12-point deduction fears grow at Sheffield United as Stephen Bettis gives his verdict

Sheffield United’s difficult start to the 2026/27 Championship season has been made even more complicated by the uncertainty surrounding a potential points deduction.

With the Blades already struggling for consistency on the pitch, attention has also turned towards the club’s ownership situation and the possibility of a major punishment from the EFL.

CEO Stephen Bettis has now addressed the situation and explained why he does not currently expect Sheffield United to receive a points deduction.

United went into the new campaign knowing it would be a challenging one. The club were unable to spend transfer fees during the summer after their parachute payments came to an end, while key players including Andre Brooks, Gus Hamer and Callum O’Hare also moved on.

The results have reflected those difficulties.

After eight Championship matches, Sheffield United sit 18th in the table with two wins, three draws and three defeats. Their poor run was made worse by defeats against Wolves and Stoke City, followed by an EFL Cup loss to League Two side Fleetwood Town before the international break.

However, the biggest concern for supporters is arguably what is happening away from the pitch.

A dispute involving former Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah and the club’s current ownership has left around £35 million in outstanding debt at the centre of the controversy.

The issue relates to COH Sports’ takeover of Sheffield United, which was completed for a deal worth more than £100 million nearly two years ago. Prince Abdullah continues to pursue money he believes remains unpaid by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy.

That situation has raised concerns over whether the EFL could impose a points deduction.

Bettis explains Sheffield United’s position

Bettis has now given his side of the story and insists Sheffield United themselves are not facing an insolvency problem.

Speaking to The Star, the United chief explained that the EFL — rather than the Independent Football Regulator — would be responsible for imposing any points deduction.

He also revealed that both the EFL and IFR have been aware of the situation since May and that the club and its owners have cooperated with the investigations.

According to Bettis, the key issue is whether an entity within the ownership structure became insolvent and whether that could trigger an EFL sanction.

He stressed that Sheffield United as a football club has continued to meet its financial obligations.

Bettis said the club had been paying its liabilities and insisted there was no insolvency problem involving Sheffield United itself.

The situation became public in August when it emerged that the company originally used to acquire the club had been placed into liquidation proceedings by the High Court.

That does not necessarily mean Sheffield United themselves have entered administration, but the ownership structure has created a complicated situation for the club.

The major question now is whether the EFL believes the ownership group breached its rules by transferring shares into another company while leaving significant liabilities behind.

If the governing body decides that happened, Sheffield United could face disciplinary action, with a points deduction among the possible sanctions.

For now, though, no 12-point deduction has been confirmed, and Bettis remains confident that the circumstances surrounding the ownership structure will not result in Sheffield United being punished in that way.