Football's Magic Money Tree

[Chester Perry]

It will come as no surprise to learn that 777 Partners are talking to a new Private Equity group who specialise in distressed debt about raising finance for their Everton bid or that the finance is linked to the Stadium which has a measurable asset value

from Bloomberg

Everton Financing Considered by Cirque du Soleil Co-Chair’s Firm
GDA Luma Capital said to be in talks to lend to 777 Partners
Funding would go toward stadium, meeting capital requirements
https://web.archive.org/web/20240502184 ... air-s-firm

[elwaclaret]

It will come as no surprise to learn that 777 Partners are talking to a new Private Equity group who specialise in distressed debt about raising finance for their Everton bid or that the finance is linked to the Stadium which has a measurable asset value

from Bloomberg

Everton Financing Considered by Cirque du Soleil Co-Chair’s Firm
GDA Luma Capital said to be in talks to lend to 777 Partners
Funding would go toward stadium, meeting capital requirements
https://web.archive.org/web/20240502184 ... air-s-firm

They seem to be pretty flexible people to work with

Sorry

[bfcjg]

I think if Wonga were still trading, they'd end up begging them for a loan.
When (if) do you think it will all collapse?

[Chester Perry]

I think if Wonga were still trading, they'd end up begging them for a loan.
When (if) do you think it will all collapse?

I think a lot depends on the results of the next two rounds of games

[Chester Perry]

there has been a lot of media hand wringing about the future of the game lately and this from Martyn Zeigler kind of summarises the situation across multiple areas of change, all have been subject to scrutiny in this thread

from The Times

The fight for Premier League’s future – and how it will be decided
Legal challenges, the end of the ‘big six’, 115 charges facing its champions, new financial rules and a looming regulator place English football’s top flight at a crossroads
https://archive.ph/zQpAZ

[Chester Perry]

Problems for Blackpool? Owner facing insider trading charges in Hong Kong

from The Times

Blackpool FC owner faces insider trading charges in Hong Kong
Simon Sadler, founder of the Segantii Capital Management hedge fund, is released on bail after the financial regulator launches criminal proceedings
https://archive.ph/cblkD

[Chester Perry]

the first question is obvious - Now why would you want to do that?

It has been though for some time now that Aston Villa have been close to the limits regarding PSR rules - not that is should make a difference given that they are supposedly bound by the much tighter UEFA rules having returned to continental competition

from The Times

Aston Villa risk riling deducted clubs by wanting limit raised by £30m
Club’s suggestion would be hugely controversial given the points deductions imposed on Everton and Nottingham Forest this season for breaching the current threshold of £105million over three years
https://archive.ph/c7DyE

[bfcjg]

Blimey, Blackpool don't half have some dodgy owners, thinking of Fleetwood must be something about the Fylde coast air.

[Chester Perry]

Matt Slater provides some useful detail around the proposed Squad Cost Control Rules for the Premier League by way of a Q&A - there is some really good snippets of detail in there

from The Athletic

Premier League salary cap mailbag: Why? Who wins and loses? How would it work?
https://archive.ph/OPMrO

[Chester Perry]

Blimey, Blackpool don't half have some dodgy owners, thinking of Fleetwood must be something about the Fylde coast air.

He has not been convicted yet - and Hong Kong is a very different environment these days, Chinese ruke appears to be getting ever closer to that on the mainland, and we have seen what happens there when successful businesses step out of line with the political mood of the moment.

[Chester Perry]

In the above piece NBC freely admitted that they would love a couple of in season games to be played in the US - to them (and many others) it is a logical step in the growth of the Premier League. Of course the Premier league know that it is quite a complex issue, with Richard Masters stating quite clearly last week that it would be a difficult one for domestic fans to accept, so this comes as no surprise to anyone.

from The Independent

FSA promises ‘two-footed’ response to any plan for Premier League games overseas
American broadcaster NBC has expressed a wish to stage games in the United States on the opening weekend of the season.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 37424.html
https://archive.ph/LMSAq

Any reasonable discussion should consider the views and needs of all interested parties, and as we well know the reason there is such commercial interest in the Premier League overseas is because there are passionate fan interests there too, though often (not always, look at Wrexham) that only really applies to the biggest and most successful teams.

