How likely Sheffield United are of getting a 12-point deduction revealed | OneFootball

The Blades' current owners are the subject of a winding-up petition set for Wednesday

The ongoing legal dispute between Sheffield United's former owner, Prince Abdullah and the club's current ownership group, 1919 Partners LLC, could end with the Blades receiving a 12-point deduction by the EFL.

It has been widely reported since Monday night that United's former owner is still demanding a £35m sum from the consortium owned by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, which has added to a rather dim mood at Bramall Lane throughout pre-season and the opening week of the Championship campaign.

On the pitch, Chris Wilder is hoping to oversee a successful squad reshuffle in a bid for the Steel City outfit to make the play-offs after ending 2025/26 in 13th position.

However, a 0-0 draw with Birmingham City in their season opener added further frustration to the fanbase in S2, with the current transfer window only seeing two new signings added to Wilder's squad, whilst key players from recent seasons have departed, most notably Andre Brooks and Gustavo Hamer.

That said, it remains to be seen what direction the club heads in next, both on and off the field, which is particularly dependent on the outcome of a winding-up petition involving Prince Abdullah and 1919 Partners, which has been set for Wednesday, August 19th.

Why Sheffield United could receive a 12-point deduction revealed

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Talk of a potential points deduction coming the Blades' way first surfaced last month, when the Sheffield Star claimed that the legal dispute was still some way off from leading towards such heavy sanctions.

Prince Abdullah, who owns United World, is said to have issued the winding-up petition towards Rosen and Eltoukhy's consortium, who recently rebranded to 1919 Partners, from COH Sports, over payments related to their takeover of the club in December 2024.

The former ownership group has now claimed that there is a "real prospect" that the club enters administration, after it was previously reported that the EFL and Independent Football Regulator have been alerted to the situation.

However, it could also leave the aforementioned Rosen banned from his role as a controlling owner, due to an EFL regulation which states any person involved in two insolvencies in a 10-year period can face said punishments.

Even though non-football related, Rosen was involved in a 2023 insolvency with American firm, Invacare, whilst if both owners are deemed insolvent, the aforementioned deduction could come in.

Despite this, 1919 Partners have also claimed that United are in a "healthy" financial position.

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Unsurprisingly, such developments have garnered plenty of reactions from United supporters, and, in particular, those across the city, with some Sheffield Wednesday fans quick to remind rival fans at Bramall Lane how they reacted to the Owls' overall 18-point deficit last season.

One Blades fan stated: I said last season we was in trouble with these owners. The points deduction will come, they are con men and owe 35 million quid. Changed the name of the business that owns the club is as a death sentence especially if it’s to get out of paying money.

Quick to reference Wednesday's recent struggles, another said: "Give us a 12 points deduction and let's see who still holds the worst record in Championship history by the end of the season."

"How on earth do we sign players with this hanging over our heads?," questioned one of many concerned United supporters.

"Does make you wonder how “sophisticated parties” can somehow disagree on something as fundamental as whether 35m is outstanding," was another opinion on the matter.

"If they’re financially healthy how come they haven’t paid the prince? How much was outstanding on Hamer too? All this sounds a little too familiar. As if it’s happened somewhere else in the last year or so," said another perplexed Blades fan.

Sheffield United fans hope £35m legal dispute is resolved ASAP

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At present, there isn't much of a reason for United supporters to be excited about the season, and they will be hoping the legal dispute is resolved in one form or another, even if they are hit with a points deduction.

However, if it was to continue rumbling on without clarity, it would impact the aims which Wilder has for his side in the next 45 matches, with it being a rather seismic gap in points to make up if the club are looking to make the top eight.

However, this isn't the only points deduction the club has faced in recent history, as in 2024/25, the Blades started on minus-two points for defaulting payments to other clubs in their 2022/23 promotion-winning campaign, which ironically came under the ownership of United World.