Prince Abdullah speaks to BBC Radio Sheffield

[CornwallBlade]

Let the man go without giving him him pelters. We’re all in a much better position than we would have been without him. Personally, I’m waiting on the new owners to show their credentials by putting up the cash for the much needed signings this January

 

[Houston_Blade]

Somebody(Jimmy Ramble) is going to be really pissed off that he didn't get the inclusive interview with his mate HRH me thinks

If he had any self awareness he’d have declined this time, I’m sure he’d tell his followers if he had though!

 

[AWetFlannel]

I don't understand the animosity towards him.

His only failing was that he didn't have the wealth to sustain us for the the long term.

He's been a model custodian of the club and we wouldn't be where we are now without him.

Minus two points. We didn't pay what we owed on time.

Compared to many owners he's been decent, we should all admit it. But I'm not having this "model custodian of the club" nonsense.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

Didn’t have the cash to turn us into a team that could compete in the premier league, but ultimately we had three seasons in the top flight under him, which makes him a far better owner than McCabe was.

We have no idea what the new lot are like, we could well be wishing we still had the prince in a few months.

 

[designblade]

Minus two points. We didn't pay what we owed on time.

Compared to many owners he's been decent, we should all admit it. But I'm not having this "model custodian of the club" nonsense.

It's not nonsense at all.

This club was on its arse. We were destined to struggle in league 1 or worse before he arrived.

Under his stewardship and with his resources, he's guided us to two promotions to the top tier as well as making significant improvements to clubs infrastructure that will be of benefit for many years.

 

[AWetFlannel]

It's not nonsense at all.

This club was on its arse. We were destined to struggle in league 1 or worse before he arrived.

Under his stewardship and with his resources, he's guided us to two promotions to the top tier as well as making significant improvements to clubs infrastructure that will be of benefit for many years.

I suppose it's not nonsense if we ignore the negatives. Apologies.

 

[singaporeblade]

It's not nonsense at all.

This club was on its arse. We were destined to struggle in league 1 or worse before he arrived.

Under his stewardship and with his resources, he's guided us to two promotions to the top tier as well as making significant improvements to clubs infrastructure that will be of benefit for many years.

But, but, but he didn't do a lap of honour. Precious flakes some of our fans nowadays!

 

[loveWalrusDaveTheBlade]

I suppose it's not nonsense if we ignore the negatives. Apologies.

The two point deduction that gets continually trawled up was accrued as a result of actions taken by the Prince to secure the return of the club to the Premier League, and so ensure the ongoing financial stability of the club. I don't consider that to be a negative. It was a 'victimless crime', in that the clubs that were owed the money got the money without delay from a fund set up for that purpose - it was us that took the rap, and nobody else. Would you have preferred to stay in the Championship without the points deduction, and sell off your playing assets in order to balance the books, because that was the alternative.
He's not without his flaws, but he's to run our club very well despite his financial limitations

 

[AWetFlannel]

The two point deduction that gets continually trawled up was accrued as a result of actions taken by the Prince to secure the return of the club to the Premier League, and so ensure the ongoing financial stability of the club. I don't consider that to be a negative. It was a 'victimless crime', in that the clubs that were owed the money got the money without delay from a fund set up for that purpose - it was us that took the rap, and nobody else. Would you have preferred to stay in the Championship without the points deduction, and sell off your playing assets in order to balance the books, because that was the alternative.
He's not without his flaws, but he's to run our club very well despite his financial limitations

You say it gets "continually trawled" up as though it's some insignificant, minor quibble that happened a generation ago. It's on the current league table every time anyone looks at it.

I think intentionally breaking the rules of the organisation we compete in is a negative, yes. I'd prefer us to follow the rules even if it meant not getting promoted. I understand people's counter arguments and think they're valid, I just don't agree.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Well done to FH Team for asking some of the questions that should have been asked long ago and well done to our former owner for answering them robustly.

Table 18 will be devastated with some of the answers!

 

[Bladesman]

Well done to FH Team for asking some of the questions that should have been asked long ago and well done to our former owner for answering them robustly.

