us as a club. There are worse owners out there.

 

[Shadota]

We were in the wilderness before he arrived. Yes, last season was dire. But three seasons in the Prem, one successful, was beyond our wildest dreams not so long ago. Three promotions. Leaves us top of the league primed for a fourth. Good owner. Seen some top players grace the turf. Iliman, Berge, the academy players, the list is endless if you compare the quality we've seen in recent years to what we were served before.

I think it's fair to say that despite his failings, the Prince's time here has been a net positive. Went from dawdling in League 1 and looking like we'd never leave, to the dizzying heights of being considered as challengers for a European place in the Premier League.

I'm very understanding of the fact that the relationship has soured of late, what with the poor display in the PL last season and the points deduction now. But to look at the bigger picture, the season he came in, we started with David Weir in charge, and we all know how that turned out. We lost games to the likes of Crewe, and Hartlepool, and we didn't even make the League 1 play-offs. Now, we have the luxury of complaining about our lead at the top of the Championship only being 2 points instead of 4.

 

[sufc323]

I for one feel as though we should express our thanks with a gesture of some sort, a banner if you will, with Prince Abdullah's face on it like he's some Far East dictator. Something like this

 

[pedro]

Change the words
You've seen United now f off home (in jest)

 

[McGrath]

I really don't get the fawning over him.

If him and McCabe hadn't have hired Wilder 8 years ago, then we may still be in the wilderness now.

Most of the infrastructure we have was built before he came along e.g. academy

He's also managed to get us a points deduction, lost players like N'Diaye and drag us through a messy court case with his partner

 

[1987]

I've really done a 360 on the prince during his time here.

But he invested as best he could, he put the ground and other land back within the club, and we've been up 3 times in his tenure. Sailed close to the wind financially a few times, fucked up with the points deduction, but you don't get perfect chairmen.

There are far worse custodians we could have had over the last 8 years. He'll go with my best wishes.

 

[Stretch]

He’s not gone yet..

This.

We've had more false starts than Linford Christie on this deal.

Until it's signed, sealed and delivered, I am reserving judgement.

 

[YES Blade]

I really don't get the fawning over him.

If him and McCabe hadn't have hired Wilder 8 years ago, then we may still be in the wilderness now.

Most of the infrastructure we have was built before he came along e.g. academy

He's also managed to get us a points deduction, lost players like N'Diaye and drag us through a messy court case with his partner

If Man U hadn’t hired Fergie they wouldn’t have won a shit load of trophies. If Forest hadn’t hired Clough, if Arsenal hadn’t hired Wenger etc etc etc. doesn’t the Prince deserve credit for hiring Wilder?

 

[crazyblade1889]

I really don't get the fawning over him.

If him and McCabe hadn't have hired Wilder 8 years ago, then we may still be in the wilderness now.

Most of the infrastructure we have was built before he came along e.g. academy

He's also managed to get us a points deduction, lost players like N'Diaye and drag us through a messy court case with his partner

Give your head a wobble son. If we achieve promotion this year (still a long way to go admittedly) it will be 3 promotions to the top flight in 6 years. That would have seemed unthinkable before his arrival.
He’s overseen one of our most successful periods of the club. He’s bought players for big money (numerous 20 million pound buys). He’s backed managers and seems a top bloke. Whatever happens he deserves massive respect

 

[McGrath]

Give your head a wobble son. If we achieve promotion this year (still a long way to go admittedly) it will be 3 promotions to the top flight in 6 years. That would have seemed unthinkable before his arrival.
He’s overseen one of our most successful periods of the club. He’s bought players for big money (numerous 20 million pound buys). He’s backed managers and seems a top bloke. Whatever happens he deserves massive respect

Nah not for me.

Prince got lucky dropping on Wilder and has just sat back over in Beverley Hills and watched. He's now going to cash in on someone else's hard work!

If you want to know where we'd be under him without Wilder, then look at all United World clubs he in owns and how well they're doing!

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

I really don't get the fawning over him.

If him and McCabe hadn't have hired Wilder 8 years ago, then we may still be in the wilderness now.

Most of the infrastructure we have was built before he came along e.g. academy

He's also managed to get us a points deduction, lost players like N'Diaye and drag us through a messy court case with his partner

I genuinely don't know where I stand with the Prince and how I look at him.

Question based on your points though - what was the alternative to him?

 

[Nah den]

I really don't get the fawning over him.

If him and McCabe hadn't have hired Wilder 8 years ago, then we may still be in the wilderness now.

Most of the infrastructure we have was built before he came along e.g. academy

He's also managed to get us a points deduction, lost players like N'Diaye and drag us through a messy court case with his partner

Erm, but they did hire Wilder....

 

[McGrath]

If Man U hadn’t hired Fergie they wouldn’t have won a shit load of trophies. If Forest hadn’t hired Clough, if Arsenal hadn’t hired Wenger etc etc etc. doesn’t the Prince deserve credit for hiring Wilder?

Prince & McCabe equally deserve credit for hiring Wilder. So that dilutes his credit by 50%

He also deserves to be remembered as the owner who had us start the 2023 Premier League season with Basham and Norwood in central midfield.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

If Man U hadn’t hired Fergie they wouldn’t have won a shit load of trophies. If Forest hadn’t hired Clough, if Arsenal hadn’t hired Wenger etc etc etc. doesn’t the Prince deserve credit for hiring Wilder?

Well the story of Wilder getting the gig is a well told one that was mostly because he bumped into McCabe while doing a trophy presentation at a Sunday cup final at the lane. Not sure the Prince was at that one ...

