I don't suppose this will come as an enormous surprise to anyone: word has it that VT is actively looking for a buyer. Good news? Bad news? All depends, I suppose.
Source? None of his actions suggest he's here in the short term. He's spent heavily on the infrastructure of the club. Training facilities, stadium, changing the kit! None of those are actions of someone who's on a 2-3 year exit strategy. The kit is the most significant as it's just not worth the bother if you're leaving. If he did believe he was selling he could change back as why does he care what colour the club plays in once he's gone? As I keep saying he can look all he wants (if he is), but unless he's getting ready to write off a minimum of half of his money he has no chance of finding a buyer until we've been in the PL for at least 2 consecutive seasons. What's happened at Reading will scare any investors thinking a newly arrived PL team is a solid investment (not that we're getting promoted unless we have an incredible January). My thoughts on the good/bad angle is that there are certainly better owners running clubs and there are/have been worse from a financial management point of view.
It wouldn't be right to name my source, but I honestly believe that he has knowledge that others do not. All I'll say is that the source is on the payroll, and while I understand that that in itself means Jack, of course, I have a feeling that he's right. This is not to say that VT is going to do this immediately, but it does seem to be the plan in the longer term, at least. I would argue that there is circumstantial evidence that he's going to leave. Money spent/manager hired/his presence at games. Neither is he adored as he clearly wishes to be, and he has hinted/threatened enough that he may walk if the circumstances are right. On he other hand, I agree with much of what you say. Who knows? But it was certainly interesting to hear my source use the unequivocal words, 'He's looking to sell," On the other hand, I may have got my source wrong.... he may think he knows stuff that he doesn't. After all, what was his source? It's all a great mystery.
A couple of people have suggested similar to me as well, but there's no substantiation in anything I've read or heard. It's difficult to see how he'd be able to back away without losing an absolute fortune and an even greater loss of face in his business world. Still it wouldn't surprise me at all if he found a way - the guy is very resourceful. Maybe this is all just wishful thinking on supporters part but perhaps we should also be very careful what we wish for.
I don't want a lot for Christmas, There is just one thing I need, I don't care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree, I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know, Then I'll go down the puuuuuub, Vincent, all I want for Christmas, is my cluuuuuuub..
I understand that Tan's loans are secured against the assets of the club including the value of the players. His circa £150m "investment" is far greater than the value of anything he could recover from either the asset value (which possibly may even include access to the parachute payments if allowed by the authorities, which currently stand at around £45m per season after this year's payment is taken into account) or he could sell to a third party. If Tan sells to a third party he will take a massive hit of at least £100m. If he cannibalises the club's assets he will also lose out but to far less an extent if football league rules give him access to the parachute payments. A vindictive Tan might well take this latter course as revenge for the way, as he sees it, he has been treated by fans. I cannot see this happening but can envisage crunch time coming at the end of the season if, as seems probable, we fail to secure promotion. In reality Tan has boxed himself into a corner while at the same time placed the club in an unsustainable and invidious position through excessive and injudicious spending. There is no doubt he wants out but he is effectively trapped unless he is prepared to lose money. I am surprised that posters are still talking in terms of rolling the dice once again by spending even more money on players when the club is in such a precarious financial position.
It'll come as little surprise to everyone that I agree 100% with that. No threat of winding up orders, players signed every window, no pressure to sell, tax bills paid..... It can be a lot worse than what we've currently 'got'. I wouldn't expect you to name your source Glam, but appreciate the reply that it's got a bit more about it than 'a bloke in the pub'.
I doubt that a rolling the dice would make any difference at all given the present situation. If he's going to lose £100m, then another "few million" wouldn't change the plot.
Cheers, Stevo. A lot of interesting stuff in this thread. I suppose he must be keeping his cards fairly close to his chest, but I think it's probably clear to him by now that the rebrand is -rightly or wrongly- never going to be accepted.
Tan hasn't placed the club in that position, we were absolutely ****ed before he started spending. If he leaves us bankrupt all he's done is delay that outcome by bankrolling us through the last 4 or 5 years. There is no dice rolling, if Tan stays and continues spending we can spend until PL status makes us viable financially. If Tan leaves unless we happen to attract a 2nd billionaire investor who doesn't mind risking 10's of millions of pounds then we are absolutely at Tan's mercy as to how hard he wants to shaft us.
if he`s true 2his word then he will leave us in safe hands>>>>>>>if his ego has been dented then he could give us the pompey treatment and leave us fkd for ten twenty maybe more years>>>>>>>>>>but either way we will be blue again so a win win if you ask me....... im sure the jacks could ask theyre wives 2have a look in thy crystal ball and have done with rumours first as last mind>>>>where's dulldai when ew need him init
I guess the issue is as Aber says if his ego is well and truly dented then he could just say stuff this for a game of soldiers and take the financial hit and play somewhere else. That's the problem with having too much money not that I am jealous in any way!
Honestly, I genuinely don't know what would be worse anymore, the financial hit or the mad man? I can assure you there is no club jealous of our current situation!
he could do that yeah butty>>>>and there isn't not much we can do from stopping him do it either when you have money like he does like you say...............fk me even his taylor is 2 scared 2tell him how fking stupid he looks in those fking trousers so god help us for telling him 2 fk off and stick his red tops where the land of the sun don't shine. but then again he may like us for being cheeky twats and never bowing 2him like most of his flock do in asia
jay im guessing Hereford would take our place at this present time ...................shame that always one of my fav away trips
To be honest here, i get the feeling if TAN walked out tomorrow, there are people on here would wallow in the clubs demise, and i dont mean those who post on here from down west either. The 19.27 lot for sure. However when we are rattling round in the Fourth division again with crowds of 8k they will be the very people who wont be in attendance. For those of us who have been through Thinner and Thinner and in recent years fair chunks of thick, the thicker times still have not been enough for some people, first Ridsdale, he got it with both barrels blazing, but in reality kept the club afloat, the Tan came along, sacked a less than honest, and quite frankly average manager and the vitriol turned on him. There are no Local billionaires smashing the door down to become the next saviour, perhaps looking from the outside and the fickle nature of some of our fans they are thinking 'Feck that for a game of soldiers' in a nutshell some people, really do not understand business, how a business is run and what it takes to run that business, employees always want more, where as quite often the business owner will go without themselves just to keep people in a job, However these efforts are not appreciated when the inevitable happens and the shop is shut, no they blame the business owner. I can see the dis pleasure of people when the shirt colour was changed, yes i prefer the blue kit, however it is just a kit at the end of the day. We have a new manager who, from someone looking in from the outside would probably say 'He has done well for you' however this is not enough in the eyes of many. Then we have the fans who are obviously afraid of change, aka we should never have moved out of the ramshackle Ninian Park, with its fantastic atmosphere. Yes i have been there when we have had great atmosphere's there, best i can remember is Real Madrid, Hereford Utd (39,000 crowd div 3) the Leeds cup tie to name a few. I have also been there when there was little more than tumbleweed running over the terraces, div 3 and div 4 matches with crowds barely getting to 3000 and Clemo trying to keep the club going, funny old thing people didnt like him either. To conclude. You just cannot please anyone and i am afraid to say our supporters are amongst the most fickle fans out there.
I am too young to have been there for the Madrid game but have been there for an 8,000 turnout on a blistery Tuesday night. I have followed City up and down the country and have been in high spirits and loud voice, even after conceding two goals with no way of coming back, I have still sung my heart out until my voicebox explodes and I have a sore throat for a week. Never in my years of supporting City have I ever lacked this much passion. Don't get me wrong, I still go, still love my club. Still wear my shirt (blue of course), and will no doubt re-new my season ticket next year, with or without Tan at the helm.
