The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[dave.woodhall]

Plus.

If I ever met Mike Ashley he would be the richest and best businessman I have ever met. Started with nothing, became a billionaire from his own efforts. As a Premier League club owner he's a disaster zone. Our new owner might take us one way, he might take us the other. There is absolutely no evidence for either scenario so far.

[chrisf]

There's no reason to be accusing the guy of being a 'wrong un' etc but it would be very nice to have a clearer idea of who he was and what he's done.
All we have is the MSG company and vague stuff about infrastructure companies with wildy varying valuations and nothing backing it up.

The fact that Hollis is happy with the deal is some comfort but it still leaves me not having a clue whether our new owner has borrowed cash to buy us or is planning on borrowing more in future. Those are important details.

What are you on about with 'nothing backing it up'? In an hour last night I found all 5 of the companies they say are listed on the stock exchange and 4 of them were linked in this thread (here's the one I haven't linked - http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=000662.SZ - I only held off on it because I was trying to work out how the merger/acquisition of softto fitted in).  That's the smart cities company and has a market cap of 16.2bn Yen, I think it's safe to say that's where most of the money from the urbanisation work has gone.  Unfortunately they don't seem to have posted accounts for a couple of years (I don't know why) so it's tough to get a full position on them but they're certainly a big company.

Good point. I'd forgotten you'd posted those. There's a good £5-10 Bn of company assets in just those listed companies. Not clear whether they're making much money but then neither is Amazon and I wouldn't have complained if Jeff Bezos bought us. I'm convinced and will now shut up.

You can also add xwho to the ever growing list - http://www.xwhodesign.com/en/ - I can't find any stock market  details on them though so getting details on their finances might be a lot more complicated.

In comparison to those other six companies, Villa is by far the smallest and could be viewed as a bargain with very strong prospects for growth I've cheered up no end.

[old man villa fan]

Hello everyone. Couldn't face this site for quite a while

Quick thoughts on this:
- glad randy's gone and welcome the ambition, though some of the ambitions don't seem credible unless he is going down the man city route. And that concerns me.
- does seem like he has a plan - championship suited manager, promoting youth and the like
- hope he doesn't want to interfere in playing matters
- do think you could regenerate Aston as it's quite close to the centre - but I did the walk from new st last season and I was shocked at the lack of investment since I last did it about 15 years ago. Would require massive investment and genuine job creation

Somebody has got to kick start business in this city because the City Council certainly aren't.  There are vast inner city areas that are derelict/under utilised, Aston/Witton being one of them.  Birmingham seems to be stuck in the 'who is going to be first to invest' because the investment is relatively small time.  Look at the 'Big City Plan' proposal and then sit back and ask yourself who is going to do it because at the rate this city is developing, I will be long gone.  They said the Reichmann brothers were mad when they took on Canary Wharf and it brought then to their knees financially (partly due to the recession) but they stuck it out and their vision and drive paid off in the end.

I am not saying this guy is going to do anything on the scale of Canary Wharf but he clearly sees an opportunity and we could benefit off the back of it.

[PeterWithe]

We had a chairman. We complained that he was a small businessman and we needed a rich owner. We got a new owner. We complained that he'd inherited his money and we needed a self-made rich owner. We've got a self-made rich owner. We're complaining that he looks a bit dodgy/shifty.

This would be a quiet place if all shrugged and said, 'you know what, let's wait and see and reconvene in August'.

[paul_e]

We had a chairman. We complained that he was a small businessman and we needed a rich owner. We got a new owner. We complained that he'd inherited his money and we needed a self-made rich owner. We've got a self-made rich owner. We're complaining that he looks a bit dodgy/shifty.

This would be a quiet place if all shrugged and said, 'you know what, let's wait and see and reconvene in August'.

I don't think anyone is asking for that, it's just that comments like shyster when he's been known about for less than a day are a bit much.

[LeeS]

There are a whole variety of reactions and opinions on here. And over the last 24 hours I think I've shared most of them for at least a few moments. From outright glee to utter scepticism and everything in between. This range of feelings is only natural.

What I can't understand is some posters telling others how to feel about it. Why is that happening on H&V?

[PeterWithe]

I've not read much today but yesterday was a healthy, and completely understandable scepticism given the lack of checkable info.

I'm willing to give him the benefit, I think most are, it's really just putting the brakes on those expecting a massive budget.

[john e]

We had a chairman. We complained that he was a small businessman and we needed a rich owner. We got a new owner. We complained that he'd inherited his money and we needed a self-made rich owner. We've got a self-made rich owner. We're complaining that he looks a bit dodgy/shifty.

This would be a quiet place if all shrugged and said, 'you know what, let's wait and see and reconvene in August'.

I don't think anyone is asking for that, it's just that comments like shyster when he's been known about for less than a day are a bit much.

We had a chairman. We complained that he was a small businessman and we needed a rich owner. We got a new owner. We complained that he'd inherited his money and we needed a self-made rich owner. We've got a self-made rich owner. We're complaining that he looks a bit dodgy/shifty.

This would be a quiet place if all shrugged and said, 'you know what, let's wait and see and reconvene in August'.

I don't think anyone is asking for that, it's just that comments like shyster when he's been known about for less than a day are a bit much.

I don't think the site in general has made those sort of comments about him

Shyster, Fraud and wrong un were all said by me, no one else
don't try and make my comments speak for the site, you've mentioned it numerous times on different threads but your problem is with me not the forum, in general I think he has been welcomed warmly for someone we never heard of until yesterday

So you can keep banging on about the comments to your hearts content but it's only me that's made them no one else as far as I can see

[LeeB]

We had a chairman. We complained that he was a small businessman and we needed a rich owner. We got a new owner. We complained that he'd inherited his money and we needed a self-made rich owner. We've got a self-made rich owner. We're complaining that he looks a bit dodgy/shifty.

You couldn't make it up could you?  No wonder the heathens laugh at us sometimes.

They can fuck off, and it's important to remember the 'we' is thousands of entirely different people, with entirely different views, morals and opinions.

[Walmley_Villa]

Well Hollis refers to the Chinese Govt being involved....if true maybe our dreams might come true. http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-tony-xia-ambitious-11357191

[Ads]

The Noses have a thread dripping with disingenuous mirth. They're hoping and preying he's a short back and sides man.

[PaulWinch again]

Plus.

If I ever met Mike Ashley he would be the richest and best businessman I have ever met. Started with nothing, became a billionaire from his own efforts. As a Premier League club owner he's a disaster zone. Our new owner might take us one way, he might take us the other. There is absolutely no evidence for either scenario so far.

Precisely.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Hollis added: “Don’t underestimate it, this is the largest overseas investment from mainland China in football over here. That is huge.”

YESSSSS... Make it rain baby

[kippaxvilla2]

I think this guy has got the wherewithal and the minerals.  However and quite rightly he will want 'more bang for his buck'.  In other words he will invest all right but he will ensure not a penny is wasted and that hopefully comes with the decent management structure we have craved for years.  If Cook in particular is involved I'd be pleased with that because until his unfortunate end at citeh was a decent football administrator.

[Ian.]

Get on, sounds very promising. It's going to be a very interesting few weeks.