Would our club ever sell to investors?

[Burnley loyal]

http://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/foo ... -1-8568189" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Imploding Turtle]

Yes.

/thread

[Blackrod]

Yes the right ones as per the article in LET. Sensible comments from Garlick again.

[Sidney1st]

That article is a summerization of the interview released the other day isn't it?

Would they sell?
Yes I think they will eventually, but as Garlick has stated they'd be careful about who to sell too and I think what happened at Rovers, being taken over by non footballing people, has been good for us in that respect.

[UpTheBeehole]

It's slightly worrying that he says

“I’ve seen a bit of speculation about whether we’re going to be expanding the stadium. There aren’t any short to medium term plans to do that. The last time we made any infrastructure changes like that was back in 1972 or 73 and we built the Bob Lord Stand.

I think it became known as the Martin Dobson Stand because we had to sell Martin Dobson to pay for it and a couple of years later we got relegated."

when we rebuilt the Longside and Bee Hole 15 years after this and have been on a massive upward curve since.

[Sidney1st]

No we haven't, we don't sell out every home game.

Why increase capacity if we aren't selling out every single home game?

[IndigoLake]

But should the time come where the club is established and looking to break into the top half and beyond, chairman Mike Garlick accepts outside investment will be necessary.

I'm not sure that sentence even makes sense.

[UpTheBeehole]

No we haven't, we don't sell out every home game.

Why increase capacity if we aren't selling out every single home game?

I've got to be honest, I've no idea what you're responding to there.

[Sidney1st]

I've got to be honest, I've no idea what you're responding to there.

I mis-read your post, ignore me

[UpTheBeehole]

The point I was making is that he seems to have forgotten that we redeveloped the ground in 96 & 97. He's saying that the last time we embarked on an infrastructure project we got relegated and it was because of spending money on building the Bob Lord stand.

It's very chicken little (and incorrect) thinking.

[Dyched]

I think he meant changed the stadium by choice infrastructure/capacity wise than had to safety wise a la longside/bee hole. It'd be ridiculous to change the stadium right now for 6/7 games.

And yes why wouldn't the board sell if they wanted too.

[ClaretPuddle]

I'm lead to believe that the club were offered for sale to a local business man a few seasons ago, in fact it was the season before we won promotion under Sean,
The local business man is well known and although he has a season ticket a old Trafford , he regularly attends home games and sits with the directors, his company is the one named after a flower!

[bfcjg]

Investors want money back or why invest ? Now a benefactor is a different matter. That said I would sooner have a yo yo club and always be run by fans then two or three years finishing in the top ten then a collapse.

[SammyBoy]

I'm lead to believe that the club were offered for sale to a local business man a few seasons ago, in fact it was the season before we won promotion under Sean,
The local business man is well known and although he has a season ticket a old Trafford , he regularly attends home games and sits with the directors, his company is the one named after a flower!

I know who you mean, I worked for his company for a while and although I never met him it was one of the better places I've worked. I have absolutely no idea whether he'd be suited to running a football club but his business has grown ridiculously fast to say it's only been around since 2001.

[BurnleyPaul]

I can imagine that there's a certain Russian billionaire down at Arsenal who'd be worth approaching.... I can't imagine that he's happy with today's news about Arsene Wenger!

He'd certainly fit the benefactor model and not the investor model!

Besides; imagine just how much wailing and gnashing of teeth there'd be down the road if we got a proper "sugar daddy"!

[Dark Cloud]

It was interesting to read that people looking to invest are often knocking on the door. I always tend to assume that because we hear nothing about foreign suitors we don't actually have any and that nobody has really noticed us. I just hope that if we ever do accept foreign money or money from outside, those directors with the club at their heart don't relinquish control. And if that's a deal breaker then our guys should walk away and accept it MIGHT cost us our PL status.
I know what Mike Garlick is saying is pretty much spot on and most sensible supporters would agree with most if not all of his sentiments, but I can't see us ever needing 30,000 seats even if we do become well established in the PL and although he seems aware that many supporters have muted that they would like to see investment in the "structures" at The Turf, if you read carefully what supporters want they almost all want to upgrade facilities (CFS mainly) without particularly increasing the capacity beyond about another 1500 ish.

