Takeover rumours

[pauliewalnuts]

If that person is around, then the main question they'll be considering isn't so much whether the owner of target club wants to sell, it will be whether it is the club they want to buy. If they decide that this is the club, they'll make an offer. Randy can then accept it or reject it as he wants. It's not like selling a house where you advertise your desire to sell by engaging an estate agent.

Didn't Doug take on a Merchant bank to find a buyer for the club? That would also be what 'actively seeking buyers' would involve.

Probably, yes, but lots of people go on to sell something without going to those lengths to make its availability clear.

Football has changed a lot in the last 8 years, I think the main test of whether Lerner is amenable to selling the club will not be whether or not he's had a word with his mate Keith Harris at Seymour Pierce, and more about how he reacts if someone offers him a sufficiently large wad of cash.

In layman's terms, what I mean is, I'm not actively looking to sell my house at the moment, I've not engaged an estate agent, not put it up for sale, or done any of the usual things which happen when trying to sell a house, but if some mentalist were to find themselves particularly taken by the mixture of soulless turn of century "architecture", lack of community, woefully insufficient parking, noisy fuckwit neighbours and distance from the town centre, and as a result offered me 50k more than it's worth, I'd turn into an active seller pretty quickly.

[Glenn Peen]

There's always next time, Nodge...

Until then, keep it brown in town.

[Leighton]

If any of us spot that bloke with the talking green duck and that grumpy talking monkey at the Wespt Ham game, please try and take a picture and post here. Then we'll know for sure we're up for grabs.

[Simon Ward]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26084726

At least we're not this lot!

[Villa in Denmark]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26084726

At least we're not this lot!

Bloody Hell. They'd let the bastard love child of Fred West and Jeffrey Skilling pass the fit and proper person test.

[Mister E]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26084726

At least we're not this lot!

They've been well and truly screwed over since the days of Dolly and Ridsdale, to be sure.

[Lizz]

In layman's terms, what I mean is, I'm not actively looking to sell my house at the moment, I've not engaged an estate agent, not put it up for sale, or done any of the usual things which happen when trying to sell a house, but if some mentalist were to find themselves particularly taken by the mixture of soulless turn of century "architecture", lack of community, woefully insufficient parking, noisy fuckwit neighbours and distance from the town centre, and as a result offered me 50k more than it's worth, I'd turn into an active seller pretty quickly.

Ain't that the truth.

[brian green]

Sounds like just the place I am looking for paulie.

[Toronto Villa]

If that person is around, then the main question they'll be considering isn't so much whether the owner of target club wants to sell, it will be whether it is the club they want to buy. If they decide that this is the club, they'll make an offer. Randy can then accept it or reject it as he wants. It's not like selling a house where you advertise your desire to sell by engaging an estate agent.

Didn't Doug take on a Merchant bank to find a buyer for the club? That would also be what 'actively seeking buyers' would involve.

Probably, yes, but lots of people go on to sell something without going to those lengths to make its availability clear.

Football has changed a lot in the last 8 years, I think the main test of whether Lerner is amenable to selling the club will not be whether or not he's had a word with his mate Keith Harris at Seymour Pierce, and more about how he reacts if someone offers him a sufficiently large wad of cash.

In layman's terms, what I mean is, I'm not actively looking to sell my house at the moment, I've not engaged an estate agent, not put it up for sale, or done any of the usual things which happen when trying to sell a house, but if some mentalist were to find themselves particularly taken by the mixture of soulless turn of century "architecture", lack of community, woefully insufficient parking, noisy fuckwit neighbours and distance from the town centre, and as a result offered me 50k more than it's worth, I'd turn into an active seller pretty quickly.

which is precisely why I really don't see why some are so obsessed with his interest in the club and the infatuation as to whether he is selling or not. Like anybody, if the offer is too good to turn down it generally doesn't get turned down. You might love your house, every aspect of it and your neighbours but at the end of the day if the buyer offers you something nuts you'll consider it and likely take it. Or at would at least get your attention. That goes for Randy, heck it might even go for Sheik Mansoor. If Randy really wanted to sell he would and even if he watched every minute of every game.

[andyh]

Maybe telling the world that the club isn't for sale is a way of advertising that the club is for sale !

[Louzie0]

Maybe telling the world that the club isn't for sale is a way of advertising that the club is for sale !

Subtle.
I like it.

[danlanza]

It's time for this to go to the world famous Conspiracy theory thread i think.

[paulcomben]

How very peculiar:

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/lambert-villa-lucky-lerner-6685675

Paul Lambert insists Randy Lerner’s unseen efforts more than make up for him not being a visible presence at Villa Park – and revealed the secret billionaire had attended games this season.

During a week in which Villa have made it quite clear the club is not for sale, Lambert highlighted Lerner’s commitment to the claret and blue cause. And the manager believes Villa are fortunate to have a chairman who has invested so much into the club since taking control in August 2006, even if he prefers to keep a low profile.

“He’s been to games, there’s not an issue there,” said Lambert, speaking ahead of today’s home match against West Ham.

“If you’re asking me about criticism, think about what he’s done for this club. He’s built the training ground, he’s built the stadium, he’s put a lot of money in to the club. I don’t think anyone can criticise anybody for putting in that level of money.

“He’s done so much work for this area, let alone the football club. You can go through it, you can research it, but he’s done so much for this area as well, the Acorns, everything. You can look at that. You put a lot of money into a football club and that’s what he’s done.”

The suggestion is that Lerner has been to two home games and one away game this season, using his directors box at Villa Park and often attends the stadium and Bodymoor Heath on none matchdays.

He speaks to Lambert before and after games and has daily early-morning phone calls with chief executive Paul Faulkner. Villa keep his trips to matches private for security reasons.

Lambert joked that Lerner has attended games incognito and sat alongside him in the dugout.

Asked when the American owner last attended a Villa match, he replied: “I see him. He might not sit where you think he sits.

“I’m not going to tell you (when he last came). You say the word on the street is telling you that (he doesn’t attend).

“You can’t just say the ‘word on the street’, you need the facts of that. He sits beside me in the dugout!

“I don’t think he’s ever going to broadcast it is he, if he comes to a game.”

Lambert is of the opinion that most supporters respect Lerner’s privacy.

He added: “I think Villa fans are appreciative of what they have, the stadium and everything that’s there.

“I think anyone that is going to criticise him is way off the mark. He’s a private guy which he’s totally entitled to be.

“There’s not a problem on that side of it because Paul Faulkner’s here, who does great for the club.”

[Ads]

Well hopefully we won't have to read the "At least Ellis used to turn up!!!111" garbage any more.

[Dribbler]

Well hopefully we won't have to read the "At least Ellis used to turn up!!!111" garbage any more.

I'm sure there will be plenty of other garbage to read. Thanks for getting the ball rolling...