this article only really begins to tap into the debate, it needs to go deeper and wider, but the final point perhaps illustrates an inevitable route of travel, because to the vast majority it is this more than anything that counts. It could be said that the battle is lost before it is fought, because the majority of modern supporters hearts and minds have already been won by this notion.

from The Athletic

Does taking a Premier League game to the U.S. make sense?
https://archive.ph/U16Cu

[Chester Perry]

this is a fascinating and somewhat disturbing insight into the 777 Partners mindset - how an opportunity to get ahead on Boeings order book (which is easy now given their safety tribulations) saw 777 run with an investment opportunity in Australia, which experienced industry investors thought was highly questionable even with much smaller 72 seater aircraft, was picked up and ran with on 180 seater aircraft - it defied logic and now sees the business in administration, though seems to fit right in with a lot of what new investors in football believe they can achieve in/from the beautiful game

from The Australian Financial Review

How 777 Partners bad marriage doomed Bonza from the start
https://www.afr.com/companies/transport ... 502-p5fogm
https://archive.ph/clHyE

[Chester Perry]

Some interesting changes to EFL TV coverage next season under it's new deal with Sky, it sounds like games are going to be much easier easier to view from a single provider if you cannot get to the actual match

from The Athletic

Sky Sports’ new EFL TV deal to bring an end to streaming service iFollow
https://archive.ph/9lmgc

Detail on that EFL deal - with 5 Championship matches every weekend to be broadcast live, you have to believe that a relegated Burnley would not be playing many Saturday 3pm Kick offs

from The Athletic

Sky Sports’ £935m deal will replace iFollow in UK next season – but will everyone benefit?
https://archive.ph/O3c6S

[Chester Perry]

As has been shown a number of times in this thread - the multi-club approach is particularly popular with owners of English clubs most significantly in the Premier League - the common idea is for the Premier League club to sit at the pinnacle and benefit from it's siblings either financially or from a player development model and ideally both. There is seemingly little concern in the boardrooms of these organisations about the the independence and history of those clubs that are acquired to pursue 'higher' goals. So far despite ever growing protests, there has been little that fans have been able to do to stop the acquisition of their club (NEC Breda apart).

Here the Athletic looks at growing outrage within supporter groups in France as the impacts of clubs being bought by Premier League Clubs (more strictly their owners) is assessed

The French clubs being bought – and distorted – by Premier League teams
https://archive.ph/SymLW

Miguel Delaney with some interesting observations about the EFL and the Championship in particular - in essence the distortions in Ligue 1 mixed with limited opportunities are encouraging foreign coaches and players to seek a route to success in the English 2nd tier - as promotion gets you a rounte into the worlds most successful league

from The Independent

More thrills than Premier League and a match for Ligue 1: Why the Championship is an underrated gem
English football’s second tier has put on a show all season as it reaches its final day with plenty still to play for, and is increasingly attractive to coaches and players across Europe
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 39146.html
https://archive.ph/aAesE

[Chester Perry]

this in depth article gives some background to 777 Partners founder Josh Wander and how the business grew - there are a few leaps that leave you thinking that is either contradictory or that there are quite a few steps in the companies development missing - but it still provides a useful foundation for those new to the story

from The Australian Broadcast Corporation

The mysterious man behind 777 Partners, the strange private equity firm that owns Bonza
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-04/ ... /103802624
https://archive.ph/foSqp

[Chester Perry]

You do wonder just how much longer this farce of a takeover can be allowed to drag on - the latest lawsuit against 777 Partners is more serious that previous ones because it is claiming deliberate fraud

from Bloomberg.com

Lenders to 777 Partners Allege Fraud, Double-Pledging in Suit
Fight is over $350 million collateral from Josh Wander’s firm
777’s move to buy Everton FC cast spotlight on its finances
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ng-in-suit
https://archive.ph/oNY7v

[Chester Perry]

You do wonder just how much longer this farce of a takeover can be allowed to drag on - the latest lawsuit against 777 Partners is more serious that previous ones because it is claiming deliberate fraud

from Bloomberg.com

Lenders to 777 Partners Allege Fraud, Double-Pledging in Suit
Fight is over $350 million collateral from Josh Wander’s firm
777’s move to buy Everton FC cast spotlight on its finances
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ng-in-suit
https://archive.ph/oNY7v

