The English Game - New Owners

[ant london]

OK so there are a couple of frankly ridiculous situations ongoing at the moment across the English game that really ought never have been allowed to occur and I think something needs to be done.

It's pretty obvious that the "Fit and Proper Persons" test is fatally flawed if it could allow characters like Thaksin to initially assume ownership of clubs (never mind, Flavio "now boy, you crash into that wall when I give the word" Briatore).

But I've said it before, more importantly than assuring that these people are of decent moral fibre with no negative dirty political, economic or other dirty laundry in their backgrounds that could bring the game into disrepute....ought not the English football establishment be better focussed in asking the question...."How do you plan to take this club forward if you buy it"

Essentially the question I want to ask is "are you skint"? "do you have enough funds, and are you willing to guarantee a commitment of those funds (or PROOF that others will commit them) to develop the club for the better"

I mean in the last couple of years we have had a number of new owners who, to my mind, aren't "proper" in that they had neither the means, nor the viable access to means (via a business plan into which banks were committed to provide funds)....

Thaksin.....
Gillette & Hicks
Quadbak
Sulaiman

And then at the other end of the scale you have Briatore and those clowns running QPR who could be sitting on a goldmine of a club if only they would have some bloody patience and stick with a manager

Equally, Notts County are now managerless after Hans Backe walked out after 9 games

Also in the news we have Gold and Sullivan trying to buy West Ham. How the hell (under my proposed criterea) can they be appropriate owners. They have just had to cash out of a smaller club after admitting they lacked the financial means to take that club forward. If the league were to sanction this pair taking charge of a bigger club (with surely bigger ambitions/potential) then it would make a mockery of the whole bloody thing.

It is an outrage.

I shall leave this on a lighter note with a great quote from Ian Holloway re Briatore (given last week from his position as manager of Blackpool (and obviously ex-QPR boss))

"Mr Briatore: keep your nose out of things," the Seasiders boss said. "They were doing fine when it looked like you weren't going to be in control.

"I suggest you're a complete nightmare from a manager's point of view and a player's point of view.

"The more flambuoyant and the more involved your chairman is the more the nightmare your football club is in.

"And if that stops me ever getting another job after I lose this one, I don't really care."

[ashton287]

i dont see why they would buy a club with there money, knowing that they couldnt afford to run it then lose everything they payed for the club also, there are more then likely things going on behind the scene's that as fans were not privy to. but definately the fa should take control of this situation so it doesnt keep happening also they should be stricter with debt too. Its ridiculous how a club as big as liverpool can get knocked out of 1 competition and be in trouble financially

[Vhero]

i dont see why they would buy a club with there money, knowing that they couldnt afford to run it then lose everything they payed for the club also, there are more then likely things going on behind the scene's that as fans were not privy to. but definately the fa should take control of this situation so it doesnt keep happening also they should be stricter with debt too. Its ridiculous how a club as big as liverpool can get knocked out of 1 competition and be in trouble financially

I think its the whole buzz of owning your own club. The problem is once you own it the reality hits you and you don't realize how expensive it really is and your money starts to go down so fast you want to get out ASAP.

[ant london]

Its ridiculous how a club as big as liverpool can get knocked out of 1 competition and be in trouble financially

you would actually be very surprised at how fine the line is between financial health/stability/trouble for football clubs who are budgeting for big slugs of income to come from the CL.

It's not quite as catastrophic as relegation is for smaller clubs but one of the big 4 missing the CL will give them big problems. Especially this year as the hegemony that is the Big 4 I think have been complacent that all 4 of them would qualify year in year out

[john@staustell]

Outraged of Cairo - the pornmen Gold & Sullivan actually ran Brum quite well over the years, with the acid queen, in my humble opinion. They would get it for a knockdown price off the receivers too, so the bigger fanbase may just work in their favour.

If they stay out of jail that is!

The rest are a bit of a shower I agree.

[Slim]

Who is the owner of Hearts who was putting all his kids into roles they weren't qualified for and buying Ukrainian players and shipping the other players out?

[ant london]

Who is the owner of Hearts who was putting all his kids into roles they weren't qualified for and buying Ukrainian players and shipping the other players out?

is it Romanov or something like that?

[Slim]

Who is the owner of Hearts who was putting all his kids into roles they weren't qualified for and buying Ukrainian players and shipping the other players out?

is it Romanov or something like that?

I remember ross talking about him, saying he was dodgy as fuck and never would have passed our Flip and Profit owners test. How fucking dodgy must that be considering we have a russian [strike]mafia[/strike] oil tycoon as one of the more respected owners.