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Author Topic: NSWE Investment  (Read 619258 times)

Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1800 on: October 19, 2020, 07:17:12 PM »
Imagine if Jack and Mallory got married. And moved into Villa Park.

and called their first born Mason.

Given her name is Mallory surely Mount would be more likely.

I'm pretty sure that this is a very clever, King Arthur-based joke but I'm around 1% away from realising why!

Offline Brazilian Villain

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1801 on: October 19, 2020, 07:43:56 PM »
I'm pretty sure that this is a very clever, King Arthur-based joke but I'm around 1% away from realising why!

No, a reference to George Mallory who died on (and may have been the first person to get to the summit of) Mount Everest.

Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1802 on: October 19, 2020, 07:49:48 PM »
I'm pretty sure that this is a very clever, King Arthur-based joke but I'm around 1% away from realising why!

No, a reference to George Mallory who died on (and may have been the first person to get to the summit of) Mount Everest.

Well hang on, I'm still trying to make it relevant to Thomas Malory. As soon as I have something I'll be back.

Offline eamonn

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1803 on: October 19, 2020, 10:20:46 PM »
Malory Towers is the first book I remember my sister reading cica 1990 (by the content -generating collosus Enid Blyton).

Online Ger Regan

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1804 on: November 30, 2020, 02:20:16 PM »
Great article on the owners in the athletic.

Quote
The shirts of Aston Villa’s play-off winning heroes were already stained with champagne by the time owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris made their way into a raucous Wembley dressing room.

Villa had achieved what for so long looked like the unthinkable; success in NSWE’s first season in control, and maybe more surprisingly less than a year after almost going into administration under the chaotic ownership of Tony Xia.

It’s no wonder Sawiris was feeling buoyant as he addressed the players with an uplifting and humorous speech, before offering to cover the cost of a group holiday should they wish to celebrate promotion in the weeks before the 2019-20 Premier League season began.

As many of the players had already arranged trips with their friends or partners, they politely chose not to take up the billionaire on his offer, but were warmed by the gesture regardless, much like they were by the pay rises that followed, the generous promotion bonus and, just for good measure, the commemorative watches that were also designed for each individual.

That day in the capital, where Villa squeezed past Derby County to seal a return to the top flight, was indeed a springboard for the heights they are now scaling. An exciting new era had begun and Sawiris, in a rare interview after the game, painted a picture of bright colours with his choice of words. “The sky is the limit,” he said. Villa’s current league standing suggests he was right.

The position the club had found itself in just 12 months earlier, after ending up on the wrong side of the 2018 make-or-break play-off clash with Fulham, was very different. Villa gambled the house on promotion but lost.

Sources tell The Athletic that Xia had stopped sending money over from China months before the struggles became public, but when an end-of-season tax bill went unpaid after that Wembley defeat, leaving Villa embarrassingly facing a winding-up order, the mess was crystal clear.

Other bills were also stacking up, so much so that the club took out a loan secured against the sale of a £4 million-valued staff car park just to clear some debt. Xia’s problems got so bad that at one stage he even asked wealthy supporters, including ex-chairman Doug Ellis, for £2 million to be used as working capital. With administration inevitable, Villa needed a saviour.

A number of parties had registered an interest in taking over but the joint venture by Sawiris and Edens was by far the most concrete and secure. In the boardroom of a London hotel, the deal was, according to one well-placed source, “thrashed out in record time”.

The proof of funds part was a breeze. While the pair were initially only taking on a 55 per cent share for £30 million, their “deep, deep pockets” were highlighted in the handing over of their accounts.

Despite a difficult year of ups and downs during the coronavirus pandemic, Sawiris, with his fortune built on the success of family-run Orascom Construction Industries, is still currently worth more than $6 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Edens, a New York hedge fund investor, founder of Fortress Investment Group and the co-owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, isn’t far behind at $4.3 billion.

They are, as one prominent figure put it, “proper billionaires with grand plans for this great club”.

Now, with full ownership, having bought out Xia’s remaining share back in August 2019, the aim is to establish Villa as a club that is striving for the top half rather than nervously looking over their shoulders at the bottom three.

It’s not their style to give it the big sell in public, which is why interviews have been brief and far between. “Actions speak louder than words,” says an associate, while another figure at the club also tells friends that he regularly “thanks his lucky stars” for NSWE. After all, the team is in the best shape for over a decade and the club’s financial status is as healthy as it’s ever been.  The owners are in for over £300 million and every penny that has been invested is debt-free. It’s a happy place to be at right now and that stems from the top.

