Sheffield United ownership battle ‘over’ as Kevin McCabe refused right to appeal

Sheffield United Limited (SUL), owned by McCabe, had taken his long-running ownership dispute with Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al Saud to the Court of Appeal in November - lodging an application to appeal.

This came after the High Court found against McCabe in a September 16 judgement when he was ordered to sell his 50 per cent stake for £5million to Prince Abdullah who, in return, must buy club properties worth up to £50m from McCabe before next summer.

A Blades statement this morning confirmed that the request to appeal by SUL had been refused.

It also revealed that an agreement in principle had been reached over the transfer of property interests held by McCabe, including the club’s Academy, junior development centre at Crookes and Copthorne Hotel.

The statement read: “Senior officials at the club have been informed that the Court of Appeal, Civil Division of England and Wales, has issued its decision to refuse Sheffield United Limited (SUL) permission to appeal the judgment of the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales made on 16th September 2019.

“The judgment required SUL, a company controlled by Mr Kevin McCabe, to sell its shares in Blades Leisure Limited (Blades), the parent of Sheffield United Football Club Ltd, to UTB, LLC, a company owned by HRH Prince Abdullah bin Mosa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Sa’ud.

“The Court of Appeal considered there to be no good grounds for allowing an appeal by Mr McCabe’s SUL. The decision brings an end to over two years of contentious litigation over the ownership of Sheffield United.

“The board is delighted that any lingering uncertainty about the club’s future ownership is at an end and that everyone at Sheffield United can now fully focus on what has, to date, been a fantastic first season back in the Premier League.

“The board is also delighted that an agreement, in principal (sic), has been reached with SUL and the Scarborough Group, also controlled by Mr McCabe, over the transfer to the club of the freehold of Bramall Lane (together with the long leasehold interests in the Copthorne Hotel and Enterprise Centre), plus Shirecliffe Academy, the Junior Development Centre at Crookes and certain parcels of land within the ‘Bramall Lane footprint’.

“Prince Abdullah expects the transfer of the properties to be completed within a matter of months and looks forward in particular to the club being unified with its beloved home, Bramall Lane.”

The Blades welcome Premier League champions Manchester City this evening.