Elsewhere A-Cap mentioned in the above article and one of the primary financiers/customers of 777 Partners are fighting desperately for their own perceived status following the fallout of the 777 Partners situation

from The Financial Times

Insurers sue rating agency over exposure to Everton bidder 777
A-Cap firms move to stop AM Best from downgrading its assessment of their financial strength
https://archive.ph/lIPVU

[Chester Perry]

From their activities in searching for funds it is not beyond reason that 777 Partners are themselves looking for a partner to join their bid for Everton - So what are they like to partner with. If the A-Cap experience isn't enough to put you off, and let's be honest it really should, then the ex[erience of their co-owners in the football operations should. we have head a lot about the clubs where 777 Partners have the controlling share, but at Everton that may no longer be possible. So what about clubs where they are minority shareholders?

Recent events at Sevilla have seen them cause ructions

from Sports Witness

Everton buyers 777 Partners in ‘another mess’ at Sevilla – Suspicions of behind-the-scenes deals
https://sportwitness.co.uk/everton-buye ... nes-deals/
https://archive.ph/07a7S

[Chester Perry]

I have long argued that the biggest distorting factor in the financial picture of English Football is not the Premier league but the Champions League and UEFA's payments to the participants. Next season sees not only a revised format, but also an increased distribution pot (and methodology) which will make this distortion even more pronounced (the fact only four English clubs will be involved will exaggerate it further and for Manchester City in particular).

The Athletic looks at the way money is to be distributed

Why Champions League qualification could be worth €161m in revamped tournament
https://archive.ph/Q4bs5

[Nonayforever]

You do wonder just how much longer this farce of a takeover can be allowed to drag on - the latest lawsuit against 777 Partners is more serious that previous ones because it is claiming deliberate fraud

from Bloomberg.com

Lenders to 777 Partners Allege Fraud, Double-Pledging in Suit
Fight is over $350 million collateral from Josh Wander’s firm
777’s move to buy Everton FC cast spotlight on its finances
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ng-in-suit
https://archive.ph/oNY7v

The farce continues because the so called regulators are just manipulated puppets of the paymasters.

[Chester Perry]

You do wonder just how much longer this farce of a takeover can be allowed to drag on - the latest lawsuit against 777 Partners is more serious that previous ones because it is claiming deliberate fraud

from Bloomberg.com

Lenders to 777 Partners Allege Fraud, Double-Pledging in Suit
Fight is over $350 million collateral from Josh Wander’s firm
777’s move to buy Everton FC cast spotlight on its finances
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ng-in-suit
https://archive.ph/oNY7v

This is why I said this was much more serious and also that A-Cap have been trying to manage reputational damage through association with 777 Partners and its owners Josh Wander and Steven Pasko.

Here we get a lot of detail about this latest lawsuit that has been heavily trailed in the media as a Ponzi scheme run by 777 Partners, a suit that claims A-Cap and it's owner were in on the scam and why this should (not will), finally, bring an end to their bid for Everton.

from The Athletic

Everton takeover – 777’s latest legal scrape must surely mark the end
https://archive.ph/fji0K

from The New York Times - to whom A-Cap have confirmed that they are the senior debt owner across all 777 Partners assets

Lawsuit Accuses Everton Bidder 777 Partners of $600 Million Fraud
In a suit filed in federal court in New York, a firm that provided hundreds of millions of dollars to 777 accused the company of double-pledging its collateral to other investors.
https://archive.ph/rvi0d

[Chester Perry]

The Esk with his view on the latest events surrounding 777 Partners and their proposed takeover of Everton - He is certainly correct that the implications and fall-out from this case are much wider than the takeover - the ripples (and turmoil) of it will extend very wide, I cannot help wondering how a new Independent Football Regulator would have handled the proposed takeover in it's own owners and directors test given that the Financial Conduct Authority approved 777 Partners last December.

The latest re Everton, 777 Partners and Moshiri. What needs to be done immediately following Leadenhall accusations
https://theesk.org/2024/05/05/the-lates ... cusations/
https://archive.ph/3E80k

[Taffy on the wing]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cprgxj4zlneo

Doesn't sound good!

