Watford future and the Pozzos

I think this merits further discussion

https://www.football.london/watford-fc/news/watford-gino-pozzo-takeover-offer-15098886


What would it mean for the club if we were eventually owned by a conglomeration of owners..

The Pozzos can reap millions... and clearly are open to do so.... Is our future safe?

 

If someone is willing to part with 125 million for a minority stake I'd say our club has never been safer. But as I said on the other thread when Mark raised this, as stated it makes no sense.

I've got a spare tenner if anyone wants to start a crowd funding

 

Always comes as a jolt to the system to be reminded that your club can be sold. I know it's the hard reality of life in neo liberal Britain but my feeling is that a football club should be just that - a club. In Germany they have the 51% ruling, which means that a majority of the shares must always belong to the club itself. If you ask somebody here ''Who owns Bayern Munich'' ? You just get a puzzled stare, and the answer ''Bayern Munich owns it'' - all 100,000 members. The tendency towards direct fan ownership is also making way in Spain, with government approval. That should be the future model for the UK. As owners go the Pozzos are great, but the thought that anyones club is open to becoming a 'plaything' for some parasitic millionaire is revolting.

 

Or some ex bankrupt wide boy.....

 

As much as dislike that ex bankrupt wide boy, lets not forget that he was there initially as the puppet of the salad brothers, who are equally unwanted wide boys. At least their puppet did them over as well in the end!

 

When or if they do sell sure the Pozzos will be careful who they let come in.

After all they are football people who would want the best for the club ...hopefully !!

 

The takeover rules that exist in the UK make fan involvement a far away wish. Watford fans who held a few shares when Baz took over had to sell, and more recently the same has happened at Arsenal. The shares didn't produce a return, but gave the owners an emotional tie to the clubs. I dare say the Premier League could make different rules, maybe difficult, but there is no incentive to do so with the money continuing to come in.

 

The Pozzo's are sitting on a goldmine with Watford in the Prem
If we play in Europe as well they will be very, very happy
I really cant see them selling Watford anytime soon
We struck lucky with them and they with us

 

I'm loathe to bring this up but could Brexit and the uncertainty over EU nationals' right to live in the UK have something to do with it?

 

I'm trying not to think about that possibility NZ. When every area of the economy is hit by Brexit then football is not going to be the only golden calf which is spared all negative consequences. But where else is there for the Pozzos to invest their money ? Fan ownership is becoming much more normal in Spain, with government backing. Germany is a no go area for such investment. Which leaves only France and the UK. Only PSG are really on a level with the top of the Prem. The Dutch and Belgians are so traditionalist when it comes to their clubs, Feyenoord, Ajax, Anderlecht - can't see major investment going there, nor could I see it as being welcome. Which leaves only England.

 

The simple answer is no.

To me it makes perfect financial sense to sell a third of their shares for £125 million. This would take away any chance that their venture into English football would lead to a financial downside. It could also raise our profile whilst giving the owners a realistic chance of cashing in, when it suits them, the remaining 2/3rds of shares. To be honest it might only take something simple like Gino's family wishing to relocate back to Italy to create a deal opportunity.
Hopefully the condition we all suffer from, the Watford bug, has got well and truly into Gino's bones. Certainly days like Sunday can only help worsen the condition!!!!!!!

 

Gracia is apparently in negotiations over a new Contract, more continuity

 

The media are having fun..... But Iike this point raised by a fan:

 

Absolutely typical. As soon as money becomes the topic, and the chance for someone to make a lot of it, you pop up.

 

His post was 2018..... long banished now

 

Sorry. I hadn't realised. How did the post appear now ?

 

This is a very old thread JT that has been brought back to life.

 

Because i posted a fan comment about the pozzos..on this pozzo thread. .as every media person is having a go...

sorr to confuse!

 

The recent article by Adam Leventhal (in the Athletic) about the interest of the Orlegi Sports Group in investing in Watford makes it clear that Gino Pozzo would like to attract new investment, but is not prepared to relinquish his control of the club.

 

I know the recent performance has caused some fans to say the Pozzos should go along with Ranieri and some of the players. I think (generally) the Pozzos have been great for Watford given where we were. We've had (relative) success in a (fairly) sustainable way, avoiding some of the boom/bust we've seen at places like Portsmouth, or the failed gambles at places like Derby County.

Admittedly, I think they've lost their way recently in terms of what their long-term strategy is from a footballing standpoint. I don't quite understand what sort of team or footballing culture they're trying to build, and what sort of head coach they want. If you keep doing short-term fixes, some will come off and some won't, but even if you get success it doesn't leave any legacy, you just end up where you started. Their ownership has also come at a cost of some loss of connection with the team in terms of the lack of academy graduates coming through (although I accept changes in rules around academies have had a hand in that too) and generally a lack of British players in a side that feels more like a group of individuals than a team. Despite all that, we're still in a stronger place than we've been in almost the entire history of the club.

In other words, I wouldn't like to see them sell, especially given the issues I have with many oligarchs and shady people that sniff around football. Selling a minority stake and retaining control I would be ok with, but I'm certainly not calling them to go.