The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[kippaxvilla2]

Great to see the deal get over the line. 

Plus points;
1. He isn't the latter day Randy.
2. There appears to be money to spend - £30m can buy you a decent crack at the Championship.
3. I am seeing some unification in the club finally.
4. Maybe now we can concentrate on getting the team right and getting some of the clowns out.
5. The PL and League obviously think he has the minerals.
6. Reilly might leave now.

(Slight) concerns.

1. That he loses interest in 'the project' if we aren't promoted within two years - I have read he only has operating costs to see us through that period and coincidentally it is more or less when the parachute money drains.

2. The Board members have form but nonetheless are strong characters and therefore the propensity for disagreement is there.

On the whole, it is a 'let's embrace it, as we were definitely facing the abyss under Randy.'

[kippaxvilla2]

According to Companies House someone called Jamie Banfill was appointed a Director yesterday.

[Chico Hamilton III]

According to Companies House someone called Jamie Banfill was appointed a Director yesterday.

"business partner" of Samuelson

[AVH87]

''The new Villa vice-chairman is Chris Samuelson, an international financier who has been involved in a failed proposed takeover at fellow Championship club Reading and also an attempted financial injection into Premier League Everton more than a decade ago.''

''Samuelson was instrumental in getting Dr Xia interested in the Villa project.''


These are the bits that worry me when we don't know details of Xia's wealth.

[nick harper]

I hope I'm made to eat my words. But the appointment of both Samuelson and Wyness worry me. Having read about what Samuelson got up to at Reading and how Wyness and co treated Everton fans with contempt regarding the potential stadium move.

I have a great sense of unease.

I'm with you. A leopard doesn't change its spots. I was hopeful that this fit and proper persons test would have weeded out Samuelson in particular because there is no question he is at best of dubious character and at worst, corrupt. I don't want him near our club irrespective of how optimistic we might feel about Xia.

I had clung to the hope that he was simply facilitating the overall deal but vice chairman suggests significant ongoing influence. It does not feel good.

[not3bad]

These are the bits that worry me when we don't know details of Xia's wealth.

For me that's a source of curiosity as much as it is worry. I still haven't dismissed the possibility that there's government backing in there somewhere. Xia seems to be pandering to the desire for China to be a bigger influence in world football.

[nigel]

''The new Villa vice-chairman is Chris Samuelson, an international financier who has been involved in a failed proposed takeover at fellow Championship club Reading and also an attempted financial injection into Premier League Everton more than a decade ago.''

''Samuelson was instrumental in getting Dr Xia interested in the Villa project.''


These are the bits that worry me when we don't know details of Xia's wealth.

Have to say this confuses me, too.
He seems to have gone from a 'multi billionaire' to 'enough to run the club for two years' over the course of the take over.

I know Doug said he was very, very rich which, I suppose, is reassuring.

[robbo1874]

I think a lot of us and I would include myself in this group, are maybe so used to having the club run by Doug for a long time and subsequently Lerner, that we're naturally wary of very different types of people coming into run the club.

It might go tits up blues-style, but then again it might not. I think a lot of people are pretty happy with RDM and Clarke on the player management side.

Xia obviously seems comfortable dealing with Samuelson,
Wyness and Banfil. Just because they've failed at other clubs, is no guarantee they'll fail here.
The people that end up winning big in business often have failures behind them. I'm prepared to give the benefit of doubt to them. Be nice to get someone like Little or another football person onto the board though. Taylor would be my ideal choice. Let's just wait and see,
We've no other option really.

I do hope it's not left to Samuelson to file the accounts though haha!

[VicMackey]

I won't pass judgement yet on the new owner or his associates irrespective of their past.  They will be defined and judged by their actions from now on.  I suggest we all get on our knees and pray to McGrath that they all give it the full Ron Saunders 110%.

[ktvillan]

Also interesting to note that without the pantomime Villain we would still be in Randy's man child hands. Whether we will be wishing we still were remains to be seen.

Come on Villa, let's get our act together for the first time in nearly a decade.

Weren't there other serious bidders?  The fact that Lerner was actively involved in selecting this lot is a concern because he's a clown who couldn't spot a dodgy character if he was wearing a stripey jumper and a mask and carrying a bag marked "swag".   Samuelson's past indicates he only ever does anything to make a quick buck and isn't too fussy about the legalities or niceties of doing so.  Glad Lerner is gone but let's hope it's not just frying pan to fire.

[kippaxvilla2]

The way to look at this is, there was no way on God's green earth that Randy was going to prop this club up for another summer transfer window.  So with the current crop of players and no manager at the time, respected board members jumping ship, we were literally staring into the abyss.  I honestly think we would have spent years in the wilderness.  We still might of course but at least the club will be refreshed and I don't think this guy will allow for slipshod standards from all aspects of the club, starting at the training ground.  For that much at least I think it should be welcome news.

[AVH87]

''The new Villa vice-chairman is Chris Samuelson, an international financier who has been involved in a failed proposed takeover at fellow Championship club Reading and also an attempted financial injection into Premier League Everton more than a decade ago.''

''Samuelson was instrumental in getting Dr Xia interested in the Villa project.''


These are the bits that worry me when we don't know details of Xia's wealth.

Have to say this confuses me, too.
He seems to have gone from a 'multi billionaire' to 'enough to run the club for two years' over the course of the take over.

I know Doug said he was very, very rich which, I suppose, is reassuring.

Doug, god bless him, is 92. He also said that we'd been sold a year or two back, which proved to be incorrect.

[nick harper]

I think a lot of us and I would include myself in this group, are maybe so used to having the club run by Doug for a long time and subsequently Lerner, that we're naturally wary of very different types of people coming into run the club.

It might go tits up blues-style, but then again it might not. I think a lot of people are pretty happy with RDM and Clarke on the player management side.

Xia obviously seems comfortable dealing with Samuelson,
Wyness and Banfil. Just because they've failed at other clubs, is no guarantee they'll fail here.
The people that end up winning big in business often have failures behind them. I'm prepared to give the benefit of doubt to them. Be nice to get someone like Little or another football person onto the board though. Taylor would be my ideal choice. Let's just wait and see,
We've no other option really.

I do hope it's not left to Samuelson to file the accounts though haha!

When you say they've failed at other clubs, I think that essentially means they have previously acted in their own interests and not those of the  clubs. We are left to hope they don't repeat that.

[stubbsyandy]

I'll never get used to not living next door to Hollis

Has to be said...nice one!

[mr underhill]

I'm nervous about the good Doctor's business partners but it's done now and approved so we can only hope it works out - the alternative was probably administration. I'm hoping Dr X gets us back up within two years, preferably one and then sells to someone who is as rich as Croesus.