Maybe because people are coming up with rationalisations for why red bull involvement would be OK that all revolve around them not erasing the clubs identity. If they can't replace the club then they won't be involved. They are all or nothing. The only two options are complete involvement or no involvement. We know this because that is what they do with sports. It saddens me that anyone on here is trying to convince themselves otherwise just to feel positive about something we should be very, very worried about.
Whereas to me its the exact opposite. Your worrying yourself over something that just wont happen and if it does somehow weirdly happen then worry yourself and protest about it then. For me this discussion was purely about the idea of them becoming shirt sponsors but you've turned it into an argument about Leeds United folding and the introduction of Red Bull Leeds. You haven't even once stated whether you would take them as shirt sponsors because your the one that is making it a nothing or all debate whereas I would imagine a huge majority of leeds fans would be in the grey. So stop arguing the point that you don't want the club's name changed because no one is debating that with you, everyone agrees they don't want that
But isn't that the whole point Marko ? People saying that yeah, investment would be ok IF THAT WAS ALL IT WAS and not a complete rebranding. The rumour was about shirt sponsorship. You rightly pointed out that IN THE PAST Red Bull's policy is to buy club's outright and not get involved in sponsorship. Do you know for a fact that is what they will always do ? Have they started negotiations with any of the other clubs by aquiring sponsorshp deals first and then gone on to buy them outright ? Essentially you're getting yourself worked up over a rumour and one with no solid foundation as far as I can see.
Why are we so afraid of change. Would we prefer to stay in the Championship with our best players getting sold?
Red Bull stick in £100m and buy the club. Stadium is renamed Red Bull arena, away kit changes to all dark blue a la the F1 team colours. Home kit stays all white with Red Bull logo on front. Academy is renamed Red Bull Arch, top youngsters are signed from Germany, Spain and Holland. Leeds get rid of all the dross and sign a cracking squad, promotion follows. First season back in Prem all home games are sold out, Leeds finish fifth and qualify for Europe. Who's complaining?
Oh, haven't you heard Billy ? The Stadium WILL be called the Red Bull Arena. The club WILL be renamed Leeds Red Bulls. The badge WILL be changed to the Red Bull Logo. The home strip WILL be changed to red. Anyone uttering the words "United", "White" or sing "Marching on Together" WILL be banned from the club for life. All of this is established and accepted FACT. Do try and keep up old boy.
Let face it, GFH planned to sell Leeds on from day one. But no one has come forward so far. Why??? Because we are a falling apart from the inside out & we have been ever since the Woodgate & Bowyer trial.
Club gets renamed, home colours change from white blue and yellow to white blue and red (red shouldn't be anywhere near our club). The badge has that awful red bull logo fused into it shamelessly. Any fans in attendance wearing the colours of Leeds United or attempting to show any association to the old Leeds United are ejected from the ground. Any ties with the old Leeds United, with the clubs history, are cut. Any evidence that a club existed before the red bull farce is removed from the ground. The Bremner statue is torn down. The Revie statue is torn down. Can't have Leeds United history at a club that isn't Leeds United can you? The big fat cats stand there laughing as the statues are torn down and all some of you have to say is "times are changing, we need to change with them", happily accepting while yet another greedy corporate set of ****s rolls over anything with any meaning, any emotional importance to anyone. That desperate to be part of the popularity parade that is the Premier League that you'll happily follow a club that is not Leeds United. Might as well just give up and start supporting one of the clubs currently around the top 5. Manchester is closest, why not support scum or scum city?
Well yes, because that is how red bull operate... in fact they take pride in destroying club traditions. They've done it before, they'll do it again. Us arguing against red bull are the only ones with any evidence. Getting sucked into an ideal is the way we'll get caught out. Fans need to be aware that any support of this will end in tears.
Well said The fact that we have been in the doldrums for a good bit now will no doubt blind a few to what it would mean to sell out. Knowing our luck, they would probably build a statue of Ken Bates at the front of The Captain Birdseye Stadium.
Marko, I don't thnk anyone is disputing that. Anyone can look up Red Bull and see what they've done after buying out various clubs around the world. And no Leeds fan would want that to happen to us. I've asked this already but I'll ask again - have Red Bull ever preceded the purchase of any of these clubs by first procurring a shirt sponsorship deal ? Because that's all the, rather flimsy, rumour is. I'm asking a serious question because I don't know.
Marko Red Bull would bring a lot of corporate branding to any club, this is a fact & I would prefer someone else to invest big time. But I don't see a long queue of investors do you? Lets not get hung up on tradition. 50 years ago Don Revie re-branded us completely to emulate Real Madrid. We have changed our badge more times since then as well. Elland Road is our home, but when Ridsdale was here the majority of Season Ticket holders were behind moving to a flat pack arena. As for Red Bull banning / wiping away the past. They made this mistake at Saltsburg but not in New York where they welcomed the Metrostars history. http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/club/history Re shirt sponsors everyone has them, even Barcelona now have a shirt sponsor. I would prefer it was not red but at least i have heard of them. Face it football is a fickle sport & I for one admit I am vain enough to want the success this money could bring.
The truth is we know very little about the rumours, it could all be fantasy. One thing I believe is fact is that GFH will have an exit strategy from Leeds United (per the release in their parent companies books), lets just hope it leaves us in a better place than we are now.
I don't think it's going to happen anyway. Surely someone like West Ham would be a better bet for any Red Bull takeover. Based in the capital, Olympic Stadium, already in the PL - why if money's no object would they go for Leeds United and, going by Marko's concerns, totally change the club, the stadium name, the colours, the badge etc and wipe out the history, when it would make more sense to go with West Ham? Or if not them, then someone like Charlton, or even an MK Dons or similar club with no history? It makes no sense for them to takeover a club steeped in history, proceed in changing everything and wiping out its history and all the hassle that would entail, when they could quite easily start off at a club with an already blank canvass.
I think its the fan base they want. Imagine the publicity "Red Bull Leeds fans smash up and trash the bar at Walsall. Said red Bull fan Sid Moron after the game "I dunno wot 'appened, I 'ad a few complimentary red Bull chasers and suddenly I seemed full of energy, couldn't elp misself, just had to smash something up"
