Sheffield United handed off-the-field boost ahead of Boxing Day showdown with Burnley
Sheffield United have been handed an off-the-field boost ahead of their big Boxing Day encounter with Burnley.
The Clarets head to Bramall Lane looking to cut the gap to the league leaders, who currently sit four points clear of Scott Parker’s men.
Burnley will spend Christmas in third place in the Championship, just a point adrift of Leeds United in second, following their 2-1 win against Watford at the weekend.
Both Burnley and the Blades have only lost twice each so far this term, but Chris Wilder’s men boast 15 wins to the Clarets’ 12.
Ahead of the game, meanwhile, Sheffield United have revealed their long-awaited takeover has finally been given the green light.
The Blades are now owned by US-based consortium the COH Sports group, fronted by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy.
The deal includes buying the Blades’ women’s team, the Bramall Lane hotel and all the real estate, including Bramall Lane and the Shirecliffe training ground.
A club statement read: “COH Sports is committed to enhancing the current organisation with the highest of quality in areas of need, to further improve the club both on and off the pitch.
“The new ownership supports the current management team, including Stephen Bettis and Chris Wilder, and the new ownership is confident they can provide the right structure that allows the talent at the club to thrive in the long-term.”
The takeover, which has dragged out over many months, sees the consortium take over from Prince Abdullah bin Mosa’ad’s United World Group.
Rosen and Eltoukhy said: "Like all Blades fans we want to see the club competing in the top-flight of English football consistently, not just on a one-off basis, and we have been encouraged by the strong start to this season.
"The team has been performing strongly and we are committed to supporting the management team to continue this progress.
"We want to take this chance to assure the supporters that we understand the huge responsibility that comes with owning Sheffield United.
"The club is rooted in the fabric of this great city and our fans are the beating heart who back the team no matter what. Our fans will be at the heart of what COH stands for and we are deeply committed to ensuring Sheffield United is accessible and affordable for our supporters.”