Stanic waits on scan verdict-Soccernet "Parent company Chelsea Village, meanwhile, today announced moves to sell an estimated 15 per cent of the club to mystery investors, which could raise up to £10million. In a statement to the Stock Exchange, Chelsea Village said they were in negotiations with a number of parties 'with a view to issuing either all or a substantial proportion of their unissued share capital'. At an annual general meeting on December 13, the company got the go-ahead to issue 30 million shares and the statement said that the shares would be sold at a 'price representing a significant premium to the current market price'. "
Rumour has it that it is Al-Fayed and his gang of business collectibles. Craven cottage is not going to be redeveloped as it has turned out cost prohibitive, that is assuming that he ever intended to redevelope it in the first place.Many people think that he first got into Fulham primarily for a prime chunk of real estate in west london. Loftus road is a dump, as anybody who has ever gone anywhere near the place will tell.Marsh and astro turf are about all their claim to fame will ever be. Fayed has to get out, and make arrangements to do it soon. The rumour of him investing in CV is interesting though as with it would come ground sharing with the cottagers.How this would go over is anybodys guess, but, i would imagine that neither set of supporters would be happy. Unfortunately it would come down to finances in the end, just like everything else.We are in a massive hole, this simply can't be denied.Bates and all his bollox about CV holding up the football club has been found out.The club is/has been supporting CV and the only way out of this debt is to realise the few assets we have left.Problem there is that the bottom has fallen out of the market and our "assets" have nose dived in value. Now, yer mon Fayed has been having quite a few financial problems of his own it would seem. He simply can't afford to invest heavily in CC anymore and coming up with this stupid figer of 100 million quid to redevelope that dump is all smoke and mirrors.St Marys was done for about 30 million and the SOL for a bit more.Both are state of the art modern stadiums and proof that the 100 million quid figer is bollox.A reason not to do it at all is just what that figer is. Al-Fayed and Bates together, Chelsea and Fulham together, rival fans sharing seats together and the Bridge being used every week could be a possibility. Financially speaking it could be the answer to Bates' problems and it would allow Fayed to do what he probably always intended ie build on the cottage. Hammersmith council may or may not hinder him, but then again if he went into it with them about city improvements in the council borders he might come away with what he wanted. Who knows what will happen. One thing is for certain though and that is that Ken Bates will not tell the whole truth over it and would seem to have found another of his ilk in Fayed. (rant over....for now)
"Chelsea must have one of the most unusual formations of any club in the World. Formed in the early months of 1905 with just a ground owned by a well known building contractor Gus Mears. Nine years before, Gus and his brother bought the Stamford Bridge Athletic ground and soon afterwards a large market garden adjoining the property as foundations for a football stadium Gus wanted to build. The Great Western Railway made an attractive offer to purchase the ground for coal and goods sidings which Gus was considering, but events snowballed and within days a meeting was held with a famous football stand architect and a ground was planned. Even at this stage a new football club was not on the agenda and the ground was offered to Fulham for their club matches at a suggested fee of œ1,500 per annum, Fulham rejected the move as the fee was too high. F.W.Parker, a well known financier and friend of Gus, suggested starting their own team to become one of the best in the country and the seeds of Chelsea were formed. Application to join the Southern League was made and other clubs like Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur objecting and was turned down." Funny how things might come full circle. I for one, who's really only followed English football and Chelsea since 1996 would be extremely pissed off if a ground share came out of this.....