No smoke without fire: Lerner will sell, if the right offer is made

[nigel]

A club spokesman said: ‘The owner’s eldest son has been switching schools in America which has meant that Randy hasn’t been able to come over for as many games as usual. But he watches every one live on TV.’

Just how many times has he switched schools? Can't they think of better bullshit than this?

I should imagine it's similar to over here.
When your kid's old enough they change schools, either to high school or university, as a parent there's loads of running about to do. No bullshit, just a fact of life.

[TheSandman]

Like others I'm sure he will sell if the right offer comes along. The question I'd ask is if it's going to come along.

[LeeS]

A club spokesman said: ‘The owner’s eldest son has been switching schools in America which has meant that Randy hasn’t been able to come over for as many games as usual. But he watches every one live on TV.’

Just how many times has he switched schools? Can't they think of better bullshit than this?

I should imagine it's similar to over here.
When your kid's old enough they change schools, either to high school or university, as a parent there's loads of running about to do. No bullshit, just a fact of life.

What kind of running about? I may not be a parent, but I have two of them. Plus brothers and sisters. I dont remember my folks doing any running about (let alone dropping their business interests) for 4 months each time we changed school.

[Small Rodent]

A club spokesman said: ‘The owner’s eldest son has been switching schools in America which has meant that Randy hasn’t been able to come over for as many games as usual. But he watches every one live on TV.’

Just how many times has he switched schools? Can't they think of better bullshit than this?

I should imagine it's similar to over here.
When your kid's old enough they change schools, either to high school or university, as a parent there's loads of running about to do. No bullshit, just a fact of life.

What kind of running about? I may not be a parent, but I have two of them. Plus brothers and sisters. I dont remember my folks doing any running about (let alone dropping their business interests) for 4 months each time we changed school.

Especially billionaire parents.

[Damo70]

Fantastic research and writing there by Charles Sale. Take a well quoted fact like the last game was the first one Randy Lerner has attended this season, quote 'friends' of his and come up with a real jaw dropping story about someone being prepared to sell something if they receive the right offer.

[Mark H]

That phrase no smoke without fire - Try asking Dave Jones - book with the same name just realised, and I will admit when the story broke about him I thought and maybe used the same phrase "no smoke without fire" - learned not to now

[Mazrim]

At least he got his own brand of sweets out of it.

[alteavilla]

every thing is for sale at the right price

[Iago]

Has anybody heard or seen this rumour? 

You know what it's a small World, people say it all the time but is really is. I had the honour of attending some close friends wedding this weekend and who should appear at the at the reception? MM (not to be confused with MysteryMan), the man who worked at SkySportsNews, the man who's scatter gun approach to rumour flinging made him popular and despised in equal measure.

 

His life is going swimmingly, from dancing with Davina to recently being selected to host a pilot for a potential prime time terrestrial TV game show, so soon he could be a house hold name, but for now he shall remain as the one and only MM.

 

So after some severe ribbing about his hair cut and his new pose to hide the fact he's got a big chin, I tapped MM up for some of the media rumours around football... (remember these are journalistic or mystery tip-offs received by SkySportsNews, you must understand that they receive hundreds if not thousands of "tip-offs" everyday from people claiming to be in the know but are not able to quantify their information, but some of them are very, very good for a bit of rumour mongering. As much as people like to think SSN will put out any story on a whim, you must understand that every time they say "Sky Sports News understands..." that rumour has been through many, many pairs of hands and is only released to the news desk when the bosses are happy there is enough suggestive evidence.)

 

MM promised he would get in touch and get back to me, so this morning I check my e-mails and true to his word MM has forwarded an e-mail. For obvious reasons I can't show you the screen shot of the e-mail because it contains the information of both parties, however I will copy and paste the text. Interesting reading....

 

 

    Hey Matt, as requested - Randy Lerner has contacted officials of Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr ­Al-Thani, you remember him right! Rumours have been that the Qatari's are looking at other Premier League clubs after being frustrated by a lack of movement at MU. This has prompted several chairman to contact the Sheikh's offices with the aim of raising interest in their club. Kenwright at Everton seem to have been rebuffed for reasons unknown.

