[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[Balwer]

this will have been a similar theme to the Pompey message boards when they were taken over by gaydamak.

and the Chelsea and Man City ones too...

[rebelmswar]

and the Chelsea and Man City ones too...

At least we don have the tone of the Liverpool boards.

The coolaid is being passed out as we speak.

[Mattyblue]

At least we don have the tone of the Liverpool boards.

The coolaid is being passed out as we speak.

LFC fans love a bit of collective mawkishness.

One thread is discussing the '5 stages of bereavement' re their new status as also rans.

[T4E]

LFC fans love a bit of collective mawkishness.

One thread is discussing the '5 stages of bereavement' re their new status as also rans.

Only Liverpool fans could still be in mourning after 20 years.

[rebelmswar]

I would imagine they are still stalled on denial.

[John]

Not sure, however Rothchilds were involved in selling Liverpool to Hicks/Gillett?

[rebelmswar]

Not sure, however Rothchilds were involved in selling Liverpool to Hicks/Gillett?

Such heresy must be stricken from the record.

[Sparky Marky]

and the Chelsea and Man City ones too...

Yes, but I align us more with Pompey in the sense that we'd be seriously punching above our weight...no crowds, hardly any merchandising....not the same thing as chelsea and citeh....It doesn't sound sustainable to me and we might have good times for a few years, but I seriously fear being left with some serious problems in the next 10 years.

I can see why someone would want to own chelsea/citeh/liverpool and use it as a bit of a toy...glamour and all that...no real need to turn a profit, but it doesn't fit small provincial teams like ours....sure, Jack was a one-off....nobody else has ever done as much for one club for nothing like he did.....I can't really think of many reasons for some random chappie wanting to buy us.

[Balwer]

Yes, but I align us more with Pompey in the sense that we'd be seriously punching above our weight...no crowds, hardly any merchandising....not the same thing as chelsea and citeh....It doesn't sound sustainable to me and we might have good times for a few years, but I seriously fear being left with some serious problems in the next 10 years.

I can see why someone would want to own chelsea/citeh/liverpool and use it as a bit of a toy...glamour and all that...no real need to turn a profit, but it doesn't fit small provincial teams like ours....sure, Jack was a one-off....nobody else has ever done as much for one club for nothing like he did.....I can't really think of many reasons for some random chappie wanting to buy us.

I understand the skepticism but, assuming he is who he says he is, then if you were a young billionaire with an interest in 130 companies then perhaps your mindset would be different to ours. You and I might take up golf if we're bored and unfulfilled, he might find an outlet through owning a Premiership football team. Could also considering making a team like us profitable a new challenge in his business career. What I am saying is that it's hard to understand the motives of a man from such a different background to the vast majority of us.

[Sparky Marky]

I understand the skepticism but, assuming he is who he says he is, then if you were a young billionaire with an interest in 130 companies then perhaps your mindset would be different to ours. You and I might take up golf if we're bored and unfulfilled, he might find an outlet through owning a Premiership football team. Could also considering making a team like us profitable a new challenge in his business career. What I am saying is that it's hard to understand the motives of a man from such a different background to the vast majority of us.

Fair enough when you put it like that....but these guys on the whole tend to end up being wrong uns...that pompey cock-up...the west ham eggersons, liverpool are going nowhere but down the table, villa are looking wobbly, the owners realising it's gonna take proper money to compete, newcastle went tits up, birmingham looks iffy in my opinion(they're headed for a fall)...I dunno.

[Balwer]

Fair enough when you put it like that....but these guys on the whole tend to end up being wrong uns...that pompey cock-up...the west ham eggersons, liverpool are going nowhere but down the table, villa are looking wobbly, the owners realising it's gonna take proper money to compete, newcastle went tits up, birmingham looks iffy in my opinion(they're headed for a fall)...I dunno.

I know what you mean, there's been enough bad cases to make even the biggest optimist a skeptic, but to me he's innocent until proven guilty. We are all nervous though, as well we should be, since it's our beloved club that is on the line.

[TimmyJimmy]

I know what you mean, there's been enough bad cases to make even the biggest optimist a skeptic, but to me he's innocent until proven guilty. We are all nervous though, as well we should be, since it's our beloved club that is on the line.

I've been away for a while and am just reading back through the missed posts of the last few weeks. I'm amazed at some of the skepticism on here. I get the impression that the vast majority are in favour of the takeover by Mr Syed but the few naysayers on here have very loud voices and submerge the rest of us with a deluge of negative posts.

If nothing else, and we only trade like for like ownership, then in Mr Syed we will have an actual fan as an owner and not a group of disinterested bean counters in the Channel Islands. That alone makes for an improved situation.

I look forward to the scenes of Mr Syed crying like Jack did when we again win the Premiership, even if it's in 15 years time, and if you don't think that's a possibility then you shouldn't be on a supporters board.