[bfcjg]

Administration is definitely a real possibility now, to late for this season though.

[elwaclaret]

Looks like a classic case of empty offices filled with obsolete crap registered as trading companies; they take some taking out, as each has to be gone after, individually: when it does go it is the proverbial house of cards leading to the heart… that is also often massively over valued in the paperwork. I once got caught up a similar web; that took years for the revenue to sort out and cost me a business and even my home, before they did- and being under suspicion of being involved, was horrific and caused my breakdown long before my name was cleared… but there was not penny in recompense, there simply was no pot of gold to claim from.

[bfcjg]

Looks like a classic case of empty offices filled with obsolete crap registered as trading companies; they take some taking out, as each has to be gone after, individually: when it does go it is the proverbial house of cards leading to the heart… that is also often massively over valued in the paperwork. I once got caught up a similar web; that took years for the revenue to sort out and cost me a business and even my home, before they did- and being under suspicion of being involved, was horrific and caused my breakdown long before my name was cleared… but there was not penny in recompense, there simply was no pot of gold to claim from.

Must have been dreadful for you.

[elwaclaret]

Must have been dreadful for you.

And some, good job I have such a good relationship with my parents. I came very close to calling time. Took ten years for me to recover enough to get back into education and build again. I pity anyone innocently caught in such deceptions.

Fraud the victimless crime my arse.

[Chester Perry]

Following Fridays filings in New York - this kind of thing is inevitable and could well see replicated attempts across the 777 Partners universe

from Josimar Football

The Repo men?
The two main creditors of 777 Partners in Belgium are asking for the seizure of all assets held by the US investment fund in the country after it failed to respect payment deadlines.
https://josimarfootball.com/2024/05/06/the-repo-men/
https://archive.ph/aCYNx

[Chester Perry]

So this is an interesting one - essentially FIFA rules are getting in the way of sanctions against Russia

Fifa transfer rules may breach EU regulations, says adviser
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 2p3vd83edo

the implications of the above, is much greater than I originally considered - while it is just an advisory, if followed (and remember the one re Super League wasn't) the impacts are quite significant - in theory it could end the transfer system in Europe - imagine what that would do to some club owner investment strategies, including that of ALK/VSL at Burnley.

FIFA should lose EU legal dispute over player transfer rules, court aide says
There can be little doubt as to the restrictive nature” of governing body’s regulation on the status and transfer of players, advocate general said.
https://www.politico.eu/article/fifa-sh ... ourt-aide/
https://archive.ph/l1rKQ
The full opinion can be found here

OPINION OF ADVOCATE GENERAL SZPUNAR

delivered on 30 April 2024 (1) - Case C‑650/22

Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) v BZ,

Interveners:

Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association ASBL (URBSFA), SA Sporting du Pays de Charleroi, Fédération Internationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, Fédération Internationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, Division Europe
https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/ ... cid=714484

there is further discussion here

Op-Ed: “Are football’s transfer rules caught by the Charter? AG Szpunar’s Opinion in FIFA v. BZ (C-650/22)” by Guillermo Íñiguez
https://eulawlive.com/op-ed-are-footbal ... o-iniguez/

and here

Opinion of AG Szpunar in Case C‑650/22, FIFA v BZ: restrictions by object and the regulation of joint ventures through Article 101 TFEU
https://chillingcompetition.com/2024/05 ... -101-tfeu/

In many ways this is a next step on from The Bosman Ruling, which we know has had a significant impact on the game

the detail on the advocate general's opinion that foreshadowed that ruling can be found here

OPINION OF MR LENZ — CASE C-415/93
OPINION OF ADVOCATE GENERAL
LENZ
delivered on 20 September 1995
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content ... 1995%3A293

[ClaretPete001]

The Esk with his view on the latest events surrounding 777 Partners and their proposed takeover of Everton - He is certainly correct that the implications and fall-out from this case are much wider than the takeover - the ripples (and turmoil) of it will extend very wide, I cannot help wondering how a new Independent Football Regulator would have handled the proposed takeover in it's own owners and directors test given that the Financial Conduct Authority approved 777 Partners last December.

