[Archived] Rumoured takeover approach

[Guest Norbert]

Doesn't seem to be disproven, though I am not entirely sure about the Salford Reds guy and his motives.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Another owner may not necessarily mean a better owner.

We would potentially be going around the whole circle again until they learned the 'ownership' ropes.

And potentially with somebody reportedly considerably worse off financially than the current owners.

However bad/stupid the Venky's have been, sometimes it's better the devil you know...

You're bang on there, out of the frying pan into the fire I think. This guy's managed to upset a significant chunk of the Rugby League community and he's only been at Salford a dog watch.

[Kamy100]

Marwan Koukash has refused to comment on rumours that he is interested in buying Rovers. Interesting.

Talked to someone at Salford Reds and have been told that Koukash is desperate to buy a football club, he had been interested in buying Oldham but pulled the plug on that one.

Whether this guy is right for he club is a completely different story, need to more about his background/motives before making a judgement on that.

As I said before, if this is true, I wonder if Probiz are also involved. Also maybe he is looking to move Salford Reds to Blackburn, apparently the Rugby League see East Lancashire as a big untapped market so maybe this could be a motive.

Anyway at the moment all that I have is that he has refused to comment. Even if he is genuinely interested, he has to get the owners to engage with him and thus far anyone wanting to buy the club has been ignored.

[Athlete]

Marwan Koukash has refused to comment on rumours that he is interested in buying Rovers. Interesting.

Talked to someone at Salford Reds and have been told that Koukash is desperate to buy a football club, he had been interested in buying Oldham but pulled the plug on that one.

Whether this guy is right for he club is a completely different story, need to more about his background/motives before making a judgement on that.

As I said before, if this is true, I wonder if Probiz are also involved. Also maybe he is looking to move Salford Reds to Blackburn, apparently the Rugby League see East Lancashire as a big untapped market so maybe this could be a motive.

Anyway at the moment all that I have is that he has refused to comment. Even if he is genuinely interested, he has to get the owners to engage with him and thus far anyone wanting to buy the club has been ignored.

[LDRover]

Why is he desperate to own a football club and the probable cash loss it will bring?

If he's gambling on a Premiership return and a quick buck it's one hell of a punt.

If it's ego it goes against how he's made his fortune. It's all rather odd.

[Athlete]

Any reason why he backed away from Oldham?

[Kamy100]

Any reason why he backed away from Oldham?

Nope none given.

Why is he desperate to own a football club and the probable cash loss it will bring?

If he's gambling on a Premiership return and a quick buck it's one hell of a punt.

If it's ego it goes against how he's made his fortune. It's all rather odd.

I agree not immediately obvious why he wants to buy a football club.

IF he is interested in buying Rovers it would be interesting to find out what his motivations are.

[Athlete]

Only thing I know about him is he is quite a charismatic bloke when he's on TV and got Salford quite a cue with ex GB manager Noble

[patrickvalery]

Marwan Koukash has refused to comment on rumours that he is interested in buying Rovers. Interesting.

Talked to someone at Salford Reds and have been told that Koukash is desperate to buy a football club, he had been interested in buying Oldham but pulled the plug on that one.

Whether this guy is right for he club is a completely different story, need to more about his background/motives before making a judgement on that.

As I said before, if this is true, I wonder if Probiz are also involved. Also maybe he is looking to move Salford Reds to Blackburn, apparently the Rugby League see East Lancashire as a big untapped market so maybe this could be a motive.

Anyway at the moment all that I have is that he has refused to comment. Even if he is genuinely interested, he has to get the owners to engage with him and thus far anyone wanting to buy the club has been ignored.

Kamy, forgetting this Koukash for a minute. Has anyone with any serious financial clout actually approached the Raos about buying us? Because it seems to me we seem to be attracting potential owners who might struggle to pay the bills of a failing fish tackle shop let alone a football club.

I can't see how or why anyone would want this bloke near Rovers. In the same way the Probiz bloke was linked. There are too many unanswered questions about their wealth and where they got it from. At the very very very least Venky's seem to be a force in their particular market. This bloke flogs a few flats and wants to be the next Ken Bates. I do worry about some of the names linked to out football club. Things are effin bad right now but it seems the queue of chancers waiting to take that one in a million shot at success is strecthing back to the M65.

[Sparky Marky]

Hmmmm....looks like Pompey all over again....sold to any dodgy @#/? that can get some funds together by any means.

[Baz]

In his short time at Salford he's brought in an experienced and sensible coach in Brian Noble, and has seemed to go all out in trying to bring top players to an unfashionable club.

Trouble is, even if he's funding the club entirely out of his own pocket, rugby league clubs have are subject to a salary cap which is only a small fraction of our annual losses.

He could possibly have the cash to buy us, my worry is that he doesn't have the cash to run us.

Pretty much my opinion too

Marwan Koukash has refused to comment on rumours that he is interested in buying Rovers. Interesting.

Talked to someone at Salford Reds and have been told that Koukash is desperate to buy a football club, he had been interested in buying Oldham but pulled the plug on that one.

Whether this guy is right for he club is a completely different story, need to more about his background/motives before making a judgement on that.

As I said before, if this is true, I wonder if Probiz are also involved. Also maybe he is looking to move Salford Reds to Blackburn, apparently the Rugby League see East Lancashire as a big untapped market so maybe this could be a motive.

Anyway at the moment all that I have is that he has refused to comment. Even if he is genuinely interested, he has to get the owners to engage with him and thus far anyone wanting to buy the club has been ignored.

