CONFRIMED: Takeover collapsed; Back to square one

[WestYorksRoyal]

Obita did a decent interview looking back at Reading and Wycombe. He said when he joined Wycombe, it reminded him of how Reading was before the chaos started and he regained his love of the game there.

[Mr Optimist]

We've had good experiences before when owned by someone called Robert, given that John Madejski's birth name was Robert Hurst...

Robert Maxwell?

Don’t think he ever got to be the owner

Part owner, he owned 19% of the shares in RFC prior to wanting to buy Waller’s shares to complete a takeover. Maxwell? You’re not going to go all fat and steal my pension are you? (Quote from Alan Gordon Partridge).

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Robert Maxwell?

Don’t think he ever got to be the owner

Part owner, he owned 19% of the shares in RFC prior to wanting to buy Waller’s shares to complete a takeover. Maxwell? You’re not going to go all fat and steal my pension are you? (Quote from Alan Gordon Partridge).

I think he had bought Waller's shares and one other director but he didn't have the required percentage to own the club.

[Pepe the Horseman]

McNair could be a good signing. Squads need experience. We used to sign the right sort of experienced players like Harte, Salako and Roberts who still had the hunger. More recently we've got such signings wrong, apart from Morisson who was probably fuelled by proving Brum wrong. Does McNair have the hunger to do well for us? He's had enough of a career that he doesn't need to succeed at his next club.

only 29 and will still have international ambitions. but then so did Jeff Hendrick...

Would've guessed he was 34. Feels like he's been around forever.

[From Despair To Where?]

McNair would be a phenomenal signing given where we are.

[The Royal Forester]

Couhig taking us over does not sit well with their fans on their forum. Most seem to think he is the "figurehead" of a consortium as he doesn't have the money himself. Might be sour grapes though as many see it as slight on them with Couhig selling them and buying us.

[Mr Optimist]

Couhig taking us over does not sit well with their fans on their forum. Most seem to think he is the "figurehead" of a consortium as he doesn't have the money himself. Might be sour grapes though as many see it as slight on them with Couhig selling them and buying us.

I think Wycombe fans would acknowledge our potential is greater and the infrastructure is already there with our stadium, training ground and potential crowds and catchment area, to turn us around and sell us on for a profit if it goes right on the pitch. We have got to the land of milk and honey twice in the last 20 years and with the right investment could replicate Brighton as a top flight club, whereas Wycombe would always be punching just to stay at Championship level.

What would rankle, and would with me if I was in their position, is that the explanation for Rob Couhig leaving them was due to his age (75), and not wishing to do as much travelling between the US and UK. If he is more than just a figurehead for a US based consortium and has more “hands on” involvement that would make that a bit hollow….

[Sutekh]

Some good news it seems, Couhig at least knows what it takes to run a club and seems to have been jolly decent during his time at Wycombe and shouldn't have any issues with passing FL suitability tests. Bit of an expensive way to get his hands on the training ground though...

Whether it's solely him or him as part of a wider group remains to be seen, guess all will be revealed one way or another by w/c 22 July.

Back to the waiting then.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I'd be peeved in Wycombe's position on a purely emotional level. He's said he doesn't have the energy, he's old etc., and then moved on to us. Feels a bit like Pardew and McGhee, except imagine they said they were retiring first.

But equally, it looks win win. They have a billionaire owner now which they're delighted with (we know this isn't always good news, but they can learn that in their own time). The Couhigs made a profit on them and are now moved on to a bigger opportunity, we get rescued from Dai.

I suspect he will be involved in a non executive role, not day to day running.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah could be he's impressed with the back office set up and thinks he can be much less hands on.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Yeah could be he's impressed with the back office set up and thinks he can be much less hands on.

I would expect he will have a clear out in the board room.

[Shev]

Hey there, Wycombe fan here.

Hopefully you get rescued by a decent new owner, Couhig or otherwise. If it is Couhig, you will probably come to like him. He is a brash American and will basically promise he is going to make you the greatest thing since sliced bread (ands not always 100% deliver), but he does wear his heart on his sleeve and engage with the fans. As an example, when he took over he promised that if any Wycombe fan emailed him, he would personally reply within 24 hours. I tested him on this and got a reply within 2-3 hours (I am in America, so probably easier as far as a similar time zone to his New Orleans base, but still). It was as decent reply, too - and he even gave me a little insight into upcoming plans. He would not do that with Reading, as you have a lot more fans, but it's an insight into his character. He will also fight tooth and nail for your club and not care what anyone thinks. I do think it likely he is heading a consortium rather than going it alone, from hints that have been dropped of his level of wealth and also his circle of influence in the States.

Personally, I am not at all upset he left, as my primary goal is always for Wycombe to remain a going concern. Billionaires can be a disaster, but our billionaire seems pretty unique, being the designer of the most successful app in Kazakhstan, and basically wanting to improve football in Kazakhstan in tandem with owning us, having a Wycombe academy and a Kazakh academy, and trying to being a club heavily based on analytics. It could all end in tears, and I don't care about 'Premier League aspirations' nonsense - I just want to have the best chance of my club remaining in existence in a turbulent period where many lower league clubs struggle.