The latest re Everton, 777 Partners and Moshiri. What needs to be done immediately following Leadenhall accusations
https://theesk.org/2024/05/05/the-lates ... cusations/
https://archive.ph/3E80k

I always thought Financial oversight had reached an all time low after the 2008 crash but clearly few lessons have been learned.

[Chester Perry]

this is not a surprise - though it must be remembered that they constitutes around just 4.7% of the holding in the club

from The BBC

Everton group call for end to takeover 'farce
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... d0p90qywqo

the statement - delivered in the usual Everton supporter manner

https://twitter.com/EFCSA/status/1787814255690969458

[Chester Perry]

As ever the latest podcast from Unofficial Partner is a fascinating discussion - put to one side opinions about the ECA - there is a rapidly growing level underneath the hyper-elite at the ECA which, as they have rapidly grown in number, are starting to develop their own voice. A couple of weeks ago they all met in in Madrid for a first time event called ECA connect - during this was this event

Incidentally at the same time Mike Smith of ALK/VSL was at a rival event with the, much newer, much smaller Union of European Clubs and being elected to it's first Executive Board, at the moment they are a big deal to the UEC, and a big club (in terms of revenue) but have they jumped on the wrong bandwagon? I note Brentford were part of the discussion below.

UP390 Live from Madrid - The Billion Euro Club Football Brainstorm at ECA Club Connect
https://www.unofficialpartner.com/podca ... ub-connect

the blurb

Live from Madrid, The Billion-Euro Club Football Brainstorm.

Big ideas discussed by great panelists from across the European club game, courtesy of ECA Club Connect, the inaugural business summit convened by the European Club Association.

Over 350 directors and operational leaders from more than 200 clubs met at the Meliá Castilla Hotel over 24-25 April.

This podcast features 12 experts, 4 topics, 1 hour.

What decisions will we make today to build a robust and sustainable football club of the future?

Group 1 - Commercial
Ebru Koksal - Galatasaray FC, Mercury13
Daniel Levy - Maccabi Tel Aviv FC
Diego Sanchez Trillo - Atletico Madrid FC

Group 2 - Data
Johannes Dobretsberger - Austria Wien FC
Pal Orosz - Ferencváros TC
Catriona McCallum - Heart of Midlothian FC

Group 3 - Content
Helena Heckschen - RB Leipzig FC
Sebastian Helbig - BSC Young Boys
Anna Nordström Carlsson - Malmo FF

Group 4 - Mop Up
Charlie Marshall - ECA
Fran Jones - Brentford FC
Rouven Kasper - VfB Stuttgart

[Chester Perry]

It sounds like it is going to be an intriguing few months off the field at Real Madrid - many in the UK love the idea of member owned clubs, but they are not without their complicating factors, if Florentino Perez's final act is the gift of a hybrid approach, they just may start to get their finances under control

from The Telegraph

A battle Real Madrid’s soul – with 122 years of history at stake
The club have some big decisions to make, with its future as a member-owned entity very much on the agenda
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... -bernabeu/

[Chester Perry]

this is not a surprise - though it must be remembered that they constitutes around just 4.7% of the holding in the club

from The BBC

Everton group call for end to takeover 'farce
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... d0p90qywqo

the statement - delivered in the usual Everton supporter manner

https://twitter.com/EFCSA/status/1787814255690969458

Yesterday the Shareholders Association, today the Fan Advisory Board

from The BBC

Fan group wants 777 bid dismissed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... q5gvwqww0o

the full statement is here

https://twitter.com/EFC_FanAdvisory/sta ... 6037097842

[Chester Perry]

More from Josimar Football on the data gathering for betting purposes in the very low levels of football

The silent partner
Is Sportradar – Fifa and Uefa’s integrity partner – providing data from Belgian amateur matches to controversial betting operator 1XBet?
https://archive.ph/eK59L

Betting lower and lower
Data collection companies are scouring ever lower down the European football pyramid for live data that is feeding opaque Asian betting operators.
http://web.archive.org/web/202310241705 ... and-lower/

yet another expose on the activities of FIFA and UEFA integrity partner - Sportradar

from Josimar Football

Eva’s Saudi temptations
Sportradar’s in-play data from matches in Saudi Arabia, where gambling is illegal, is appearing on betting websites. How do data collected by the self-declared “global integrity leader” end up on illegal betting markets?
https://josimarfootball.com/2024/05/08/ ... mptations/
https://archive.ph/qx23Y

