Sheffield United ownership battle: Blades director denies co-owner Kevin McCabe is a ‘bully’

A Sheffield United director has strongly denied former club chairman Kevin McCabe is a 'bully' as the court case to decide who owns the club continues.
Sheffield United co-owner Kevin McCabeSheffield United co-owner Kevin McCabe
Sheffield United co-owner Kevin McCabe

The accusation was made by Andreas Gledhill QC, Price Abdullah's lawyer during cross examination of Blades' director Jeremy Tutton on day six of the High Court hearing.

Mr Gledhill showed a series of emails and memos to the hearing and Judge Justice Fancourt, which he said showed Mr McCabe was a 'bully'.

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In of the emails, Mr McCabe sought for the reporting line of a new starter - chief operating officer Simon Radcliffe - to be changed without telling Prince Abdullah's UTB.

He asked Mr Tutton: "You know that Kevin McCabe is a bully don't you?"

Mr Tutton replied: "If I thought he was a bully I wouldn't have worked for him."

The lawyer also accused Mr Tutton of 'skewing' minutes from a board meeting in October 2017 when former chief executive officer Stephen Bettis refused to resign when he moved to Los Angeles.

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In one email, relating to who Mr Radcliffe should report to and following disputed between SUL and UTB, Catherine Frost, the club's head of HR, said: "With the utmost respect to all concerned, I am unable to resolve the differing requirements of board members and owners. I serve the club rather than specific individuals."

Mr Gledhill also questioned Mr Tutton on a number of other emails, meetings and memos, with the director responding a number of times that he didn't know the answer or couldn't remember exact details as he 'didn't care' about the subject of them.

A number of emails relating to possible sponsorship and commercial opportunities were also shown to the court, including offers from a betting company and gambling app.

After they had been read to the court, Mr Tutton said he was aware Prince Abdullah and his colleagues were Muslim.

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Speaking about the links football has to betting and alcohol, he said: "If they [UTB] have quite strong religious grounds why the hell are they getting involved in football in the UK."

He added: "I am indifferent to religion, I am sorry if that makes me a bad person."

Speaking about an email exchange between Mr McCabe and Prince Abdullah, which he was copied into over a possible cash injection into the club, Mr Tutton said: "I don't know how any of this is going to pan out at all. I just know that I am in a position where UTB do not have enough money to fund this club."

The case continues.