Arab takeover interest reported on tribalfootball.com

[midfield diamond]

Interesting that in the interview that has caused todays team board melt down he talks about not being as rich as he was.

Some of us have been saying that for a while.

Can't decide if that makes him more desperate to sell or not.

I would imagina that at the moment he'd bite the hand off a cash buyer - his current probelm isn't wealth, it's liquidity.

I'm not so sure. I think he secretly wants to hang on. The Club has been the catalyst for his high profile, honours and knighthood.The prospect of a new owner sitting in his seat at the top of his stadium may be secretly too much for him to bear. He apparently shows no signs of reducing his workload from his 18 businesses or retiring . We've had all this talk of purchasers with deep pockets for a couple of years now and nothing ever comes of it. Periodically dangling the prospect of new rich owners may just deflect some of the flak from fans who have been dismayed at the lack of investment in the team but I'm not sure how serious he is in selling. Yesterday he referred to RFC being a 'community club.' That could be interpreted as a request to support the local owner, for better or worse, support what that owner does, accept the current total lack of ambition and stop moaning.
If I'm correct in these views then unfortunately he will gradually lose all the considerable goodwill and plaudits he has earn't in his running of the club over the past years.

[true blue 4 ever]

Interesting that in the interview that has caused todays team board melt down he talks about not being as rich as he was.

Some of us have been saying that for a while.

Can't decide if that makes him more desperate to sell or not.

I would imagina that at the moment he'd bite the hand off a cash buyer - his current probelm isn't wealth, it's liquidity.

I'm not so sure. I think he secretly wants to hang on. The Club has been the catalyst for his high profile, honours and knighthood.The prospect of a new owner sitting in his seat at the top of his stadium may be secretly too much for him to bear. He apparently shows no signs of reducing his workload from his 18 businesses or retiring . We've had all this talk of purchasers with deep pockets for a couple of years now and nothing ever comes of it. Periodically dangling the prospect of new rich owners may just deflect some of the flak from fans who have been dismayed at the lack of investment in the team but I'm not sure how serious he is in selling. Yesterday he referred to RFC being a 'community club.' That could be interpreted as a request to support the local owner, for better or worse, support what that owner does, accept the current total lack of ambition and stop moaning.
If I'm correct in these views then unfortunately he will gradually lose all the considerable goodwill and plaudits he has earn't in his running of the club over the past years.

Youve got it in one...couldn't agree more....RFC is the platform for to satisfy his ego. I don't think he has ever been serious about selling...

[Dirk Gently]

I'd argue with that, for a few reasons :

- he's a business, first and foremost. He understands that the only way to make money from football is to buy a small club cheap and build it up so as to increase it's value, then sell it. He's done that and the value isn't going to increase from now, so there's no point in holding on any longer,
- his other businesses are not doing well, and all his money is tied up in various projects so he wants cash and he wants it now,
- people know who he is. His profile's been raised, he's got his knighthood now - what the point in holding onto the club any longer when all its brings him is grief and abuse?

[Ian Royal]

I'd argue with that, for a few reasons :

- he's a business, first and foremost. He understands that the only way to make money from football is to buy a small club cheap and build it up so as to increase it's value, then sell it. He's done that and the value isn't going to increase from now, so there's no point in holding on any longer,
- his other businesses are not doing well, and all his money is tied up in various projects so he wants cash and he wants it now,
- people know who he is. His profile's been raised, he's got his knighthood now - what the point in holding onto the club any longer when all its brings him is grief and abuse?

And he's always referred to the club as a community club, saying he wanted to give something back.

I don't think as a businessman you buy a small club to build it up and sell it as a profit. You buy a football club because you like football or want to do something for the community. If in the process of trying to bring it success, you're able to raise it's value and eventually sell for a good profit that's an excellent bonus.

But football clubs, especially small ones, are not a good way of making money. The return can be extremely high certainly, but the risk is pretty massive.

[rabidbee]

He got his knighthood for making donations to the Tories. And I suspect his patronage of the arts has more kudos in Whitehall and St James' Palace than running a grubby football club.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I have it on good authority that there is no interest from anyone in buying RFC, sadly we are a small club that no one really cares about, we have won feck all, other than being old we have sod all history that matters.