It’s said that Sawiris and Edens’ relationship blossomed during social gatherings for the rich. The pair would discuss ideas for sporting projects and as longstanding football fans, they both harboured ambitions of taking over a club steeped in rich history.

Aston Villa, former European Cup winners and a founding member of the Football League, instantly appealed. That the club could only realistically improve on their Championship standing was another deciding factor, and both, like in their day jobs, believed they could take on a distressed asset and help lift the value.

Edens had previously held talks with David Beckham over potential investment into Inter Miami but English football was always the priority.

Putting Aston Villa back on the map and awakening the sleeping giant was the plan from the off, and Edens, in particular, was hooked.

“Wes immediately loved Villa Park, the William McGregor statue by the reception and the history of the club,” an insider says. “He would get pumped up for visits before COVID and loved the noise that the Holte End would generate. He’s not afraid to celebrate, either.”

An early sign of their wealth, albeit only a tiny investment in comparison to other multi-million-pound deals they have completed, was felt when they first visited the stadium with their respective families.

In the club shop, Sawiris, Egypt’s richest man, who also has a six per cent stake in Adidas, spent over £25,000 on merchandise; a care-free approach centred around purchasing one of everything. His family members often wear the training kit, while Edens also relaxes in Villa colours.

“Wes is a cool character. He’s your ‘flip-flops in the office after the gym’ type of guy,” a source says.

The 59-year-old, a keen horse-rider, grew up on a ranch in Montana and is also into mountaineering. He’s become more cosmopolitan in recent years: last month he purchased a futuristic Manhattan condo that was originally priced at $50 million but sold for just $20.2 million. Sources say he’s developing real estate in both California and Florida, and there’s his on-going plans to re-popularise train travel in the USA.

“At this point in my life I am more of a builder,” Edens told Forbes when discussing the grand rail-travel plans that are already underway.

Statements like that will appease Villa supporters who had become disillusioned until the takeover. The sense of drift under Randy Lerner soon turned into a sharp decline and, as previously stated, by the end of Xia’s reign it was a full-blown crisis.

Now, though, there’s a real purpose and sense of adventure.

Ask any player past and present about the direction under NSWE and they will offer up only positive thoughts.

“They have Aston Villa’s best interests at heart and that’s all you can ask for as a fan, a player or someone else involved in the football club,” Mile Jedinak tells The Athletic. “There is a very clear vision for the future which is very exciting.”

Ex-captain, Tommy Elphick, echoes the views, adding: “I was at the club when they first came in so I heard about the vision. They want to take the football club forward, that’s for sure.”


Edens and Sawiris (centre) celebrated in style at Wembley last summer (Photo: Getty)
Aside from the dressing room speech that raised the roof after the play-off win, the owners haven’t had too many other intimate interactions with the team.

Sawiris spends most of his time living in London. The 59-year-old watched on as Villa beat Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage in September and then Arsenal by the same scoreline soon after. Edens, who is based in the US, hasn’t been over since the start of the pandemic, but without fail they both always ask for a video link to watch the game, and then listen in to the in-house commentary that is provided through Villa’s official media channels.

Both men have immersed themselves into the project and remain fully engaged.

At games, injured players and those on the sidelines have occasionally held discussions with the owners. Naturally, the players sharpen up alongside the money men by reducing the amount of time they spend on their smartphone and removing earphones. It is said to not be uncommon for those conversations to explore the finer details of the game.

“The co-owners are friendly and engaging with the players. They like to find out more about them,” a source says. “No doubt Jack (Grealish) is their favourite. They love him. Some of the older lads from previous seasons used to wind Jack up about it.”

It was the decision not to cash in on the captain, when Tottenham Hotspur came calling early into NSWE’s tenure, that sent out a clear message. The new men in charge would not be bullied into selling their star players.

Just weeks after Grealish and fellow prized asset James Chester had been told that they would be moved on to raise funds under the beleaguered former regime, a dramatic U-turn was performed as soon as the club changed hands.

It’s no secret that, for a period, Grealish was the object of scorn; an ambitious attacker left disappointed at missing out on a move to a Big Six club in the Champions League. But after signing a new contract to become the highest-paid player at the club, he re-aligned his focus and embarked on the promotion mission.

