Re: AVFC Takeover Thread, Rumours, Gossip and Hearsay...all goes here

[Trotters]

That photo was a  known fake. I've seen no reports of Ellison being in the UK recently (a couple of years ago for the Americas Cup was the only thing I could see that was non-Oracle related) and I'm sure a man of his profile would cause a report or two to be written in the business media. Especially with Oracle being in a huge fight for market share with IBM and Amazon.

His massive fuck-off yacht is currently moored in the south of France though but I don't think he's actually on it. I think it's waiting for him for when he'll likely come to Portsmouth in July.

Yes, he has multiple private jets and yes he could fly in on a 3rd party plane without drawing attention but if he's been to Villa Park I'll eat my shoes.

[Trotters]

So the Championship games start on August 6th?

Let's assume 6 weeks of proper pre-season training and games and a month prior to begin the mammoth task of sorting this team out. Add a week for a new manager to get his feet under the table and get his own team sorted.

That puts us at around the end of May to get a takeover finalised (I'm sure once it all comes down to nothing more than paperwork then a new manager will be sorted by then and ready to start on Day 1). If we've heard nothing by then, I'll say that Lerner has fucked it all up yet again. And that we're almost nailed on certainties to head down to League 1.

[DaveAV1]

Like many others I do feel the Ellison thing is just too good to be true. However there has to be hope in all our hearts, so I'm clinging on to the hope that CL's mate is right. We're The Villa, it's glory or pain, we don't do in between very well. And besides I can't wait to see CL asking Trotters if he wants salt and pepper with his shoes. I hope you wear boots mate!

[4BetLite]

Like many others I do feel the Ellison thing is just too good to be true. However there has to be hope in all our hearts, so I'm clinging on to the hope that CL's mate is right. We're The Villa, it's glory or pain, we don't do in between very well. And besides I can't wait to see CL asking Trotters if he wants salt and pepper with his shoes. I hope you wear boots mate!

One things for sure, no one, including them has said it's not Ellison/oracle.

[Trotters]

Like many others I do feel the Ellison thing is just too good to be true. However there has to be hope in all our hearts, so I'm clinging on to the hope that CL's mate is right. We're The Villa, it's glory or pain, we don't do in between very well. And besides I can't wait to see CL asking Trotters if he wants salt and pepper with his shoes. I hope you wear boots mate!

Flip flops

[DelboyVilla]

Thought you lot called them thongs in upside down land???

Ellison????? LOL that is really romantically nourishing the gullible??? Sir Ben Ainsley for manager and Long John Silver as Footballing Director and Captain Hook as kit man??

A bit like the season ticket renewals some people come out once a year with a source when take over talk is mentioned? It's amazing we change staff, we change lawyers and still they have a source naming names? Unbelievable!

There is interest and that's all we know, let's be patient?

[Heisenberg]

I would love Ellison but I just can`t see it... It all started with that fake picture of him at Villa Park... Same goes for Wanda group... They are rumours picked by the media and presented as a news...

My money is on Chinese and Evergrande as they are the only ones with past connections to Villa and Birmingham as a friendship city with Guangzhou. They are also the only ones who are openly talking about investing in english football...

[deadbuzzardalive]

According to the reports it's actually the owners of Guangzhou who are looking into investing into US and English. Which is both Jack Ma and Xu Jiayin. As they supposedly want to take advantage of the global exposure Premier TV rights would bring to their brand. Only problem is we're not in the Premier League, and it's not as if they couldn't afford a Prem team.

[BillytheKid]

No takeover financial ruin/meltdown with Lerner staying such the mess this club is in that Lerner has created no buyer will fancy pissing there money up the wall out of the kindness of there heart such is the rebuilding job at this clu is is probably the biggest rebuilding job in football right now.

It's nice to dream but i am a realist seen all this same bullshit for years now it all smells the same not even a name to go off with any credence yet with Everton Sky straight away revealed who the bidder was same with Swansea same with Liverpool when being taken over same with Man Utd YET we am supposed to believe its all the ''secret non-disclosure'' agreements because we am special???

Sorry guys not buying it for me i am prepared alright, prepared for Villa heading into the abyss.

[The Utterer]

I'm in the camp that actually do think we are a very saleable asset indeed now that we are in the Championship not the other way round. The mega rich love a challenge, they also love the opportunity of a big return on their investment over a moderate timescale (EG. 5 to 10 years) as this makes the whole business proposition make sense to all involved.

As a Premier League club the opportunity for big return is drastically reduced and effectively a bigger risk and also less fun for a mega wealthy individual in the Ellison mould as there is less of a "rags to riches" story in there.

i.e: EXAMPLE 1:  Premier League club:
Purchase Cost 200m
Potential annual income 200m
costs: (Min 120m but likely rising if you want to actually challenge so say 160 to 180m? (Includes higher transfer fees and wages which will surely get inflated further due to the new TV money?)

Potential 5 year profit 100m? @ 20m per season?

EXAMPLE 2: Championship club.


