Prince, thank you

[1987]

Right. If you do a 360 you turn round and end up facing exactly the same way you did at the start.

Liked him, disliked him, liked him

 

[Houston_Blade]

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

The issue with this is that you can fluctuate between being a £100m+ turnover business and a £25m turnover business with steps in between over the space of a few years. Not many businesses are able to put a structure in place to withstand that level of variation and fluidity.

 

[Carlton Blade]

The issue with this is that you can fluctuate between being a £100m+ turnover business and a £25m turnover business with steps in between over the space of a few years. Not many businesses are able to put a structure in place to withstand that level of variation and fluidity.

Fair points. But "have nobody at all, outsource for an annual fee" model costs just as much as having qualified, capable staffing

 

[ElephantBlade]

Some of the best moments we’ve had in recent years have come under the prince. I wish him nothing but success in his future endeavours.

UTB.

 

[petcharlie]

My mentality? The clubs continued existence as a top 2 division entity is entirely dependant on getting promoted and earning parachute payments. Nothing has changed from when he took over

I agree if we had not got promoted last year it would have been a very different story , Thanks to Hecky and then Wilder doing incredible jobs running the the club on fresh air we could have made the owls look like a good run club . Not so long ago he was prepared to sell to any tom dick and harry thankfully they were sussed and not by the club . Feel sorry for Hecky he was on a no win wicket .

 

[The Crab]

I seem to recall that the FANS CHOICE was Slav and the Prince went out and got him

Agreed, but right choice at the wrong time. He’s only really any good when he has money to spend.

It was like me inviting Gordon Ramsey round to cook me beans on toast.

Overall, more good than bad from the prince, but events over the last few months have soured my opinion a bit.

But still, thank you

 

[dc_blade]

Chris Wilder and his team--and to a lesser extent Paul Heckingbottom and his--deserve most of the credit for the progress the club has made in the last 8 years.

But plenty of owners would have fucked up the good thing we found when we hired Wilder. The prince deserves credit for getting out the way and letting Wilder work his magic.

 

[sitwell]

Be glad when hes gone, only had any affinity when we played Man Utd or someone like that, never gave a toss about Utd or anyone working for or employed in it.
Ask anyone at the club what they think , past and present. Good riddance.

 

[Westran]

For the sake of making sure that you understand what I inferred, given that like many
I've witnessed many chairman take the reins at SUFC, my take on Abdullah has seen him orchestrate,
if that's the correct term, an apparent solidity with the club's finances. What I've also witnessed is a self-serving
approach that initially saw a gross over-estimation of the club's price then a more realistic valuation was applied.
All the while the supporters, who as usual are little more than bystanders, have no choice than to moan, and there's been plenty of that.

You clearly imagine that Abdullah has been the best owner this club has had, I repeat, how do you square that opinion with last season's
lack of investment when we were a Prem team, thus consigning us to a relegation fight before the season began?

He's literally just asking you who you think the best owner we've ever had, it's the first question that came to me when I read your post too. Nobody is suggesting the Prince is the best ever, just asking you who you would put above him. And you're obviously struggling to think of anyone, otherwise you would have just answered in the first place. You secret Prince lover you

 

[vas borbokis]

By that I assume you see Abdullah as a poster boy for what a defining chairperson should be?

My point about a lack of investment at the beginning of last season wasn't answered, so I guess that lets
Abdullah off the hook for what became a thoroughly depressing and record breaking season.
If you think that's worthy of a someone whose responsibility to ensure that our first team does as well as it can
has been met then we'll have to disagree.

If only you'd lent him your money tree. Laughable. He couldn't sail closer to the wing than he did. As the minus two points attests!

 

[true99blade]

People need to remember we were also at our lowest point in decades with him and McCabe at the helm. Wilder is the main reason we find ourselves where we are as a club, but I’ll always be grateful for the good under Abdullah, but also last season was one of the most stinking parts of our history and was heavily down to him. Carlton’s right, some good, some not so good. I’m glad he’s going overall.

