It’s done!

Hallelujah. Champagne time!!

 

Whilst I'm ecstatic about this, the proof will be in the pudding. Feels very much like when we appointed Paul Cook, whilst I was really excited by the appointment will it actually change anything.

I don't know much about the group taking over or the new Chairman but at least it sounds like it's someone who's been involved in football before (although arguably Evans now has 13 years of experience). Seems very odd though Americans owning a traditional club like Ipswich.

Looks like Evans has written off alot of the debt. Shame he didn't do that in 1 season and then leave it will have saved us and him from 13 years of monotony. Thanks for saving us financially as a club but 13 years of your ownership will hopefully be only a very long footnote in our history. I can't honestly think of 1 positive since since he took over

 

At last! Hopefully the new ownership will provide the much needed strategy, vision, investment, and ambition that has been sorely lacking these last several years. I’m much more enthusiastic and optimistic about the next season knowing we’ll have a new ownership and hopefully a manager that will get the financial investment and behind-the-scenes support desperately required.

 

Thank Christ for that, Evans statement says he had to ensure that investment to improve the team was guaranteed amongst other things, what a cheeky bastard ! He even refers to himself as a fan, some one pass the sickbag, never mind your 5% Evans just piss off with your cash and destroy another business just stay out of football.

 

Thank you Marcus and Good R̶i̶d̶d̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ Bye.

Hopefully this can be the start of our recovery..........hopefully!!

 

Three Hoorahs! What every supporter has hoped for.

Lets see our fortunes take a rapid turn for the better. Wonder how much PC knew what was going on?

Start with a convincing win Saturday shall we?

 

Of course he knew. The new owners wanted him.

 

Get in

 

Dear Marcus, ffs please take Judge with you!!

 

At last we can have a little bit of genuine hope.

 

Get in!

This is great news and now we have connections to a feeder club in the US second division, one that's looking to get into the MLS. I can see there being player movement between the two clubs and I expect good things from this takeover. US franchises are well run financially and have clear economic and improvement plans in place to maximise success.

 

Maybe we'll see some bloody electronic advertising boards at Portman Road now!

 

And an update to the PA system

 

And not forgetting good ol' cheerleaders at HT

 

Decent burgers and country music...

 

So I just watched the Mike O'Leary interview on iFollow and he said all the right things. Looking to invest, well funded and clear ambitions and targets for the club.
https://www.itfc.co.uk/ifollow/latest-videos/

He mentioned that the whole takeover process has taken about 14 months and that would explain the lack of money spent on the club by Marcus over the last year or so. Obvious that he could be selling, any improvements to the team or stadium were probably instantly shelved by Marcus.

O'Leary goes on to talk about the need for investment in playing staff, infrastructure and the fans experience on match day. Stating that they want to get the academy to where it should be and having the money to make that happen. This has all come about at a great time in football as FFP is being scrapped and the salary cap has been done away with too. He also said that in order to be successful then you have to be doing things better than the clubs you are competing with, I like the sound of that.

I can see this new group focusing on turning us into a brand that is marketable both in England and the US. I can see us getting our own media platform to replace iFollow and big sponsorship deals being signed.

It was a good interview that brings hope to me that our dying club could be about to rise from the grave that was gradually being filled in.

 

I am going to give ME a little bit of credit. He has overseen a dramatic fall as to where we stand as a club and if you look at his managerial appointments - he who shall not be named, Jewell, McCarthy, hurst & Lambert (unsure if cook was his choice or new owners?) it has been 1 disaster after another.MM came in saved us from relegation and we had 1 play off season- mainly due to the form of Murphy & Bart, other than that, 13 years of hurt. As he leaves though, he has forgiven most of the debt. Some may say he’s rich enough to do that but the simple fact is, he didn’t have to. New owners have got a pretty clean slate, if they back up their promise of funds, I have no doubt Paul cook will get the right players in - not just in ability but in character & leadership. Future looks bright for the 1st time in a long while

 

Just got my old Audi serviced & tuned up. 160,000non the clock and it will get me back up to Suffolk to watch a real game of footie, in anticipation of feeling that excitement again. Maybe not this season, but next.

 

So apparently ME has written off over £100 millions worth of debt, fair play to him. I feel very conflicted because it is a kind gesture but our club is unrecognisable to what it was before he took it over and not for the better in any department.

I've heard the interviews by Mike O'leary and Brett Johnson and have to say I am hugely impressed by their ambition and clarity of what is needed, it really feels like they know what they are doing and makes ME look like an amateur.

Cautious optimism is definitely the word for me though, whilst today feels like a great day, I'm slightly cautious to have american owners, doesn't really feel like it fits the fabric of this club additionally the finance is coming from a pension fund and whilst that may mean sensible investment it is also likely to mean if there isn't success they may pull out to cut their losses and at some point they will want a return on their investment and perhaps I'm naive but I don't see owning a football club as a money making business, if it is it usually comes at a cost to the club in terms of its competitiveness because they take money out of the club which could be used to strengthen the squad or they will look to sell to some rich oil barren.

It feels like it's definitely a risk worth taking at the moment as there has only been 1 way the club has been going and much like the situation with Mick, it was time for a change whatever the consequences.

 

I don’t think ME ‘wrote off’ the debt out of some form of kindness I think it was more the only way any deal could be achieved, I think he has more chance getting some of that Money with his 5%.