14 Nov 2015 18:45:39
Maybe the EDs can clarify something that intrigues me abut the latest supposed interest by American entities in "taking over" Everton. It seems to me that these entities are purely attracted by the huge television money. They are looking to make a return on any purchase and they wouldn't be a bottomless pit of extra funding for transfers, etc. I'd imagine that aside from some modest (relatively speaking! ) initial funding - and that with the expectation of early playing success - they'd be looking to make a profit for their shareholders. Clubs like Chelsea and ManCity have certainly benefitted from wealthy owners, but my understanding is that even those clubs are now (or working towards being) self-financing by maintaining a high level of success. Other clubs have (or will) benefit from moving into ready-made stadiums at comparitvely lower cost than new-builds. Either way, I don't see a "sugar-daddy" or a ready-to-occupy modern stadium being on the cards for Everton at present. What I do see is a current ownership that doesn't appear to take money out of the club for personal profit, but also doesn't have the personal funds to invest further. Any future owners would imho be primarily interested in making a financial return and would surely view the football as a means to their financial ends rather than as the lifelong commitment that the fans do.
I wouldn't be surprised if the current ownership is now of an age (and state of health unfortunately) where they want to hand over. I guess it's just a question of what is a fair (and I really do mean fair) price AND just how much a future owner is prepared to plough back into the club rather than creaming off as profit for themselves.
Final question for the fans: is Everton a "proper" football club or is it just a means of diverting chunks of the television money to American (or wherever) financial speculators?
{Ed001's Note - to be fair, and I hate to use Liverpool as an example on here, but their owners bought the club in a similar position, with similar motives in mind. They have also invested extremely heavily in the pursuit of success, plus invested in the stadium. To make money from a club like Everton, it would require investment in the stadium to put the club in a better position, where it could then be sold for a profit. Everton are not in the position of Man Utd, where the stadium was pretty much done and the team was already winning, so all they had to do was sit back and cream off profits. To make a profit you have to invest in Everton.}
14 Nov 2015 19:14:44
Ed001: thanks for your thoughts.
As far as I see it, all that an English football club has to do for financial "success" in this day and age is to stay in the Premier League and rake in the television money (hoping that it continues to be high! ) . Anything else - be that winning trophies, or qualifying for the Champions League group stages, or even delevoping young players and transferring them for a big profit - is just extra dosh to be divvied up. Maybe I'm cynical, but I reckon for fans it's a case that the money is merely a means to an end (winning matches and trophies) whereas for the speculators it's the money itself that's the end.
{Ed001's Note - I would agree with that, if it wasn't that a buyer will always have an exit plan, to make money and get out with a profit. They always want to be able to sell and get more money back than they put in. To do that with Everton, it would require something done about the stadium. It is the lack of a viable alternative to Goodison that has halted any sale going through in the past. Robert Earl only invested when the Kirkby stadium looked to be happening, in the hope his investment would realise a big profit after the stadium was built.}
14 Nov 2015 20:22:57
Ed001: I think you've hit the nail on the head regarding the stadium being the stumbling block and without that being addressed any potential buyer couldn't be sure of a viable exit (i. e. selling on) plan. Many thanks for your informed and impartial views - enlightening as always. Have a good one.
{Ed001's Note - glad to help mate. Let's hope this time a solution can be found, which suits the fans as well as money men.}
14 Nov 2015 22:03:37
Cowpat you read my mind and explained it better than I could. Especially with your first post. Agree 100% with what you were saying there.
Very real and interesting thread between you and Ed001.
15 Nov 2015 06:51:31
Let's be honest this is mainly reported in the DailyStar for goodness sake, even Bills ability to use the press is faltering now. Not even the Fail is running with this story.