[Archived] Rovers Sold ??

[Gav]

Oh dear, a capital venturist, not so sure I like this.

Yes I'm with you on that USA, we have to sell to be competative I guess, lets hope the current regime conduct the sale like they've run the club over the past few years.

[RevidgeBlue]

btw Does anybody know if Brockhall is involved in the sale? I'd wager it is not.

I was thinking that. I was amazed at how big the Brockhall and Academy site actually is when I went to where the accomodation for the youngsters is last year.

Huge. Must be worth an absolute fortune.

My guess is that they will retain ownership of the site and lease it back to the club in the same way they did when Walkersteel was sold.

[trs]

No matter what the outcome, I would not like to see the back of John Williams.

[thenodrog]

Oh dear, a capital venturist, not so sure I like this. My company was just taken over by a similar capital investment group. All bottom line oriented. People screw 'em. how much can we make. They've been here thrity years? screw 'em the numbers don't add up get rid. They have all the knowledge of our product? who cares they cost too much get rid. They cleared out the core of the company wothout regard to any impacy, that said we are returning to profitability, point I am trying to make is that it seems the Dollar sign is well and truly all they look at, aggressively. That sort of thing is how it goes at least with this capital investment group.

And a red head to boot

Having read the rest of the thread now now him being a Rovers fan has eased my worry a bit but when it comes to business groceries are groceries. If I am reading correctly the sale of this gives the funds to the Walker trust, effectively severing Jack's legacy th eonly ties to Jack then become the ones left in our hearts. I just hope this all works out, there is potential for disaster here if it is not handled appropriately. I too hope JW is kept on.

Hence my concerns posted weeks ago about asset strippers finding us an attractive little earner! Hope this rovers connection is not a diversionary tactic. Rem until proven otherwise there really was only ONE Jack Walker.

[unsall]

Mentioned this news to someone close to the club and he has said the last two home games an ex director from the 80s a mr Hubert remember him,who is now based in London has been in the Walker suite with an unknown yank, not sure if there is a link watch this space...................

Not a bad shout,from april 21 was it,same source has more info but at the moment is a little reluctant to share the news,working on him.....................

[modes98]

I was thinking that. I was amazed at how big the Brockhall and Academy site actually is when I went to where the accomodation for the youngsters is last year.

It is a fantastic site and spread over a large area. I would assume it is either in the deal and hense why we are worth £67m or as you say we will be given a long term lease. I can't see the walkers selling our state of the art facilites and damaging our chances at success.

So 3-5 weeks for due dilliegence or is it a case of come in "look at the Blackburn books and confirm that their own debts are manageable." Then bang takeover done and funds available for Bellers.

[thenodrog]

Not a bad shout,from april 21 was it,

Nope it was a good shout.

[RevidgeBlue]

It is a fantastic site and spread over a large area. I would assume it is either in the deal and hense why we are worth £67m or as you say we will be given a long term lease.

I'm no expert on land prices but I would have thought the value of the site far exceeds 67m and it won't be included in the sale.

[Dufflite]

So Kamy was right...I think you promised an apology Revidge?

[RevidgeBlue]

So Kamy was right...I think you promised an apology Revidge?

Already done, see previous page.

[AggyBlue]

Let's just hope it's all done and dusted before the season begins. We've seen at other clubs how uncertainty off the field can affect the players on it.

I wonder if there will be some sort of spending freeze, on the transfer front, until the deal is completed.

[Hanks]

I'm no expert on land prices but I would have thought the value of the site far exceeds 67m and it won't be included in the sale.

I doubt that the brockhall plot is worth anywhere near that. The pitches are on land that will not be available for building houses on . The bloke who made a packet out of developing has tried to cram as many houses in as possible and has been rebuffed in his latest attempts to develop more residential dwellings. When he did begin to develop the site areas for industry/commercial had to be incorperated to get plans through. The rovers facilities come under this heading so i doubt much of it could be further developed

[American]

This is the part I like the best "...while improving marketing." The major area of weakness for JW.

[benhben]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_...-name_page.html

Some more info on a possible takeover. 2 Blackburn fans involved. Cant be bad.

[brfcshabba]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_...-name_page.html

Some more info on a possible takeover. 2 Blackburn fans involved. Cant be bad.

Thanks for that

[John]

Good to hear that a fan is involved. Excellent news in fact.

I am really intrigued to know who these "mystery backers" are. The article says Williams is seriously rich but it will be his backers with the real cash I imagine.

Whilst Williams will have good intentions, the board and trustees must be confident that financially our new owners can drive the club forward.

ps - Walter Hubert sounds like a nutter!!

[joey_big_nose]

This sounds like an excellent opportunity although I find it bizarre in the extreme that we arevalued as worth 50% more than Villa.

As far as transfer money goes we only really need in my mind a top striker so a cash injection could pavethe way for someone totally proven. Then again if we went out and bought both bellamy and yakubu i would be doing cart wheels!

[LDRover]

Front page of the Sunday People: "Revealed: The Man Buying Rovers".

