Sheffield United owner breaks silence on points deduction threat | OneFootball

Sheffield United owner Steven Rosen has dismissed speculation that the club could be given a 12-point deduction.

Sheffield United owner Steven Rosen has insisted he is confident that the club will not be hit with any points deductions this season.

Rosen was part of the COH Sports consortium that bought Sheffield United from former owner Prince Abdullah in December 2024 in a deal thought to be worth £105 million, but they have had a turbulent first 18 months in charge at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United facing points deduction threat amid alarming COH Sports developments

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Just weeks after Sheffield United missed out on promotion to the Premier League after defeat to Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley in 2025, the club's owners made the controversial decision to part company with manager Chris Wilder as they pursued a more data-driven recruitment model.

However, Wilder's replacement, Ruben Selles, lost all of his six games in charge of the Blades before being sacked in September, and the 58-year-old made a sensational return for a third spell at the club, just 89 days after his summer exit.

Wilder was successfully able to guide United away from relegation danger, but the expected play-off push failed to materialise, with his side eventually ending the season in a disappointing 13th place.

The Blades have lost a number of their key players this summer, with Gustavo Hamer returning to Coventry City for £6 million, Callum O'Hare making a £7 million move to Wrexham and Andre Brooks joining Norwich City in a deal that could be worth as much as £10 million, but despite the trio bringing in significant income, funds were not available for Wilder to recruit replacements.

In further concerning off-field developments, the company used to buy the club, COH Sports Bidco Limited (CSBL), was placed into liquidation by the High Court last month after a winding-up petition was filed by former owners United World, with about £35m still owed on the deal.

That led to speculation that United could be hit with a 12-point deduction, with the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator both confirming that they are examining the court's verdict and the potential implications of the decision, and that has left supporters anxiously waiting for further news.

Steven Rosen speaks out on Sheffield United points deduction fears

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In a rare public interview, Rosen stressed that he does not expect Sheffield United to be given a points deduction as the club is not insolvent, and he explained that the situation is different from that of local rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who went into administration last season and had a total of 18 points deducted.

"There's been some comment on what's going to be the fallout with the EFL," Rosen told the club's official YouTube channel.

"There's only one real noise around points deductions or sporting sanctions, and Prince Abdullah put that out.

"Prince Abdullah and United World don't have power over the EFL to issue a points deduction.

"A former owner can't tell the EFL what to do.

"As much as he'd like to with that threat tactic, he doesn't have that power.

"I'm sure other competitive clubs, self-servingly, would love to see us or enjoy us getting a points deduction that would put us further down the table and make it harder for us to compete, but clubs don't have power over the EFL.

"At no point was the football club insolvent.

"We pay our creditors on time, we pay our bills on time.

"There's a little technicality there about a group company, but COH is not a group company.

"That's not a group company of Sheffield, it's not the holder of Sheffield, it's not the holding company, so I can't see any scenario where the club gets a points deduction because of that insolvency rule.

"It wasn't like Sheffield Wednesday where they had an administrator and they went into insolvency, couldn't pay their bills and all that.

"That's not our situation."

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One of the main criticisms of Sheffield United's owners since their takeover has been a lack of communication, so supporters will be pleased to hear Rosen speak to the media and address some of the key issues at Bramall Lane.

It remains to be seen whether the EFL will take action against the Blades after CSBL's liquidation, but Rosen's belief that a points deduction will be avoided will be a huge relief for Wilder, who already has a tough task on his hands this season after losing some of his stars over the summer.

However, while Rosen's comments may provide some short-term reassurance for United fans, plenty of other red flags have emerged during the course of his consortium's ownership, and there are serious question marks over whether they are the right custodians to take the South Yorkshire outfit forward.