You wish... I'll be around for a while. I'm not letting a bunch of morons scare me off this little earner.
It will not happen until Bates has moved key assets into separate companies.... In order to take more blood at a later date... Once Bates moves key structures and for example the Pavilion to a separate company, then he may be keen to sell
Takeover what takeover! Any stuff from LUST that may hint that things are progressing is purely speculative, there is absolutely nothing to back up any interest from external parties towards the purchase of Leeds United FC from the company that owns the club and other parts of the football club. Ken Bates doesn't sell things on the cheap and any suggestion that as he is now getting to the age where dementia has probably set in, he will let the club go for £20 or £30 million, is simply wishful thinking. Glasgow Rangers can't find anyone willing to buy them, without putting through a CVA & living without buying anyone for some time, why on earth would anyone put money into a club like Leeds United, who at best can look at approximately 35,000 home supporters attending home games. The people who put money into football now, have reasons for doing so, usually tax avoidance or possible money laundering, they don't actually care about the club or what it means to people, they only want to keep their money safe from the authorities and when they have had enough, they will sell on or liquidate the club. We are stuck with Bates and who ever he has decided to run his company once he has died, there is very little chance that anyone with the money required is coming in or looks like coming in, so let's get a grip of reality. The way I see it now, you either have a Leeds United FC to support, which sells it best players and tries to achieve as much as it can with the financial constraints, or the club folds and you go and find another club to support.
Fundamentally agree with this. So we have to change his view of reality. I prefer the former scenario, within a realistic ticket pricing strategy that brings the fans back on board and builds long term. If we can persuade Bates that that is the way to go, instead of this hell for leather strategy of kicking the fans and inadvertently killing the club, that would be a massive step. But the only way to make him see what is going on is to make him submit. Marko - cucumber attack!
Where does it stop? If (and it seems like a millions miles away) Leeds got back to the EPL, most people on here and Leeds United fans in general, would expect a top 5 finish, with players brought in who would compete at this level. Where on earth would the money for this (wages of around £70,000 per week) come from? Leeds United are a third tier club now, we have to accept that, we have to live within our means and this means selling the best players and hoping we develop just as good players through the youth set up. Leeds United FC as I know it died in 2003, what we have now is a shell of a once famous club, trying to stay alive, no protest or anti Bates songs are going to change that. I'm all for the LUST campaign, I'll support it and anything else for as long as I am alive, but we all need to get a grip of reality, there is no multi billionaire out there wishing to put their money to Leeds United FC, if there was they would have made their move years ago.
Totally 100% with you. Only way LUFC will ever be back is a long term strategy of building from the youth upwards in the way Martinez did with Swansea, while possibly selling the club to a global fanbase and getting international income. Unless there is a mystery russian oligarch or arab sheikh somewhere, which would make us as plastic as Man C or Chelski, our future lies alongside Forest, Burnley, Watford if we are steady, or Barnsley, Millwall, Bristol City if we get worse. Our only Premier League future - an unlikely scenario - is to hold onto it by the skin of our teeth or be a yoyo club.
There are rumours we're being taken over by Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, who first showed an interest in us when Kenneth first took over.
My memory of them was around 2008, but I may be wrong. They are totally committed to having their own broadcasting system, so that they have full rights to advertising. It doesn't work in the UK, for a start there isn't as many people and too many other professional clubs around the small area. They can't take over the sports media in then UK like they have done in Canada, so they will immediately have issues.
But they can sell Leeds United TV in Canada, USA and other countries where Sky does not have a global licence for every match. They can also set up LUTV on the tv rather than internet, and they would know how to take it further. They might have such knowledge of the media that they would close down Yorkshire Radio and convert it to internet only streaming. Plenty of opportunities from an orgaisation with clear knowledge of branding
I'm sure Maple Leaf Sports were themselves available for purchase a year or so ago. They had financial problems and couldn't get their own way with the Canadian government, they have now removed the "for sale" sign, but the broadcasting issue they had still applies. My feelings are that they would wish for every Leeds fan to stay at home and pay for subscription to the Leeds United TV, where you could watch all the games live for large subscription fee and adverts (many many adverts). They would then try to move away from Elland Road, so that they could share a stadium (smaller) with another team and create more revenue. It can't happen as this is not how professional sports are operated in Europe, still they probably think they can by pass the law! Interesting Blog on Maple Leaf Sports: http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1093199--maple-leaf-sports-plans-broadcast-gamble
Supposed to be a 38 million pound takeover. Maple Leaf Sports are also estimated to have 1.75 billion of wealth. Fingers crossed. Also, Leeds are rumoured to have had 2 bids for Jon Stead rejected
