Sheffield United's chief executive Stephen Bettis has said the club do not expect to receive a points deduction from the EFL, though he was careful to stop short of ruling one out entirely. Speaking for an hour on BBC Radio Sheffield on Tuesday evening, Bettis addressed what has become one of the most significant off-pitch stories in the Championship this season.

What triggered the investigation

The EFL launched an investigation after COH Sports Bidco Limited (CSBL), the company used to purchase Sheffield United, was placed into liquidation by the High Court in August. CSBL had agreed to buy the club for just over £100m in December 2024, but around £35m of that sum remains outstanding. A winding-up petition was filed in July by United World, the club's former ownership group, against CSBL. Under EFL rules, insolvency events can trigger a 12-point penalty.

The owners' legal argument

Bettis set out the position the club's lawyers have taken to the EFL. "The 12-point deduction only relates to if the club or a company within the group goes into insolvency," he said. "The advice our owners have got from their lawyers is that the club certainly didn't go into insolvency. We're funded, we're paying all our bills on time."

The key distinction the owners are drawing is one of timing. Bettis argued that CSBL was no longer part of the Sheffield United group when the winding-up order was made, and that while it was inside the group it never became insolvent. That argument, if accepted by the EFL, would remove the trigger for any automatic deduction.

He pointed out that the EFL has been aware of the situation for four months. "If it was clear cut we'd have been charged already, in my opinion," he said. "It's clearly not clear cut and it continues to go on." When pressed directly on whether that meant the club were not expecting a points deduction, Bettis said the legal advice they had received pointed in that direction, while adding: "I'm not going to sit here and categorically say we're not at risk. Until the verdict is given, I'm not going to make myself look an idiot."

Fines remain on the table alongside any potential points sanction, and Bettis acknowledged that both options are still live: "There's still that risk, whether it's a fine, a points deduction, all of those are on the table still." He added that the owners would "fight hard" against any deduction if one were imposed.

BBC Sport contacted the EFL for comment and was told "matters still remain ongoing".

The outstanding payment dispute

Bettis also addressed the approximately £35m still owed to former owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud. He said discussions between the current owners and the former chairman are continuing, with the new regime of the view that the outstanding sum should be reduced. "The existing owners have issues with the previous owner; they are continuing to discuss and potentially feel the sum of money outstanding should be a lesser sum," Bettis said, while insisting he did not believe the new owners were trying to avoid the payment altogether.

Fit and proper tests and January transfer window

On the regulatory front, Bettis confirmed that director Timothy Ryan has passed the EFL's fit and proper person test as well as the equivalent examination conducted by the Independent Football Regulator. He also said he had been told that the prospect of co-chair Steven Rosen facing disqualification by the EFL was "not an issue".

Separately, Bettis indicated that despite activity in the summer transfer window, the club does not intend to reinvest that money in January. Sheffield United currently sit in a Championship season that has already seen them beat Blackburn Rovers and sign Jordan Ayew on loan, but the financial backdrop described on Tuesday night makes clear that the board's room for manoeuvre in the market remains limited while the EFL's deliberations are unresolved.

For supporters, the uncertainty is real. A 12-point deduction at this stage of a Championship campaign would be severe, potentially turning a promotion push into a survival fight. The club's position is that it should not come to that. The EFL has yet to say otherwise.

Frequently asked

Could Sheffield United be docked 12 points by the EFL?
The EFL is still investigating the circumstances around the liquidation of the company used to buy the club. Sheffield United's CEO says the legal advice the owners have received is that the club itself did not go into insolvency, which they argue means the 12-point trigger does not apply. The EFL has not yet issued a ruling, and a fine remains a separate possibility.
Why is Sheffield United under EFL investigation?
COH Sports Bidco Limited, the vehicle used to purchase Sheffield United for just over £100m in December 2024, was placed into liquidation by the High Court in August 2025 after a winding-up petition was filed by the club's former owners, United World. The EFL launched an investigation because insolvency events within a club's ownership structure can trigger automatic points deductions under league rules.
Will Sheffield United sign players in the January transfer window?
CEO Stephen Bettis indicated on BBC Radio Sheffield that the club does not plan to reinvest the money raised in the summer transfer window during the January window.