Sawiris set about developing a personal relationship with Grealish early on. He sent text messages detailing his importance to the team and explained the ambitious plans that would take Villa forward. Those plans were reiterated this summer when it was again Sawiris who convinced Grealish to sign another new contract via a lengthy FaceTime call.

“The way Nassef spoke about the hopes he’s got for this club was crucial,” Grealish said after deciding to stay. “I believe in the project that they want to go forward with.”

Another big success story early on was hiring the right chief executive.

Connected through a mutual friend, Sawiris targeted Christian Purslow as the next piece of the jigsaw. He wanted an experienced operator to take control of the day-to-day running of the club.

Initially, Purslow was reluctant. After spells as the managing director of Liverpool and head of global commercial activities at Chelsea, a drop down into the Championship with Villa just didn’t appeal. He was also considering taking a year out with his wife to travel the world. New York would be the first destination followed by Paris and then short spells in some of their other favourite cities.

A trip to Greece may not have been on the agenda but when Sawiris called him to discuss all things claret and blue from his sun-soaked holiday home, an agreement was quickly struck. Purslow was said to be so enthused by the owners’ vision for the future that the opportunity was too great to turn down. His mind was made up before he even boarded the plane home.

There was, however, one small condition; that he became a minority investor, rather than just the CEO. His stake in the club remains and, two-and-a-half years on, he’s glad he was persuaded as Villa are already on their way to establishing themselves back in the Premier League. Purslow is also credited with helping make a lot of it happen.

It hasn’t always been sunshine and roses, though. Villa have had to make some ruthless decisions along the way to get back into the groove.

In the pre-Purslow days and when the owners were settling in, Sawiris leaned on super-agent Jorge Mendes, who he had known prior to the takeover. Jesus Garcia Pitarch, also known as Suso, came in as sporting director on the recommendation of Mendes, The Athletic understands, while the Portuguese also put forward two of his clients – Anwar El Ghazi and Andre Moreira (remember him?) – as potential signings.

Confusingly, Moreira turned up at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training facility alongside the owners in July 2018, on a day they were visiting to take in Villa’s pre-season game with West Ham United at Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium. Steve Bruce, the manager at the time, however, knew nothing about the goalkeeper’s arrival. The on-loan Atletico Madrid man would ultimately play just two Carabao Cup games and, having looked completely out of his depth, was moved on in the next window.

It is suggested that Mendes’ involvement, as well as that of other helpful agents, was important in helping Villa through a period of transition between recruitment models. Before then, Bruce had been acting as manager, sporting director and talent-spotter all in one, until Purslow finally came in to ease the burden.

While El Ghazi remains at the club, albeit a bit-part player these days, Villa have not signed another player managed by Mendes since. Recruitment is also becoming more diversified and moving away from an agent-led approach.

Purslow felt it was time to relieve Bruce of his duties after the 3-3 draw with Preston North End in October 2018, and decided to bring in Dean Smith.

Suso would also leave at the end of the 2019-20 season and be replaced by Johan Lange, the 41-year-old Dane.

Alongside performance director Jeremy Oliver, who was recommended specifically by Edens, Villa are now in a position where all the senior positions of importance have been decided by the current owners.

It isn’t just the men’s first team that draws the owners’ attention, either. Villa have ripped up everything that wasn’t working in the academy and put a new structure in place under the leadership of development chief, Mark Harrison, the man hired from West Bromwich Albion. The women’s team are also moving forward after winning promotion to the WSL last year. Both Edens and Sawiris check in regularly on their progress and are prepared to invest more funds into the team in January.

“The club are fantastic,” women’s coach Gemma Davies tells The Athletic. “They give us anything and everything that we need to be successful and it’s done in a really grounded way. There’s a genuine feel that everybody is valued and that comes from the very top.”

The on-field success; promotion, survival, and now a top-half position in the two-and-a-bit seasons under NSWE’s watch has quickly endeared them into the supporters’ hearts.

Fans are eternally grateful for the transformation and the pledge to continue investing and building for the future.

There are the little things, too; like giving Villa Park the lick of paint it long needed, or upgrading the hospitality areas in the stadium. The new high-performance centre at Bodymoor Heath is described as a “phenomenal piece of work” and while their hand was forced by the HS2 high-speed rail line cutting through the old academy pitches, necessitating a re-build, credit still goes to those in charge for transforming it since.

