As the 2015/16 season came to a close, the Blades had just finished 11th in League One – their fifth consecutive campaign in that division.
Their mediocre nature was a troublesome one as they struggled to make it back to the Championship.
A club with a rich history was being left behind by teams all over the country, but step forward former owner Kevin McCabe.
In May of 2016 he made efforts to surround himself and the playing/coaching staff with a new CEO and Director.
That happened to be Steve Bettis, a figurehead who has helped to change the landscape of the football club.
A man charged with leading the negotiations of transfers, he has now outlasted McCabe at Bramall Lane and is proving every bit as influential as manager Chris Wilder.
One of the final recruits before Bettis arrived was indeed Wilder. Appointed a matter of days before in May 2016, the ex-Northampton boss developed a fine relationship with the hierarchy and the duo’s first season ended in promotion as Sheffield United finished top of the league.
Following on from those achievements, they then established themselves in the Championship and won promotion from that too.
Rather remarkably, they’re now just outside of the Champions League places in the top-flight. Bettis’ appointment, so it would seem, has been the catalyst for a bright future for the Blades, even if he took a backseat in proceedings in 2017/18, before returning on a more consistent basis.
He doesn’t speak up much but both he and Wilder were incredibly active last week during the club’s warm-weather camp in Dubai.
The CEO unveiled plans were in place for a brand new training facility for the club. On top of that, Bettis also claimed work was being done ahead of possible arrivals to bolster the playing squad in the summer.
Capable of laying the groundwork for any potential signing, Wilder had fine praise for him last week: “Steve has had huge experience in and outside football of negotiating so it was over to him and I think he enjoys it! I’m sure I would have cost the club a lot more!”
His experience came through with the acquisition of Sander Berge. Despite interest from Liverpool, they still secured the Norwegian for a relatively low fee of £22m in the modern market.
Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?
Bettis noted that Sheffield United wouldn’t overpay for signings and this was fine evidence of that policy in action.
United are working on a shoestring budget but Wilder and the club’s CEO have done a tremendous job with their actions.
Appointing Bettis all those years ago has been a masterstroke.
In other Blades news, the club are targetting a £20m+ addition ahead of the summer…
