m.sufc

A statement from United World, former owners of Sheffield United: United World notes the comments made on BBC Radio Sheffield by Sheffield United’s chief executive, Mr Stephen Bettis. We believe Sheffield United supporters and the wider community deserve a clear and accurate picture of the situation. We welcome Mr Bettis’s public confirmation that the sum owed to United World is not in dispute. The price for the club was agreed in a binding contract between fully advised parties, and that sum remains due. The company through which the owners bought the club has been wound up by the High Court for failing to pay this debt. Independent liquidators have been appointed and are now responsible for its affairs. Contrary to Mr Bettis’s suggestion that discussions are ongoing, United World is not and has not been in negotiations with the owners, despite several attempts by us to reach out to them. Changes in the club’s fortunes since completion, including decisions the owners have themselves acknowledged as mistakes, are not a basis for revisiting an agreed price. When the sale completed, the club was, as Mr Bettis himself acknowledged, at the top of the Championship, with a young squad capable of competing for promotion. We are saddened to see where the club stands today. The players sold this summer were recruited during United World’s ownership and, on Mr Bettis’s own account, the proceeds of those sales will not all be reinvested in the team. United World remains committed to recovering the sum owed through the proper legal process. #SUFC