Prince is taking over

[Deadbat]

My initial reaction is concern. However Football has changed. All of the top EPL teams are owned by foreign owners who came into their clubs. How many ofvthe top clubs are owned by UK/local business peoole from the town...we'd all love a Jack Walker or a Steve Gibson but there are not many about.

I have big concerns when I look at Birmingham, Leeds, Hull, Charlton, Pompey etc. I worry that the heart of the club could be changed forever.

Still the one thing I would say is in order to progress and get in the Prem League we needed new investment and thay would most likely be foreign investment.

It concerns me the Prince barely comes and seems so removed. Maybe now he moves over here and really commits.

I think with McCabe we would have ambled along doing a Preston, Brentford etc but without serious money we were not going to seriously challenge I feel.

With the Prince we do not know. It might be a disaster but he may really go for it.

Sometimes I hate the Prem League and the wealth and secretly want to stay in the champ but surely we want to get promoted and keep progressing?

Could go one of two ways really. If it goes through the Prince has to be more involved and we have to have some serious backing. I am not sure what his motives are. The guy is pretty loaded and granted thats how businessman get their money by investing and selling but even if he sold Bramall Lane and all the best players is that going to net him that significant net of money when you look at his wealth. Noone knows his intentions. He needs to be more involved and more open with the fans. He cannot be a silent owner anymore if this goes through

I am surprised at this news. Thought it would be McCabe buying control and his sons take over. KM is 70. It seems his family will move away from things alltogether and not sure a board full of non local/Blades fills me with confidence. However, if we start competing a la Wolves (doubt their fans are complaining at the moment) then fans will not care one bit where the owners are from.

I am apprehensive like others but not sure we were going to progress too much more with current status quo. Even McCabe admitted that.

Interesting times.

 

[Muttley]

When he joined us he made it clear he was here to make money and sell. My fear is HOW he'll do that. Take us to The Prem then pocket all the money and bugger off?

 

[Woodthorpe blade]

Will all the catering become halal. Crisps ,sausage rolls etc..?

 

[8lade]

As previously identified HRH does not have enough money on his own to buy out KMc unless the cost is really low and I'd say this is highly improbable. So he must've got other investors on board and I'm having to say this ever more frequently, when he took over he said that buying into SUFC was an investment. With the situation as it is at the moment (ie millions being spent in the Championship) I don't see the return until a team has spent at least 3 years in the Prem living on a shoestring. Has his position on it being an investment changed?
As for KMc I'll be sad to see him go for business reasons, he has learnt all the lessons the hard way and the prince has not been involved in any of that.
Watch and wait.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

On the Saudi subject, can't say I'm too enthused about being fully owned by the Royal Family of a country who have funded ISIS and the spread of radical Islam across the world to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Not exactly great PR for us.

Agree to a degree but there are plenty of other disreputable country’s citizens who have bought football clubs. You have to look at the individual not the country. We have had plenty of local crooks involved over the years after all.

I would have loved it to stay with local ownership but frankly to compete that isn’t an option. So the question is do we stay as we are and stagnate or take the chance. Time will tell if this is good or bad news I guess

 

[dc_blade]

I love a bit of blind speculation and guesswork as much as the next guy, but...

Can anyone who knows a bit about business, perhaps even this particular deal, clue us in on what HRH's "option" might look like?

Does it just mean he's always had the option of buying McCabe out if he fancied it? Or could it mean that HRH himself had to meet certain obligations, too? In particular: is it likely to mean HRH had to step forward with the promise of a certain level of additional investment before he's allowed to table a bid for McCabe's holdings?

 

[Bridge Blade]

All hail Royal Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Mosa'ad Abdulaziz Al Saud.

And in keeping with our new Saudi roots I will now be known as Royal Highness Prince Kozzy Bin is Al My Hussain Dad Al Sheffield.

Imagine that at a quid a letter on back of shirt!

 

[DiggerBlade]

It's not like the prince has come into the club overnight and unannounced. He's been involved with the club for the last few seasons so we can take it that McCabe feels secure in this latest development. Hull Coventry and other clubs have had new ownership thrust upon them with little or no knowledge of their backgrounds. We have known about the prince for quite a while now and nothing threatening has come to light thus far so why is there some uncertainty in his role as the new owner.?

I'll worry when Chris Wilder does. I'm sure he'll let us know if things aren't right.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Agree to a degree but there are plenty of other disreputable countries citizens who have bought football clubs. You have to look at the individual not the country. We have had plenty of local crooks involved over the years after all.

I would have loved it to stay with local ownership but frankly to compete that isn’t an option. So the question is do we stay as we are and stagnate or take the chance. Time will tell if this is good or bad news I guess

Plus Man City, Liverpool and a lot more I suspect

 

[yorkshirecoast]

The McCabes clearly did not have the funds and/or desire to take us forward but let’s hope the Prince does.

I’m cautiously optimistic this will be good for the club and fans.

 

[mancunianblade]

I’m not his accountant but personally it appears he can’t afford this so surely he’s getting bacaking from the family? Which could mean for mega investment?

