The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[KevinGage]

If it is with a view to developing the area, I'm not sure it would be the specific charms of anything in Aston - even ourselves that is the biggest draw.

It would be more the case that you have so much land so close to the city centre (it practically is the city centre if your benchmark is larger urban sprawls) to work with.

A few years of getting the locals onside might smooth the path re planning for big projects further on down the track.

[Clark W Griswold]

I don't think anyone is saying Aston will become like Notting Hill or anything, but there is some potential there around the Villa Park area. The theme park might not be roller coasters and log-flumes, but perhaps something on a smaller scale with interactive attractions, Virtual Reality, kids training camps, hotel, restaurants, etc. It could be part of a museum and match-day package, with tours of Aston Hall, etc.

Of course, all of it would hinge on Villa being back in the Premier League, engaging with a large Chinese audience, which is the major challenge. And that depends on whether Dr X is the real deal or not. I guess we'll find out in due course.

And in the future, when he's ready to move on he won't sell it, he'll send out 5 golden tickets.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

I don't think anyone is saying Aston will become like Notting Hill or anything, but there is some potential there around the Villa Park area. The theme park might not be roller coasters and log-flumes, but perhaps something on a smaller scale with interactive attractions, Virtual Reality, kids training camps, hotel, restaurants, etc. It could be part of a museum and match-day package, with tours of Aston Hall, etc.

Of course, all of it would hinge on Villa being back in the Premier League, engaging with a large Chinese audience, which is the major challenge. And that depends on whether Dr X is the real deal or not. I guess we'll find out in due course.

And in the future, when he's ready to move on he won't sell it, he'll send out 5 golden tickets.

That's right Charlie ... live the dream.

[Steve R]

Two things strike me about that Mail article.

DocX is being very forthcoming about the terms of his takeover of VP. I thought Chinese were supposed to be very secretive about business affairs.

We are 20 mill in hock to HSBC. It looks like the door to the Lerner Trust safe was well and truly slammed in Randy's face. 20 mill in debt and facing a huge drop in revenue, we really are (or hopefully were) up shit creek. The only thing that has stopped us already 'doing a Leeds' has been Randy's preparedness to soak up the debt.

[Toronto Villa]

In the article he does suggest he knew there would be scrutiny. And maybe this is evidence of an understanding that to enter this environment he might need to be more transparent. It will all come out but his claims if true might only scratch the surface of his worth, or that of the businesses he is involved in.

[KevinGage]

Not sure if already posted, but this isn't something we'd be used to:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/12-eeries-images-of-huge-chinese-cities-completely-empty-of-people-a6932936.html

Purpose-built whole cities before people are even ready to move into them. 

At the speed at which that country is still developing, there could well be millionaire/billionaires like Doctor Ghost who have close to zero profile and made an absolute fortune in a very short space of time.

[Steve R]

I have almost come round to thinking that if he really has little or no wealth then he has blagged himself an awful long way for someone who doesn't have a pot to piss in. Given that our problem for decades has been one of poor executive management more than simply money then maybe he will be a good thing for us anyways.

[OCD]

Not sure if already posted, but this isn't something we'd be used to:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/12-eeries-images-of-huge-chinese-cities-completely-empty-of-people-a6932936.html

Purpose-built whole cities before people are even ready to move into them. 

At the speed at which that country is still developing, there could well be millionaire/billionaires like Doctor Ghost who have close to zero profile and made an absolute fortune in a very short space of time.

It's fascinating to be learning about a country that I know little about, that is growing rapidly and if not already, is becoming one of the most powerful countries in the world. Thanks for posting.

[Des Little]

Looks a bit like the upper Trinity doesn't it? Sob..

[Percy McCarthy]

If it is with a view to developing the area, I'm not sure it would be the specific charms of anything in Aston - even ourselves that is the biggest draw.

It would be more the case that you have so much land so close to the city centre (it practically is the city centre if your benchmark is larger urban sprawls) to work with.

A few years of getting the locals onside might smooth the path re planning for big projects further on down the track.

Indeed. I think a lot of people in Birmingham don't see what's going on. It has been named number one destination of the future for foreign direct investment (Columbia and the Czech Republic were second and third). It has been listed in the top five cities in Europe in eight important industrial sectors (Manchester - centre of the universe - was named in one). It has been named as the most investable city in the UK, sixth in Europe (London was tenth). It is the number one regional city for business start-ups. It is the number one destination of choice for migrating cockneys. A few years ago I mentioned in the Birmingham news thread that I looked forward to the Jewellery Quarter becoming part of the city centre and somebody countered that it would not happen in our lifetimes. Does anybody think that it is not now?

Look at the areas that surround the city centre proper - JQ, Digbeth, Edgbaston, the Gun Quarter, Aston - they're all becoming increasingly part of it. There is huge investment planned at Aston University, Aston Science Park, Aston Advanced Manufacturing Hub, Aston Cross and, everything crossed, Aston Villa. The area already has assets. It is an area of the second biggest city-region in the world's fifth largest economy, a city-region that is about to invest about £8bn in various infrastructure projects in the next ten years. The Chinese are already a part of that, and want to be a bigger part. Hopefully in one project in particular.

[Toronto Villa]

It could be argued the Dr X's interest in Villa is merely a front for China's interest in the area and developing numerous other business interests. As the Dr suggests in the article Villa is a drop in the ocean compared to the investment it is alleged he is going to make in the US. They have immense wealth and influence and football is one more avenue to allow them to exercise it.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

I think the plans should include a TV studio and a sauce factory. Oh, and a Heavy Metal Museum for Jimbo.

[paul_e]

It could be argued the Dr X's interest in Villa is merely a front for China's interest in the area and developing numerous other business interests. As the Dr suggests in the article Villa is a drop in the ocean compared to the investment it is alleged he is going to make in the US. They have immense wealth and influence and football is one more avenue to allow them to exercise it.

Which is why i thought Hollis mentioning the plans for the area and the city were hugely important and it fits with what I expected as soon as Chinese investment was mentioned.

[Malandro]

I think the plans should include a TV studio and a sauce factory. Oh, and a Heavy Metal Museum for Jimbo.

Fuck that fucker

[Jimbo]

I think the plans should include a TV studio and a sauce factory. Oh, and a Heavy Metal Museum for Jimbo.

Fuck that fucker

I'll settle for a Birmingham Music Museum - Mendelssohn, Elgar, Metal, Brum Beat, ELO, Dexy's, The Beat, UB40, Duran Duran, Steel Pulse, CBSO, The Streets, the Melotron... plenty to go in there.