The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Villa in Denmark]

Reading that, by the second Saturday in June we basically need to inform the league what we intend to do with each player currently registered to us.

So there will be one big long list of "still under contract", a short list with the likes of Richardson and N'Zogbia titled " out of contract and not getting another one ", and probably a very short list of " out of contract and being offered another one ".

So basically it's a box ticking exercise we could almost get one of the groundstaff to fill out 95% of it in Excel and nothing to be getting wound up about.

The only point at which it becomes anything other than a pro forma exercise is any youngsters at the end of their apprenticeships. But even here a new manager is going to be 90% reliant on recommendations from the academy.

[Dave]

Reading that, by the second Saturday in June we basically need to inform the league what we intend to do with each player currently registered to us.

So there will be one big long list of "still under contract", a short list with the likes of Richardson and N'Zogbia titled " out of contract and not getting another one ", and probably a very short list of " out of contract and being offered another one ".

So basically it's a box ticking exercise we could almost get one of the groundstaff to fill out 95% of it in Excel and nothing to be getting wound up about.

The only point at which it becomes anything other than a pro forma exercise is any youngsters at the end of their apprenticeships. But even here a new manager is going to be 90% reliant on recommendations from the academy.

I guess the only real issue is if an incoming manager wants to offer Richardson or N'Zogbia a new contract.

Which could probably be asked at interview to test whether they are of sound mind or not.

[cheltenhamlion]

"What role would you give Charles next season?"

A) Fuck all. He is a waster.
B) Oh bless him. Winger maybe?

If the answer is B, you can piss off as well.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

SSN claiming everything should be tidied up and cleared over the next few days and following that Di Matteo will be appointed, probably by the weekend. Hollis has sorted out the contract.

[Steve R]

A joint enquiry by the two leagues continues and will not be rushed as all aspects of the proposed takeover are scrutinised, including the likely make-up of the new board of directors.

This is the bit i am interested in.
I think the DR X and money part is fine, he has the funds, it's how the football club will be run is important.
We are one of the jewels in the crown of the FL now, if they let us turn into the new Portsmouth, it wont reflect well on us or them.
With talk of this Chris Samuelson bloke, and looking at his dealings with Reading, the FL don't want to f**k this up and let a wrong 'un through.

 The fear is that Xia doesn't has significant personal wealth or access to wealthy Chinese backers and, as befits his background, his business plan is tried up with a regeneration project around Aston.

The league has (ideally) got to unravel to what extent Xia has got himself in hoc to Samuelson and what the inderlying terms are in putting together the deal.

The absolute worst thing would be for Samuelson to turn out to be behind a deal to fund this for Xia.

That's a pretty plausible explanation for his involvement in the bid in the first place, too. Which in turn makes me wonder how much money Xia actually has if he has to use a shyster like Samuelson.

It is Chinese money. Don't shit the bed on that front.

If it is Chinese money full stop that is fine. But given Samuelson's business  seems to be setting up offshore companies with the express intention of holding funds on behalf of individuals for whatever reason, there is every chance that a football club could be an ideal vehicle for redistributing said funds.

If the purpose of Samuelson's involvement was to take an up front cut as facilitator of the deal that is one thing. I'd be very worried if he had any on-going role in any capacity. He doesn't strike me as a person who would be after a role as paid director - he wouldn't need the salary.

[cheltenhamlion]

I know nothing of his involvement. I do know it is straight up cash from China buying us. People need to relax for a few days.

[paul_e]

A joint enquiry by the two leagues continues and will not be rushed as all aspects of the proposed takeover are scrutinised, including the likely make-up of the new board of directors.

This is the bit i am interested in.
I think the DR X and money part is fine, he has the funds, it's how the football club will be run is important.
We are one of the jewels in the crown of the FL now, if they let us turn into the new Portsmouth, it wont reflect well on us or them.
With talk of this Chris Samuelson bloke, and looking at his dealings with Reading, the FL don't want to f**k this up and let a wrong 'un through.

 The fear is that Xia doesn't has significant personal wealth or access to wealthy Chinese backers and, as befits his background, his business plan is tried up with a regeneration project around Aston.

The league has (ideally) got to unravel to what extent Xia has got himself in hoc to Samuelson and what the inderlying terms are in putting together the deal.

The absolute worst thing would be for Samuelson to turn out to be behind a deal to fund this for Xia.

That's a pretty plausible explanation for his involvement in the bid in the first place, too. Which in turn makes me wonder how much money Xia actually has if he has to use a shyster like Samuelson.

It is Chinese money. Don't shit the bed on that front.

If it is Chinese money full stop that is fine. But given Samuelson's business  seems to be setting up offshore companies with the express intention of holding funds on behalf of individuals for whatever reason, there is every chance that a football club could be an ideal vehicle for redistributing said funds.

If the purpose of Samuelson's involvement was to take an up front cut as facilitator of the deal that is one thing. I'd be very worried if he had any on-going role in any capacity. He doesn't strike me as a person who would be after a role as paid director - he wouldn't need the salary.

I suspect his role was purely to get the discussions going.  As far as I'm aware the only link to him, still, is the shirt in the picture of Hollis and Xia in the changing room and anything else is rumours based on that.

[Hookeysmith]

It wasn't Hollis it was Wyness in the photo with the shirts, who about it has gone also very quiet

[Steve R]

If it is Chinese money full stop that is fine. But given Samuelson's business  seems to be setting up offshore companies with the express intention of holding funds on behalf of individuals for whatever reason, there is every chance that a football club could be an ideal vehicle for redistributing said funds.

If the purpose of Samuelson's involvement was to take an up front cut as facilitator of the deal that is one thing. I'd be very worried if he had any on-going role in any capacity. He doesn't strike me as a person who would be after a role as paid director - he wouldn't need the salary.

I suspect his role was purely to get the discussions going.  As far as I'm aware the only link to him, still, is the shirt in the picture of Hollis and Xia in the changing room and anything else is rumours based on that.

I that is all it was then fine. Whatever else is true, the FBI doesn't waste its time with lightweight Arthur Daley types. If there is any on-going involvement/ influence then more likely than not we will not be a better club for it.

[kippaxvilla2]

Right been moving house and stuff for last few days.  I've seen briefly that the takeover is collapsing and that it isn't.  Anyone want to add anything to bring me up to speed?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If the purpose of Samuelson's involvement was to take an up front cut as facilitator of the deal that is one thing. I'd be very worried if he had any on-going role in any capacity. He doesn't strike me as a person who would be after a role as paid director - he wouldn't need the salary.

From what I've read about his time at Reading, having found them a buyer he then was responsible for finding a new buyer. Part of the contract he put in place with any potential new owner was that he'd be on the board and paid £40k/week for a minimum of two years.

[andyh]

...
The Club ceases to be a premiership club today...

Is it today or next week? There's an article about 10 pages back in which that luminary of investigative journalism, Gregg Evans, states we're technically a PL club until 8th June?

It seems we are now in a kind of limbo.
Go onto the premier league website and they have obliterated all records of us, the league table has been reset and we aren't in there.
Go onto the championship website and it still shows the end of last season's table, we dont exist on that site either.
We must be in some sort of twilight zone.

[paul_e]

It wasn't Hollis it was Wyness in the photo with the shirts, who about it has gone also very quiet

fair enough, I can't remember but you knew the photo I meant so it's all good.

[Louzie0]

...
The Club ceases to be a premiership club today...

Is it today or next week? There's an article about 10 pages back in which that luminary of investigative journalism, Gregg Evans, states we're technically a PL club until 8th June?

It seems we are now in a kind of limbo.
Go onto the premier league website and they have obliterated all records of us, the league table has been reset and we aren't in there.
Go onto the championship website and it still shows the end of last season's table, we dont exist on that site either.
We must be in some sort of twilight zone.

We're still in the BBC Premier League. 

[maidstonevillain]

...
The Club ceases to be a premiership club today...

Is it today or next week? There's an article about 10 pages back in which that luminary of investigative journalism, Gregg Evans, states we're technically a PL club until 8th June?

It seems we are now in a kind of limbo.
Go onto the premier league website and they have obliterated all records of us, the league table has been reset and we aren't in there.
Go onto the championship website and it still shows the end of last season's table, we dont exist on that site either.
We must be in some sort of twilight zone.

We're still in the BBC Premier League. 

Only if you scroll down far enough.