There’s also a willingness to give something back. Sawiris is deeply religious and connected to his Christian faith. He was keen to help out the homeless when he discovered, alongside Purslow, the extent of the problem in Birmingham city centre. The Villa Foundation now provides a deep-layered support package to help tackle the issue and remain active in the community.

Although the co-owners are not always visible, they are said to be remarkably good at empowering people.

Villa are around £35 million down in revenue due to the pandemic, yet they continue to pay matchday staff despite not requiring their services. Other staff who are unable to come into work because of the protocols in place have continued to be paid in full. The club has not used the government’s furlough scheme.

What might have happened had Villa not won promotion, or succumbed to relegation last season, is not worth thinking about now.

Villa managed to comply with the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules by selling Villa Park for £56.7 million to NSWE Stadium Ltd, a company controlled by the two billionaires back in May 2019, but despite the crafty move, the following set of accounts still showed a £69 million loss and that would not have been sustainable in the Championship.

For all their good work so far, maybe the real test of the owners’ resolve would have come in adversity. That said, neither billionaire set up in the Midlands to fail. Fortune often favours the brave and the owners have attacked this challenge with purpose.

Edens has experienced more lows than his business partner, Sawiris, over the years, but has since come back stronger.

During the financial crisis of 2008, Fortress was hammered by declines in the value of its largest private-equity investments, including subprime losses of several hundred million dollars, according to the Wall Street Journal. Clever investments since have led to Edens being labelled as the “king of subprime lending” by the same media outlet.

The way the owners have quickly rebuilt a failing club in the West Midlands is the most impressive.

But while Villa have invested heavily and smashed their transfer record on two separate occasions — Wesley Moraes (£22 million) and Ollie Watkins (£28 million) — the spending has not been careless.

Around £11 million was pumped in to help the club to promotion in 2018-19, then a further £120 million was spent on signing 12 players ahead of the Premier League return. It’s important to note that Villa needed quantity as well as quality due to a threadbare squad in the summer of 2019, so remaining competitive in the top flight by signing players at an average of £10 million per man was always going to be tough.

Also, only a handful of those players were initially on contracts exceeding £45,000 a week, and only now, following a season of stability, have Villa really started to splash the cash by paying big transfer fees and handing out lucrative deals.

Grealish is the club’s highest-paid player ever and both Watkins and Emi Martinez earn more than any player did last season. England international Tyrone Mings also received a significant bump up this summer.

Villa made a statement by blowing every other club out of the water to sign Watkins, and they paid more than initially expected to get both Martinez and Matt Cash — but already both are proving to be good value for money. It was also evident, when other clubs were scrapping around for signings on deadline day, that Villa had seriously got their act together with a careful and considered plan that meant they had all their business completed way before the late trolley dash.

The owners are seriously well-organised and efficient. When they needed to move on players like Birkir Bjarnason, Jota and Orjan Nyland, they were prepared to pay up large percentage of their contracts in order to free up space for new recruits.

Villa’s global reach has increased since NSWE took over, too, and that’s largely down to a strategic and deliberate plan. The club have dipped into new markets by signing overseas talent. The Egyptian winger Trezeguet has a larger social media following than the club, for example, and was a signing his fellow countryman Sawiris was particularly excited about. It was Trezeguet who won the stoppage-time penalty that Mo Salah converted to send Egypt to their first World Cup finals in 28 years. They don’t forget things like that in the Middle East.

Wesley became the first Brazilian to sign for Villa, and his team-mate Douglas Luiz now plays for the national team. Marvelous Nakamba (Zimbabwe) and Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) have a loyal following in Africa, while Mbwana Samatta, admittedly a signing that didn’t work out, increased the club’s Instagram following by 150,000 on the day he signed back in January.

There is also now crossover between Edens’ sporting interests in the UK and the USA. Some staff within the Milwaukee Bucks organisation now follow Villa with interest. Edens even helped arrange a Villa Park visit for one staff member.

Villa have started to attract better commercial deals and link up with higher-profile partners in recent times. Supporters often ask why the club hasn’t connected with Adidas yet, given that Sawiris is the sports brand’s largest single shareholder. The simple answer is because it isn’t as lucrative or personalised, at this stage, as other kit deals. Sawiris also tends to keep his businesses separate, and for now, Kappa is serving the club well until 2022.

