suttonpaul Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Haven't those two names come up before? Harris definitely has. Harris was one some people were dreaming of because of how much the investment group is worth. The key is in the name though investment group they won't spunk money up the wall but the club may be ran well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 That's fine by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isa Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Haven't those two names come up before? Harris definitely has. Harris was one some people were dreaming of because of how much the investment group is worth. The key is in the name though investment group they won't spunk money up the wall but the club may be ran well That'll do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GENTLEMAN Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 THE MODERN OWNER Once upon another sports generation, there were rich men like the Walter O’Malleys (the Dodgers) and Horace Stonehams (the baseball Giants). These were owners whose devotion to their teams was nearly matched by their financial dependency on them. Later came the Steinbrenners and Wilpons, no less impassioned, who had built their wealth in other businesses. These men helped build a sports business culture that now values their franchises at around a billion dollars each. Tellingly, none would have had the means to become owners in today’s market. In the falling away of their breed looms a dystopian sports universe where teams are clinically manipulated from a distance by corporate tycoons who have found the ultimate plaything. Who needs a fantasy league when you can toy with the thing itself? Out of this specter comes Harris, the paradigm of the modern owner — neither as emotionally invested as fans may wish, nor as detached as they may fear. While he may be constrained by an NHL-imposed salary cap, it’s unlikely he’ll ever impose one on himself. On opening night at the Prudential Center this season, he looked at ease in a night-blue sports coat and a red-billed Devils cap. He found a cranny next to a penalty box, nearly camouflaged in a bank of jerseys with the flared demon’s tail. He shook his fist as his new team scored late to force overtime against the Islanders, though they lost a shootout. Afterward, he and Blitzer brought a throng of family and friends onto the ice. About two dozen children found a mecca here, slip-sliding and gawking at the six-sided honeycomb scoreboard above them. Not many fathers can give their children an arena to frolic in. Josh Harris shakes hands with Devils captain Bryce Salvador, left, and Islanders captain John Tavares before the Devils home opener in October. Harris described the shootout loss as "a great night" that "could have been better."John Munson/The Star-Ledger "A great night," said Harris, toeing the ice. He is 48 years old, about 5-foot-8, hardly overbearing in size. (He is proud of his 31-inch waist and 12 percent body fat.) He bears a passing likeness to Robert F. Kennedy. The dogged athlete is plain to see. His power is held compactly in his shoulders and chest, in a strong chin, a super-white set of teeth and piercing green eyes. The shootout result did not sit well with him. "A great night, but could have been better," he added. By most measures, the Devils are one of hockey’s elite franchises. Since 1995, they have been to five Stanley Cup Finals and won three championships. Only the Detroit Red Wings have done better. And thanks to the Devils’ previous owners, Jeff Vanderbeek and Ray Chambers, they play in a sparkling arena near the Ironbound district. Still, another man may have scanned the books and shied away. The Devils owed about $230 million, were struggling to meet payroll and perpetually locked in disputes with the city over parking revenues and plans to revitalize the area more fully. Harris and Blitzer recognized a familiar narrative with the Devils — an organization with assets and room to grow but saddled with debt. The Sixers were in a similar predicament when Harris and Blitzer took over there. With the Devils purchase, Sixer chat rooms and blogs lit up with withering criticism of Harris as something of a carpetbagger, who has boosted attendance in Philadelphia (from 14,000 to 17,000 a game last year) only with marketing gimmicks and discounted tickets. But industry estimates value the Sixers at $418 million, up $131 million in just two years, a 46 percent increase. In Vanderbeek, Harris and Blitzer see a sympathetic figure who was dragged down during the recession, "Jeff’s timing was really difficult," said Blitzer, who has also become rich turning around faltering companies. "The world blew up right after he built that arena." On a smaller scale, the Devils’ finances resembled LyondellBasell Industries, the world’s largest manufacturer of polypropylene, which filed for bankruptcy early in 2009. Apollo banked heavily on it with a $2 billion investment that ended up producing a gargantuan paper profit of more than $10 billion, the greatest gain ever on a private-equity investment, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. "Sometimes it’s better to be the second owner than the first," said Harris. "There are plenty of skyscrapers, if you look around New York, where the first owner didn’t do well but he built a fantastic building." Click 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Smetrov. I understand what you're saying,- I just find the 'Yes I know something' 'actually I don't' a bit perplexing It's not this way. Put it this way, Let's say the buyer himself said to you he's going to buy and he's on advanced stages. Would you say you know or you don't ? For me I'd say I know, But I still need to know the details to know whether Lerner is only considering him or still negotiating with others. I don't know how takeovers usually finishes, nor I know how long it takes....etc That's why I couldn't say something about it because I only hear it from the buyer side, that they're confident of buying. I would say I've heard XXX is the advanced stages of buying Aston Villa - I wouldn't try and qualify it with 'But I don't know the details' You're a native speaker though, cut him some slack and stop getting upset about semantics! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 not a case of being upset - not doubting the poster is passing it on in good faith - and long may it continue - but Imo this one hasn't got legs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tezvilla Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 not a case of being upset - not doubting the poster is passing it on in good faith - and long may it continue - but Imo this one hasn't got legs I agree. There's been far to many people on this forum who somehow have information on our possible new owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I did hear from my friend this week who said there was a foreign investment team looking at us, bt he said it wasn't American. Been trying not to post much on this as I have had a few doubts after being DM'd on twitter about my comments here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaForever1970 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Only randy will know this end so any leaks will come from the buyers end. Either way until it's more concrete nothing to get excited about . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Sounds promising with the two American names. They sound like the kind of owners we need. On a side note anyone else think its terrible that Lerner won't sanction new deals? I think its bad enough the position he's put us in but to then risk losing key players for no money 12 months down the line just adds a bit of an insult to it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Sounds promising with the two American names. They sound like the kind of owners we need. On a side note anyone else think its terrible that Lerner won't sanction new deals? I think its bad enough the position he's put us in but to then risk losing key players for no money 12 months down the line just adds a bit of an insult to it all. Im kinda hoping he will - He's having a stab at trying to sell the club as is - but perhaps August time he may realise it isn't happening, and realise that the club is more saleable with Vlaar on a decent contract....... but as i keep saying this is the man who thought Alex Mcleish was the answer to our problems... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSV Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Awesome. New links in the media. Bring it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkery Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 So they go to buy charlton for 18million and withdraw their offer and then a year later try and buy villa for 150-200 million. Doesn't add up to me. Right now I'd take Ken Bates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 So they go to buy charlton for 18million and withdraw their offer and then a year later try and buy villa for 150-200 million. Doesn't add up to me. Right now I'd take Ken Bates! It sounds like they look for the right investment. They clearly have a lot of money so I don't think we can read much into their approach of Charlton and possible purchase of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkery Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 So they go to buy charlton for 18million and withdraw their offer and then a year later try and buy villa for 150-200 million. Doesn't add up to me. Right now I'd take Ken Bates! It sounds like they look for the right investment. They clearly have a lot of money so I don't think we can read much into their approach of Charlton and possible purchase of us. I'm not questioning their approach just whether the journalists are making it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 So they go to buy charlton for 18million and withdraw their offer and then a year later try and buy villa for 150-200 million. Doesn't add up to me. Right now I'd take Ken Bates! Yeah thats a concern - but there are no reasons as to why he pulled out of charlton - could it be that last december he got wind of Aston Villa being on the market ? - and though 'thats the club for me .....and I intend to spunk my very last penny on it" - probably not ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 So they go to buy charlton for 18million and withdraw their offer and then a year later try and buy villa for 150-200 million. Doesn't add up to me. Right now I'd take Ken Bates! It sounds like they look for the right investment. They clearly have a lot of money so I don't think we can read much into their approach of Charlton and possible purchase of us. I'm not questioning their approach just whether the journalists are making it up It does strike me theres a bit of pattern emerging......just when all and sundry are saying no deal imminent ......then up pops another link......................whose pulling the strings here??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 The only person that said no deal is imminent is some financial expert guy. A few papers/news sources ran with his quotes and said they mean no deal will happen yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Sounds promising with the two American names. They sound like the kind of owners we need. On a side note anyone else think its terrible that Lerner won't sanction new deals? I think its bad enough the position he's put us in but to then risk losing key players for no money 12 months down the line just adds a bit of an insult to it all. Im kinda hoping he will - He's having a stab at trying to sell the club as is - but perhaps August time he may realise it isn't happening, and realise that the club is more saleable with Vlaar on a decent contract....... but as i keep saying this is the man who thought Alex Mcleish was the answer to our problems... I'm clinging to this hope like a drowning man to be honest, that if we reach mid-August and nothing's happening or likely, we might see some contract renewals and a couple of purchases around the £4-5m mark in crucial positions. I daren't hope for any more, because it feels like I'm hoping for the world already, but there it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSV Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 So they go to buy charlton for 18million and withdraw their offer and then a year later try and buy villa for 150-200 million. Doesn't add up to me. Right now I'd take Ken Bates!I know nothing about Charlton. However, I would imagine they would need to spend 200 million just to get them to where we are. In the Premier League.. great ground fan base etc. Why run the risk when can get us on the cheap 150-170M and just requiring 50-100 million to get us competing for Europe again.. potential to bring in sponsors etc. They probably did their homework and thought even though its cheap to buy Charlton they will probably need to pump a lot into the club.. the risk to spend that much to get them competing in the Premier League is one thing but the supporters/sponsors etc may be harder to attract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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