Sorry Balwer, by 'you' I wasn't referring to you personally but to the guys with all the negative waves. I agree that it's easy to be nervous but faint heart never won fair lady. We should seize this opportunity with both hands and welcome the new owner with open arms. Enough hand wringing, it's time to go for it.

[est990]

I know that eastenders isnt everybodies favourite program but.... there is an indian family in it anyway and the bloke was readin a paper called the asian eye, no idea if its a real paper but in the top right hand corner of the back page was a rovers badge and photo of an indian chap. Just thought id mention it!

[RovertheHill]

I look forward to the scenes of Mr Syed crying like Jack did when we again win the Premiership, even if it's in 15 years time, and if you don't think that's a possibility then you shouldn't be on a supporters board.

Possibly the daftest thing in a thread composed of a high proportion of daftness

[joey_big_nose]

Hear what you say in that no-one wants to splash 10's of millions on the likes of Crouch, but if we hadn't broken the British transfer record twice on Shearer and Sutton, there wouldn't be a Blackburn Rovers / Jack Walker story; he'd have been just another rich man who spent a fortune to shift his team up from 15th in the 2nd div to 15th in the 1st.

Buying quality is, and always has been the key.

There is one pretty massive difference from that. We could buy at the top table under Jack, but unless we have 80m a season we are not going to dine at the top table transfer wise - the transfer market is ridiculous.

And if that sort of investment was forthcoming I would be terrified as we would be so stratospherically beyond our means that Syed leaving would mean the end of our club.

In my opinion if we are clever with the cash we can have huge results spending relatively modest sums. So I would go that route as we would not be utterly dependent on Syed or whoever financing us to be sustainable, plus we do not get all the baggage (ruined wage structure, red hot expectation, media circus, player jealousy, players who think they have made it) you get with the huge money.

[den]

In my opinion if we are clever with the cash we can have huge results spending relatively modest sums. So I would go that route as we would not be utterly dependent on Syed or whoever financing us to be sustainable, plus we do not get all the baggage (ruined wage structure, red hot expectation, media circus, player jealousy, players who think they have made it) you get with the huge money.

Give me one example of a current Premier Legue club spending only relatively modest sums, i.e. £5m or less as you have suggested - and gaining huge results JBN?

[joey_big_nose]

Give me one example of a current Premier Legue club spending only relatively modest sums, i.e. £5m or less as you have suggested - and gaining huge results JBN?

Fulham have done very well using players who all cost around 5m quid, apart from A Johnson who contributed virtually nothing which rather reinforces my point.

Everton have only rarely spent big - on Yakubu and Fellani. But neither of those players are as crucial as Arteta or Cahill who were bought for small sums.

Villa have splashed the cash big, and well in Young and Milner. Crucially these two were emerging players. But also they bought a lot of rubbish including Warnock who while okay is hardly a 7m player.

You don't need the big money buys in my opinion.

Lets turn the tables - excluding the clubs manifestly in a financial position we cannot compete with even with investment (Spurs, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea) - what player has been bought for big money who an equivalent could not have been acquired for 5m quid?

[Silencio]

Give me one example of a current Premier Legue club spending only relatively modest sums, i.e. £5m or less as you have suggested - and gaining huge results JBN?

Are we after "huge results", Den? I think there are plenty of players around the world who would cost less than 8 million who could make a major difference to us and have us competing in the top half of the league.

If we were to really invest in the Academy and scouting system and focus on investing in and developing real talent then that would be good enough for me.

[Iceman]

If Syed gives us 100mill to spend, then i say spend 20mill, and keep 80mill stashed away.

[Paul]

There is one pretty massive difference from that. We could buy at the top table under Jack, but unless we have 80m a season we are not going to dine at the top table transfer wise - the transfer market is ridiculous.

And if that sort of investment was forthcoming I would be terrified as we would be so stratospherically beyond our means that Syed leaving would mean the end of our club.

In my opinion if we are clever with the cash we can have huge results spending relatively modest sums. So I would go that route as we would not be utterly dependent on Syed or whoever financing us to be sustainable, plus we do not get all the baggage (ruined wage structure, red hot expectation, media circus, player jealousy, players who think they have made it) you get with the huge money.

I understand your point but isn't the reality any spending above current levels would leave us "utterly dependent" on the owner?

Fulham have done very well using players who all cost around 5m quid, apart from A Johnson who contributed virtually nothing which rather reinforces my point.

Fulham have accumulated debts of £168m in the 13 years Al Fayed has owned the club, lost £7m in 2009, £7.5m 2008, £15m 2007. Despite their modest spending the club is entirely reliant on the owner and would collapse if he walks away.

Lets turn the tables - excluding the clubs manifestly in a financial position we cannot compete with even with investment (Spurs, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea) - what player has been bought for big money who an equivalent could not have been acquired for 5m quid?

