The Biggest News To Have Ever Hit Manchester - The Takeover.

Club takeover update
21/09/2008 13:17

Following the announcement on 1st September 2008, relating to the potential investment in Manchester City Football Club Ltd by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan and his group, the Club is delighted to confirm that the process of due diligence has now been concluded by all appropriate parties.

As a result of the conclusion of negotiations and all related contracts, the purchase of the football club from UK Sports Investments Ltd (UKSIL) has been finalised and the formal change of ownership of the football club will take place on Tuesday 23rd September 2008 and a further statement will be issued in due course.

Speaking of the sale of the football club, outgoing Club Chairman, Dr Thaksin Shinawatra said,

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Manchester City and watching the team progress in such a short space of time.

“When I bought Manchester City the club had been languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League and had an uncertain future.

“We invested in new talent and management and have been delighted by the success that has brought to the club.

“The supporters of Manchester City have been wonderful to me. They have made my family and I welcome and we have enjoyed meeting them enormously. They are passionate about their football club and deserve success.

“My financial position has changed in the last 15 months and I thus felt it was in the best interests of everyone associated with the club that I hand over the reins to new owners who share similar ambitions and visions to my own for Manchester City.

“I look forward to attending as many matches as I can and watching the new owners build on the platform we have established in the last 15 months.

“Finally may I thank the City Council for their support to the Club and also to the staff of Manchester City for all their hard work and dedication, I wish them all continued success for the future.

“Last but not least, may I thank H. H. Sheikh Mansour for his kind support to Manchester City and to my family during my difficult time which will never be forgotten.”



Letter to City fans from the new owner.

Dear fellow Manchester City fans,



There has been much written about the purchase of Manchester City over the last few weeks and so now I am delighted to tell you that negotiations are complete and the transfer of ownership will take place next Tuesday (September 23rd, 2008). With the agreement finalised I would like to tell you directly a little about who we are and what we have planned.

Firstly I would like to thank you for the many expressions of good will and joy we have received since our wish to purchase the Club was announced. We are deeply touched and now have some great personal experience of what so many people have told us for a while now.......you are the greatest fans in the world.

Like you, we are excited about the future of the club, and we hope the securing of Robinho as a Manchester City player during the transfer window is seen as a signal of our very real intent. It has been an exciting two weeks for all of us all.

My intention is that Manchester City has the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field. For that reason I have asked my friend Khaldoon Al Mubarak, to take on the position of Chairman of the Club. My request to him has been to put together a board and executive team that is worthy of the heritage and potential of Manchester City.

Khaldoon and I have agreed that the we will not be making any more announcements for a while as we really now need to sit down with the manager, Executive Chairman and key staff and put together plans that will, over time, get the Club to where we want it to be. That is the stage we are entering now and as anyone who runs a business knows, this involves a lot of listening, and a lot of talking to many stakeholders and research and discussion before plans can be announced.

As part of that, we will absolutely spend time listening to you the fans about what you think about the future of the club. We are very aware that without you there would not be a club to buy, and your voice will be heard by the organisation at the highest level. We also want to make it clear that Mark Hughes is absolutely integral to our plans. We are lucky to have someone who we believe is the best young British manager; someone who has been successful on the global stage, the Premier League and of course as a player.

We are ambitious for the club, like you, but not unreasonably so and we understand it takes time to build a team capable of sustaining a presence in the top four of the Premier League and winning European honours. We know a little of the history at City also and whilst we want to bring in the best players in the world, we also want to see the academy continue to develop talent and give Mark Hughes the chance to bring home-grown players into the team. We consider Mark Hughes to be one of the prime assets of the club. We will back his judgement in what players to bring in and we look forward to working more closely with him in the future. We are building a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars.

In cold business terms, Premiership football is one of the best entertainment products in the world and we see this as a sound business investment. That being said, we understand that we need to put money in to get the club to where we believe it can be -and where we think you the fans want it to be.

We are aware also that the club has a significant role in the community going back years. As newcomers, we don't pretend to understand all of this yet, but we will make sincere efforts to back these initiatives and ensure that Manchester City loses none of its role in Manchester beyond football and we want the club to continue to contribute to the community it represents.

I should perhaps also explain that despite what you may have read, I have bought the club in a private capacity and as part of my personal business strategy to hold a wide portfolio of business investments. I am a football fan, and I hope that you will soon see that I am now also a Manchester City fan. But I am also a long-term investor and that is probably more important to the club and to you because it means we are here for the long haul and that we will act always in the best interests of the club and all of its stakeholders, but especially you the fans.

I cannot be at the game against Portsmouth on Sunday, but like many of you I will be glued to the screen and cheering the team on. The club's new Chairman will be there and I ask you to welcome him. I will be at Eastlands soon and am really looking forward to sampling the famous City atmosphere.