 

[Cappy]

I think some people just want to be unhappy, and reminding themselves of things that make them unhappy is what keeps them warm in the winter. The kind that sit in that corner chair in their bedroom while the wife rides a bull and has to film it to watch back on those cold winter nights

They're probably just annoyed at the Prince for giving them many things that don't make them unhappy

 

[loyalblade95]

Every owner has had ups and downs in football, the Prince included.

But he's helped us get through some tough times in recent years, with the last 10 years being some of our toughest years in quite some time, and the end result is that we're now back on our feet with a squad capable of promotion.

While it is for the best that he moves on, he still deserves a lot of credit for how he helped take us forwards.

 

[Sheffsteel]

There's such a thin dividing line between who is a great owner and who is a terrible owner.

McCabe was a responsible owner who refused to gamble.
When it came to balancing the books, any half decent offer and that player would be sold.

The Prince is a bit of a gambler, he tries to balance the books but is prepared to take educated gambles.
Apparently we received tentative bids for N'Diaye and Berge during the promotion season with clubs trying it on.
The bids didn't meet out valuation so we stayed strong and kept them.
This season we received a lower bid from Leeds for Bogle, again the Prince refused to sell our players below valuation.
Fortunately for us Burnley returned with a bigger bid for Berge, Marseille offered a fantastic bid for N'Diaye
and Leeds returned with an improved bid for Bogle. So the Prince tends to be good (or maybe lucky) when it comes to gambling.

Chansiri at SWFC was also a big gambler....he failed then tried the double or nothing gamble...returning to the roulette table and failing again.
He's continued gambling and keeps losing....so now he has pushed alot of debt onto SWFC....like a weight around their necks.
However if Sheff Wed had beat Hull City in the play-off final, they might still be in the PL now and Chansiri would be hailed as their best ever owner.

The facts show the Prince has been our best owner in my 50 years. He deserves praise however still say last season was a total disaster from start to finish, after the 1st match against Palace I could see we were barely Championship standard and would really struggle for points.

So can only say thank you and well done. Let's hope it continues with the new owners or even improves.

 

[Shadota]

He's also managed to get us a points deduction

Two points. That's all. Just 2. Not like he's put us into administration and gotten us 10 or whatever it is nowadays. It's also 2 points that, thanks to the recruitment we were able to do in the summer (at least in part his doing), is currently irrelevant to our league position. We're the best team in the league, and we're carrying a points deduction.

lost players like N'Diaye

This is harsh. We know the club had Ndiaye effectively signed, and then the player had a last-minute change of heart. Not much you can do if that happens, after we had agreed to make him our highest paid player of all time. Hardly think you can throw the Prince under the bus on that one specifically. His attitude to allowing contracts to run down is admittedly strange, but we moved heaven and earth to try and re-sign Ndiaye.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I'd like to ask Heckingbottom and Wilder for their honest opinions on him before thanking him.

Still very unimpressed at the shambles of not paying bills on time resulting in a points deduction and embargo, running for the hills and hiding behind Yusuf at the first sign of trouble, then turning up for the first time in years at a promotion parade.

For balance, I don't disagree with some of his more redeeming qualities around transfer dealings and do appreciate that he rolled the dice whilst we were on our first wave under Wilder.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

 

[LurkerBladeS2]

I really don't get the fawning over him.

If him and McCabe hadn't have hired Wilder 8 years ago, then we may still be in the wilderness now.

Most of the infrastructure we have was built before he came along e.g. academy

He's also managed to get us a points deduction, lost players like N'Diaye and drag us through a messy court case with his partner

He got us a points deduction BECAUSE he held on to Ndaiye and Berge a season more than he probably should have.

You can say he didn't have the money, you can say he should have pumped in more money, but to dismiss the incredible times we have had with him in charge is rough.

Court case was because McCabe tried to change the agreement.

He bought us for a pittance and turned us into a club worth £100m+, top of the league with another chance at the Prem with a load of good young players.

I don't fawn over him but I can at least be honest about the fact that he has transformed my club for the better.

 

[YES Blade]

Well the story of Wilder getting the gig is a well told one that was mostly because he bumped into McCabe while doing a trophy presentation at a Sunday cup final at the lane. Not sure the Prince was at that one ...

He was 50% owner of the club so obviously had some input into the decision. To what degree, that can be debated but I’m certain a 50% owner of the club would’ve needed to sign off on hiring a new manager. It’s the most important job at the club!

 

[Carlton Blade]

As with all owners who don't bankrupt the club or put billions in,

Some good, some bad. The 1st team success papered over the cracks but he spent all the money the club had and apart from the ill fated United World project, spent it on the club.

Bye, keep smiling you charismatic devil

 

[Berkshire Blade]

He was 50% owner of the club so obviously had some input into the decision. To what degree, that can be debated but I’m certain a 50% owner of the club would’ve needed to sign off on hiring a new manager. It’s the most important job at the club!

So you think he was closely following the managerial career of Chris Wilder at Oxford and Northampton because he certainly wouldn't have remembered his playing career!

 

[LurkerBladeS2]

The 1st team success papered over the cracks

Isn't the 1st team success the point of it all?

Agree that United world was a huge failure though.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Isn't the 1st team success the point of it all?

Agree that United world was a huge failure though.

From an ownership point of view, you should be putting processes and staff in place to make that success sustainable over the long term. I'd argue we are no further along off the pitch, football planning wise than we were when he took over. Maybe a bit harsh but if Wilder and Bettis resigned tomorrow, I doubt we'd be able to keep the lights on or find the training kit

 

[YES Blade]

So you think he was closely following the managerial career of Chris Wilder at Oxford and Northampton because he certainly wouldn't have remembered his playing career!

Yes, I’d like to think that an owner of a League One club might have an idea that Northampton had just smashed League Two. It’s hardly obscure football knowledge.