Table 18 will be devastated with some of the answers!

What was interesting to note is that we got done for paying our transfer bills late but PA mentioned we are still owed money from a club in the PL that is doing well and they have gone beyond the 100 day threshold for late payment. Why do I still get the feeling that's Arsenal and they have delayed paying what's left of the Ramsdale add ons.

edit

Could also be Newcastle for Osula.

 

[Russtheblade]

Don't disagree, but, I expect the new owners afforded him the opportunity to say goodbye, and a quick wave from the bow was a bit impersonal.
It's like ending a relationship with a text, not what you really want to be remembered for....
For everything he's done for the club, I'm sure we're all eternally grateful, but to have the opportunity to show appreciation the other way, and say a proper goodbye, and not be bothered and definitely not take it, is quite insulting really.

Don't talk wet, he's flown halfway round the world to say Thankyou & goodbye, he didn't have to do that

 

[Kenworthy’s Tash]

Much better owner than McCabe

 

[BigBed]

Don't talk wet, he's flown halfway round the world to say Thankyou & goodbye, he didn't have to do that

Haha, you really think he just came to do that, really!??
More like he had things to sign.

 

[Houston_Blade]

What was interesting to note is that we got done for paying our transfer bills late but PA mentioned we are still owed money from a club in the PL that is doing well and they have gone beyond the 100 day threshold for late payment. Why do I still get the feeling that's Arsenal and they have delayed paying what's left of the Ramsdale add ons.

edit

Could also be Newcastle for Osula.

I assume it’s a player from a few seasons ago as he sounded like we were owed money past terms at the same time we were out under embargo, the only 2 it could be are Ramsdale or Brooks.

According to some of our fans he’d never grass his Saudi mates at Newcastle in so probably not Osula!

 

[Bladesman]

I assume it’s a player from a few seasons ago as he sounded like we were owed money past terms at the same time we were out under embargo, the only 2 it could be are Ramsdale or Brooks.

According to some of our fans he’d never grass his Saudi mates at Newcastle in so probably not Osula!

I think a lot of Brooks money was taken care via the Ramsdale deal wasn't it?

 

[originaltrueblade]

To sum up…Glad the Prince has gone, if in any doubt remember last season

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

To sum up…Glad the Prince has gone, if in any doubt remember last season

Or you could remember 16-17, 18-19, 19-20 and 22-23

 

[Charlieblade]

Much better owner than McCabe

Indeed. For those that did not hear it, my takeaway is that he started being evasive, and I nearly turned it off. Pleased I didn’t.
Yes he left the club in a better position than he found it.
It was his big idea to use the academy players for sale or the first team. (Now Blaster is out for the season, that isn’t working so well). The rest who are getting game time have proved their potential, but also proved they are not quite ready yet due to inconsistent performances, and different development levels. He is still confident about this approach.

Explained his family circumstances in more detail, and the reasoning behind selling Berge and N’Diaye.

He admits that he made some mistakes as owner, but then says he wouldn’t change anything about his tenure? Does this mean he learned nothing?

He said that he had met the new owners after the sale, and offered his advice to them, both now and in the future!

He made the decision to put club finances ahead of the last very sad PL season, and that, plus the clubs position as top of the table enabled him to approve the new owners, ……. eventually. It seemed in the end he was reluctant to let go, but realised, eventually, he had to leave.

Under the circumstances, we are a better club, but our future is in new hands, and therefore uncertain. That’s what I made of it anyway!

 

[originaltrueblade]

Or you could remember 16-17, 18-19, 19-20 and 22-23

Never ever ever witnessed an 0-8 at home that’s what happens when two best players are not replaced and no premier league money goes on the team. No team starts a premier league campaign weaker than the previous championship campaign…His fault no one else’s

 

[Caseh]

Weird the criticisms he gets from some of our fans, all he's guilty of is not having enough money to sustain running the club any further. He admitted that and sold us...

We're in a better position in every aspect than when he got involved.