Thank you again for the good wishes and your support.

Yours,

Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

 

The open address to the fans is the best thing i have heard about the takeover.

Actions speak louder than words, but if his actions match his words then this will be amazing.

 

Exciting future for City eyed by new owners


Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the Chairman (designate) of Manchester City, has outlined an exciting vision for the future of the Club with Manager Mark Hughes and the Youth Academy at the heart of his plans.

Mr Mubarak will become Chairman of the Club later on today (Tuesday 23rd September) when the takeover of Manchester City Football Club Ltd by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan and his group, announced on Sunday, will be completed.

Speaking of the takeover of the Club, Mr Mubarak says:

“We’re extremely happy, we’re delighted that we are now part of Manchester City. We think that this is a wonderful club with a tremendous history and heritage. Our investment is one for the future.

“I spent a couple of days visiting Carrington and going to the Academy, I was there all of Sunday morning and I watched the under 14, under 12 and under 9 sides. One thing that I think is important and that I want to emphasise straight away, is that the Academy is a priority. We need to invest in the Academy and we will continue to develop it. It makes business sense and from a community perspective there is no question about the impact it has on the community. From the business perspective, the future of this Club is to continue to produce talents like Micah Richards, Michael Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips. This is very important to us, and we are really going to commit to the Academy.”

The new owners have pledged their full support for Executive Chairman Garry Cook and Mark Hughes, as Mr Mubarak continues:

“I can’t say enough about Garry Cook, he’s a wonderful chap, we are committed to him and we are going to support him fully. Mark Hughes is as good as they get and we are backing him all the way. He makes the football decisions and we are here to learn, and we want to hear from the fans and the community. We want to bring this Club back to the community and to the fans.

“A lot has happened over the last couple of weeks, we are genuine people, and we want to develop this Club in a sustainable manner. Nothing rash is going to happen, we are not going to do crazy stuff! We will work with Garry and Mark, they call the shots and we are here to support to help build a sustainable Club. We are here as long-term investors, and it makes sense for us to build a dynasty. Between Mark and Garry, I think we have a dynasty in the making. With our backing, with the commitment we are going to make to the Academy in the next 10 years there is going to be a tremendous period for Manchester City and for us. And I think we are going to have a blast doing it!”

Mr Mubarak will head a new board of directors at the Club, which he explains will be formally announced soon.

“I will be Chairman, and over the next days and weeks we will come out with an announcement about how the board will be structured. We will bring top-notch individuals to the board. To run a good company you need a strong board.

“Sheikh Mansour is absolutely delighted, he is a huge fan of football and of Manchester City and he asked me to take on this role on his behalf. I’m a big football fan myself and when he asked it took me about a second to decide! He will come to games and I will as often as I can. This Club will be run professionally and we want to sit & support from the side.”

Reiterating that Mark Hughes will call the shots on the football side of things, Mr Mubarak continues:

“One thing I have made very clear to Mark is that any player he wants comes from him. It comes from his requirements, his plan for the Club. I’m a fan, but I am not an expert. It is Mark who runs the Club and Mark who makes the football decisions. We are here to support and make financial decisions, but we are not here to teach Mark or Garry what to do! They are the professionals, we trust them, we have confidence in them and we are going to support them.

“Mark is an honest man, he’s a leader , he’s tough and he is everything you would want in a head coach. We trust him, he’s one of the gems we saw in this Club once we came here.

“We are reasonable and pragmatic, we are looking 10 years ahead starting today and I think all our decisions will be with a long term perspective. We trust Mark, we trust his judgement, we are patient and we understand this Club needs to develop. We obviously want City to be a top club and to win trophies, that’s our objective. If it takes ‘x’ amount of years, I don’t know. Mark will put a plan together to win trophies, but we will be patient. As long as it is being managed properly and the players are doing what they need to do, then it will take whatever it takes.

“We are sensible people, and when it comes to a lot of the talk that has been around recently, forget everything that has been said in the past. We are sensible people and we are investors who have invested in this Club and will continue to do so, as long as it has the right pay-off for us and as long as it delivers results. For us to be happy, this Club has to be successful, and within a period of time competing at the highest level and hopefully winning trophies. At the same time, we will bring in the talent from the Academy and that talent has a value. We’re convinced of the business case here that in the long-term will pay off. That’s the bottom line.

As well as meeting Mark Hughes and his staff at Carrington, Mr Mubarak has also spent time at Platt Lane with Academy Manager Jim Cassell as he explains:

“That was one of my most enjoyable experiences. Sitting with Jim, seeing his passion, seeing how proud he is of every player that has come out of the Academy. I have the highest confidence in him, we’ll be working a lot with him.