Daniel Williams, born in Lytham St Annes but now based in New Jersey - £67m bid - "the venture capitalist leading the consortium" - Walter Hubert is also involved. Williams is a Rovers fan and "seriously rich". There's talk of "In the past three months Rovers have talked the price up to a staggering £67m which will go to Walkers family via his Jersey based Trust"

There's nowt on the Sunday People web site that I can see for a full transcript - I've just been out and bought the paper. No doubt they'll be shifting a few copies in Blackburn today!

Googled - best I could find - I think this is the fellaDaniel Williams President of Princeton Global Housing ?

What the hell were you doing up at that time on a Sunday Bob?

Were you on CBeebies duty?

[Roversider]

ps - Walter Hubert sounds like a nutter!!

Walter Hubert is anything but a nutter.

This guy is a Holocaust survivor born in 1932, both he and his father survived a Nazi Concentration camp with every other member of his school class perishing. He was a Rovers director for quite a few years and was vice-chairman in 1971 and was in business in Blackburn. That business was Tom Martin and Co, a scrap metal operation.

Long connection with the Rovers.

May well have been a key player in bringing all the parties concerned to the table.

Anyway, still need to confirm the facts.

[John]

Walter Hubert is anything but a nutter.

This guy is a Holocaust survivor born in 1932, both he and his father survived a Nazi Concentration camp with every other member of his school class perishing. He was a Rovers director for quite a few years and was vice-chairman in 1971 and was in business in Blackburn. That business was Tom Martin and Co, a scrap metal operation.

Long connection with the Rovers.

May well have been a key player in bringing all the parties concerned to the table.

It seems like he has been influential in all of this. However, I was referring to this part of the People article:

Hubert is a man of mystery who went missing a few years ago in strange circumstances but has been back to follow his favourite team for the past decade. When Hubert "disappeared" he was even on an Interpol wanted list, but turned up in Israel after spending some time in South America. He still has many friends in the area and is well-connected.

[Guest Kamy100]

No problem, Kamy I apologise for doubting the veracity of your information and thank you for sharing it with everyone on the messageboard.

Thanks appreciate that. I am glad that the information I got seems to be correct, let's hope that if things go through that it leads to positive developments for the club and they can take us forwards.

[The1mattjansen]

Fantastic news and very exciting...a far cry from the prospect of random Americans been at the helm.

Im absolutely amazed that anyone coming from around our area could have acheived so much and still be interested in Rovers, let alone TWO of them...maybe its just my pesimistic view of North Lancs.

Anyway, we'll wait and see what happens. It will be extremely interesting to see just who is putting the money up and obviously how much of it there is, seems such a strange decision for a 30 year old to completely sell up in order to fund such a loss-making operation as a football club.

[doctorryan]

Oh boy.....What an interesting bit we've awoken to this morning.

IF everything being reported about Daniel Williams is correct, then I think that this is the best we could possibly hope for in a new controlling partner for the club. The fact that he's not an American sports owner is the first plus since it spares us of most of the worry about potential changes to things we consider sacred. It's bad enough to watch them (American sports owners) apply all their misconceived ideas about how to do things to US sports leagues that they grew up watching & supporting. As much as I hate to align myself with anything Arsenal; the quote "they know ****all about our football" applies for the most part.

An apparent lifelong supporter who is a "UK citizen who wants to protect the heritage of the club and pump in cash" for transfers gives us everything we could want; someone who'll protect the badge and colors, Ewood Park & Brockhall (more on that below) as well give us the £ to chase down the big 4. The possibility that one of our old directors is involved is also something I find comforting. Well......we'll see. But if it's true & as advertised, then I'm all for it.

As for the Brockhall question, here's how I understand it (I would appreciate any corrections or additions anyone has):

260 acres total

130 for the training ground and academy (90 in use at the moment, 40 held in reserve for future use)

130 for Brockhall Village Limited. (some of that I've heard is used by trust holders &/or board members for private residences)

Of course Brockhall Village would not be part of the sale, but I have to believe that any prospective owner would want the training ground and academy complex included. We have one of the largest (if not the largest...Anybody know of one bigger?) in the world and it's a huge feather in our cap. Its value to the club can't be overstated.

[OJRovers]

First question: will the £67m be handed back to the club?

Possibly in some way - this maybe the reason why we are bein valued 50% more than Villa?

[bob fleming]

What the hell were you doing up at that time on a Sunday Bob?

Were you on CBeebies duty?

No, I'd been up all night on a crazed alcohol sex drugs rock n roll marathon and thought I'd just nip out for a paper before getting some kip for 20 minutes and then starting again.

Nah - it was CsoddingBeebies mate. It's about time PC Plum or some other half wit on that channel tried explaining the concept of a "lie in" especially on Fathers Day.

Anyway, this all sounds promising doesn't it? Two Rovers fans involved.

I don't remember anything about this Hubert fella at all. I've done a Google search and that brought up a Hubert Walter, former archbishop of Canterbury, and he died in 1205 so that's ruled him out I expect. It'll all come out in the wash, at least there are people out there that want to own the club. Let's hope that

1. their motives are good and

2. that the people who are selling up and cashing in (as hinted in The Red Top article) ensure that the correct clauses are in place so that the long term future of BRFC is secure (hopefully they'll do a better job of selling BRFC than selling the BRFC Club Shop).