The English Football League is examining claims that Sheffield United’s proprietor, the US-based investment consortium COH Sports, has created a fresh parent entity for the club in an effort to sidestep a £35m obligation owed to former owner Prince Abdullah.
COH Sports, headed by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, struck an agreement to purchase United from the Saudi Arabian royal for roughly £100m in December 2024, handing over an initial payment of around £30m soon afterwards. However, it is accused of being late with the second instalment and failing to make two further payments due later this year. Abdullah’s investment business, United World, lodged a winding-up petition in the high court against COH Sports this week and has raised its concerns with both the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator.
United’s owners are thought to acknowledge that approximately £35m remains outstanding and have verified the parent company restructuring, but they maintain the two issues are unrelated. Discussions aimed at a settlement have been underway for some time, with Abdullah offered the option to convert the debt into equity in the club, yet a resolution has still not been found.
In a letter to the EFL that has been reviewed by reporters, Abdullah’s representatives state that he is owed £35m by COH Sports and that the group is refusing to pay. The correspondence further contends that COH Sports has moved shares from the vehicle used to acquire United – COH Sports Bidco Limited (CSBL) – into a new firm, 1919 Partners LLC.
On 22 June, United issued a “board update” declaring that 1919 Partners LLC, a Delaware-registered corporation, “is the parent company of Sheffield United FC” and “lies at the heart of the ownership structure” of the club.
The legal submission from Abdullah’s team asserts: “Given that the ultimate owners, who must have passed the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test at the time they acquired the Blades Shares, have since revealed themselves to the EFL as individuals willing to engineer a transfer of those shares out of CSBL in order to avoid paying the full price for the club, it is unclear how the EFL could possibly remain satisfied that these people meet the fit and proper standard or are otherwise suitable to run one of its football clubs – least of all one with the history of Sheffield United.”
The EFL is understood to have approached United’s owners several days ago to seek clarity over their compliance with regulations, and it was already actively looking into the issue before receiving a formal letter from United World on Wednesday.
“The EFL notes recent developments involving Sheffield United and has requested observations from the relevant parties in the context of EFL regulations,” a league spokesperson said. “As this process is ongoing, we are not in a position to make any further comment at this time.”
In addition to pursuing the debt, Abdullah’s legal team has reportedly voiced fears that the change of ownership could compromise the integrity of the competition, because avoiding payment of the full agreed purchase price would hand United an unfair competitive advantage over their Championship rivals.
A spokesperson for 1919 Partners LLC commented: “This matter has no impact on the day-to-day operations or financial stability of Sheffield United, which remains well placed ahead of the new season. We are focused on winning football matches, not playing politics.
“As we have previously stated, the purpose of the restructuring was to create a stronger platform – a more efficient and flexible ownership structure that further supports the long-term financial sustainability of Sheffield United. It provides a stronger base for existing owners to inject additional capital into the club alongside our lender MSD Capital and, over time, builds a more attractive framework for future investment.
“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.”
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