The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Louzie0]

It might sound naive but how does the fact that third party ownership and dealing in international players is illegal in the Premier League and FA attract an owner or outfit like Doyen Capital?

I'm sure I read somewhere (probably on here) that FIFA were about to rule it out for leagues in other countries as well, but the only player I am aware of up till now who was involved in this in a PL context is Tevez.

 There had to be a change in the way that transfer was financed and his contract worked, to meet the UK laws, if I remember, which made it difficult for the outfit who 'owned' his contract to get a lot out if it.

[b23]

Another thing against him, he's ORANGE.

Does he look like a golfer? It's bugging me, but I keep going back to golfer.

Olazabal?

there's a touch of Gareth Hunt c1981 going on there too

Jeremy Paxmans brother ?

[pauliewalnuts]

there's a touch of Gareth Hunt c1981 going on there too

Thank you!

I was wracking my brains last night trying to think who he reminded me of.

[Toronto Villa]

I want the owner to be morally sound but I want him to be ambitious and insistent on success. For too long I have felt that success at Aston Villa has been something of a "nice to have" but not imperative. We are too nice and too accommodating and it has almost become a part of our culture. I would like us to carry on doing all of the wonderful things in the community but in whatever time I have left I want to see a club that shouts ambition and isn't afraid to want to win. That starts from the very top and permeates down through every level of the club. I have no idea if this man represents it or whoever it will be that ends up taking over, but I trust Randy to sell wisely to protect much of the good work that he has done yet provide us fans the things that he ultimately couldn't.

[CyprusVillain]

Abramovic used the purchase of Chelsea to move to the UK, raise his profile & to seemingly legitimise his business activities at a time when many of his associates were being arrested / sent to Siberia. A highly dubious character but aren't most self made men? I doubt many Chelsea fans are too concerned about where the money comes from. Who had heard about him before he dragged Chelsea out of the shit?

This guy sounds equally dubious.

I can image Falcao being persuaded to sign for Monaco whether he wanted to or not.

I can accept that there will be some amongst us who will judge the prospect of Mr Arif as a potential owner of AV on the basis of the money that *may* flood in. Though, as an earlier poster has already indicated, it is impossible to access any reliable estimate of how much Mr Arif is worth. The opacity which surround his operations should give real cause for concern.

It is also undoubtedly the case that many Chelsea fans could'nt give a fiddlers **** where the money comes from if they are served up winning football.

However, I live on an island that, until recently, grew rich on providing a a means through which illict capital has been artfully hidden by an army of lawyers, accountants and business service providers. Cyprus has now paid a very heavy price for the way in which this *business model* worked. Not only that, but this illicit flow of capital (which undoubtedly Abrambovic has been involved and, I suspect, our Mr Arif has also particpated) has had the effect of undermining the tax base of the countries from which this money has flowed.

Now I know that tax is not a sexy subject, but the next time any of us complain about the state of our schools, hospitals and roads we need to remember from what common pool of revenue those public services are financed from.

Bare in mind that the artful schemes pursued by the Abamovic's, Google's, Amazon's make a handful of people extremely rich whilst the rest of us pay higher taxes for increasingly depleted services. The trick is to weigh up the short term (but hardly guaranteed) advantage of your team winning silverware against the much wider (and sometimes imperceptible consequences) of how that has been managed.

They remain imperceptable consequences for many people not as a matter of chance but the outcome of artful design.   

[SamTheMouse]

Another thing against him, he's ORANGE.

He'd be a great fit at Hull.

[CyprusVillain]

Another thing against him, he's ORANGE.

He'd be a great fit at Hull.

The Turkish press report that the orange glow which exudes from Mr Arif was a consequence of moving to New York and falling in with Donald Trump - Oranginess is de rigueur for any self-respecting property developer these days

[LeeB]

Abramovic used the purchase of Chelsea to move to the UK, raise his profile & to seemingly legitimise his business activities at a time when many of his associates were being arrested / sent to Siberia. A highly dubious character but aren't most self made men? I doubt many Chelsea fans are too concerned about where the money comes from. Who had heard about him before he dragged Chelsea out of the shit?

This guy sounds equally dubious.

I can image Falcao being persuaded to sign for Monaco whether he wanted to or not.

I can accept that there will be some amongst us who will judge the prospect of Mr Arif as a potential owner of AV on the basis of the money that *may* flood in. Though, as an earlier poster has already indicated, it is impossible to access any reliable estimate of how much Mr Arif is worth. The opacity which surround his operations should give real cause for concern.

It is also undoubtedly the case that many Chelsea fans could'nt give a fiddlers **** where the money comes from if they are served up winning football.