“We want to learn from the model that has been so successful here. My mandate from Sheikh Mansour was to spend as much time as I could with the Academy, and I have promised him that’s what I am going to do. I have promised him that I’ll do what I can to ensure that this Academy is the best not just in England, but in Europe.”

And Mr Mubarak concluded by saying:

“The watchwords are patient, committed, and long term. If you look at Sheikh Mansour’s track record and Abu Dhabi’s track record in general, they are always sensible investors, well regarded by everyone.”

Tim Oscroft

(This one is an from the daily mail .. Who would've thought it !)

EXCLUSIVE: Behind the scenes at Eastlands - The future’s looking bright as Manchester City swap millions for billions

Sportsmail’s LEE CLAYTON is given exclusive access behind the scenes as Thaksin Shinawatra strikes a deal with new chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak to bring a whole new ball game to Manchester City.

The clock is ticking. His Excellency is meant to be here but has been delayed watching the under nines at Platt Lane, one of three games he watches on Sunday morning. He has also spent an hour with the club historian and met with the local council in the past 24 hours.

'I can promise you that the club is in very good hands,' Thaksin insists. 'I realised that I could take Manchester City into the top 10, maybe the top six. That is not enough.

'The new owners can take them into the top four and beyond. Chelsea have had it their own way for a long time in the transfer market. That will not be the case any longer.'

As we sit later in the same room where the £200million City sale is agreed, it's a different message from the one presented when I travelled to Beijing during the summer and he outlined ambitious plans for the club.

'Remember, I told you that it takes deep pockets to fund such ambition. I need to be free to deal with my problems. I thought I would get my money, but that has not materialised and that is regretful.'

Thaksin's millions remain frozen in a bitter dispute with the Thai authorities who want to try him on corruption charges.

The boardroom is buzzing as the club is handed from the Far East to the Middle East, from millions into billions.

Khaldoon, 32, sweeps in: navy blue suit, with light blue handkerchief peeking from the top. It's not the same as waving a scarf and singing Blue Moon, but this is how they do it Abu Dhabi - style, I am told. Quiet, reserved, stylish… and unimaginably, ridiculously rich.

Khaldoon has declined the offer of a grand unveiling and instead spends time with the two most significant employees at the club - manager Mark Hughes and Jim Cassells, the ruler of City's fame academy.

Having defeated Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup Final last season, the kids won 6-1 on Saturday and scored nine the week before.

New City may be in a hurry, but there is plenty more local talent to follow in the footsteps of Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright- Phillips. Such is the regard for Cassells in these parts that he dines in the chairman's suite on match day.

The message from Abu Dhabi today is this: careful development and progress, not flash headline-seizing signings.
Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Thaksin Shiniwatra

So much for reports in the Sunday newspapers, claiming that Carlos Tevez, John Terry and Karim Benzema are coming soon.

Budgets were discussed with Hughes, but first he will be given ' better working facilities' at the training headquarters. The new owners speak highly of their adopted manager - and that is before the team smashes six past fragile Portsmouth.

Khaldoon is the trusted front man of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, a chap with a name that almost fills a paragraph by itself. Simon Pearson, a communications expert who never leaves his side, is his influential sidekick and will join him on the new board.

A fresh agreement has been drawn up with executive chairman Garry Cook and there is a lengthy conversation with the transfer broker Kia Joorabchian, who is introduced by Thaksin as 'the man who helped put City together'. Hughes, Wright-Phillips, Jo, Zabeleta and Robinho arrived as a result of his contacts book.

'I am delighted to leave the club with so many good players,' continues Thaksin, 59.

'You know that I play lots of a golf and this is the same sensation as scoring a hole in one.'

With that in mind, I ask how much profit he has made, but he will not say.

'Yes, there is a small profit, but this was not about making money. When I knew I could not take the club forward by continuing to invest, I instructed my associates to find someone who could.'

Doctor Khalid Kadfoor al-Mehairi, 'an expert in sport transactions' is revealed as the brains who brokered the sale. Are you reading, Mike Ashley?

Thaksin says he will continue to advise the new board, 'if they ask'.

'You must do your homework on players. That's what I will tell them.'

Khaldoon is already spending (on his mobile phone bill). Every goal against Portsmouth is followed by a texting session.

'Boss, we have got this lot cheap,' might have been the gist, as the sixth went in.

The CEO o f ADUG is currently overseeing at least three global deals. Buying City for £200m is the smallest.

'The future is bright,' says an advert for the new orange strip. It surely is.

 

Just collated all the quotes i really liked from the two articles into one post .. These are even better than the last article that the chairmen wrote. He is an absolute class act, and i cannot wait to hear more from him. He has won me over in the last two day's, not too sure about the owners before then .. but this guy seem's 100% serious.