Club up for sale?

[YorkBlade]

The order on The Athletic of clubs up for sale:
IN ADMINISTRATION
1. Derby
WE WANT OUT OR DO WE?
2. Hull City
CHINA CALLING
3. Birmingham City
4. West Bromich Albion
5. Reading
A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES
6. Huddersfield Town
7. Preston North End
8. Sheffield United.
WILL SOMEONE MAKE ME AN OFFER PLEASE
9. Bristol City
10. Nottingham Forest.
11. Blackburn Rovers
12. Cardiff City
OF COURSE WE'RE FOR SALE - WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'RE DOING HERE?
13. Barnsley
14. Coventry City
15. Millwall
16. Swansea City
WE'RE OK THANKS ..... UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE US AN OFFER
17. Peterborough United
18. Luton Town
19. Blackpool
20. Middlesbrough
21. Stoke City
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
22. QPR
23. Bournemouth
24. Fulham

Here's the ground breaking bit about us:

Sheffield United, or more precisely their owners, United World Group, are also understood to be open to offers.

United World Group is controlled by Prince Abdullah bin Musaid Al Saud. The Saudi royal first bought a 50 per cent stake in Sheffield United for £1 in 2013 but that was when he and former owner Kevin McCabe were partners.

That relationship ended up in the courts, with Prince Abdullah winning the right to pay £5 million for the other half of the club in 2019, as well as market value for property assets linked to the club. In the meantime, Prince Abdullah has built his own multi-club group, with teams in Belgium, Dubai, France and India.

Some sources believe he may have overstretched himself, a situation not helped by the pandemic. But others say there is a simpler reason why Sheffield United are available: there can only be one English club in Saudi Arabia and that is Newcastle United.

Speaking to a fans’ podcast in September, Prince Abdullah admitted Sheffield United “had to sell players” this summer but did not want to tell the world that news. As a result, the club got good prices, particularly for Aaron Ramsdale following his £24 million move to Arsenal. But to avoid getting into that position again, the owner added: “We’re trying to get some partners to make the group more strong financially.”

Who wrote this article out of interest? I'm going to kick off about no mention of Sheff United Way. 'A fans podcast' isn't going to cut it.

 

[MobileBlade]

Who wrote this article out of interest? I'm going to kick off about no mention of Sheff United Way. 'A fans podcast' isn't going to cut it.

Matt Slater

 

[Rodley]

We must be the only club appears financially worse off with parachute payments in the Championship, than without them (two seasons prior to promotion).

 

[dtblade]

would need a lot more than £50m throwing at it Sheffsteel
CW threw nearly twice that amount in transfers at it and look where it got us !!

 

[Snowflake]

We must be the only club appears financially worse off with parachute payments in the Championship, than without them (two seasons prior to promotion).

It depends on what you believe to be fact as opposed to rumour.

 

[Rodley]

It depends on what you believe to be fact as opposed to rumour.

I’m just looking at the current top 3. And last years top 6.

 

[nopigfansintown]

This is all very obvious if you studied PA's words since he came in. He always said he didn't have the wealth to self finance a Championship club. That, in the main, is why he was never the owner for us. All it needed to expose that fact was a certain ex manager to stop pulling rabbits out of his hat.Running a Championship club is an extremely expensive hobby. If you aren't prepare to put in 10-13 million of your own capital per season the fans of most of the clubs will want you out. We're no different. Wilder was PA/McCabe's human shield for two years the last time we were in the Championship with our vast overachievement per £. Going on his own words he doesn't have pockets deep enough to realistically compete with similar sized Champ clubs.
The reluctance to invest in infrastructure was also telling. It doesn't add hugely to the value of the club and is largely dead money for an owner.If you don't have money to lose you aren't directing it there. The real mystery is why he categorically said he didn't want to move the club on in the Prem when it was at the peak of its valuation and attractiveness? This seems to be the height of naivety - pandemic or not.
If he's been gambling on us retaining and/or regaining our PL status whilst in the first two years of parachute payments, a degree of panic at this stage is not unexpected.
If he's just look for a joint investor, well, we've seen that movie before. It was a horror.

 

[Hblockblade]

I believe a billionaire owner is just around the corner, we are a very attractive proposition and all ready for the pl,we could be the next citeh

 

[Yogi]

We must be the only club appears financially worse off with parachute payments in the Championship, than without them (two seasons prior to promotion).

Nah Huddersfield were in a much worse state than us with the new owner using the parachute payments to buy the club but I agree we’re pretty far from an ideal situation it seems.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Wasn't part of the problem with McCabe that he was chasing investment (ie wanting to retain control) rather than selling up.

 

[Bladesman]

Wasn't part of the problem with McCabe that he was chasing investment (ie wanting to retain control) rather than selling up.

