Many foreign owners get a bad press, often with good reason. Sometimes they do not seem to understand the game (think Blackburn Rovers); are successful, but tamper with a club’s cherished traditions (think Cardiff City); are primarily interested in the ‘franchise’ as a business proposition (think Manchester United); or are absent a lot of the time (think Arsenal).
Many foreign owners get a bad press, often with good reason. Sometimes they do not seem to understand the game (think Blackburn Rovers); are successful, but tamper with a club’s cherished traditions (think Cardiff City); are primarily interested in the ‘franchise’ as a business proposition (think Manchester United); or are absent a lot of the time (think Arsenal).
However, all the initial signs with Prince Abdullah at Sheffield United are promising (I am going to stop given his full name – it wouldn’t fit on a shirt anyway). He turned up at the Blades’ game at Rotherham on Saturday and saw them beaten 3-1. He is clearly a keen football fan with six televisions in a ‘man cave’ back home so that he can keep up with matches around the world. He is also a very successful businessman who has put his money to good use.
‘I won’t change the colours or rename the stadium or anything like that,’ promised the prince when he talked to the Yorkshire Post. ‘I bought into a big, important piece of history and I’m not going to play with that. We’re not going to be called Sheffield 49ers or change the colours to pink.’ (He is a very keen fan of the San Francisco 49ers).
Manager David Weir has tried to dampen down expectations. He welcomed the takeover as great news but commented: ‘It just gives us a fighting chance of implementing what we want to do. But it doesn’t guarantee anything. You still have to take the small steps before you run.’
He continued, ‘This club has a fine tradition of playing at the top level and we’d all love to be there again. But we also realise how far away it is and how much needs to be done. My job is to make it happen but also to ensure it lasts.’
In his own inimitable fashion, former manager Neil Warnock commented: ‘There aren’t many princes around and I should think quite a few other clubs wish they could find one.’
Once again it shows that there are still some credible purchasers of clubs left, although not as many as they were, and they are wisely focusing on clubs with history (125 years in the case of the Blades) and potential in the Football League.