Serious takeover talk

That's what I was alluding to, he hears whispers from somewhere (he broke the story first IIRC?) but doesn't seem to get any details right.

I wonder if his source is one of those disgruntled consortia who lost out to SD who've post stuff on RTG only to backtrack as it turns out to be innuendo / crap?

 

If they buy 20% of the club I'm honestly about as happy as if they buy 100%. Getting these people to the table, invested in the club, giving us the benefit of all their contacts (which will be a different level to anything we've had access to before) would be huge. It would suggest they intend owning the whole lot later (it wouldn't be worth their while to stay at 20%), and we know that we should be able to get out of this league without spending much. It would mean they aren't going anywhere else. It gives us that chance, prove you can take the first step and we do the rest, but either way we're involved and might buy the rest cheap if you don't do it.

Like I say that's a huge contrast to "here's £4m, with interest, if you do well we might get involved or we might find a better option and **** off". I can't believe that'll happen though, Donald isn't rich but he wouldn't be that desperate for £4m, I reckon he's easily got that available. And I'm choosing to believe smug that they're talking ages getting the wording of the statement right, the £4m loan option wouldn't really need much said tbh

 

Interesting no comment, but they've been open that it was 25m at one point.

 

Agree with all this. I'm hoping for a stake and a check/balance over SD. The loan option doesn't look great unless it's a big loan/takeover arrangement. Just getting a loan off these guys isn't good news, quite the opposite, so I can't imagine that's going to be the scenario or they'd never have mentioned it publicly imo.

 

I will eat hay with a donkey if their input is £4million.

 

What do you think? Substantially more?

 

What I'm being told, as I was from the start, is that they will take over the club.

It may be gradual but there's no way they'd have gone through due diligence, registering a new business at Companies House using the SOL as the address, etc just to loan the club a few million.

That could've been sorted out in a few days tbh.

 

I hope so too.

 

My only concern is whether the plan was takeover/ partial ownership initially and then they got cold feet and now are prepared to offer some funds but don't want to be at all tied to the club (in terms of owning shares) unless we go up. That would be a worry, but it isn't likely. It would only be an option if Donald was completely broke, it doesn't even help with SCMP unlike Donald just putting £4m in as a "gift", but if that was the case and they thought he couldn't make a success of it I don't know why they'd even bother offering £4m, they'd just steer clear. Hopefully Nixon is just getting the wrong end of the stick again like he did when he said they'd completely walked away

 

Didn't they do something similar with the Miami Marlins. Loaned them money for the stadium which can then be transferred into shares or something like that.

If SD has valued SAFC at 50m, if it's 4m it may actually be a share purchase with stipulations as to how the money is spent.

Edit: Could also be a stadium naming sponsorship which would assist with SCMP and FFP next season.

 

Cheers mate. I don't believe a word that comes out of nixons mouth

 

My understanding is that msd ( strictly speaking not the same vehicle that are interested in us ) have bought just under 8% of Marlins.
After 5 years they can withdraw their investment and get a healthy interest payment .

 

Nothing to say a new ownership group will definitely be better than what we have.
Leeds and pompey went through a succession of dodgy owners and each time fans thought cavalry was coming to rescue. The cavalry were in fact just more asset strippers picking around the bones of an already meatless carcass ( excuse mixed metaphors )
We all want a settled ownership and some certainty going forward.
Some of the comments are akin to out of the frying pan and into the fire.
On the pitch is where the difference is made.
We kept hold of ross far too long and that has been Donald's big error. Play offs beckon ( at best ).

 

I think something about this deal that interests me is how the capitalisation works. For example, if their deal is that they loan us £4m and if SD can't pay it back in 18 months time, then they take a bigger percentage (possibly a controlling shareholding), then my only slight worry would be that this is effectively shorting us, ie: betting on us to lose.

It sounds like what they've done with the Marlins is close to that.

 

Well said Ronnie

 

There could be something in what you say but let's be fair right now so owns the club. If someone thinks he needs the equivalent of 'bridging finance' and they see a 'future opportunity' ..can you blame them.
It's a nasty old world out there.
We can stamp our feet etc but it is what it is

 

Just my opinion but it's bad form to post private messages

 

10% gives no control at all. I’d be surprised if that was all they got.

 

As I said yesterday, if the investment / takeover / loan is only at the level the sun have suggested the press release will need to be even more solid and explain things.

If this whole saga has taught them one thing it is that bad rumours last longer and gain more traction.

Hopefully Charlie is going to earn his corn with this release

 

Hopefully it's today. Mrs has ready had a dig at me for sitting on my phone on holiday.