[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[Paul]

Dont get wrong Paul, I dont doubt the voracity of the programme. What I meant is if it such huge news the tabloids would have been all over it. Even the club would know about it and at some point, if it was derogatory/invasive/conclusive and destructive, it would have been leaked out to all and sundry. My point is, is that it clearly hasnt reached media circles which suggests to me that it isnt damaging, it isnt something to scupper the deal and it isnt something that will expose Mr Ali and WGA as warmongering despots who have earned their money out of death,destruction, drugs or despair.

Thanks kamy for your exchanges, enjoy your day job.

Yes I can understand that and I'm sure you're right. Either the BBC have kept it very well under wraps or it is relatively minor.

[philipl]

For the record, this is how nicko broke the story on the first of the new bidders last week. I believe it was 1864's contact had suggested that this new group from India are even wealthier than Ali Syed.

We won't have to wait until tomorrow evening because Adrian Goldberg is going on 5Live Breakfast tomorrow morning with his new revelations. He is also seeing this in terms of taking on WGA/Ali Syed who have "vehemently denied" his claims.

Got a feeling this is not going to be a good story but whether it has substance or spin remains to be seen. What I am sure we will not hear is a true account of why and how Mr Goldberg has fastened onto the Rovers' takeover.

Doaksie, there is no revelation. It was made clear three weeks ago that the Memorandum of Understanding gave WGA exclusive rights to negotiate a purchase, exclusive rights of access to all Rovers' books and records but gave the Trust (basically Rothschilds on behalf of the Trust) the OK to talk to any interested party.

[Ricky]

Wow, very exciting times ahead. It's never dull being a rovers fan is it!!

[thenodrog]

Cryer article

Nice little piece this from Andy Cryer- it echoes 1864's recent post.

Lets hope the stellar job of JW and others pays off- because it is certainly deserved.

Even Cryers crying out for 'new investment' now! What he and most fans want is not an investor it's a cash cow willing to be milked dry, disgarded and replaced with another.

So many people are on here moaning about where's the money we got for Benny gone when we haven't bought any new players? Any of em stop to think that maybe the owners might want/need a return on previous investments? I'm damned sure they do as indeed would any proper bonafide businessman. Rem someone had to stump up for Benny in the first place and with ST's costing less than the average paper bill it's no wonder is it?

Absolutely right Paul. If it turns out to be a deal breaker, then there will be a lot of disappointed people on here - me included. The BBC wont kill any deal though, it's the trustees that will do that.

Personally I'm getting past caring. Are you not Den?

[philipl]

Ali Syed has made it clear that he is not looking for a return on the basic outlay.

[thenodrog]

The latest bidders may/may not be more wealthy and have better football ideas. Nobody knows and - for now - there is time to go about this slowly and sensibly.

The attempt to rush through a takeover with the promise of riches that Syed's people claimed last month never sat well with me...and I believe that many at the club were suspicious of this too.

This is way too serious a decision to be hurried into.

Too damned right Alan. My Spidey senses were tingling for all their worth. All that 300m crap instinctively turned me right off the bloke. Talk like that is all wind and p1ss in my experience.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Now I'm sure this is going to sound (and probably be) incredibly naive..... If a bidder such as Mr Syed has proven he has the funds (ie the £300 million he claims to be investing) and its liquid rather than tied up in other business, can there be a condition of sale (or something) where the £300 million is put into trust and held by the club? That way Mr Syed can lay out his 15 year business model and the club can act on it. This would remove the worry about him either bailing out or simply not putting the promised money in.

Am I right in assuming his company is some kind of venture captilist organisation, in which case he will always have some failed enterprises against his name.

[Brfcrule1]

Thanks Kamy100 for all your info over the last few weeks it's been great good luck with the day job. Welcome back Nicko, Can you confirm Nicko has the Syed group already approached the Prem. Lge about doing the fit & proper person test or will they be approaching them next week?. Also there are conflicting reports regarding the due diligence with the Syed group has it already been completed or is it very close to completion?. Does anyone know what time tommorrow morning the 5live programme will be on?. I know they changed the time from the evening to the morning but what time?. Also for everyone hoping this new group with Man City style spending would be better for the club because he has more money,the one question would be would we want a revolving door for managers? because that is what those people would want. They would expect success overnight & when it doesn't happen the manager would be gone. So my personal opinion is that Syed & his 15 year plan is much more realistic and best I believe for the long term sustainability & stability for our club. We should be approaching this with the mindset of "Rome was not built in a day" & just to let everyone know I hear whispers that if Mancini fails to qualify for the Champs Lge. this season he will be gone not the sort of owners I would want running this club.

Thanks as ever Nicko,Kamy & 1864 for your insight & info.

[Balwer]

Now I'm sure this is going to sound (and probably be) incredibly naive..... If a bidder such as Mr Syed has proven he has the funds (ie the £300 million he claims to be investing) and its liquid rather than tied up in other business, can there be a condition of sale (or something) where the £300 million is put into trust and held by the club? That way Mr Syed can lay out his 15 year business model and the club can act on it. This would remove the worry about him either bailing out or simply not putting the promised money in.

Am I right in assuming his company is some kind of venture captilist organisation, in which case he will always have some failed enterprises against his name.

If I was selling you my house, would you think it reasonable if the tenant living there asked you to put aside, contractually, money for renovations on what would no longer be my house but would in fact be your house and was never in fact the tenants house?

