Takeover parts 1 & 2

[stewiek2]

Now let me ask you Lee, do you believe that a Solihull businessman and high court judge have the contacts and backing as man on the Forbes list of billionaires who has people and experience in sports franchises, and a major agent in the world of sport who knows inside out the sport, the global appeal and markets?

Neville- Anyone who changes his stance on transfers every time he opens his mouth is someone who, basically, doesn't have a plan OR doesn't have a cohesive plan or the backing to firmly put his plan into actio. A no go IMO.

Padfield- I'm sorry but anyone who wants to bring in Laudrup and Jenson, who have no experience in management apart from a the Danish league as a dream team above Martin O'Neill, who is one of the most highly reagrded managers in the game, is, quite rankly, f**king clueless.

I believe that Neville needs Padfield more than the other way round - however, Neville has made friends with the "right" people and may have his uses for his "local" knowledge.

As for Padfield, he is a front, and I would say that his occupation means nothing. Neville is now marginalised as far as a straight bid goes. He may however, still have a role to play.

As for clueless - you can by expertise - ask Abramovich

Good this debating isn't?

Lee I do see your point but I think that this Villa situation really is a one off. Chelsea already had a good CEO, Finance Director and was by and large a professional structure AND a willing seller. There really wasn't much that needed changing from a management strucural perspective. Villa is a different animal altogether. Whoever takes over it needs a management overall of major proportions. I'd rather trust people who have experience within sports to deal with this than guys who are, frankly with their financial backers or not, going into this slightly blind.

And it's true what others have stated, if they are majorly backed then why the need to join up? It just smacks of desperation, whether intentional or not, who the hell will take them seriously if thats the case. I wouldn't. IT says PR exercise to me, and I work in advertising/marketing/PR so I know all about selling the product. And this Padfield/Neville thing does NOT sit right.

[henry28]

i think if moderators on this board know more about whats going they should try and put peoples mind at rest and give an indication off what is happening

people on this board are in contact with peolple ref the bid because it has been previously staed on this board

i am grown man with 3 children this situation is starting to consume my life, please for love off god let it be over.

I think everything that is known has been shared. No one is privvy to the exact dealings except those involved directly in the takeover.

And I am in the same boat as you, waking up at 5 am in a cold sweat hoping it's sorted.

Worse than University final exams IMO.

ok fair enough just desperately searching for any crumb off info, i have actually forgotten all my childrens names and another week off this i think i will be bankrupt.

[blandy]

...I dont know anything except that this interview tonight doesnt change anything really. Its a guy desperately playing for time IMO...

Just on this, I listened to him on the radio and thought that he sounded like someone who had been contacted by Rothschilds, or as a result of Rothschilds talking to one of his backers (who then asked him to front up) and who is not really bothered one way or t'other. He didn't sound at all concerned, or hurried. I guess he knows that "he" is behind in the "race" and it's like "if it happens to develop, then we'll see where it takes us, if not I've got court in the morning"

His answers were considered and unrevealing in word.

Yet I felt that, as others have said, he sort of stuck the knife in to Neville.

But mainly he seemed to know not so much, and 'fessed up to not having hardly started or considered much at all.

Non starter, I reckon.

caveat: QC's are very, very, clever. They can have you believing exactly what they want, without aparently leading you at all.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Padfield came across as someone who I wouldn't feel entirely confortable running the club.

Now, it's only first impressions, but he didn't sound like a man who wanted to be doing it. It doesn't have to be a Villa fan, but there were one or two comments that made this bid sound all a bit too rushed.

Getting together with Neville is all well and good, but too many cooks spoil the broth and all that.

I'm not sure Padfield intends to run the club. The way I see it he's the go between for a consortium. Once it's all done and dusted, he's on his merry way with a big fat cheque and his reputation intact.

IMO of course.

[irishmangiant]

Just heard the reported joint bid news. Pretty smart, but does it not prove that Neville knows he carries a lot less clout?

I'm still with Lerner on this. I think that his experience of running a major franchise doesn't compare with any one else in the running.

[lee_av]

Increasingly worried - Padfield is starting to sound like a chancer like Neville. Why would he need to join forces with Neville (or vice versa) if either of them already had the money in place? And why does he (like Neville) suddenly need to start sucking up to Ellis and the fans? Just get the job done, stop the self-publicising.

And does anyone really know that Lerner is back on board? - we seem to be placing a lot of our hopes on the semi-literate Ellis-controlled puppet from the Evening Mail on that one.

The whole thing seems to be taking an embarrassingly long time to come to any concrete conclusion - can anyone remember anything remotely similar dragging on for so long? Clearly we have to take into account the Ellis factor - is he simply incapable of doing anything at something less than a slug's pace these days (cf. the excruciating Berson transfer saga etc etc etc etc etc)?; or is the self-centred little sh#t making ludicrous and delusional demands re finance and his future role which is putting people off?; or is it that ultimately he has no intention o f selling and is indulging in his 3 favourite pastimes (apart from counting his shillings)?, namely laughing at us proles, garnering lots of column inches for himself however unfavourable, and using particularly heightened smokescreen tactics to ensure that he stays in power but doesn't have to spend anything before the transfer window shuts? - if it was anyone else I wouldn't believe that this last one was possible but I genuinely believe that there are no depths to which this power-crazed ogre won't sink, he's the Idi Amin of football. And with every day that we are left to speculate and pray whilst nothing much happens my hopes are sinking. Please let me be wrong

Who knows if they will join forces?

