Dubai, Dec 05: Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Mubarak al-Khalifa might not be a household name for soccer fans but he could be the white knight who rescues Leeds United from extinction.
The club, with a 78 million pound (135 million dollar) Albatross round its neck, is on the brink of becoming the first English Premier League outfit to go into administration.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman, who used to go to Elland Road to watch Leeds' matches when he was a student in Yorkshire in the 1970s, is trying to broker a deal with a Middle Eastern consortium to save the club.
"I'm one of Leeds' biggest fans," says the 44-year-old who is a member of Bahrain's royal family, although not one of the ruling inner circle.
"They're one of the top five in English football which I love."



Sheikh Abdul Rahman, head of the al-Najma Sports Club who are Bahrain champions at volleyball and handball, has three children aged 6 to 15.



He made his money in real estate and is said to have wide-ranging business interests but reveals few personal details.



"I lived in England from 1972 to 1984 where I went to a Wellington School and then to Ealing University where I read economics," added the Sheikh whose brother, Muhammad bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, is Bahrain's Foreign Minister.


Bureau Report