One needs to add Man City to that list. If we can't compete financially it implies we can't do so on the pitch, so from the outset using this arguement we are targetting 7th place. £300m seem like a lot of money to finish 7th.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

I'm really not sure what your alternative plan is. I'm sure you've been asked before as you seem quite strident in your anti take over stance. I know it's stating the obvious but I think that it's worth reiterating that we are dying a slow death under the stewardship of what one poster described as "disinterested bean counters". Bean counters that cant wait to be rid of the club. I wouldn't back us to be in the top flight in two years time with your money if the current regime remains in charge.

If/when we would go down under the Trust then I'm sure we really would see new levels of neglect without the Premiership lolly. It might well usher in an era similar to when I started to support the club, when 90% of my peers were Liverpool fans and even folk like my Dad, who supported Rovers, thought the club was a joke.

I dont want to go back to that. If it goes belly up under the new owners then we'll end up where Pompey are now but at least we'll have taken a shot at retaining the status Jack Walker provided for us.

[john.leigh]

I'm really not sure what you're alternative plan is. I'm sure you've been asked before as you seem quite strident in your anti take over stance. I know it's stating the obvious but I think that it's worth reiterating that we are dying a slow death under the stewardship of what one poster described as "disinterested bean counters". Bean counters that cant wait to be rid of the club. I wouldn't back us to be in the top flight in two years time with your money if the current regime remains in charge.

If/when we would go down under the Trust then I'm sure we really would see new levels of neglect without the Premiership lolly. It might well usher in an era similar to when I started to support the club, when 90% of my peers were Liverpool fans and even folk like my Dad, who supported Rovers, thought the club was a joke.

I dont want to go back to that. If it goes belly up under the new owners then we'll end up where Pompey are now but at least we'll have taken a shot at retaining the status Jack Walker provided for us.

Well said that man

there really is no alternative - to continue where we are in the Premier League there has to be an injection of capital - we have tried but can't generate enough of our own revenue.

The only realisitic source of new capital is from outside the club.

The club has to have new owners - we have to trust that the people doing the selling do the right thing and sell to somebody who appears to have the club's best interests at heart.

If I can paint a metaphor:

We the supporters are just tenants - the land lord is selling the house we lodge in - and he's gunna sell it sooner or later whether we like it or not!

but some of the tenants are demanding that the house only gets sold to a landlord they approve of, that the house gets an extension added & that they get satellite TV installed so they can be entertained - and it has to be the platinum movie and sports package - including all the porn channels!

Oh and the new owner can't put the rent up either...

Get a grip.

[philipl]

I am putting my faith in the Trust only selling to buyers whom they believe are the best possible option for the club.

If things come out in the wash, I think you will find there has been no shortage of interested parties in buying Rovers during the last 36 months+ and a goodly number of them could have handed over the £25m/ £45m/ £64m or whatever the rumoured Trust selling price was meant to be.

Yet all of them were vetted out.

[47er]

I understand your point but isn't the reality any spending above current levels would leave us "utterly dependent" on the owner?

Fulham have accumulated debts of £168m in the 13 years Al Fayed has owned the club, lost £7m in 2009, £7.5m 2008, £15m 2007. Despite their modest spending the club is entirely reliant on the owner and would collapse if he walks away.

One needs to add Man City to that list. If we can't compete financially it implies we can't do so on the pitch, so from the outset using this arguement we are targetting 7th place. £300m seem like a lot of money to finish 7th.

Same old stuff I'm afraid. You've been asked for your alternative several times but all you do is analyse the problems associated with ownership of Premier League clubs. We all know them anyway but what you can't seem to get your head around is that Rovers have an ownership problem now!

The Walker Trust no longer wishes to own the club and is putting in less and less funding so that our ability to compete in this League is severely at risk. Are we to reject all offers? Certain relegation then beckons. What is the point of that?

Ok so you don't trust the likely owner despite his declarations of honourable intent. Certainly the club will be entirely reliant on the owner and would collapse if he walked away-------EXACTLY AS NOW!

Can't you see that this offer is as good as it is ever likely to get? What you seem to want is a takeover without any possible portion of risk whatsoever. Life isn't like that.

In the present circumstances (have you noticed the current transfer window passing us by?) we have no option but to suck it and see. You have no alternative because there is no alternative. All this has been said over and over again but still you can't/won't get it.

[philipl]

Don't want to reignite a row which is old hat now but the Trust position was and is they believe there could be people out there who would be more appropriate owners in the new economy of football than themselves and so set about a process of finding them.

It seems that after 3+ years they are securing them now but only after a long and methodical process which screened out several wannabe owners many on this MB were pushing for them to sell to whom we know by now would have dumped us into Pompey squared.