Sheffield United in crisis: Owners’ company wound up by High Court over £35m debt claim
The club could be subjected to a 12-point deduction if the English Football League finds the owners to have breached rules.
A company owned by Sheffield United’s chairmen has been wound up at the High Court.
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COH Sports faced proceedings brought by United World, the Championship club’s former owners.
The takeover of the club by COH Sports, headed by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, took place in December 2024.
Americans Mr Rosen and Mr Eltoukhy are co-chairmen of the club.
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United World, owned by Prince Abdullah bin Mosa’ad, has reportedly claimed it is owed more than £35 million from the sale, and filed the winding up petition last month.
A hearing in the petition took place on Wednesday at the specialist Insolvency and Companies Court (ICC) in London, which lasted around 10 seconds.
Angus Groom, representing United World, asked for the “usual compulsory order” in the proceedings, which would wind up COH Sports.
Judge Paul Greenwood granted the order.
The club could be subjected to a 12-point deduction if the English Football League finds the owners to have breached rules.
In June, Sheffield United said in a statement that Delaware-based company 1919 Partners is the club’s parent company and “sits at the centre of the ownership structure”.
Michelle Quinn, partner at Grosvenor Law, said: “COH Sports has been late at paying United World before – a previous instalment was paid only after issue of a statutory demand. This time round, COH Sports had transferred its shares in the club to a new entity in June and appears to have made no effort to defend the winding up petition.
“It is a very real risk that COH Sports has little in the way of assets remaining. Any liquidator will be keen to review the circumstances of the transfer to ascertain whether it was above board and if possible take such action as is necessary to claw back assets for the benefit of creditors as a whole.”