If you have read this far, all the best, and hopefully there will be good news soon!

[East Grinstead Royal]

Yeah could be he's impressed with the back office set up and thinks he can be much less hands on.

I would expect he will have a clear out in the board room.

Disgusting. Why would he not use the toilet like anyone else?

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Disgusting. Why would he not use the toilet like anyone else?[/quote]

That's the first time I've laughed out loud in months

[retro royal]

Wonder if merger is out of the question, even closer than Oxford, these guys are all money men

[Sutekh]

The Chronic's report on Mr Couhig's current bid

[Forbury Lion]

I'd be peeved in Wycombe's position on a purely emotional level. He's said he doesn't have the energy, he's old etc., and then moved on to us. Feels a bit like Pardew and McGhee, except imagine they said they were retiring first.

But equally, it looks win win. They have a billionaire owner now which they're delighted with (we know this isn't always good news, but they can learn that in their own time). The Couhigs made a profit on them and are now moved on to a bigger opportunity, we get rescued from Dai.

I suspect he will be involved in a non executive role, not day to day running.

He might be looking to repeat the pattern, takeover a club, get them promoted and sell to a billionaire at a profit...... if so, let's hope it isn't another Dai Yongge

[RFCMod]

Did good things for Wycombe and obviously knows about football. Cautiously optimistic.

As I noted previously, he did post a cryptic tweet at the time of the Bearwood sale about how we should wait for the full story so maybe that was all part of a wider plan by him.

If the sale goes through, anyone who still holds a grudge is a clueless twat IMO.

My cousins son is a massive Wycombe fan and is involved in their supporters group and I remember on the day of the training ground fiasco I sent him some abuse which resulted in him saying that this was part of a bigger game plan and that we'd see in the long run how this would pan out

[Forbury Lion]

Hey there, Wycombe fan here.

Hopefully you get rescued by a decent new owner, Couhig or otherwise. If it is Couhig, you will probably come to like him. He is a brash American and will basically promise he is going to make you the greatest thing since sliced bread (ands not always 100% deliver), but he does wear his heart on his sleeve and engage with the fans. As an example, when he took over he promised that if any Wycombe fan emailed him, he would personally reply within 24 hours. I tested him on this and got a reply within 2-3 hours (I am in America, so probably easier as far as a similar time zone to his New Orleans base, but still). It was as decent reply, too - and he even gave me a little insight into upcoming plans. He would not do that with Reading, as you have a lot more fans, but it's an insight into his character. He will also fight tooth and nail for your club and not care what anyone thinks. I do think it likely he is heading a consortium rather than going it alone, from hints that have been dropped of his level of wealth and also his circle of influence in the States.

Personally, I am not at all upset he left, as my primary goal is always for Wycombe to remain a going concern. Billionaires can be a disaster, but our billionaire seems pretty unique, being the designer of the most successful app in Kazakhstan, and basically wanting to improve football in Kazakhstan in tandem with owning us, having a Wycombe academy and a Kazakh academy, and trying to being a club heavily based on analytics. It could all end in tears, and I don't care about 'Premier League aspirations' nonsense - I just want to have the best chance of my club remaining in existence in a turbulent period where many lower league clubs struggle.

If you have read this far, all the best, and hopefully there will be good news soon!

Just quoting as this got approved late on and I doubt anyone would go back up the thread to read it.

[Sutekh]

Hey there, Wycombe fan here.

Hopefully you get rescued by a decent new owner, Couhig or otherwise. If it is Couhig, you will probably come to like him. He is a brash American and will basically promise he is going to make you the greatest thing since sliced bread (ands not always 100% deliver), but he does wear his heart on his sleeve and engage with the fans. As an example, when he took over he promised that if any Wycombe fan emailed him, he would personally reply within 24 hours. I tested him on this and got a reply within 2-3 hours (I am in America, so probably easier as far as a similar time zone to his New Orleans base, but still). It was as decent reply, too - and he even gave me a little insight into upcoming plans. He would not do that with Reading, as you have a lot more fans, but it's an insight into his character. He will also fight tooth and nail for your club and not care what anyone thinks. I do think it likely he is heading a consortium rather than going it alone, from hints that have been dropped of his level of wealth and also his circle of influence in the States.

Personally, I am not at all upset he left, as my primary goal is always for Wycombe to remain a going concern. Billionaires can be a disaster, but our billionaire seems pretty unique, being the designer of the most successful app in Kazakhstan, and basically wanting to improve football in Kazakhstan in tandem with owning us, having a Wycombe academy and a Kazakh academy, and trying to being a club heavily based on analytics. It could all end in tears, and I don't care about 'Premier League aspirations' nonsense - I just want to have the best chance of my club remaining in existence in a turbulent period where many lower league clubs struggle.

If you have read this far, all the best, and hopefully there will be good news soon!

Just quoting as this got approved late on and I doubt anyone would go back up the thread to read it.

Well the guy sounds thoroughly decent and someone who would actually communicate, unlike the 7 years of nothing we (and most at the actual football club) have had from a certain oriental quarter.