     

    However the latest club to make contact is Aston Villa, the source believes Lerner would be looking for £130-150m for the club, and the Qatari's are interested. The source (the same one who gave me Venkys) went on to say that several key factors play in to the hands of Aston Villa which makes them far more desirable than say Everton or Blackburn. Watch this space is all i can say, it would seem the horse has bolted and soon there will be another big player in the Premier League money stakes.

     

    Hope that helps, catch up soon mate.

 

 

Interesting, I'm not going out and putting my house on the rumour, but it would certainly be an exciting time for Villa if it did happen.

 

I wonder what the "key factors" could be? Villa Park redevelopement?

 

I wonder if this is rumour mongering designed to make the Glaziers think again.....

 

The problem I see with this is the FFP... I don't see how they could come in to a club like Villa and turn us around like City have been... the process would have to be a slower one... but I suppose a few "sponsorship" (Qatari state sponsored of course ) deals would improve our turnover and spending power hugely...

[nigel]

A club spokesman said: ‘The owner’s eldest son has been switching schools in America which has meant that Randy hasn’t been able to come over for as many games as usual. But he watches every one live on TV.’

Just how many times has he switched schools? Can't they think of better bullshit than this?

I should imagine it's similar to over here.
When your kid's old enough they change schools, either to high school or university, as a parent there's loads of running about to do. No bullshit, just a fact of life.

What kind of running about? I may not be a parent, but I have two of them. Plus brothers and sisters. I dont remember my folks doing any running about (let alone dropping their business interests) for 4 months each time we changed school.

I'm sure had your parents worked in the US they'd have left a manager in charge while they sorted your school out.
Think it's a bit different 'dropping business interests' when you live and work nearby and when one of your businesses is a few 1000 miles away.
I don't think we're talking about the local village primary school here.
When my son goes to uni I'll be driving around the country to look them over so i'll be dropping loads to sort him out.

[olaftab]

A club spokesman said: ‘The owner’s eldest son has been switching schools in America which has meant that Randy hasn’t been able to come over for as many games as usual. But he watches every one live on TV.’

Just how many times has he switched schools? Can't they think of better bullshit than this?

This is a lame excuse. Do you really think Randy the Billionaire has this problem and has he always spent his time by the side of his family?  To make money people have to make many sacrifices and one of the common one is sorting everyday family stuff. Someone one else  has to take care of that and money helps!
I should imagine it's similar to over here.

[KevinGage]

Like others I'm sure he will sell if the right offer comes along. The question I'd ask is if it's going to come along.

That's my take on things too.

For the price RL would need to receive to be tempted to sell, + the funds necessary to have a serious tilt at top 4 again, you're talking crazy money -at a conservative estimate not much change from £400 mill.

[Big Dick Edwards]

While spurs announce record income based mainly on full grounds for every game, Randy has seen attendances drop by 1000's.

Is this the Spurs who showed their ambition and fought off bids from cash-rich Champions League clubs to sign their best midfield player because they still maintained the determination to challenge for a top four spot again this season?

Compare that scenario with the one facing Villa fans who saw their two most creative and consequently valuable players sold and not adequately replaced.
Spurs maintained a feel-good factor, while Villa went down the opposite road altogether.

[olaftab]

It is always possible  and good practice to  make a good story based on facts. Facts that you have cleverly established. However it is a common trait with the Press now days to steal facts if they don't have access   and if they  can not steal than they make up anything they like.
I don't know where the "Randy ready to sell"  falls in that lot however of course he WILL sell if someone made him an acceptable offer. After all he is a trader and that is is what tradesmen do.
Let's hope if that happens  than whoever buys us has  his/her hand on either the oil or the gas tap because it will be a nightmare to fall in the hands of  ex-undertakers from home  or meat traders from the east. That would be a dead end in more ways than one.

[Dante Lavelli]

While spurs announce record income based mainly on full grounds for every game, Randy has seen attendances drop by 1000's.

Is this the Spurs who showed their ambition and fought off bids from cash-rich Champions League clubs to sign their best midfield player because they still maintained the determination to challenge for a top four spot again this season?

Compare that scenario with the one facing Villa fans who saw their two most creative and consequently valuable players sold and not adequately replaced.
Spurs maintained a feel-good factor, while Villa went down the opposite road altogether.

In essence you're right but how exactly could villa have kept our better players when we were already overspending and needed transfer income.