maqroll Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 It's been done elsewhere, though not at a club as big as Villa, but nonetheless...isn't the idea at least worth entertaining? We get some people like Ian Taylor, John Gregory, Tom Hank$ on board, and tell Lerner to name his price. Have a look at this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Just get David Cameron to use the money being saved from the police cuts to help buy out the Villa? In all seriousness, with the amount of former players and celebrities we have who clearly have a big fondness for the club, as well as our large fan base, I don't think it would be impossible. But prepare to be shot down on here by people calling you deluded and telling you that Lerner is simply just misunderstood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMcKenna Posted January 23, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 23, 2013 It's been done elsewhere, though not at a club as big as Villa, but nonetheless...isn't the idea at least worth entertaining? We get some people like Ian Taylor, John Gregory, Tom Hank$ on board, and tell Lerner to name his price. Have a look at this It was considered before Lerner bought the club and various people put forward ideas that had merit - but sadly I think the numbers are way beyond what could now be raised. At one time I really thought it could be done but the money owed by the club to Lerner IMO make it impossible. On paper Villa may have hundreds of thousand of "fans" worldwide but the number that would take afinancial interest would be in the 1000s. Do the maths - if you could find a 100,000 people that would on average invest £1000 each it still wouldnt be enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 But throw in a couple of hundred people willing to invest more.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMcKenna Posted January 23, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 23, 2013 It was considered before Lerner bought the club and various people put forward ideas that had merit - but sadly I think the numbers are way beyond what could now be raised. At one time I really thought it could be done but the money owed by the club to Lerner IMO make it impossible. On paper Villa may have hundreds of thousand of "fans" worldwide but the number that would take afinancial interest would be in the 1000s. Do the maths - if you could find a 100,000 people that would on average invest £1000 each it still wouldnt be enough. To add to this.... I did think it was possible a few months before Lerner bought the club. Back in 2006 i tried to get a meeting with Ellis but he would not give me or others the time of day. I then arranged a meeting with Jack Petchey via his financial director to discuss whether he would consider sell his shareholding to a fans consortium. He was at least prepare to discuss the idea. BUT he only had 19% (? Maybe less) of the shares. However the then thinking - was "one step at a time". A number of wealthish Villa fans were then prepared to kick things off but literally within days various other Consortiums started to come out of the woodwork and Petchey cancelled the meeting and there was nowhere else to go with the idea. As Lerner has said in the past that he is only the custodian and that the club actually belongs to the fans, I would love to test whether he would truly allow the fans to own the club - I doubt it somehow!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Lerners made some massive mistakes and lost 100's of millions in the last few years. He inherited a massive credit card company and a hugely profitable American football team. He sold both, his wife took him for millions and now he is only left with us. I'd love someone to audit his business acumen in great depth because looking from the outside in, he just seems like some rich kid who has no idea how to do anything right. Literally, anything. Everything he touches seems to fail. A supporter buyout is out of the question though. We just have to hope for the best under what we have now. I personally like lambert and Lerner is clearly Trying to rectify the mistakes he's made over the last 5 years. We'll probably end up in the championship though. It's not the end of the world though, perhaps we will come back stronger? I doubt it though, under this buffoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelboyVilla Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Great idea/dream but it won't work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 As Lerner has said in the past that he is only the custodian and that the club actually belongs to the fans, I would love to test whether he would truly allow the fans to own the club So would I, Mike. I can come up with $2000. What if every supporter who went to the game last night did too. I think a decent bid on the club by a supporters group is very possible. Why should it not be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmytheirishvillain Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I'd put $5000 up its a small price to pay for my club that's going down the tubes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted January 23, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 23, 2013 So would I, Mike. I can come up with $2000. What if every supporter who went to the game last night did too. I think a decent bid on the club by a supporters group is very possible. Why should it not be? $2000 = GBP 1250-ish. Times 40k people is 50 million. When you consider that the club was struggling to shift that many season tickets when we were in the midst of the most successful period (by top-flight record) at the club in 30 years, you're left with the conclusion that Villa doesn't have that large of a fanbase any more or at least doesn't have a fanbase that's able to contribute to a buyout. Assuming that money is raised, the club is still going to need a shit-ton of annual cash generation above and beyond the PL TV money to stay up and challenge for honors. At minimum the current ticket prices will almost surely have to be maintained, so it won't even be like contributing to the buyout will get you discounted tickets. And Lerner won't sell for 50m any time soon. I'd suspect that the price in his head is 150m pounds, maybe even 200m. Selling the Browns means he's not going to be in any hurry to sell Villa due to his financial situation. The only scenarios in which anything below 100m has a shot of being accepted involve the club at best being in League 2, likely after an administration or until Lerner's net worth is down to $10m or so (probably at least 5-10 years away). We're a zombie club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Would only need a majority shareholding though right? Not necessarily the 100 percent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Of course he'd want more than 50mill, he paid what, 70mill for the club? He'd not fetch more than 120million for the club now, probably much less than that, making it all the more possible for a supporter consortium to make an offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 23, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 23, 2013 What and you expect Lerner to write off the debt's owed to him? I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 You'll never raise enough. Maybe ten years ago but given the finances involved not now. Just before Ellis left i had the idea of a "buy a player fund" where fans would contribute to a pot of money to be able to buy a player. This had the advantage of us taking some positive action but also embarrassing the chairman at the time if we could get national focus on our efforts. Maybe something like that is worthwhile and achievable now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 great idea but impossible to get it done. Liverpool were trying to do same and they have a bigger fan base than us and couldnt get enough fans in on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didiersix Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) If we can convince Mervyn King that hyperinflation is the way forward, we might have a chance. Edited January 23, 2013 by Didiersix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Not going to happen, too much debt to carry from the Lerner family fund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villadude Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 great idea but impossible to get it done. Liverpool were trying to do same and they have a bigger fan base than us and couldnt get enough fans in on it That's because most of them are unemployed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 23, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 23, 2013 Enoguh to buy out the club? Possibly, although a very remote possibility. Enough to bankroll it to any sort of decent level? Not a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts