If I tried to join a private members club my acceptance would not be guaranteed regardless of my status. That club's rules are the only rules that matter. What you say is true in terms of the actual purchase of a club but not in terms of admission to the League. The League makes its own rules and allows membership at its own discretion. There are precedents for this too. Only this year, Leeds had to reveal their owners or they would not have been allowed to play in the PL. Those are PL rules and not statutory. There have also been conference winners not allowed entry into the League due to stadium issues. Again, these are League rules not statutory.
The main problem is that the football league do not have the authority or financial resources to follow through all these checks. As long as these people meet the basic requirements for a takeover in the Uk the league can do very little and secondly the amount of complex financial vehicles that are used to muddy the issue makes it difficult to even know who the true owners are. Self regulation never works, just as well the government in it's wisdom is cost cutting on impartial government agencies such as food standards, environmental and health and letting them be self regulated by testers who are paid by the companies producing the goods, can't see what can go wrong there...
I would have thought that when the Financial Services Regulatory body refuse a bank (owned by said individual) to operate in the City of London, saying that "information provided was totally misleading and possibly fraudulent" it,s telling somebody something - except the football league of course. I do not think those running the football league are fit to run the local Womens Institute. They are operating in a sphere way above their know how & experience. I sincerely think they should be in the dock & questioned whether they are fit & proper persons to be regulating an organisation that generates millions. I think the answer is pretty obvious.
Definitely an issue which now needs addressing. The premier league is coming up to 20 years old, but I doubt the rules of ownership have had much amendment since and footballs wealth has expanded beyond anyone's imagination. Footballs obsession with money has meant a lack of concern as to where it comes from. With all the recent administrations and these times of austerity football needs to show responsibility. FIFA have new rules, but if this country is as forward thinking as it claims, then it needs to change
I would have thought the Administrator, Chainrai, The Fans and employees (inc players) who also had access to those facts (you only had to google it for gods sake) had an equal or greater responsibility to raise concerns. I know I did on this very forum describing Pompey as being like a tired old whore who was just being pasted on to the next dubious owner.
I cannot speak for the employee, the board, Chainrai or Andronikou but there were concerns raised by the fans but since the Football League OKed the take over we let the issue drop, thinking they had done their research and therefore nothing was wrong. Now we know that the Football League dont investgate potential owners properly, we didn't know that then - the Premier League? Sure we knew they didn't investigate owners but we thought the Football League would be different, more reponsible.
I know the fans raised their concerns on the News website - some said they had emailed the FL with their concerns. They even found, amongst other things, that although the Swedish government allowed Antonov to buy a stake in SAAB that the European Bank had refused to lend SAAB money if he, Antonov, was personally involved. However, once the sale had gone through CSI seemed to act quite responsibly. Cotterill had a small budget to get some players in, a couple of repairs were underway at FP and some repairs were made to the training ground. The fact that there was a 5 year plan of slow improvements allayed many people's fears. I have to say, including mine.
It would be an incredible step to take to remove a club from the league because someone they didn't like became their owner. That in itself would result in a legal battle.
Just spotted this on the BBC site which I think sheds some light on the problem for the FL. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17171866
That pretty much put into print the interview that was on 5 Live. I'm not sure it looks much better for being so.
You're quite right. It would be a huge step but it would not result in a legal battle as the only rules the League have to follow are their own. Of course, it won't happen but I'm simply pointing out that controls do exist. They simply aren't being acted upon.
So basically the Fit and proper test doesn't really confirm if the potential owner is fit to run a bath, let alone a football club.
Perhaps the problem is with the title. "Fit and Proper" is not what this really tells us. Perhaps it ought to be a "disqualification barrier" which is closer to the mark.
I can understand referring to "money laundering and fraud", channon, as extremely relevant, BUT why on earth include "sexual offences" amongst the misdemeanours ? Is this relevant, or are you reading the 'Sunday Sport' whilst you are typing this ? Please tell.....
No just giving an example of a non-football related reason. If Gary Glitter won the lottery and decided to buy Pompey, would you not want the sale stopped?
Classic! Personally, I wouldn't fully understand why anyone, other than a philanthropic billionaire pompey fanatic or money launderer, would want to part with their readies to buy PFC. What does any disinterested, profit-seeking businessman (or woman) stand to gain by pumping millions in? No assets, can't get more than 20,000 crowd and no TV money worth mentioning unless you go back up to the Prem.
Apart from the stadium and the training/youth facilities - some people would ask why ML bought Southampton - there is always someone out there who is wanting the challenge! For the money ML paid for Southampton, should you get promoted this season, his family are surely going to be VERY happy with his return! Yes, a buyer for PFC has to serve (ball park) £50m to get it back in the black, but would then own everything - including a lot of land in a prime position in the city. As Pompey fans, we can expect a Tesco & a hotel built over looking FP - but I would not care should we survive and someone who is rather silly, excentric yet sensible comes in and buys the club. As Southampton has shown, money is made in the youth department - of which we seem to have a bright set of youngsters at PFC at present, so that has some legs. We will also see attendances rise as and when and new owner is found in whom the fans can trust. We have been s**t on too many times now and with each "load" the attendances have dropped. If we sit in the Championship for a few years, gradually building, very much like Stoke or Swansea have shown, then I have no reason to doubt we can once again see the £££ of the premier league - but like Swansea and Stoke, being sensible with it. So this is a rally call for ANYONE stupid, crazy and adventurous enough to take us on!