 

[Jon Bon II]

They don’t as most football fans don’t as they couldn’t care less. I do however, and it doesn’t really sit comfortably with me.

Erm... ok then, see ya. Don't slam the turnstile on the way out...

 

[Fanny magnet]

I never knew you couldn't agree to invest or takeover a football club during the transfer window

































In Sheffield


























2

 

[Grappler]

Can I be the first to say

GLTTL

 

[Tunstall Fred]

Can I be the first to say

GLTTL

Which one, Kev the swindler or Princey no cash?

 

[Dellas Cowboys]

That’s one way it could turn out.

The other of course could be the Prince wants a big name and heads down the Birmingham route.

Ozzy Osbourne??

 

[Jon Bon II]

He'll probably get a statue eventually, a bust at the very least.

What are you saying like? You saying he's got nowt?

 

[Tunstall Fred]

Ozzy Osbourne??

I know he was born in Wolverhampton, but would prefer Sir Nod of Holder.

 

[Liverpool blade]

He will head a consortium IMO

Agreed. I wonder whether crab industries will be part of the consortium?. Lol

 

[sheffielder]

If the prince is buying us lock stock and barrel then he’s all in and if not he’s got the help of other people.

It’s going to cost him a lot to run it himself so I can only see this as a positive thing. I don’t want to consider the alternative

 

[Isar]

The king is dead long live the king

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

The word on the street is that this is 'a recent development', and has occurred post budget setting for the JTW.

 

[sheffielder]

The king is dead long live the king

The king is dead, he must have left something to the prince then

 

[sheffielder]

The word on the street is that this is 'a recent development', and has occurred post budget setting for the JTW.

Which go a back to what I was told and it was actually the prince wanting to invest. May we waited to make the swoop for a reason

 

[Esablade]

What is the matter yap yap?

I was driving to work and heard the news on the radio, I am in the same boat as you, you are clueless as to what the future holds.

Can I help you with anything else?

What you gonna post about now ...

P.S- looking at your posting activity I’d cut out that posting whilst driving lark...

 

[Houso]

Buy 50% of a club down on its heels for a quid. Get it promoted to the Championship. Strong arm your co-owner to sell his share.

Prophet

It's about to get riyal

 

[mattbianco1]

There appears to be a power struggle, or as we say in Sheffield

Feight, Feight, Feight

https://www.googlefight.com/prince+abdullah+-vs-kevin+mccabe.php

 

[JJ Sefton]

I only look forwards. If this goes through our new owner will be a rich sports fanatic. He has been Sports Minister for his country, he is personally very rich and he has loads of even richer drinking (sic) mates.

Although him and his lot are pretty shit at human rights, all their dosh comes from the fact that they were born on top of loads of runny black gold - so at least it’s not like any money he spends on Neymar for us will have been generated in sweat shops full of kids.

Historically, things only go wrong when the spoilt rich kid owners start wanting to pick the team and play directly with their toy. He doesn’t seem like that kind of guy.

When he met with Tufty last summer things seemed to go OK, and he has said things since that show how much he respects Tufty.

This can be Tufty’s big life opportunity. We are so, so lucky that he is there when this is happening.

Where we are now there were only two options - stick or twist. If we are going to go for it - a gifted manager who is one of us and a rich sports fanatic who we have got to know over a few years is so much better than when this happens with an unknown new owner who brings in some foreign wanker manager.

I am going out on a limb - even though I was happy to rumble along in the top half of the Champ until wooden box time -

TUFTY WITH MONEY?

He Will Do Fucking Magic

Please, its 'gold of colour' #triggered

 

[Tunstall Fred]

What you gonna post about now ...

Anything to do with Sheffield United, you?

 

[SwissBlade]

Some interesting reactions here! Once upon a time many people would've been ecstatic at this news, Micalijo will be happy, eh cooperblade

Regarding the Saudi and ethical issues, as others have said, you'll never win and get a perfect businessman, but assuming that the prince has extreme views is taking things a little far.

I'll leave the speculation as to how this came about and whether there has been a fall out at ownership level to the professional conspiracy theorists on here.

Is the Prince taking 100% control a bad thing? We will wait and see, but my understanding is that the control of his current stake is through a series of companies, i'm not sure of the exact ownership of these companies, but it could be that they are majority owned by him and they also allow for other investors to take up ownership in those companies. Will have to look into it more deeply.

The change will also pave the way for the Prince to do things his way, something which is not new, but also not exactly successful during the earlier days when he had a little more control in the boardroom.

If McCabe is to stand aside and sell up, I for one will be sad to see this day. He's made mistakes but he's always tried to do the best for the club. I'm proud that we've had a Blade at the top of the club, someone that understands our unique club.

One question i have is timing, is it good or bad timing? It seems good in some ways as it allows for the transfer of ownership to take place in advance of the Summer window opening. But also it could be bad as it may affect on the field matters.

Is it now going to be about ambition or creating a club which is a long way from what i love about United?