Former Sheffield Utd owners claim they are owed £35m

Sheffield United finished 13th in the Championship last season [Shutterstock] The former owners of Sheffield United have filed a winding up petition against the club's owners COH Sports Bidco Limited, claiming they are owed over £35m. In a letter seen by the BBC, United World, the investment company of Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has also questioned the validity of last month's board update which said that another company, 1919 Partners LLC, was the "parent company of Sheffield United". American-based consortium COH Sports completed their takeover of the Championship club in December 2024. In a lengthy statement, United World said that "in light of the substantial sums that United World is owed by CSBL (over £35 million inclusive of interest), we have been forced to issue a petition in the High Court to wind-up CSBL". They added they were "very disappointed and alarmed at the turn of recent events and believe that both we, and the EFL, have been seriously misled, putting the long-term stability and viability of the club in jeopardy". The statement continued: "In addition, if the owners of COH Sports Bidco Limited are allowed to get away with effectively gaining control of a football club without paying the amounts they promised to acquire it, we believe that shall undermine the confidence of those who wish to invest in football in the EFL lawfully and properly. "To that end, along with our legal team, we shall leave no stone unturned to prevent or remedy the serious wrongdoing being committed by those who have taken control of the club." COH Sports is led by businessmen Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, who remain on the club's board. When they completed their takeover, they said they "want to take this chance to assure the supporters that we understand the huge responsibility that comes with owning Sheffield United". In response to the claims made by United World, a spokesperson for 1919 Partners LLC said: "This matter has no impact on the day-to-day operations or financial stability of Sheffield United, which remains well positioned ahead of the new season. "We are focused on winning football matches, not playing politics. "As we have already said, the purpose of the restructuring was to create a stronger platform, more efficient and flexible ownership structure that further supports the long-term financial sustainability of Sheffield United. "This is an outstanding matter with the former owner, and we will not comment on private commercial discussions. We have engaged, and will continue to engage, constructively and transparently with the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator." After being contacted by the BBC, the EFL said: "The EFL notes recent developments involving Sheffield United and has requested observations from the relevant parties in the context of EFL Regulations. "As this process is ongoing, we are not in a position to make any further comment at this time." The Independent Football Regulator, which has powers to take action against "unsuitable owners and directors", said: "We are engaging with the relevant parties on this issue but we cannot comment further at this stage." Sheffield United finished 13th in the Championship last season. They start the new campaign with a trip to Mansfield Town in the EFL Cup on Sunday, 9 August. Latest Sheffield United news, analysis and fan views Get Sheffield United news sent straight to your phone