Sheffield United's promotion ambitions could be under threat after a company belonging to the club's American co-chairmen was wound up by the High Court, potentially exposing the Blades to a significant points deduction.
COH Sports, the vehicle through which Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy completed their takeover of the Championship club in December 2024, was ordered into liquidation following legal action brought by Sheffield United's former owners, United World.
United World, controlled by Prince Abdullah bin Mosa'ad, lodged the winding-up petition last month, alleging it is owed in excess of £35 million stemming from the sale of the club. The case was dealt with swiftly at London's specialist Insolvency and Companies Court, taking barely 10 seconds for Judge Paul Greenwood to grant what was described as the standard compulsory order after representations from Angus Groom, acting on behalf of United World.
The ruling raises the prospect of sporting sanctions for Sheffield United, who could be docked as many as 12 points should the English Football League determine that ownership rules have been breached as a result of the situation surrounding COH Sports. The club had previously insisted, in a statement issued in June, that Delaware-registered 1919 Partners is the true parent company and forms the core of its ownership structure, seemingly in an attempt to distance the football operation from the legal wrangling engulfing COH Sports.
The timing could hardly be worse for a club still smarting from recent near-misses at the top end of the Championship. Sheffield United were competing in the Premier League as recently as two seasons ago and came agonisingly close to an immediate return to the top flight last term, only to be beaten by Sunderland in the play-off final. That heartbreak was followed by a underwhelming campaign last season, with the Blades slipping to 13th place and failing to mount any serious push for a play-off spot.
Despite the off-field turmoil, Chris Wilder's side have made a solid enough start to the current campaign on the pitch. United began with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup before being held to a goalless draw at home to Birmingham City at Bramall Lane last weekend. Attention now turns to this weekend's away fixture against Swansea City, where Wilder will be looking for his team to build momentum as they attempt to re-establish themselves among the Championship's promotion contenders.
A points penalty of the magnitude being discussed would represent a serious blow to those aspirations, potentially undoing much of the good work Wilder's squad manages to produce on the field this season. The EFL will now need to assess whether the collapse of COH Sports constitutes a breach of its ownership regulations, a process that could take some time to resolve given the complexity of the corporate structure involved.
For now, uncertainty hangs over Bramall Lane as fans await clarity on both the financial dispute between the club's past and present owners and any resulting sporting consequences. Sheffield United will hope the matter is settled quickly and that their focus can return fully to matters on the pitch as they chase a swift return to English football's top tier.
Based on reporting from The Independent.