[Juan Tanamera]

I'm lead to believe that the club were offered for sale to a local business man a few seasons ago, in fact it was the season before we won promotion under Sean,
The local business man is well known and although he has a season ticket a old Trafford , he regularly attends home games and sits with the directors, his company is the one named after a flower!

Give me your answer do.

[Dark Cloud]

I keep going through all the flowers I can think of! Then I'm looking in my garden for any I've missed!!! Still?????

[Juan Tanamera]

I keep going through all the flowers I can think of! Then I'm looking in my garden for any I've missed!!! Still?????

I'm fairly sure I've given you a decent clue.
And you probably wouldn't want these in your garden.

[Dark Cloud]

There's a few I can't see out there. Cactus? Orchid? Edelweiss? Stralitsa?

[Juan Tanamera]

If you were on a bicycle made for two....

[summitclaret]

Maybe garlick is giving a hint that if we are near top 7 he would sell. Presumably as he eluld make a fortune. Everyone has a price. Hope I am wrong.

[Dark Cloud]

If you were on a bicycle made for two....

I've arrived!!! (And now I'm googling the company)

[boyyanno]

He's said the sensible thing. The position we are at currently is that we are making money and can increase the running costs of our Club significantly, and still make money (or at the very least break even). We've seen that anyone could finish anywhere excluding the top 8, unless we are going to realistically break that barrier (which is unlikely for a while) there doesn't seem to be a need for additional investment. Let's spend what we actually have and continue to live within our means. When the time comes (if it comes) that the premier league money will no longer support our growth that's when we should start looking at additional investment.

[Dark Cloud]

He seemed to be signalling that redevelopment of any part of the ground is not on the agenda just now as team building and stabalising are paramount (fine), but also that when ground development DOES come on the agenda it will probably involve a fairly sizeable increase in capacity and that's probably not necessary. I also think that sorting out the CFS in particualr (with no or minimal increase in ultimate capacity) may catch up with the club sooner than they think and that could mean a diversion from his clear present strategy.

[willsclarets]

I don't think we're ripe for the picking. Foreign investors are looking at the likes of sheff weds and forest, clubs fallen down the ladder with recent but historically big crowds. And they think they can switch their fortunes with 20 million quid, a wing(er) and a prayer. They've no intention of playing the long game, like they most probably would in most lines of business. It always suprises me how little they appreciate how difficult it is to get teams promoted, and that flash in the pan glamour players/managers rarely work.

[Hipper]

Of course safe standing may become possible. Would that increase the capacity without much new construction?

[Wile E Coyote]

I'm lead to believe that the club were offered for sale to a local business man a few seasons ago, in fact it was the season before we won promotion under Sean,
The local business man is well known and although he has a season ticket a old Trafford , he regularly attends home games and sits with the directors, his company is the one named after a flower!

can't see ROSE GROVE unity club having the finances to pull this off.

[bartons baggage]

can't see ROSE GROVE unity club having the finances to pull this off.

Don't under estimate the financial clout of the meat raffle and football cards.

[Steddyman]

I've arrived!!! (And now I'm googling the company)

I haven't. I need more help

Only company I can think of named after a flower is Tulip which went out of business before then.

*EDIT: Never mind I figured it out. Not as big as company as I was expecting *

[cricketfieldclarets]

I'm lead to believe that the club were offered for sale to a local business man a few seasons ago, in fact it was the season before we won promotion under Sean,
The local business man is well known and although he has a season ticket a old Trafford , he regularly attends home games and sits with the directors, his company is the one named after a flower!

Never say never. But It is as close to no chance of him ever buying BFC. He is an astute, clever businessman with no ego. Doesn't strike you as someone who would buy a football club, especially one like ours with more to lose than there is to gain!

[cricketfieldclarets]

On subject of outside investment. We would be foolish to rule it out. Our directors wont be around forever and are very poor relatively speaking when you look at other clubs. Even Karl Oyston is worth more than ours!

Most people think foreigners mean issues. Where there have been as many success stories as disasters. After all only one club can win the league each year.

Look at Chelsea. They were always an alright club but never huge. Now they are one of the biggest in the world.

If we can use our history, geography and potential to our benefit we could appeal to the right foreign investor.

[lovebeingaclaret]

If you were on a bicycle made for two....

OMG ... not ABC????