However, I live on an island that, until recently, grew rich on providing a a means through which illict capital has been artfully hidden by an army of lawyers, accountants and business service providers. Cyprus has now paid a very heavy price for the way in which this *business model* worked. Not only that, but this illicit flow of capital (which undoubtedly Abrambovic has been involved and, I suspect, our Mr Arif has also particpated) has had the effect of undermining the tax base of the countries from which this money has flowed.

Now I know that tax is not a sexy subject, but the next time any of us complain about the state of our schools, hospitals and roads we need to remember from what common pool of revenue those public services are financed from.

Bare in mind that the artful schemes pursued by the Abamovic's, Google's, Amazon's make a handful of people extremely rich whilst the rest of us pay higher taxes for increasingly depleted services. The trick is to weigh up the short term (but hardly guaranteed) advantage of your team winning silverware against the much wider (and sometimes imperceptible consequences) of how that has been managed.

They remain imperceptable consequences for many people not as a matter of chance but the outcome of artful design.   

Well said sir.

[Villafirst]

I see the Evening Mail have already headlined with ''Kazakhstan businessman once arrested over alleged prostitute ring 'favourite to buy Aston Villa' '' It does mention later in a small line that he was cleared though!

[MoetVillan]

the premier league's "right and proper" test will weed out any baddies before they can own a club though.



riiiiiiiiiiiiight

[rob_bridge]

To be honest there seems to be a groundswell over the last couple of years of Anyone But Randy.

Careful what you wish for.

We are likely to end up with person(s) who are not rich enough and mortgage the club (Glazer style, smaller scale) or persons that hope to be rich enough based on future revenues (hegde funds anyone) for people who are rich enough though have likely to come by their money in the most dubious of circumstances and want an out ball in case of an escape from a volatile homeland (e.g. Saudi 'Prince').

We are too big to be a fan run club though not big enough to have Billionairres of the Globe falling over themselves to splurge a fortune on us rebuilding.

I suspect that's why we don't appear to be any nearer to a sale.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

I want the owner to be morally sound but I want him to be ambitious and insistent on success. For too long I have felt that success at Aston Villa has been something of a "nice to have" but not imperative. We are too nice and too accommodating and it has almost become a part of our culture. I would like us to carry on doing all of the wonderful things in the community but in whatever time I have left I want to see a club that shouts ambition and isn't afraid to want to win. That starts from the very top and permeates down through every level of the club. I have no idea if this man represents it or whoever it will be that ends up taking over, but I trust Randy to sell wisely to protect much of the good work that he has done yet provide us fans the things that he ultimately couldn't.

Me too.

[john2710]

I thought Cyprus & Greece's problems were compounded by the fact nobody was paying or wanted to pay tax. Business & rich individuals have the options to move elsewhere, whilst in the main ordinary citizens do not.

I remember walking out of Wembley, after Chelsea had beaten us in the FA Cup semi-final & thinking to myself I'd hate our club / fans to become an image of that arrogant, classless club. Taking the moral high ground is all well & good but if the alternative is drifting in the wilderness for years I can understand why many would be tempted.

I would be surprised if Lerner would go anywhere near the likes of this guy, I suppose it depends on how desperate he is to sell & who else wants to buy?

[rob_bridge]

I want the owner to be morally sound but I want him to be ambitious and insistent on success. For too long I have felt that success at Aston Villa has been something of a "nice to have" but not imperative. We are too nice and too accommodating and it has almost become a part of our culture. I would like us to carry on doing all of the wonderful things in the community but in whatever time I have left I want to see a club that shouts ambition and isn't afraid to want to win. That starts from the very top and permeates down through every level of the club. I have no idea if this man represents it or whoever it will be that ends up taking over, but I trust Randy to sell wisely to protect much of the good work that he has done yet provide us fans the things that he ultimately couldn't.

Me too.

Wonder if Ted Turner is interested.

He'd be alright assuming he employs people who know what they are doing.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Abramovic used the purchase of Chelsea to move to the UK, raise his profile & to seemingly legitimise his business activities at a time when many of his associates were being arrested / sent to Siberia. A highly dubious character but aren't most self made men? I doubt many Chelsea fans are too concerned about where the money comes from. Who had heard about him before he dragged Chelsea out of the shit?

This guy sounds equally dubious.

I can image Falcao being persuaded to sign for Monaco whether he wanted to or not.

Not that many might remember how much of a basket case Chelsea were before Abrahmovich rolled into town. I've always disliked them - so to me it's a real shame they were rescued with dodgy Russian money.

Ken Bates has always, rightly, got stick for his involvement in Chelsea being in the state they were - though I've never been sure why Matthew Harding has always been given such a positive press.