Purchase Cost: 40m to 75m? (According to rumours)
Annual income potential (protected by decending parachute payments for 3 years) 60m dropping to 40m?
Potential annual income (Once promotion achieved) £200m
Running costs: In champ £50 - £60m, (if promoted £100 - £120m rising in line with income levels)

Potential 5 year profit £225m Plus if promoted a rise in valuation to £200 - £250m? so an additional £125 to £160m?

Add to that the Challenge of turning a failing club into a success which for the likes of Ellison would be a huge attraction!

I know all my figures are rough estimates but you get the point

[HarryAVFC]

I wouldn't be surprised if we find out there wasn't anybody even interested. I still can only think it's a big lie from the club

[UnclePanda]

To be quite honest, if Randy Lerner is still owner on 6th August, when we kick off the new season, I dont want us to go straight back up. Any money gained from it will only go into his pockets, no way will it go back into the club. I dont want Lerner "earning" another penny from us. Id rather we be a mid table Championship club. To be quite honest, we dont deserve anything better.

If he sells up, naturally I hope we go get instant promotion. Not sure if itll happen or not though.

[Guest]

I'm in the camp that actually do think we are a very saleable asset indeed now that we are in the Championship not the other way round. The mega rich love a challenge, they also love the opportunity of a big return on their investment over a moderate timescale (EG. 5 to 10 years)

I agree with this. I'm no Warren Buffet, but even myself as a small time investor knows the importance of buying long term investments (i.e. Investments where cash are bound for a substantial period of time) when the price is at rock bottom. This goes for everything, whether it's gold, LPG or sport clubs.

Then add our facilities, fan base, potential and someone might fancy the media attention of getting the club back on track.

I still think sports and football to be a bad investment, but it's more likely now than being a EPL team with a price tag of £200 million.

To put it in words. The upside for the investment is far greater than what it was.

[Trotters]

How much would be vanity? Billionaire X manages to make a club brilliantly successful where Billionaire Y fantastically failed.

What's the added kudos worth from a marketing perspective?

[smetro]

No takeover financial ruin/meltdown with Lerner staying such the mess this club is in that Lerner has created no buyer will fancy pissing there money up the wall out of the kindness of there heart such is the rebuilding job at this clu is is probably the biggest rebuilding job in football right now.

It's nice to dream but i am a realist seen all this same bullshit for years now it all smells the same not even a name to go off with any credence yet with Everton Sky straight away revealed who the bidder was same with Swansea same with Liverpool when being taken over same with Man Utd YET we am supposed to believe its all the ''secret non-disclosure'' agreements because we am special???

Sorry guys not buying it for me i am prepared alright, prepared for Villa heading into the abyss.

Yep said the same thing last year, when its serious we will know the name

[Boldfinger]

I still don't think we are even close to being sold and the club are happy for the rumours to continue.
I hope I'm wrong because I can't wait for learner the toss pot to leave OUR club.

[4BetLite]

There's never been a better time to buy Aston Villa, sports investors all over the world will be watching us like hawks. We will be sold, no danger.

[Dansvilla75]

Why would King who left rather acrimoniously maintain that we are going through the motions of being sold, he just wouldn't do it if it wasn't true. There is more evidence that supports a potential sale than doesn't.. I know we have had a few years of our hopes and expectations being raised only to see them crushed but this time it feels different not least because those connected with the club have said as such. I am flabbergasted how as fans we devalue our great club. If you were a billionaire would the attraction of buying a once great club for pennies and raise it from the ashes not (pardon the expression) romantically nourish you!!! We are Aston fecking Villa, founder of the greatest league in the world and with all the infrastructure in place all that is devoid is present success. The Sheiks bought Man City hoping to make history buy you can't buy class. To get class at a drastically reduced price for the sake of having to rejuvenate and rebuild for one or two seasons is a bargain. The infrastructure will remain and this is such that it doesn't belong in the championship. Admittedly Lerner has stifled this with his lack of ambition but under the right stewardship and the right ambition Aston Villa will again be a trail blazer.

[BillytheKid]

No takeover financial ruin/meltdown with Lerner staying such the mess this club is in that Lerner has created no buyer will fancy pissing there money up the wall out of the kindness of there heart such is the rebuilding job at this clu is is probably the biggest rebuilding job in football right now.

It's nice to dream but i am a realist seen all this same bullshit for years now it all smells the same not even a name to go off with any credence yet with Everton Sky straight away revealed who the bidder was same with Swansea same with Liverpool when being taken over same with Man Utd YET we am supposed to believe its all the ''secret non-disclosure'' agreements because we am special???

Sorry guys not buying it for me i am prepared alright, prepared for Villa heading into the abyss.