Doubt they would move from a new ground to a totally unproven market in Blackburn. Rugby league clubs as near to Wigan and Leigh in Chorley, Preston, Blackpool and Bolton have all folded.

And as you note Kamy thats if Venkys actually bother to reply at all, if he does make a bid.

[Kamy100]

Kamy, forgetting this Koukash for a minute. Has anyone with any serious financial clout actually approached the Raos about buying us? Because it seems to me we seem to be attracting potential owners who might struggle to pay the bills of a failing fish tackle shop let alone a football club.

I can't see how or why anyone would want this bloke near Rovers. In the same way the Probiz bloke was linked. There are too many unanswered questions about their wealth and where they got it from. At the very very very least Venky's seem to be a force in their particular market. This bloke flogs a few flats and wants to be the next Ken Bates. I do worry about some of the names linked to out football club. Things are effin bad right now but it seems the queue of chancers waiting to take that one in a million shot at success is strecthing back to the M65.

I agree that everyone at the moment that seems to be linked can be classed as "chancers".

The best bid that went to Venky's was the Seneca one, as the people involved (Two Ian's etc.) would have Rovers best interests at heart. There have also been a number of foreign groups interested. The key thing here is that Venky's have thus far ignored any group that he wanted to buy Rovers. they haven't even acknowledged their approaches, so until that changes we can have anyone interested but it won't get anywhere.

[patrickvalery]

I agree that everyone at the moment that seems to be linked can be classed as "chancers".

The best bid that went to Venky's was the Seneca one, as the people involved (Two Ian's etc.) would have Rovers best interests at heart. There have also been a number of foreign groups interested. The key thing here is that Venky's have thus far ignored any group that he wanted to buy Rovers. they haven't even acknowledged their approaches, so until that changes we can have anyone interested but it won't get anywhere.

Cheers for the reply Kamy. So did the Qatari bid ever exist? If a group as serious as that wants something they usually get an audience with the concerned parties.

I can't quite believe i'm about to say this, but..............no i can't say it..................................................................But.........................................Its better the devil we know hate,

[DE.]

I agree that everyone at the moment that seems to be linked can be classed as "chancers".

The best bid that went to Venky's was the Seneca one, as the people involved (Two Ian's etc.) would have Rovers best interests at heart. There have also been a number of foreign groups interested. The key thing here is that Venky's have thus far ignored any group that he wanted to buy Rovers. they haven't even acknowledged their approaches, so until that changes we can have anyone interested but it won't get anywhere.

Question is whether they were ignoring these approaches because they wanted to or because they didn't have the power to do anything.

There seems to be a distinct change in the running of the club over the past couple of months with some dark clouds being banished (silent partner slipping away quietly?) and it could give Venky's the power to sell.

Just speculation on my part, though.

[darrenrover]

Question is whether they were ignoring these approaches because they wanted to or because they didn't have the power to do anything.

There seems to be a distinct change in the running of the club over the past couple of months with some dark clouds being banished (silent partner slipping away quietly?) and it could give Venky's the power to sell.

Just speculation on my part, though.

I think if that were the case DE then surely the first port of call by Venkys would surely be to make contact with known suitors who have previously been ignored.

I personally believe that the rumour regarding an approach from Marwan Koukash is nonsense. Just my opinion of course.

[thenodrog]

Kamy, forgetting this Koukash for a minute. Has anyone with any serious financial clout actually approached the Raos about buying us? Because it seems to me we seem to be attracting potential owners who might struggle to pay the bills of a failing fish tackle shop let alone a football club.

That is the malaise of English football in a nutshell. Why should anybody need to pay the bills? Why does football need sugar daddies? The problem with football is that it is like a bath where the plug hole empties faster than the taps can fill it. Two decades of the Prem league have left the public with totally unreasonable expectations.

[Paul]

. This bloke flogs a few flats and wants to be the next Ken Bates.

Brilliant. Sums up the situation in a single sentence.

[darrenrover]

Brilliant. Sums up the situation in a single sentence.

Modern day Michael Knighton perhaps?

[koi]

I'm going to do a Philip here! There's a specific reason why koucash would need a football club but I'm not repeating it here!

As for RLF seeing east lancs as potential for growth - not really. There are pockets of interest, accrington in particular but its a rarity.

Don't trust koucash one bit. He talks big but he's very far from walking the walk at salford.

[Stuart]

Isn't there already a rugby club in Blackburn?

[gumboots]

Union

[AJW]

Plus on the downside .. Do we really want rugby league playing on our pitch ?? Because ground sharing would be the next logical step for anyone wanting to bring rugby to this area

[chris_h]

I dont mind Rugby and will watch either code to while away an hour or so. Likewise some of the lads back home enjoy Rugby League. In my experience though, there is nothing like sufficient interest in East Lancashire that would justify uprooting a proper Rugby League club from it's community and shifting it 20 miles up the road to an economically struggling area.

If that is this bloke's plan then I dread to think what he has in mind for Rovers.

[dave birch]

Don't they now play RL in the summer in England?

Culd be a way to keep the income up, but what would it do to the pitch?

I could never remember any support for League in that earea.

[The Gull]

Don't they now play RL in the summer in England?

Culd be a way to keep the income up, but what would it do to the pitch?

I could never remember any support for League in that earea.

Summer, in England?

They play from March to October I think, Wigan's pitch was always awful going in to the winter months after the Super League finished.