[rebelmswar]

If I was selling you my house, would you think it reasonable if the tenant living there asked you to put aside, contractually, money for renovations on what would no longer be my house but would in fact be your house and was never in fact the tenants house?

In this politically correct world - absolutely.

[Baz]

Firstly, thanks Kamy for the insight you have given us all.

Secondly, the 5Live programme tomorrow will be interesting, although similar to what 1864 has said, if there was any major skeletons in the closet, I'm pretty sure they would have come out before now.

Thirdly, If the rumours of another bidder being large enough to blow £8bn Ali out of the water, then that must be some serious player(s), and better times for the club must be around the corner.

[koi]

I didn't realise that it's Adrian 'the stirrer' Goldberg behind the 5live story, bit of jealousy that his beloved Baggies isn't getting any interest?

[RevidgeBlue]

Looking at the Goldberg website it may be that tomorrow night's programme will be a bit of a damp squib with nothing new other than what already has come to light as I notice Mr. Syed is sharing top billing with another story about medical matters. So perhaps they've run out of ammunition.

I have to say the previous BBC Panorama programme about alleged corruption in football was an absolute disgrace, it was hyped beyond belief in advance leading everyone to believe that many big names in football including Sam (when he was still at Bolton) would be clearly implicated - when the programme aired it contained nothing of any substance whatsoever.

If tomorrow night is similarly inconclusive Mr. Syed need have little to worry about but I hope his lawyers are watching closely.

[bluebruce]

If tomorrow night is similarly inconclusive Mr. Syed need have little to worry about but I hope his lawyers are watching closely.

I think they might gain more from listening to than watching their radios (Sorry, couldn't resist)

[47er]

Too damned right Alan. My Spidey senses were tingling for all their worth. All that 300m crap instinctively turned me right off the bloke. Talk like that is all wind and p1ss in my experience.

You have 300m type experiences?

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

If I was selling you my house, would you think it reasonable if the tenant living there asked you to put aside, contractually, money for renovations on what would no longer be my house but would in fact be your house and was never in fact the tenants house?

Depends whether the tennant could be trusted to look after the house properly. If they did then I would have a 15 year sitting tennant and my property would have been well maintained and the value would have increased.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Too damned right Alan. My Spidey senses were tingling for all their worth. All that instinctively turned me right off the bloke. Talk like that is all wind and p1ss in my experience.

It was the "300m crap" that turned you right off the bloke?

ok

[tonyoz]

I am waiting eagerly for the 5 Live broadcast. Sitting here I have browsed the news reports about WGA and would like a few insights from the more business savvy posters about the following article which appeared in the Aussie press a short while ago. It is all about WGA buying Cubbie Station, the largest cotton farm in Australia.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/bahrain-bidder-says-funds-locked-in-for-cubbie/story-e6frg9gx-1225895292101

"Right now I can promise up to $1 billion, $1.5bn over the next three years," Mr Ali said.

"It would be the first stage of his 10-year $US5bn ($5.65bn) investment plan in Australia," he said.

Then we have:

"Mr Ali told The Australian that WGA had total assets of between $US8bn and $US9bn."

How does this statement relate to this fact:

"WGA's 2009 annual report shows debt of $1.089bn and total capital $102.67m, a gearing ratio of 91.38 per cent. An unsecured loan bearing no interest of $1.089bn was made by Mr Ali to the company, the report shows.

It looks like WGA is some sort of vehicle for Syed to continue the family tradition of 'money lending.' (Nothing wrong with this necessarily)

I wonder, could Syed himself be the "mystery investor" that the Bahrain authorities are investigating?

[philipl]

Just out of interest Tony, do you have any links to the three Australians reported to be talking to Rothschilds?

[clint]

BBC article on Syed

[Ricky]

Doesn't sound great does it. I'm not bothered about the rent arrears and unpaid council tax but the fact that nobody has heard of him in Hyderabad is obviously a little odd.

Interesting that the Canadian businesses have also been wound up and do not appear to have been sold for huge amounts as previously stated.

[philipl]

That BBC article is as close as terminal as it gets for the Ahsan Ali Syed bid.

If it is verified, it raises very uncomfortable and difficult questions about the quality of screening work undertaken by Rothschilds which are of the sort of basic stuff that a bank like that earning the fees it does should never get wrong. Not only that but at the very least the near $1bn already injected into WGA should have been evidenced and traceable for a bank like Rothschilds and surely they asked those questions.

The £300m put into McCabe Builders, the first investment in Australia, the cash for the racing stables and the payment to and hiring of personnel all seem real enough.

The size of these numbers are such that if the BBC have got it right, it immediately raises questions about the provenance and links to all this other money.

On the other hand, there are all kinds of other questions to be asked if it turns out the BBC got this wrong and Rothschilds got it right.

[tonyoz]

Just out of interest Tony, do you have any links to the three Australians reported to be talking to Rothschilds?

No sorry............nothing.

[tonyoz]

BBC article on Syed

Good grief! That is some investigative journalism! The combined efforts of the fans on here came up with nothing! Yet there was a trail to follow if you knew where to go........even in the UK. Ah well!

[tonyoz]

On the other hand, there are all kinds of other questions to be asked if it turns out the BBC got this wrong and Rothschilds got it right.

The BBC have journos and contacts in every part of the world - Rothschilds can't rival this I reckon. In any case, would Rothschilds do the nitty gritty until Syed was ready to purchase?