Owners issue statement on closure of Copthorne Hotel at Bramall Lane
and live on Freeview channel 276
Kevin McCabe’s Scarborough Group, which owns the property, said that the closure had to happen as they were being forced to sell the hotel to Prince Abdullah’s Sheffield United FC, who are not willing to buy it with its current management and contents.
However the football club has denied that this is the case, claiming the decision is all down to the Scarborough Group.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe closure follows a September 2019 High Court ruling, which ordered McCabe to sell his 50 per cent stake in Sheffield United to the Prince as well as other club assets, including the Copthorne Hotel.
It also means that plans for the Sheffield United first team players and staff to stay at the hotel during June as the Premier League season resumes cannot go ahead.
A statement from the Scarborough Group said: “Sheffield United Football Club (SUFC) are legally committed to acquiring from the McCabe family the stadium at Bramall Lane and other related property assets including the Copthorne Hotel which has been managed and operated by Millennium Hotels and Resorts (Millennium) since its formal opening in late 2008.
“The sale transaction is to be completed on the 1st July 2020 and in February of this year SUFC representatives made direct contact with Millennium with respect to the ongoing management of the hotel.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“The club's first team players, management and staff were scheduled to utilise 150 room nights at the Copthorne Hotel from the 15th June to the 2nd July.
“However, on the 8th June SUFC’s legal advisers confirmed that the property was to be handed over with vacant possession and that SUFC did not wish to acquire the hotel as an operational business with the management agreement in place.
“Regrettably, this has meant that we have not only have to terminate the hotel management agreement at short notice but also to arrange the removal from the hotel of all equipment and furniture in order to comply with SUFC’s demands that vacant possession be provided.
“The McCabe family deeply regret that this action has had to be taken, particularly having worked to protect the jobs of the hotel's staff from the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic and they offer their sincere apologies to all the employees affected, many of whom have worked at the hotel, and have become friends of the family, since it opened.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdA spokesperson for Sheffield United Football Club said: “The terms on which the hotel is to be sold were negotiated and drawn up by Scarborough and its lawyers in 2013. These specifically require a property sale with vacant possession rather than a sale of the business.
“A business sale was previously discussed by SUFC but reasonable commercial terms could not be agreed with Scarborough.
“SUFC has made no demands that furniture and equipment be removed. To the contrary, that was a decision taken unilaterally by Scarborough.
“Indeed, SUFC has expressed its concerns to Scarborough about the nature of the contents that are being withdrawn from the hotel ahead of ownership transferring.”