I think the PA would give up total control if a healthy offer came in for the club.

 

[Rodley]

Nah Huddersfield were in a much worse state than us with the new owner using the parachute payments to buy the club but I agree we’re pretty far from an ideal situation it seems.

Parachute payments? What are they?

 

[Blade56]

Apparently want investment not a sale

That’s the sword of Damocles that hung over us with McCabe not wanting to sell but someone to put money in for nowt in return.

What worries me if true he’s after investment it means no budget for Slav in JTW. If it is true he wants to sell there’s not enough time for new owners before JTW so either way we’re foooooooked.

 

[Keen Blade]

Nah Huddersfield were in a much worse state than us with the new owner using the parachute payments to buy the club but I agree we’re pretty far from an ideal situation it seems.

our parachute payments are too , in a way , coz they're paying off the mortgage on the ground and other assets

 

[Keen Blade]

I think the PA would give up total control if a healthy offer came in for the club.

total control ? fuck me , he's had "no realistic control" over our financial disaster which has seen us go from PL riches to virtually on our uppers , unable to operate in the transfer market apart from dodgy loans like feckin Hourihane in the reserves on £42kpw - control ? don't make me laugh

 

[Keen Blade]

That’s the sword of Damocles that hung over us with McCabe not wanting to sell but someone to put money in for nowt in return.

What worries me if true he’s after investment it means no budget for Slav in JTW. If it is true he wants to sell there’s not enough time for new owners before JTW so either way we’re foooooooked.

yep , heading down faster than a tart's knickers

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Overstretched himself, no shit Sherlock.

5 clubs, only one possible standout club amongst them, and we were relegated from the PL.

The rest is like a portfolio of mediocrity with barely any resource to scrape between them. He'd be better having all his funds in one and trying to do a half decent job.

It's like boasting about being an elite football agent, but then having a client portfolio of David May, Phil Babb, Chris Marsden and Phil Neville.

 

[Carlton Blade]

We must be the only club appears financially worse off with parachute payments in the Championship, than without them (two seasons prior to promotion).

Sunderland were pretty fucked tbf

 

[Rodley]

Sunderland were pretty fucked tbf

But surely we can’t have reached such cataclysmic levels of financial mismanagement in two years?!

 

[Yogi]

Parachute payments? What are they?

Fair point it is very united to not get a benefit out of them

 

[Carlton Blade]

But surely we can’t have reached such cataclysmic levels of financial mismanagement in two years?!

If you're gonna fuck up, make it memorable.

And available to Amazon Prime subscribers

 

[Barney]

Doing my bit

 

[S64 Blade]

Doing my bit

Don’t. We’ll have to pay for a pint using Bitcoin next.

 

[jono_t2000]

Crypto.com paid 700 million for naming rights to LA Lakers stadium.

Psg are paying part of Messi's salary in crypto

Arsenal, man city, Barcelona, Juventus, ac Milan, psg have all released their own cryptocurrency token.

If the prince was smart he would know what to do

 

[CaptainMorgans]

So that article was written based on an article in The Athletic today which looked at all 24 clubs in the Championship and what their options were for sale. Obviously Derby came out top - United were in a middle section of clubs where investment was being sort.

The article in The Athletic that the Yorkshire Post refers to definitely alludes more to a total sale than seeking an investment (see below).

 

[Rodley]

If you're gonna fuck up, make it memorable.

And available to Amazon Prime subscribers

2021 “Who’s the zone man?” moment, one can only imagine!

 

[JJBlade]

FFS no. My Season Ticket days would be over.

Mike Ashley would be the best owner we'd have ever had, even though he's a dick.

Doesn't say much for what we've had so far does it ?

 

[Carlton Blade]

Mike Ashley would be the best owner we'd have ever had, even though he's a dick.

Doesn't say much for what we've had so far does it ?

What?

 

[Tickhill Blade]

Overstretched himself, no shit Sherlock.

5 clubs, only one possible standout club amongst them, and we were relegated from the PL.

The rest is like a portfolio of mediocrity with barely any resource to scrape between them. He'd be better having all his funds in one and trying to do a half decent job.

It's like boasting about being an elite football agent, but then having a client portfolio of David May, Phil Babb, Chris Marsden and Phil Neville.

Nothing in the Prince's portfolio is as entertaining as my only memory of Phil Babb
View attachment IW_A0q.mp4

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I don't know what sort of owner Mike Ashley would be at this level. I don't think he ever invested much of his own money (income not generated by Sky) into Newcastle.
He just used them to peddle Sports Direct etc.

He does base himself a lot around the Worksop area though & rumours (no idea how much substance) have been abound that he's looked at Derby & Wednesday in the past. On that basis, I wouldn't be surprised if he looked at us.