Two men from two very different backgrounds, Edens and Sawiris have stacks of other business interests that keep them occupied around the clock. Both are also now in the Special Purpose Acquisition (or SPAC) game – a go-to method for wealthy Americans to raise money for takeovers this year.

So is Villa just a part of their portfolio?

“No doubt they see it as a symbol of status, owning a Premier League  club,” was one suggestion put to The Athletic. “But look what they do in their day jobs. They turn around failing businesses, and that’s what they’re doing at Villa. They want to be seen as the men who made a difference.”

Edens’ crucial experience of co-owning the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013 has certainly helped shape some of Villa’s decision-making.

It was in elite sports where he met Oliver, who started out in Australian rules football but honed his skills elsewhere. Edens was particularly impressed with his attention to detail in behavioural factors and made him the performance director at Villa. Oliver now oversees the whole backroom staff operation, both male and female, and has input in training plans, schedules, logistics and marketing. He helped mastermind the design of the club’s new performance centre and was even included in the team picture that was shared on the club’s official social media channels last week.

Like Villa — a basket case of a club when the last changing of hands was completed — the Bucks of 2013 were also an underperforming outfit.

Without a play-off series win since 2001, fans were frustrated and wanted more than a middling team. Recruitment had been poor and the Bucks couldn’t take advantage of high-end draft picks unless they decided to bottom out. That, however, was never in the plan.

Time and patience was needed to get the franchise moving. Edens, alongside fellow investor, Marc Lasry, secured a contract to build a new stadium, Fiserv Forum, which officially opened in August 2018, a month after the takeover across the pond at Villa had been completed.

By then, Giannis Antetokounmpo, much like Grealish at Villa, was very much a superstar. His transformation into the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in both 2019 and 2020 coincided with the Bucks compiling the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record each year. Achieving such success without his individual brilliance would have been almost impossible, but that’s not to diminish the contributions around the sides, and one key decision Edens insisted on making.

In the summer of 2017, the Bucks decided to recruit a new general manager and Edens, approaching the end of his five-year period as the head of the board of governers (it rotates in a co-ownership set-up) insisted on having the final say.

Lasry and fellow investor Jamie Dinan wanted to promote assistant Justin Zanik, the current GM at the Utah Jazz, into the senior position but Edens had other ideas. With the power to decide, he somewhat surprisingly moved for Jon Horst; a young, but long-serving “details guy” in an almost unheard-of role way down the organisational structure.

This appointment would take on greater significance in years to come as it would inspire Edens to move for Lange at Villa. More on that later.

Naturally, though, the decision in Milwaukee was met with scepticism. Horst was expected to struggle and his underachievement would fall exclusively on Edens’ shoulders. What followed, however, was a sensational upturn.

Horst, despite his perceived lack of experience and know-how, got stuck into the job and made bold and aggressive trades. There were countless success stories; Brook Lopez, a centre who shot more three-pointers than any other of his kind in NBA history, and clever trades for Eric Bledsoe and George Hill.

Horst showed how he could pull a team together with limited resources, and crucially, it was also his decision to hire coach Mike Budenholzer, the man who was able to get the best out of Giannis as the Bucks topped the table for the past two seasons. In 2019 Horst was named the NBA’s executive of the year, clearly showing that Edens had unearthed a gem.

Critics who questioned his decision making at the time admit that, even if Horst can be a bit sloppy, he has been overwhelmingly successful in the lead role, but the same question still crops up; Could the Bucks have done it without Giannis?

A formidable talent with international flair and appeal, Giannis, an immigrant of Nigerian descent born and raised in Greece, has put the Bucks on the map, globally.

Edens has witnessed first-hand how an outstanding individual can make a huge difference to one team both competitively and commercially, which is why he was so passionate about pushing the boat out to keep Grealish at Villa.

It was Grealish, remember, who persuaded Tammy Abraham to complete his loan spell from Chelsea at Villa and shun a move to Wolves in January 2019 in the middle of Villa’s assault on promotion. Without Abraham’s goals in the second half of the season, there’s no way the club would be in the position it is now. It was also Grealish who convinced Ross Barkley to join in the most recent transfer deadline. See how this works?

For all the money spent since the takeover, striking a deal to keep the captain at the club was by far the most important. It’s understood, however, that it was Sawiris leading the charm offensive on this summer’s FaceTime conversation that persuaded the England international to stay.

Edens has had a big say in getting others on board, though, including Lange.

