Villa Takeover Talks

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Aston Villa have confirmed they have received a "preliminary approach" to buy the club.
A Russian consortium has been linked with Villa, amid claims that they would provide boss David O'Leary with £75m to strengthen his squad.

An Aston Villa plc statement to the Stock Exchange said that such claims were "inaccurate and unfounded".

But the statement confirmed: "The board has received a preliminary approach, which could lead to an offer."

Long-standing Villa chairman Doug Ellis has shown little inclination to sell his shareholding in the club.

During the summer, Villa rejected a takeover bid from former Newcastle defender Ray Ransom.

The rejection ended Ranson's interest, but Villa's share price has climbed following the interest from Ranson and the latest speculation.

On Monday it soared by 98.5p from its overnight price to 470p.

Whats your take on this Swoops and anyone else actually?

Im always a bit weary when takeover talks are out in the open as you can never be too sure how it is going to work.

I mean, look what happened to Dundee when that Italian i think he was took over.

[Swooperman]

I was reading about this on the Villa message board late last night. I think its in the region of £60 million whereas Ranson went in with £45 million. I'll go & have a butchers & come back

[Swooperman]

I was reading about this on the Villa message board late last night. I think its in the region of £60 million whereas Ranson went in with £45 million. I'll go & have a butchers & come back

[Swooperman]

Hey, that post was so good I thought I'd do it twice sorry, its the speed of the board, or rather lack of it. This is an interesting post I found on the Villa board:

Does the name Kia Joorabchian mean anything? He's meant to be the man leading the Russian consortium. Apparently he already owns Corinthians in Brazil and has injected millions into the team buying star names. They bought Carlos Tevez from Argentina club Boca Juniors for a South American record fee. He also tried to buy West Ham some time ago promising to wipe out their 30 million debt and inject another 100 million into the club. There is a lot of information on this man available on the internet if you dig deep, and it does seem to potray a very shady character.

But at the moment all of this is just wild speculation, an approach has been made but there is no concrete information as to whom it may be.

[all_funkt_up]

Hmmmmm, anyone who isnt a 'true supporter' but wants to sink their hard earned (nicked) cash into a club always attracts my suspicion. If this guy buys the club and sinks in £50 mil for transfers, they will still be a mile off Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool and still be losing boat loads of cash.

2 problems for me about this deal, (1) Football clubs dont make money. (2) People in the midlands dont give a stuff about football. They never have and never will.

So if you are a guy with a wedge of cash, why buy a midlands football club? Why by a club at all really......?

[Swooperman]

Funkt, you looking for an argument ?? you dont actually expect me to let 2) go do you ??

[all_funkt_up]

Premiership attendance based on %age ground filled

10 Aston Villa (12) 3 97959 33686 32653 42584 76.6%

But is was always the same with the midlands. They just dont love their football....

1 London LON 8,278,251
2 Birmingham WML 2,284,093
3 Manchester MAN 2,244,931
4 Leeds WYS 1,499,465
5 Newcastle upon Tyne TYN 879,996
6 Liverpool MER 816,216

Liverpool is 1/3 the size of Birmingham yet their clubs get higher attendances.

My point was that if you are mad enough to invest in a footy club, dont sink it into the midlands...

[all_funkt_up]

Maybe they do love their football, but just support clubs from other reasons, there has to be an explanation for it...

[Swooperman]

Aye, your talking crap

Think we better leave this one alone tbh

Anyway, in a very short sighted view, the Villa fans would love this to happen to get rid of Ellis......& I hate him with a passion....but theres something called 'better the devil you know'

[all_funkt_up]

swoop - love him or loathe him - ellis is a steady eddie isnt he. he will never be an abramovich or a ridsdale. Middle of the road security.....

Feel sorry for him really because he has dug deep on occasion and has seen little return for it. Balaban, Baros and Angel are 3 big money deals that spring to mind....oh and Collywobbles is another.

He really has been bummed in the transfer market hasnt he....

[crowie]

Originally Posted by Swooperman

Does the name Kia Joorabchian mean anything? He's meant to be the man leading the Russian consortium. Apparently he already owns Corinthians in Brazil and has injected millions into the team buying star names. They bought Carlos Tevez from Argentina club Boca Juniors for a South American record fee.

Interesting that he is the front for this takeover bid. Read something in World Soccer a few months ago about him, after the Corinthians deal. Rumours then, not proven, were that he was the front man for Abramovich and they were simply "parking" Tevez there so no other European club could sign him and Chelsea could pick him up when they wanted him. Lots of talk of Abramovichs yacht being at Buenos Aires when the deal was being concluded.

Would certainly open up a few cans of worms if he ended up at Villa. Having a tenous interest in your CL opponents is one thing, having one in your EPL rivals is another. Still Villa might get Carlton Cole on loan again

Similar type of article on him HERE

[all_funkt_up]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspap...743223,00.html

looks like he has something for claret and blue doesnt it.............

[Swooperman]

Funkt - all of the signings you mention, bar Baros, were primarily Ellis signings, he pushed them through, generally with the managers approval obviously, but they were his & his alone. Collymore was the exception, Brian Little did not really want him (theres a slight chance it might have been Gregory tbh, my mind might be playing tricks) but the manager did not push that one through.
Its a difficult one, i'm not naive enough not to realise what it looks like from outside, & that is that hes run a steady club, & other clubs (Leeds spring to mind) would much rather have had him than their muppets at the top. But you will struggle to find good words about him round here, buts its a typical thing that you have to be a fan to understand why we dislike him so much.......hate is a strong word but now you come to mention it

I'm no one eye Funky I assure you, but if you want me to go through the reasons why we hate him I will, but I wouldnt advise it

[Swooperman]

Back on the takeover, apparently Jack Petchey went absolutely berserk that Ellis didnt take the Ranson bid seriously as it would have made him a tidy sum, so you never know....Ellis has been told to stand down by his family & doctors, he just ignores them to piss me off

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

I agree with AFU - bizarre somebody would like to invest in a club with such lack of support for other clubs.

Then again - how many clubs would be a good buy for the guy apart from your Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Probably Newcastle would be their best bet with their great support they have but Freddy has dug in his pocket a fair bit so wouldnt see much change.

Personally if i was minted i would go for a small club, similar to Gretna in Scotland, and pump cash into them and get them right to the top.

I did it in Champ Man taking Peterhead from the 3rd division into the Champions League - great feeling that was