There is one good team that plays at The Madstad, sadly they play rugby,

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

Hardly surprising when the Egoman says in one breathe, that he'll sell to a rich billionaire with deep pockets (obv deep pockets means lots of cloth!)...and then puts a ludicrous value of c£80m on the club........hes got more chance of selling it on ebay...!

[andrew1957]

Truthfully at the moment I doubt he could give the club away.

[West Stand Man]

Truthfully at the moment I doubt he could give the club away.

Surely now is a good time to buy a business opportunity. The country is in recession so prices are down, this is a club that has shown it can go on to better things with the right support, and it is struggling to do that right now. That is a pretty good time to buy in (assuming that the seller is sensible enough to recognise all of the above).

The last I heard from a source inside the club was that there is a strong interest from a Dubai/Abu Dhabi based group. Unsurprising therefore that it is all going quiet given the state of the Dubai/Abu Dhabi finances.

[Thaumagurist*]

There is one good team that plays at The Madstad, sadly they play rugby,

Never heard of them.

[brendywendy]

Truthfully at the moment I doubt he could give the club away.

Surely now is a good time to buy a business opportunity. The country is in recession so prices are down, this is a club that has shown it can go on to better things with the right support, and it is struggling to do that right now. That is a pretty good time to buy in (assuming that the seller is sensible enough to recognise all of the above).

The last I heard from a source inside the club was that there is a strong interest from a Dubai/Abu Dhabi based group. Unsurprising therefore that it is all going quiet given the state of the Dubai/Abu Dhabi finances.

at 80 million?! LOL

no one will buy at that price

bring it down to 50 million- it would be more likely , and hed still probably make a profit,

[West Stand Man]

Truthfully at the moment I doubt he could give the club away.

Surely now is a good time to buy a business opportunity. The country is in recession so prices are down, this is a club that has shown it can go on to better things with the right support, and it is struggling to do that right now. That is a pretty good time to buy in (assuming that the seller is sensible enough to recognise all of the above).

The last I heard from a source inside the club was that there is a strong interest from a Dubai/Abu Dhabi based group. Unsurprising therefore that it is all going quiet given the state of the Dubai/Abu Dhabi finances.

at 80 million?! LOL

no one will buy at that price

bring it down to 50 million- it would be more likely , and hed still probably make a profit,

I think I covered that bit didn't I?

[brendywendy]

The LOL was at JM not you!

[Bowman's Quiver]

I simply don't know how much mileage there is in this one. Probably (hopefully) none and it doesn't make much sense as rumours go but it does come through a contact of mine with (very) high contacts of his own at the club.

A takeover is close to being agreed with one of two potential buyers. One is American, the other Mexican

McDermott won't be appointed until the takeover is complete in case the new people want their own man in place.

Two weeks is the timeframe apparently.

[Norfolk Royal]

A takeover is close to being agreed with one of two potential buyers. One is American, the other Mexican

It's odd that you should say that as I saw a man with a Zapata style moustache wearing a sombrero in Pizza Hut at the weekend.

[Dirk Gently]

A takeover is close to being agreed with one of two potential buyers. One is American, the other Mexican

It's odd that you should say that as I saw a man with a Zapata style moustache wearing a sombrero in Pizza Hut at the weekend.

I think he was there to lay the new carpet in the Board Room, because I distinctly heard him say "underlay, underlay".....

[Blue Hooped Moose]

A takeover is close to being agreed with one of two potential buyers. One is American, the other Mexican

It's odd that you should say that as I saw a man with a Zapata style moustache wearing a sombrero in Pizza Hut at the weekend.

was it Pique?

[Tilehurst End]

I simply don't know how much mileage there is in this one. Probably (hopefully) none and it doesn't make much sense as rumours go but it does come through a contact of mine with (very) high contacts of his own at the club.

A takeover is close to being agreed with one of two potential buyers. One is American, the other Mexican

McDermott won't be appointed until the takeover is complete in case the new people want their own man in place.

Two weeks is the timeframe apparently.

Despite all the mockery I had heard something similar, just a matter of due dilligence running it's course.

Could explain the non announcement of a manager and the reluctance of SJM to put any more money in.

Whatever happens remember the Allamo!

[Comfortably Numb]

madejski is on 'holiday' at the moment.

[Wycombe Royal]

Maybe it's Carlos Slim, and then we'll have the richest owner in World football.

Lets see if Man City fans like that........