 

[Frank the tank]

For the sake of making sure that you understand what I inferred, given that like many
I've witnessed many chairman take the reins at SUFC, my take on Abdullah has seen him orchestrate,
if that's the correct term, an apparent solidity with the club's finances. What I've also witnessed is a self-serving
approach that initially saw a gross over-estimation of the club's price then a more realistic valuation was applied.
All the while the supporters, who as usual are little more than bystanders, have no choice than to moan, and there's been plenty of that.

You clearly imagine that Abdullah has been the best owner this club has had, I repeat, how do you square that opinion with last season's
lack of investment when we were a Prem team, thus consigning us to a relegation fight before the season began?

It's not a hard question mate
Who has been better chairman ?

 

[The Crab]

It's not a hard question mate
Who has been better chairman ?

On balance, despite my feelings I can’t think of anyone better in my time, but my god it’s a low bar.

We’ve had some piss poor owners

 

[Rodley]

Had some fantastic times under the Prince and I will give him one thing, he drove a hard bargain when selling our players. After years of underselling, he fought our corner.

As owners go he’s a 7/10 for me. And that’s a pretty impressive score in our history and also in football ownership more generally.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Fair points. But "have nobody at all, outsource for an annual fee" model costs just as much as having qualified, capable staffing

You hear stories of the “the tea lady was worried for her job if we got relegated”. Fortunately since the first PL promotion under Wilder we’ve not been in that position. I can’t imagine that the non playing side staffing structure would look the same if we become a ‘team like Preston’.

 

[YES Blade]

On balance, despite my feelings I can’t think of anyone better in my time, but my god it’s a low bar.

We’ve had some piss poor owners

Category:Sheffield United F.C. directors and chairmen - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

When you look at that list, you’re right it’s an incredibly low bar! You could make a case for Dooley being better but he obviously didn’t own the club so he isn’t really a like for like comparison.

He’s our best ever owner, but he probably needs to be judged against owners of other similar sized clubs, but it’s really difficult for that comparison to be made.

 

[Carlton Blade]

You hear stories of the “the tea lady was worried for her job if we got relegated”. Fortunately since the first PL promotion under Wilder we’ve not been in that position. I can’t imagine that the non playing side staffing structure would look the same if we become a ‘team like Preston’.

Again, fair points. But the time to capitalism on additional revenue by building something more sustainable long term was there. I'm not saying it was easy or foolproof. But not trying while paying UW grates with me

 

[itsinyerblood]

He's literally just asking you who you think the best owner we've ever had, it's the first question that came to me when I read your post too. Nobody is suggesting the Prince is the best ever, just asking you who you would put above him. And you're obviously struggling to think of anyone, otherwise you would have just answered in the first place. You secret Prince lover you

That last comment made me smile.......as has been quoted elsewhere, it's such a low bar as to who's best or worst, but in all conscience after last season I cannot view Abdullah in a good light. Considering how tough it is to achieve promotion, the abject failure to strengthen an already depleted squad needs responsibility to be taken for this failure.
Any guesses for wondering who that might be?

 

[itsinyerblood]

It's not a hard question mate
Who has been better chairman ?

You can repeat your question ad infinitum, but my response remains. As has been said elsewhere, the bar is very, very low as per owners of SUFC.
Last season's failure to strike when strengthening was called for smacks of incredibly poor leadership. It takes a huge effort to achieve promotion to the Prem, and what did the Chairman do to give us a fighting chance of remaining a Prem club? If you think this elevates Abdullah to the pinnacle of numero uno owner then I'm not quite sure what to say..
It was an abject failure, period.