Yep said the same thing last year, when its serious we will know the name

Sure we would i was really starting to believe a sale was close when Hollis came out with the deep discussions comment but then slowly as the weeks have started to pass it stinks of the same old bullshit different day i felt, how many years now have we had ''American Azebajan Chinese Swiss Russian Brazilian also i recall years back'' i know this summer we are relegated and the pric e is cheaper but the mess is even greater than when we were a Premiership side and no guarentee of returning to the top flight whilst having to suffer huge financial losses next season and players all wanting out and a complete overhaul rebuild required top to bottom, i just don't see this exciting to a serious prospective businessman seeing clubs like Leeds Forest Wolves Fulham QPR etc all in the Championship struggling to survive it really isn't as attractive and exciting as some think i believe buying a club on its knees in desperation for survival and financial mess, Leeds Forest Derby Sheff Wed are far more attractive right now than our Villa imo financial wise.

Season ticket sales time so instead of ''start the fans pleeeease'' let hear the yearly ''start the takeover bullshit pleeeease'' i so hope i am talking trash and are proven wrong gents for Villa's sake.

[deadbuzzardalive]

I think we'll be sold this summer. There's definitely something going on, if we're not sold it won't be because there was no interest in the first place. I just doubt it'll be one of the mega billionaires that keep getting mentioned like Ellison, Jack Ma or Dalian Wanda. If one of those guys buy a club they've got the resources to make it a PSG, Man City or Chelsea type takeover, something that only ever happens once every blue moon, and never to a club outside the top flight.

I do think something will happen though, just that some might be underwhelmed if they're expecting one of the richest people in the world to buy us. Still I suppose we can hope.

[smetro]

I think we'll be sold this summer. There's definitely something going on, if we're not sold it won't be because there was no interest in the first place. I just doubt it'll be one of the mega billionaires that keep getting mentioned like Ellison, Jack Ma or Dalian Wanda. If one of those guys buy a club they've got the resources to make it a PSG, Man City or Chelsea type takeover, something that only ever happens once every blue moon, and never to a club outside the top flight.

I do think something will happen though, just that some might be underwhelmed if they're expecting one of the richest people in the world to buy us. Still I suppose we can hope.

Im sure theres been interest from the get go.

But interest and credible interest are poles apart.

"Im interested in buying aston villa"

"OK - do you have access to £50-£70m"

"Not yet - but I expect to in the next few weeks"

"OK speak later"

Thats interest, and whilst I am oversimplifying - I suspect thats as far as it goes. Thats why I'm annoyed the manager appointment has been delayed. Someone who doesn't own any % of Aston villa is hampering preparations for next season, which is pretty incredible if you think about it.

[bruka]

Why would King who left rather acrimoniously maintain that we are going through the motions of being sold, he just wouldn't do it if it wasn't true. There is more evidence that supports a potential sale than doesn't.. I know we have had a few years of our hopes and expectations being raised only to see them crushed but this time it feels different not least because those connected with the club have said as such. I am flabbergasted how as fans we devalue our great club. If you were a billionaire would the attraction of buying a once great club for pennies and raise it from the ashes not (pardon the expression) romantically nourish you!!! We are Aston fecking Villa, founder of the greatest league in the world and with all the infrastructure in place all that is devoid is present success. The Sheiks bought  Man City hoping to make history buy you can't buy class. To get class at a drastically reduced price for the sake of having to rejuvenate and rebuild for one or two seasons is a bargain. The infrastructure will remain and this is such that it doesn't belong in the championship. Admittedly Lerner has stifled this with his lack of ambition but under the right stewardship and the right   ambition Aston Villa will again be a trail blazer.

THIS, a thousand times this ! We are a huge club going for a very cheap price. Championship means fuck all to someone who is looking to make an investment. Anyone who comes in now and takes us up at the first go will be seen as an absolute hero, jesus just getting rid of Lerner will probably get them enough good will to rename the stadium whatever they want to. As a ploy to sell season tickets it would be incredibly short sited to use a false takeover. The club know a lot of fans will have a wait and see attitude towards the Villa from now on.

[BillytheKid]

Tire kickers having a look around then saying ''hooooow much'' when hearing the price and then leaving that is as far i imagine for any interest in Villa to have gone maybe that's why Lerner is dropping the price so much if rumours are true to attract the interest back and get a sale after seeing just what financial costs and losses are involved.

[De Kuip]

Someone mentioned Man C above and looking at their current scoreline,  if they carry on like this, Pep will really look forward to taking over for their Europa league campaign next year. It needs so, so much more than mega money doesn't it. That's my fear, the rot throughout the club, root and branch.

[Dansvilla75]

Leeds were once a good great club as were Shefield Wednesday and Forest but they are no comparison to the Villa even in its current state. Our History goes deeper than a couple of great cup runs. Look at the Villa we still have a class ground steeped in history we still have state of the art training facilities which wouldn't be out of place with some of the biggest clubs in the world. Like I said with the right investment and stewardship we could be top five within two to three seasons not possible you say well look at Leicester. If Lerner remains at the helm I fear the framework that exists, the very frame work that can be used to rebuild something great will be Further eroded. Lerner knows he has failed and he is out of his depth, he knows he has to sell or risk ending up with nothing. Whatever we think of the guy he came into this with great intentions
The future King of England is a Villa fan for four foot snakes we should value our team and recognise that the current mess is temporary, once the current custodian does one the whole atmosphere will change.

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