I've been told, and yes it's just gossip, that KLD is deliberately making things as awkward as possible for potential buyers. He won't want to jump out of the Donald frying pan into the fire. TBH, as much as the supporters want those two out, he'll know the anger of the supporters will be directed at them for 'hanging around'. I believe they want out but that's not easy. If they sold up for what their shares are worth it means, after buying costs, the buyer is now already in a negative equity situation. That 'investment' may take years to show any kind of profit and they're relying on a yound Swiss lad to bring that about.
JS then holds the whip hand between 2 groups of shareholders. Whoever he sells to gets the majority of shares. I can only assume both he and KLD know this with an agreement to sell to KLD at a later date at a pre-agreed price. JS will make a very good deal on his shares and KLD lays out less money overall so a win-win for both them.
Good post mate, lots to think about there. Sartori’s the dark horse in all this isn't he. To hypothesise for a moment, if they were the great friends of D&M that's often claimed, and they had any money, they'd buy his shares and sell those and theirs to the highest bidder. They'd be effectively selling a debt free Championship club with full control and make the fortune they wanted in the first place. Ironically KLD would be the most likely buyer
That's exactly how I see it. Hopefully a deal is already in place for JS to go after the present deal completes.
Ha. That come out when I was told that they accepted a deal and they wanted out on the 26th May . Getting those 2 out is massive and need for a dancing emoji
A mate in the 'Royal Box', free bait section, told me they were talking about Sunderland in the past tense ... ... sadly that now appears to be in a mental, rather than, physical sense. I keep telling myself not to get carried away but I really want them gone. In my case it's more to end all the endless mentions of them. If we could all stop posting about them it would be as if they don't exist ... won't happen though.
I've been going to buy one you the lad as an birthday gift in years to come.. If there two would you mind letting me have the post codes if they a close by. 'll have a pop over the week after next. Last time I was over that way was for a shooting trip on Tom Cowies old estate. Ta in advance.
The one nearest to us, a couple of miles, is Crafty Distillery ... Wigtown Rd, Newton Stewart DG8 6AS Bladnoch Distillery is better, according to the Earl, and quite close ... Bladnoch, Dumfries & Galloway, DG8 9AB There's another which I think is called The Whisky Broker but I'm not sure how that operates tbh. We're at Cumloden Estate DG8 6AG so please pop in if you're up this way ... ... it's an interesting place with a ruined castle, 6 miles of private salmon river, etc. And me
i have thought all along that KLD is basically holding all the cards here, i may be wrong but i get the feeling he could even 'block' buyers if he thought the sale was 'not in the best interests of the club'...plus the lad has his own knowledge and solid advisors, therefore i have to go along with those thinking that should JS decide to sell (or already has) then he and KLD have an agreement in place already as xmas would tie in with his inheritance being available. i might be well off the mark here but i get the feeling that whatever offer them two get from KLD is going to be the best one they will get...1) whoever buys them two out will have little say within the running of the club (probably part of the assurances people are asking for)..2) KLD is not an idiot, he will have values on every aspect and will know not to try a stupid offer, therefore his offer will be fair at present...3) the longer it drags on trying to find their own buyer the more it is going to cost them two. not sure when they all have to 'chip in' but i hazard a guess at early season at the latest as transfer funds etc need to be budgeted for, so i presume they are already 'losing' on any money they get and might actually crap themselves when the costs are presented to them (they made it public knowledge they could not afford to maintain a club in the championship) and whatever they may or may not think of KLD you can bet he has a very well thought out expenditure list for the coming season. this is why i am not getting worried when i hear a potential buyer has decided against taking the shares, them two will try and play hardball but they know (and most importantly, potential buyers know) they do not have the funds to do it long term.
All sensible stuff mate. Part of my problem, with certain social media narratives, is that some of the 'well known facts' don't sit easily with me. One of the main claims was that D&M were simply waiting for the promised land of the Championship to cash in their chips. Personally I believe it's the worst division in many ways. It's a minefield, a massive drain on finances and most teams are as likely to go down as go up ... ... look at Forest and Derby who switched positions in a very short time which makes buyers nervous. In L1 and 2 you can spend a small percentage of your stash and get yersel promoted. The Championship needs serious money to avoid relegation and even more money to be promoted, of course there are flukes but that's generally the case. So I just don't buy the theory that all D&M had to do was blunder into the Championship to make big bucks. IMO the longer they're here the more they'll be sweating. I hope it's spoiling Father's Day especially for Donald who has the extra worry of a random kidnapping
I've done the tour at Bladnoch distillery a few times and they're definitely the best in the area. They only brew for a short period of the year then the rest is all about caring for the 'good stuff'. It's the smell that gets me, it's amazing when you walk into the holding areas and see years and years of hard work and love. I totally understand the prices whisky can fetch. Also well worth popping into The Bladnoch Inn directly opposite the distillery. Great little pub with good pub grub too. If you're staying longer try The Pheasant at Sorbie. Very small authentic Italian restaurant. Andrea (bloke) is a top chef and the food will blow your mind. Haha Haha, I've just realised I spend more time talking about beaches, whisky, pubs and restaurants in D & G than I do Sunderland. Probably cause I'm as relaxed as I've been in years about SAFC. In good hands and giving me hope again.
I'm really enjoying all these recommendations, we've been here since February but work, and all the matches, have stopped us exploring much. We have family arriving in August so this is all really handy. We've been past the Bladnoch Inn and the Pheasant but have always been in a rush. I love good Italian food so that's a definite for us, cheers.
The Louis-Dreyfus family are going to be really savvy with their investment here. They aren't going to let two whoppers run them ragged and as it looks they've managed to get them to a point of seemingly being suffocated out of being able to afford to hold their stake in the club. The 'leak' a few weeks back was a clear attempt by D&M to try and put some pressure on KLD as they knew what the fallout would be from the fan reaction. Ultimately I can't see a family that has made billions back themself into a corner where they have zero say or control of who takes a 39% share in the company they're invested in - even if it meant they had to buy those shares themselves to embargo it. Its a game of chess but one that I can't see ending with Donald or Methven still having any involvement here.
I increasingly believe D&M thought, when they sold shares to KLD, that Sartori would side with them so they could continue to conduct operations, sell off young players, etc, and muddy the financial waters. if that's the case they've made a big mistake. KLD controls everything by buying a block of shares of less than half the total. The fact he's put in money and serious 'staff' makes you believe he's totally sure of the outcome ... ... whereas the other two don't have a clue.
Ah Smug mate, I absolutely love the area, it's our happy place. We normally stay at Courtyard Cottages near Wigtown. Small farm with 4-5 cottages, but they've got their own indoor heated swimming pool in an old barn. You would never know it was there unless you'd been in. Rigg Bay is Mrs Jonesys favourite place ever. It's in the grounds of the old Galloway House (sometimes called Garlieston House). Amazing massive house but sadly needs a lot of work. We've stayed in the stables there, so we had the pleasure of wandering around the private grounds and gardens. The bay and beach is open to the public and sign posted from the road in. Garlieston is 5 mins walk from Rigg Bay and has a few good pubs too, we always went in the The Harbour inn. Good laugh with the locals. But please don't tell anyone mate, only SAFC lads and families.
Absolutely brilliant mate, thanks for all that and, please, feel free to call any time you're here. If you like history you'll love it, the house is full of paintings of all the Earl's back to the 1600's. The current Earl and Countess live in Austin, Texas, so aren't around much but, even if they're here, they don't mind me having guests.
Sounds spot on mate. Me and the young'un love a bit of history. Planning a trip up in August so I'll drop you a message nearer the time.
