Keep seeing bits about a supposed takeover by 'Chinese investors'. Anyone know if there's any truth to it or is it all rumour?
I'll believe it when I see it all the roumors have been from fans nothing in the papers or online ect. I'm not convinced it's happening.
Until it happens it's just a rumour, but I cautiously hope that it's true. I say "cautiously" bearing in mind that it hasn't worked well for some other clubs, but if we want to stay comfortably in this league or challenge at the top end and keep some of our better players a bit longer something has to change, I don't think anyone can argue with that. Our club has much potential, but it's driving with the handbrake on.
No smoke without fire, here's hoping. I'm hoping it's true because it would explain the lack of transfer activity these past two weeks. Otherwise if not, then it's worrying times ahead.
I hope its true because im getting pissed of with how we are at the moment. If we go down again ill find it hard to be motivated to keep coming. My kids are getting older now and wont be long before other things became far more interesting than supporting a club with zero ambition.
I think "worrying times ahead" translates as yoyoing between this league and league one, which will have its good times and bad. It's not so bad if you're Sunderland, villa, Newcastle etc as the league chucks money at you to keep you in the manner to which you're accustomed. Until the reward for for promotion from league one is anywhere near to that for relegation from the premier league nowt will change. It's all too top heavy.
I'd rather we didn't go down the route of every other team outside the Premier league and gamble whatever future we have for one of those 3 places in the Premier league. There's no guarantee that a new foreign owner will improve our future, history has overwhelming evidence of that. I agree that our current business model is frustrating, and does need some change 8f we are to stay competitive, but gambling our future away isn't the way to do it. For every good overseas investor there seems to be 10 bad ones.
Red is seen as a lucky colour in China, so at least they wouldn't try and change the colour of our kits!
When this rumour first surfaced earlier in the summer, I did a bit of research into the Chinese investment model into European football clubs. It would appear that it is part of a wider economic strategy aimed at getting more exposure to Chinese companies (e.g. banks) further west. There is also a football related target where by China have ambitions to host and ultimately win the world cup and they see taking learnings from European clubs as a key part of this. It would also seem that once the initial investment is in place, they prefer clubs to be locally run either by existing club representatives or someone else who is closer to the way the club/league works. In many ways the model looks appealing and could work for us although as ever with any investment there is risk involved and probably more failures than success stories. I also think the ownership of the ground and land would be a major stumbling block in Barnsleys case. Food for thought though and I personally think something must be happening behind the scenes regarding ownership due to Patrick Cryne's health. We will wait and see I guess.
I hate this phrase. I could go on twitter now and say I've seen a Saudi Prince at Oakwell and that he told me he was about to take us over. That would very much be smoke without fire.
Remember the photo of Patrick cryne and his phone was on show? The number he was about to call was Alexander Jarvis who is a guy who helps chinese investors get into football clubs. He tweeted 2 days after that picture was posted on Twitter saying "just spoke to an owner of a football club. He treats that club as a hobby not a business, so it's impossible for chinese investors to make an offer" That tweet was sent from Sheffield, England. He had his location settings turned on. I reckon an investor made an offer and PC turned it down. We're probably just going over old ground but by the sounds of this Jarvis guy there was definite contact and the Chinese was interested in buying us but couldn't get a deal done.
You sure that's what Jarvis tweet said? I remember it being about selling a football club who don't own their assets. You've put quotation marks around your sentence though so assume you have copied and paste it from a source so I may be wrong..... Edit: you're right about the content. But the tweet was sent from West Midlands and is about an owner who treats it as a play thing which is hard to sustain.
Have you found that tweet on his profile Mate? I've no idea how to put a photo on here since the forum changed. I love PC but he really need a to sell this club IMO. How much does he want for the club? Surely due to us is ing very little assets were only worth around 10 mill?
Yep. He tweeted it on 9th Feb. No idea how to copy the link. He doesn't tweet much though so easy to find it. It sounds more like it's difficult to value a club when the owner splashes money on a hobby. He then follows the tweet up with "it has to be sustainable otherwise the future of the club is at risk". Don't think he's referring to us.
