Sheffield United legend Tony Currie is set to step down from the board at Bramall Lane after a High Court ruling settled a long-running ownership against chairman Kevin McCabe.
Currie also has community role which makes him a visible presence at the club on most days and has corporate responsibilities on match-day for a stadium where the South Stand is named in his honour.
He is regularly hailed by fans as the greatest player to ever pull in a Blades shirt and has been left devastated by the court ruling on Monday which hands full ownership of the club to Prince Abdullah.
News of Currie, a teenage striker signed from Watford for £26,500 in 1968 who would mature into a flamboyant midfield maestro, leaving will come as real disappointment to the club's supporters.
Currie said: 'It is a sad day for the club. Over the past 25 years Kevin McCabe has transformed the club.
'We have a team in the Premier League with a brilliant manager and an academy producing players for England team and one of the best stadiums in the country.
'All of that is down to Kevin. I'm sad for him and sad for myself and I'm sad for the Sheffield United supporters.'
As for new owner Prince Abdullah, Currie added: 'I've only seen him at the ground twice. I've only spoken to him once.
'It will be catastrophic if we lose Chris Wilder because of this takeover.'
The Saudi Prince who owned half of Sheffield United has won his legal fight to buy the other half from the McCabe Family.
The 262-page judgement passed down by Mr Justice Fancourt on Monday will trigger a new era at Bramall Lane and instantly poses some questions, most pertinently surrounding the future of manager Chris Wilder.
McCabe, who has spent more than 25 years on the board with many as chairman, has been ordered to sell the club to Prince Abdullah bi Mosa'ad bin Aldulaziz Al Sa'ud for £5million.
Allegations of bribery against the Prince were dismissed and the Blades will have until July to acquire the properties from the McCabe family which include Bramall Lane and the training ground and academy.
The court has adjourned and will reconvene next month to deal with outstanding matters and the subject of any possible appeals.
McCabe said he was 'devastated' by the verdict. He has 'supported the club through thick and thin' and 'invested more than £100m' according to a statement released by a spokesman after the verdict.
'Kevin feels a deep sense of betrayal and is in a state of shock about the way that he has been treated by Prince Abdullah and he now deeply regrets going into business with him,' it went on.