Sheffield United CEO: club does not expect 12-point EFL penalty

Sheffield United's chief executive Stephen Bettis has told BBC Radio Sheffield the club do not expect to be hit with a 12-point deduction by the English Football League, though he stressed an investigation remains ongoing.

WHAT HAPPENED
The EFL launched an inquiry after the company used to buy the club was placed into liquidation by the High Court in August. COH Sports Bidco Limited (CSBL) agreed to purchase the Championship club for just over £100m in December 2024, but about £35m remained unpaid on the deal. A winding-up petition was filed in July against CSBL by United World, the club's former owners.

Bettis said the owners' legal advice is that the 12-point deduction applies only if the club or a company inside the club group goes into insolvency, and that the club itself "certainly didn't go into insolvency - we're funded, we're paying all our bills on time." He added the winding-up order affected a company that was no longer within the Sheffield United group when it was made and that, on that basis, the owners believe the deduction should not apply.

He also acknowledged there remains a risk of sanctions: "There's still that risk, whether it's a fine, a points deduction, all of those are on the table still and until they are not we have to be open and understand that's the situation." Bettis said the owners would "fight hard" if a sanction were imposed.

CONTEXT AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
BBC Sport contacted the EFL, which said "matters still remain ongoing." Bettis referenced the 2009 case in which Southampton were docked 10 points after a parent company went into administration but stressed that, in Sheffield United's situation, the company subject to the winding-up order "wasn't a parent company for Sheffield United when it happened, that's quite an important difference."

Bettis also confirmed discussions continue between the current owners and former owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud over the roughly £35m outstanding, with the new owners believing the sum should be adjusted. He said he did not believe the owners were trying to avoid payment. Bettis reported that director Timothy Ryan has passed the fit-and-proper owner test with both the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator and that the prospect of co-chair Steven Rosen facing disqualification was "not an issue."

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The EFL investigation is ongoing and no decision has been announced. Until the EFL reaches a verdict, Bettis stressed the club must accept there remains a risk of fines or points deductions.