Once "big" clubs with large fanbases - not so big or successful anymore and could be bought more cheaply and built back up to a far more glorious and valuable stature? I give up. Why?
That's pretty much it. These are clubs (Villa and Liverpool) that don't currently live at the top of the food chain, are projects to some degree, and don't especially offer an immediate return on whatever investment is made in them. However, there's tremendous support for each of these clubs, there's identifiable talent within each, neither are in especially bad financial shape, and both (at varying points) have been looking to new stadiums as a revenue generating means. For someone willing to make a long-term commitment to the club, and for a cost of only about 100 million pounds, it could be a very good long-term investment. In many ways, they have a good bit in common with the Patriots club Kraft took over in 1994, and look where he's taken them to in such a (relatively) short period of time. The Magpie
Build a new stadium; use the extra $15-20M in revenues to buy 2 top players each year; use those top players to go deep in the CL; establish an own TV channel; use old glory and new fame to market itself all over the globe; see the club skyrocket in value to $1B ... and all on a $100M investment. There's your business plan in a nutshell.
Liverpool is a great brand that is known worldwide along the line with Man U, Real Madrid and arguably even more well known than Chelsea. It would be a good investment, in my opinion. Pitch the idea to Anschutz who already invested around $300 million on soccer, it would be an unstoppable team. P.s. Anyone know how much is Kraft worth? I tried to find it on Forbes Billionaires but can't find it. The patriots is valued at around $850 millions (i found that).
More on Kraft & Liverpool... AMERICANS EYE ANFIELD ROLE By David Maddock, The Mirror (UK), 12/7/04 http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/sport...-name_page.html "LIVERPOOL have received an official takeover offer from an American-based consortium led by two film producers. The move was announced on the stock exchange yesterday, amid claims that the consortium is backed by the wealthy owners of the American Football franchise, the New England Patriots. Privately, the Anfield board have dismissed the offer as "insignificant", and chief executive Rick Parry went as far as to rubbish the American consortium's proposal at Liverpool's annual meeting last Thursday..." FWIW, there are also two overseas articles in Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland) and Die Welt (Germany) that make mention of the Krafts and L4. The Magpie
Rumor has it that Liverpool gear will no longer be available at the stadium, they will only sell New England Patriots merchandise in the stadium stores.
Bad: Sorry to hear for the Liverpool fans. Good: Great for the NFL Europe supporters! El Chapulin Colorado
An exclusive survey of all the NFL Europe fans in England has revealed that Dave was indeed delighted, but Steve wasn't so sure, as he was hoping for a Liverpool shirt for Christmas.
Good stuff. Kraft has been a very good NFL owner. He now has one of the most popular teams, and of course they have won two of the last three Super Bowls. He will spend money to make money.
Does anyone know what the criteria the EPL clubs have for accepting or turning down these offers? Is it done completely on a whim or are there financial regulations that require some action at the behest of stockholders?
they are a business, so much the same as any other business. The only restriction is that the same person can't own more than one club.
but he never sat in the cheap seats freezing his ass to the old aluminum bleachers of spartan stadium, silly.
At last - a friend in high places By Simon Kuper, The Financial Times Published: December 11 2004 02:00 | Last updated: December 11 2004 02:00 http://news.ft.com/cms/s/09d5429a-4...000e2511c8.html "... Ford and Jefferies thought Liverpool were neglecting their brand. For instance, asked Ford, why didn't the club have local marketing staff in countries such as China and South Korea? "One thing I learned in Hollywood is that when you're marketing inter-nationally, there's no substitute for bloody hard work at grassroots level. Liverpool FC employ precisely nobody to do that. Why isn't the club's website available in Korean? It would cost about forty quid per week to have someone on the ground doing this." Liverpool's TV channel, Ford added, "looks like a pilot episode of Look North West circa 1976". He and Jefferies made a list of a dozen investors who might be tempted by Liverpool. They visited the investors, paying for their own air tickets, and made their case. The Kraft family, owners of the New England Patriots American football team, liked it. The plan is to buy Liverpool, put former player and manager Kenny Dalglish on the board, perhaps give Ford a job, and then win everything. My other friends should consider this an example."
Just FYI, but the BBC and a variety of other news organizations are reporting that Steve Morgan has withdrawn his bid for Liverpool: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4115011.stm This should leave the L4 group open to make an unopposed bid for the club. The Magpie
Shareholder withdraws bid to buy Liverpool Tuesday, December 21, 2004 Associated Press (courtesy of Canada.com) http://www.canada.com/sports/soccer/story.html?id=a59722b9-189f-4269-9d9a-e68212c02321 "LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Liverpool's financial future was plunged into further doubt Tuesday when Steve Morgan, the club's third biggest shareholder, withdrew his 70-million-pound ($165.3 million Cdn) bid to buy the club. With a consortium reportedly backed by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft also interested in buying one of European soccer's most storied clubs, Liverpool owner David Moores, whose family has been connected with the club for more than 50 years, has been under pressure to sell..." The Magpie
It wil be very interesting to see how this plays out. And if Kraft does end up as part of this ownership, things will get even more interesting.
... and some more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2004591458,00.html http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,277-1412015,00.html The Magpie