[Chester Perry]

It is possibly the most controversial ranking in Football - Sportico have released their annual listing of the 50 most valuable Football clubs in world football. The top 10 is dominated by the usual suspects but no league gets close to the MLS with 20 entrants

World's 50 Most Valuable Soccer Clubs 2024 Ranking
The 50 most valuable soccer clubs in the world are worth a total of $79.6 billion, according to data compiled by Sportico. The Premier League's Manchester United ranks first at $6.2 billion, while Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo FC is No. 50 at $550 million. The top 10 richest teams are all in Europe, but MLS landed 20 clubs overall in the top 50, followed by the EPL with nine.
https://www.sportico.com/feature/soccer ... 234721408/

This is what Sportico have to say about it

MOST VALUABLE SOCCER CLUBS 2024: MAN UNITED LEADS, TOP 50 WORTH $80B
https://archive.ph/GVwS2

Meanwhile The Athletic looks at it a bit deeper, picking out themes and trends, mainly for English readers, interestingly it seems largely accepting of the methodology and the article is free of criticism

What a list of football’s 50 most valuable clubs tells us about the global state of the sport
https://archive.ph/lirSD

[Chester Perry]

While the rest of football appears to be tightening up it's fiscal rules and thresholds - the Championship appears to have relaxed it's own three year loss threshold

from The Mail

EXCLUSIVEChampionship clubs increase amount they are permitted to lose over three years by £2.5m following rise in operational costs and staff wages
Move agreed on Wednesday and has raised eyebrows at Premier League sides
EFL recently completed a record broadcast deal worth £935m over five years
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... wages.html
https://archive.ph/QPzy4

[Chester Perry]

Well this is no surprise, though you would expect someone is going to have to take a major haircut (probably Farhad Moshiri) - it is about MSP Capital

from Bloomberg

Everton FC Pursued by Another US Investor as 777 Takeover Falters
McLaren F1 backer was in talks to invest in club last year
777 already asked for more time to complete lengthy takeover
https://archive.ph/8wFZ5

[Paul Waine]

They seem to be pretty flexible people to work with

Sorry

These guys are good at dealing with the highs and lows. Swings, more swings and roundabouts also come to mind. Sometimes people get turned upside down.

[Chester Perry]

The Premier League (and indeed the EFL Championship) is liberally sprinkled with clubs whose owners and executives were determined to 'break down the door of the big six' , Aston Villa, is one of the more likely candidates, though there are no guarantees

from The Financial Times

Aston Villa aims to ‘kick the door down’ to the Premier League Big Six
Controlled by Egypt’s richest man and a US billionaire, the Birmingham club is fighting for a place in the Uefa Champions League
https://www.ft.com/content/81eb92db-3e7 ... f78530b87e
https://archive.ph/TJON2

[bfc8]

The Premier League (and indeed the EFL Championship) is liberally sprinkled with clubs whose owners and executives were determined to 'break down the door of the big six' , Aston Villa, is one of the more likely candidates, though there are no guarantees

from The Financial Times

Aston Villa aims to ‘kick the door down’ to the Premier League Big Six
Controlled by Egypt’s richest man and a US billionaire, the Birmingham club is fighting for a place in the Uefa Champions League
https://www.ft.com/content/81eb92db-3e7 ... f78530b87e
https://archive.ph/TJON2

Villa want to make the big 6 into the great 8 according to this, think Newcastle may be the other team !

[Chester Perry]

Villa want to make the big 6 into the great 8 according to this, think Newcastle may be the other team !

It might be a bit further away but I am sure the owners of Leeds and Nottingham Forest want similar, as do the owners of Birmingham City who have announced plans of moving to a 60k+ ground and campus, and we cannot forget the respective merits of Everton and Sheffield Wednesday (under different ownership) or of Sunderland who have a billionaire owner, but as of yet is not prepared to splash the cash.

[Chester Perry]

FIFA's World Club Cup may end up being one step too far for the game - though I have the feeling that fans of participating clubs (at least outside of England) will be excited by it.