If the process of hiring a GM at the Bucks was, in some external quarters, perceived to be flawed, filling the sporting director role at Villa was quite the opposite.

Ultimately, Edens got it right, and even if the process was questioned, Horst’s clever thinking and use of statistical data highlighted the need for a similar approach at Villa.

In a Q&A last year, Edens suggested that football as a sport has “got a long way to go in terms of analytics data,” compared to the standards seen in the NBA.

“It’s something we have to make a big investment into,” Edens added. “If you have great information, most of the decisions are pretty darn simple.”

The plan at Villa was always to leave Purslow in charge of negotiating transfer deals and putting the big moves together. Any incoming sporting director would be a support act; someone to crunch the numbers, pull all the departments together and collate information for the owners to view.

But instead of Edens choosing the man like he did with Horst, the club went through a rigorous checking and challenging period to ensure they got the right guy.

First, a shortlist of three was drawn up with Purslow overseeing the early interviews. Lange quickly became the outstanding candidate on the back of his ability to recommend low-cost players to his former club, FC Copenhagen, and subsequently sell them on for profit. His background in data was also a big pull.

The aim at Villa is not to flip players and move them on to bigger clubs, but more, like Horst and the Bucks, to identify talent that will enhance the team in years to come.

Lange also impressed during the interviewing stage and with the presentation he made to the owners. It became clear that he would happily remain in the shadows and get on with the task at hand.

According to those close by, Lange has already settled in well. He has started to put in a more structured process around recruitment. There’s now a strategy developing, where previously the operation had been more agent-led. Also, when Lange talks about targets, he uses data to underpin his findings which appeals to the owners.

As the club decided against recruiting another attacker in the last window, there’s likely to be money available to fill the gap by investing again in January. Smith will still pick the players but Lange is expected to contribute with other options to consider.

The owners like to stay in tune with squad developments and have asked Smith to present a detailed analysis of the first-team picture, and the players coming through the under-23 team, in transfer windows gone by. While they’re prepared to invest, they want to be sure that all the due diligence has been done in advance so that their money is going to good use.

Developing players is also very much at the forefront of their mind. It has been from the start and remains, fitting in with the early statement they released upon completion of the takeover.

“Our goal is to bring sustainable success to the club, building on its rich history while respecting its loyal fan base and unique culture,” it read. For all the bluster and broken promises of previous years, maybe the next part of the statement was the most important.

“We understand that we are stewards of Aston Villa on behalf of the fans and we take that responsibility seriously,” it read.

With the deep investment, the commitment to the community, the focus on the future, the daily drive, and the proof that they’re in it for the long haul, it feels like NSWE are going about it in the right way.

What’s most exciting, though, is that this is just the start.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2020, 03:25:25 PM by Ger Regan »

Offline eamonn

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1805 on: November 30, 2020, 03:40:03 PM »
The Athletic actually rocks ! I just don't have the time to read half the articles but it's decent value if you're footy-addled.

Online Ger Regan

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1806 on: November 30, 2020, 03:45:55 PM »
Yeah, it's really good for a good number of sports.

Offline cdbearsfan

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1807 on: November 30, 2020, 04:12:42 PM »
Excellent article thanks for sharing.

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1808 on: November 30, 2020, 04:21:51 PM »
Thanks for that, Ger.

Online luke95

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1809 on: November 30, 2020, 04:47:12 PM »
That article needs posting elsewhere,  like the ...... Smallheath forum .

Online GordonCowansisthegreatest

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1810 on: November 30, 2020, 05:47:41 PM »
That article needs posting elsewhere,  like the ...... Smallheath forum .
You think that they'd be able to manage an article of that length ;)

Offline Brazilian Villain

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1811 on: November 30, 2020, 06:15:43 PM »
Great article on the owners in the Athletic.

A friend sent it to me earlier so thanks for posting it. As owners go they're alright I suppose.

Let's face it the piece couldn't be more positive if they'd engaged a PR firm to write it. :)

Offline Villan For Life

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1812 on: November 30, 2020, 06:16:45 PM »
That’s a fantastic read.

Offline West Derby Villan

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1813 on: November 30, 2020, 06:43:51 PM »
Great article, thanks for posting Ger, much appreciated

Offline in exile

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Re: NSWE Investment
« Reply #1814 on: December 01, 2020, 10:59:28 AM »
£25k in the club shop...what did he buy, 3 shirts?

 


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