Who's sucking up to Ellis?

Beware of the comments as explained in the Forum rules reagrding individuals, includin said Journo

And as for the Ellis comments - Rothchilds won't allow him

[lee_av]

They have probably (and hopefully) missed the boat.

Why hopefully?

Because I hope that this is all going to be resolved very soon and I believe that if one of the first two dont complete the other two will take much, much longer.

I fear for us on the pitch if this is not resolved quickly.

For the record I have no inside knowledge of any bid.

FWIW, I think that the squad that we have can still compete, If, and its a big IF, O Neil is in place, in the short term. this could last until xmas, and if all conluded, we could invest in the interim at the Xmas window.

[runetune]

What I do find interesting in all of this is that Ellis and almost certainly other Villa board members have spoken to other parties - We know Lerner and Still - and possibly a 3rd with the 3 Americans (if they aren't related to Lerner and we don't know for certain what their link is).

Neville has also been in contact, but again mainly it appears with Rothschilds - Neville mentions them in a few interviews.

Yet AV06 as yet haven't had contact from AVFC, only contact with Rothschilds.

Which makes me believe that AV06 are well behind the game and if the other parties who have already had serious discussions with AV are really interested and have the finances in place then AV06 could very well be too far behind to make ground up.

It would also tie in with the ideas from posters here that Rothschilds are recommending the other already established bids and concentrating on those for now.

Especially since Padfield couldn't even confirm finance was in place!

[lee_av]

They may be beind the other bids in time frames. If this drags into next week, they could possibly catch up.

if it drags on that long, you may be right. Big, big IF IMO

As far as I'm concerned, if they are as serious as the others, then all the merrier, I'm not waving any flags here

IF???

Surely it is not going to be done tomorrow or Friday.....is it?

Nope

Fact or guess?

educated guess

[markavfc40]

Which makes me believe that AV06 are well behind the game and if the other parties who have already had serious discussions with AV are really interested and have the finances in place then AV06 could very well be too far behind to make ground up.

It would also tie in with the ideas from posters here that Rothschilds are recommending the other already established bids and concentrating on those for now.

Especially since Padfield couldn't even confirm finance was in place!

Are the club duty bound to give AVO6 time to catch up if they are indeed behind the other potential bidders. Or can Rothchilds just say thats it you've missed the boat?

[PoshVilla]

They may be beind the other bids in time frames. If this drags into next week, they could possibly catch up.

if it drags on that long, you may be right. Big, big IF IMO

As far as I'm concerned, if they are as serious as the others, then all the merrier, I'm not waving any flags here

IF???

Surely it is not going to be done tomorrow or Friday.....is it?

Nope

Fact or guess?

educated guess

Evenn more confusing!

[PB]

FWIW, I think that the squad that we have can still compete, If, and its a big IF, O Neil is in place, in the short term. this could last until xmas, and if all conluded, we could invest in the interim at the Xmas window.

O'Neill is very much the key to this

The problem here is that apparently he wont join now until this is over, thanks to one thing and another

This is one of the reasons why everyone wants a speedy conclusion, as the need for a "real" manager is extremely urgent, and the impending closure of the transfer window is also a very real concern to all interested parties, further adding to the forces pressuring for an early close.

Added to this, the whole club pretty much ups ship and heads overseas for a week or so shortly. When? Friday?

[BigJim]

Increasingly worried - Padfield is starting to sound like a chancer like Neville. Why would he need to join forces with Neville (or vice versa) if either of them already had the money in place? And why does he (like Neville) suddenly need to start sucking up to Ellis and the fans? Just get the job done, stop the self-publicising.

And does anyone really know that Lerner is back on board? - we seem to be placing a lot of our hopes on the semi-literate Ellis-controlled puppet from the Evening Mail on that one.

The whole thing seems to be taking an embarrassingly long time to come to any concrete conclusion - can anyone remember anything remotely similar dragging on for so long? Clearly we have to take into account the Ellis factor - is he simply incapable of doing anything at something less than a slug's pace these days (cf. the excruciating Berson transfer saga etc etc etc etc etc)?; or is the self-centred little sh#t making ludicrous and delusional demands re finance and his future role which is putting people off?; or is it that ultimately he has no intention o f selling and is indulging in his 3 favourite pastimes (apart from counting his shillings)?, namely laughing at us proles, garnering lots of column inches for himself however unfavourable, and using particularly heightened smokescreen tactics to ensure that he stays in power but doesn't have to spend anything before the transfer window shuts? - if it was anyone else I wouldn't believe that this last one was possible but I genuinely believe that there are no depths to which this power-crazed ogre won't sink, he's the Idi Amin of football. And with every day that we are left to speculate and pray whilst nothing much happens my hopes are sinking. Please let me be wrong

Who knows if they will join forces?