 

[SGBlade]

Excellent interview. He comes across exactly as you’d expect with someone of his record at the club - a shrewd businessman with a passion for sport but a risk taker and someone who’s not immune to making bad decisions. I’m sure he’s overplaying his love for the club and downplaying a bit of the financial gambling, but overall comes across as relatively sincere for someone in his position.

Interesting that he mentioned a few times his biggest regret was listening too much to Wilder in the first two Prem years. He obviously regrets many of those signings except perhaps Berge (who wouldn’t have been Wilder’s choice anyway). Have to agree with that really - 100m+ on the likes of Moose, McB, C.Robinson, Brewster etc really was awful business when you look at the return we got from them in terms of resale value or impact on the pitch. No slight on the individual players, many of whom I enjoyed watching, but terrible value for the football club overall.

Other insightful bits for me were that he could hardly believe our luck with the cash we raised for our cast-offs last summer, which enabled us to keep Hamer, Blaster, Souza and Anel, and the price we paid for the incomings. In retrospect that was a masterclass of a transfer window. Don’t know who deserves the praise (Bettis to a large degree I would imagine) but someone should get a pay rise.

People may not like the prince’s communication style (or lack of it) and he has made some fairly big gambles/mistakes, but if you judge him purely on the position the club is now in vs when he joined, then he’s certainly the best owner in my 35 years of watching the blades.

Irrespective of whether we get promoted this year or not, we now have a solid foundation as a club - decent ground, incredible academy, land for new training complex and Cat 1 upgrade, competitive team of good young players on long contracts. It’s over to the new owners now to build on that with sensible on and off-field investment. Becoming an established Prem team is incredibly hard as there are lots of other well run clubs out there with owners who are willing to burn 100+ millions (which ours will not, given the nature of the investment vehicle). But if they run it carefully and trade players well, we’ve got a chance. And that’s in large part thanks to the prince. He’ll get a handshake and a thank you from me if I ever bump into him.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Scenes when the docked points costs us autos....

 

[Eric_Brooks]

Scenes when the docked points costs us autos....

And when the real reasons come out why the fees were not paid.

 

[Sean Thornton]

And when the real reasons come out why the fees were not paid.

Tell us O Wise One.

 

[Bell4]

Minus two points. We didn't pay what we owed on time.

Compared to many owners he's been decent, we should all admit it. But I'm not having this "model custodian of the club" nonsense.

Exacty

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Tell us O Wise One.

Not a financial whizz kid but I suspect when monies aren't paid there is usually a cash flow problem?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Not a financial whizz kid but I suspect when monies aren't paid there is usually a cash flow problem?

Clearly but that won’t be the fantas…… sorry reason. Just Table 18 style bs.

 

[loveWalrusDaveTheBlade]

Scenes when the docked points costs us autos....

Or indeed the two point deduction handed out to us yesterday, or the two point deduction imposed by QPR....

 

[Snake]

I agree, all in all, he's left us in a far better place than before he came, so yes of course he's been a success and should be congratulated. I do think though there were some unfair veiled swipes at Wilder there. Yes, we did fuck up with some of the signings in the early prem days, but we should also remember that many of those signings got us to 9th in Prem and a second year - therefore more in parachute payments. He also fails to offset these poor signing comments with the fantastic signings that Wilder made to get us from League 1 to the Prem in the first place! I'm not saying that Wilder didn't sign any duds - of course he did, but name me a manager who hasn't - so let's at least be consistent with his signings overall. Plus I don't think Wilder has got anything like the credit he should have got for overseeing the complete rebuild last summer. Yes, you can say 'luck' - like the Prince did, or certainly implied - but you can also say some very shrewd signings, not to mention gelling the players together when it was very dubious as to whether they would be assets this year - Vini Souza in particular.

Betis too, I think should have got more credit - after all isn't he the one who does the back and forth negotiating? Anyway, as I said, all in all, I have no beef with the Prince and see his ownership as positive overall, let's just hope the new owners are ambitious enough to get us over the line, because this Jan window is crucial.