 

[Bell4]

You can repeat your question ad infinitum, but my response remains. As has been said elsewhere, the bar is very, very low as per owners of SUFC.
Last season's failure to strike when strengthening was called for smacks of incredibly poor leadership. It takes a huge effort to achieve promotion to the Prem, and what did the Chairman do to give us a fighting chance of remaining a Prem club? If you think this elevates Abdullah to the pinnacle of numero uno owner then I'm not quite sure what to say..
It was an abject failure, period.

Not abject failure - worse than that

 

[Loco Blade]

Until a deal
Is signed there is NO deal . No lover of the Prince as my belief is that we were the cash cow for some vanity project along the lines of City Football Group . The mere fact he was a foreign owner and raised our profile globally as a result has probably put us in a bigger shop window than under McCabe so thanks for that at least. I never believed he truly was a fan of the club just an opportunist .
UTB

 

[YES Blade]

by gum he's far from the best.

Rather than type multiple posts and hundreds of words, it would’ve been so much easier to just admit that you got this wrong.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Rather than type multiple posts and hundreds of words, it would’ve been so much easier to just admit that you got this wrong.

Hopefully this won't require multiple replies, but not sure how I got this wrong. To say I'm less than impressed
by Abdullah is an understatement, and just because I'm asked a question doesn't mean I'm obligated to answer
in the manner expected of me....think that's what's called my choice of reply, or is that unacceptable?

 

[YES Blade]

Hopefully this won't require multiple replies, but not sure how I got this wrong. To say I'm less than impressed
by Abdullah is an understatement, and just because I'm asked a question doesn't mean I'm obligated to answer
in the manner expected of me....think that's what's called my choice of reply, or is that unacceptable?

So who did you say was our best ever chairman/owner again?

 

[Bill puntin]

Forgive the cynicism, but there's more than an undercurrent of willing fellatio at play. Abdullah's not the worst we've had but
by gum he's far from the best. I get that an owner will have a self-serving agenda, but last season revealed how unwilling Abdullah
was to invest, and thus an inevitable relegation fight had begun in August. Makes you wonder what the point of promotion was meant to be?

He's literally just asking you who you think the best owner we've ever had, it's the first question that came to me when I read your post too. Nobody is suggesting the Prince is the best ever, just asking you who you would put above him. And you're obviously struggling to think of anyone, otherwise you would have just answered in the first place. You secret Prince lover you

I honestly cant think of a better owner only perhaps john hasall for a while

 

[itsinyerblood]

So who did you say was our best ever chairman/owner again?

I didn't as you well know......what I've said, and you clearly don't wish to accept this, I cannot elevate
Abdullah to the exulted height of King Bee, which was already intimated in my original post. By all means repeat your question,
but I promise you'll either receive a similar reply or maybe none at all. Have a good night and make sure you take your squishy Abdullah
cuddle toy to bed with you.

 

[MosboroughBlade]

Like him or loath him, we have had some of the most successful years we've had in recent history under him. Check his record. UTB

 

[Frank the tank]

You can repeat your question ad infinitum, but my response remains. As has been said elsewhere, the bar is very, very low as per owners of SUFC.
Last season's failure to strike when strengthening was called for smacks of incredibly poor leadership. It takes a huge effort to achieve promotion to the Prem, and what did the Chairman do to give us a fighting chance of remaining a Prem club? If you think this elevates Abdullah to the pinnacle of numero uno owner then I'm not quite sure what to say..
It was an abject failure, period.

So you can't think of one then

 

[YES Blade]

I didn't as you well know......what I've said, and you clearly don't wish to accept this, I cannot elevate
Abdullah to the exulted height of King Bee, which was already intimated in my original post. By all means repeat your question,
but I promise you'll either receive a similar reply or maybe none at all. Have a good night and make sure you take your squishy Abdullah
cuddle toy to bed with you.

He can still be the best even if you think he’s shit, the phrase “best of a bad bunch” comes to mind.

 

[itsinyerblood]

He can still be the best even if you think he’s shit, the phrase “best of a bad bunch” comes to mind.

So mediocre then?