Who's sucking up to Ellis?

Beware of the comments as explained in the Forum rules reagrding individuals, includin said Journo

And as for the Ellis comments - Rothchilds won't allow him

I share most of Slab's fears.

As for Rothschilds "not allowing" Ellis to do this or that, I wouldn't bet on them being able to stop him. Oh, they would no doubt gripe an awful lot afterwards - "Shocking don't you know, really bad form that Ellis chap" - but what can they do to him really?

Take him to court? But the poor old man is too frail, we couldn't possibly, and besides, he's got the perfect defence: insanity

[runetune]

I also meant to add that according to the takeover panel website, the need for secrecy before an announcement can't be emphasised enough.

Anyone who is privy to the confidential information (especially price info) or even a contemplated offer must keep it secret and only pass it on to others if absolutely necessary.

It even states when copying or writing documents it must be handles in such a way no information can escape beyond those who need to know.

So we can speculate all we want, but ultimately the lack of information from AV or Rothschilds could be viewed as a good sign - they are at the stage where they can't legally give anything out.

[lee_av]

...I have concerns over this Lerner bid to be honest - what would a Yank want with a marginal English Football Club (in nowadays terms). I know we have potential, but it's not like we are a Manure/Glazer situation is it.

I wrote a long answer, then deleted it, and was gonna say refer Martin Samuel's article in the Times a couple of weeks ago,

then i thought, of an analogous situation

Rich people from the UK buy run down Vineyards, or Villas in France, or Tuscany. They do so not because they want a semi derelict property somewhere abroad, but because they see themselves sat on a veranda in the sun, looking out over the sun setting behind the Olive trees, as crickets chirp. Perhaps drinking a glass of locally produced wine. They also have an eye that the value of the property could treble as "the area catches on".

They've maybe read or heard of an early mover from their town who has taken the plunge.

It's about a dream and an interest and the allure of a return on the investment. It's about being one step ahead of the crowd.

But all that's just a dream and "maybe one day", then some documents from Rothschilds land on your doormat "For Sale, ancient property, scope for improvement, price reduced due to poor state of property, this type of offer doesn't come round often..."

Then you look into it, find there's a cantankerous old scrote occupying the property, along with a few faithful retainers. You see that they can't manage to look after it properly, even though they like the prestige of being the owner of the Big House....."

With experience in your own country of reviving a similar property, with money in the bank, who wouldn't be interested?

Here ends the middle class analogy. Another Gin & Tonic, Cyril?

Blandy, I respect your opnion, but there is only one club that has managed to buck the trend for investors in British Football, and that's Manure.

We may be a play thing for all the groups involved, as long as they leave us in a better position that they took us over.

[runetune]

Are the club duty bound to give AVO6 time to catch up if they are indeed behind the other potential bidders. Or can Rothchilds just say thats it you've missed the boat?

From what I have read - and I have to say this is only my take on it - It appears that if a bid is accepted and someone is still trying to get one put together, they do indeed miss the boat.

[dundeevilla]

Padfield QC as chairman could be entertaining in interviews:

Geoff Shreeves, SSN: "What's the latest on the potential Ribery signing chairman?"

PQC: "I put it to you sir that you are nothing but a moustachioed fool and a charlatan, parading as a serious journalist while all the time licking the anuses of Ferguson, Mourinho and any senior England international in an effort to sickeningly ingratiate yourself with the said persons through inane questioning and a fawning 'we are all chums together' demeanour."

Shreeves: "Guilty m'lud".

[lee_av]

They may be beind the other bids in time frames. If this drags into next week, they could possibly catch up.

if it drags on that long, you may be right. Big, big IF IMO

As far as I'm concerned, if they are as serious as the others, then all the merrier, I'm not waving any flags here

I believe that they are serious - very serious.

So serious they are talking about joining together with another consortium?

So serious they have not even spoken with the board?

You may think they are serious but I think the people that matter don't.

As I have said, they may be behind with their approach - does that mean that they are not serious?

[JohnCresswell]

I also meant to add that according to the takeover panel website, the need for secrecy before an announcement can't be emphasised enough.

Anyone who is privy to the confidential information (especially price info) or even a contemplated offer must keep it secret and only pass it on to others if absolutely necessary.

Which is a very good point. I think the majority of fans on here, if not Villa fans full stop, would prefer to see Lerner 'win' this battle. We are told that negotiations have started again, and it's all looking good. Seeing as how swift Lerner and the Americans 'pulled out' last week, the quieter it gets, perhaps the better looking it is.

[lee_av]

They have probably (and hopefully) missed the boat.

Why hopefully?

Because I hope that this is all going to be resolved very soon and I believe that if one of the first two dont complete the other two will take much, much longer.

I fear for us on the pitch if this is not resolved quickly.

For the record I have no inside knowledge of any bid.

And I haven't impressed by both Neville's and Padfield's comments to date.

... to date