FIFA already has an answer to the problem presented here by the the players union FIFA Pro and the World Leagues Association - standardised leagues of (preferably - for them at least) 16 teams

from The Telegraph

Fifa face player revolt over Club World Cup as changes cause ‘economic harm’ to leagues
Letter sent to President Gianni Infantino threatens legal action over the 32-team competition amid fixture congestion concerns
https://archive.ph/WBXpU

[Chester Perry]

Well this is no surprise, though you would expect someone is going to have to take a major haircut (probably Farhad Moshiri) - it is about MSP Capital

from Bloomberg

Everton FC Pursued by Another US Investor as 777 Takeover Falters
McLaren F1 backer was in talks to invest in club last year
777 already asked for more time to complete lengthy takeover
https://archive.ph/8wFZ5

This article outlines how an MSP takeover might work - though it omits the Rights and Media Funding issue

from The i

Everton’s 777 takeover is ‘dead in the water’ – what next for Farhad Moshiri?
EXPLAINEDEverton owner Farhad Moshiri is considering breaking off the agreement and is understood to be exploring alternative options
https://archive.ph/PNIBn

[Chester Perry]

I have posted a lot on this thread about the questionable practices of offshore/white label betting companies, but here we look at questionable practices of domestic betting companies and the issue of social media accounts receiving payments for promoting services without declaring relationships

from The Guardian

Revealed: how ‘fun’ social media accounts direct fans to betting giant
‘Boring Milner’ and ‘Andy Robson’ accounts work with Fanwave Digital, a firm paid by Paddy Power Betfair to post betting tips
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/artic ... ting-giant
https://archive.ph/Sjyo2

[Chester Perry]

This article outlines how an MSP takeover might work - though it omits the Rights and Media Funding issue

from The i

Everton’s 777 takeover is ‘dead in the water’ – what next for Farhad Moshiri?
EXPLAINEDEverton owner Farhad Moshiri is considering breaking off the agreement and is understood to be exploring alternative options
https://archive.ph/PNIBn

Meanwhile The Esk offers his take

As Moshiri faces reality, what happens next for Everton?
https://theesk.org/2024/05/09/as-moshir ... r-everton/
https://archive.ph/PHI6n

[Chester Perry]

They are not mentioned much but Andy Bell and George Downing were also part of the MSP Capital bid for Everton last summer and are paart of the group tied to MSP Capital that leant the £158m for the stadium, when that takeover bid failed

from The Telegraph

Two multimillionaire Everton fans emerge as potential alternatives to 777 Partners takeover
Andy Bell and George Downing already have money invested into the club and would be interested in part-ownership
https://archive.ph/Bpb01

[Chester Perry]

This makes a lot of sense though you do wonder how 777 Partners are going to to pay for this - they will have had to offer some form of security on the the fees

from The Financial Times

Everton bidder 777 calls in restructuring experts
Investment firm accused of fraud by lender in lawsuit filed last week
https://www.ft.com/content/62af0c4a-d2f ... 496ebbda04
https://archive.ph/wkZHg

[Chester Perry]

This is a great question and the answer might not be hubris

from The New York Times

What Did P.S.G.’s Money Buy?
The club’s superstar era cost billions and upended European soccer. But as it exits the Champions League again and braces for the departure of its star Kylian Mbappé, what was it all for?
https://archive.ph/BOxws

[Chester Perry]

This makes a lot of sense though you do wonder how 777 Partners are going to to pay for this - they will have had to offer some form of security on the the fees

from The Financial Times

Everton bidder 777 calls in restructuring experts
Investment firm accused of fraud by lender in lawsuit filed last week
https://www.ft.com/content/62af0c4a-d2f ... 496ebbda04
https://archive.ph/wkZHg

Matt Slater with a bit more detail on this latest news, plus what it likely means including that fact that it appears to be A-Cap (Kenneth King) that provided the last funds to keep Everton ticking over, the levels of support King has gone to with 777 Partners, makes Leadenhall Capital's claim that A-Cap are party to the fraud that they are claiming seem plausible

from The Athletic

Everton, 777 and a takeover that still hasn’t happened. So what now?
https://archive.ph/s9Nw1