Skip to main content

Two purchasers prepared to pay for Charlton

So opaque is Charlton's takeover statement it might have been drafted by the Vatican.

Two purchasers are prepared to pay an acceptable price for troubled League One club Charlton Athletic: Price agreed

The South-East London club is owned by Belgian multi-millionaire Roland Duchatelet, originally as a part of a European network of clubs which reflected thinking in the European Commission at the time. Fans have demonstrated against Duchatelet, who has only been to one game at The Valley, both in SE7 and in Belgium.

Charlton's latest statement on the matter was issued by the one English director left on the board, Richard Murray. It was so cryptic and opaque it could have been drafted by The Vatican.

The matter is now in the hands of lawyers, but it is not clear how a decision will be made in favour of one purchaser or the other, or whether they might come together in a consortium.

A bid from a Scottish consortium was withdrawn, but there have been persistent rumours that the Addicks could become Australian owned and a showcase for young Australian talent.

Attendances have plummeted, in part because of fan dissatisfaction with Duchatelet, in part because of woeful standards of football. Winning fans back will not be easy, given that many are now following non-league clubs. There are also many rival attractions in London. Young professionals are moving into the area, especially the Grenwich peninsula, but they may have other allegiances to other clubs or not be interested in football.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Threat of financial calamity removed from Baggies

West Bromwich Albion had effectively been in decline ever since the club was sold to a Chinese consortium in August 2016, paying a figure north of £200m to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s stake. Controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai’s ownership was fairly disastrous for the club, but his unloved tenure finally came to an end after Bilkul Football WBA, a company ultimately owned by Florida-based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his father Dr Kiran Patel, acquired an 87.8% shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This change in ownership was urgently required, due to the numerous financial problems facing West Brom, including growing high-interest debt and serious cash flow concerns, following years of no investment from the former owner. Indeed, West Brom’s auditors had already rung the alarm bell in the 2021/22 accounts when they cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern without making player s
1 comment
Read more

Gold standard ground boosts Tottenham's income

The gold standard in European football grounds is the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in north London, a £1bn construction project completed in 2019. Its impact on the club’s finances has become increasingly clear as the effects of the pandemic have faded. Previously, the average fan would spend less than £2 inside the ground on a typical match day, but now that figure is about £16, thanks to new facilities including the longest bar in Europe and an on-site microbrewery. Capacity has gone up from 36,000 at the club’s previous home of White Hart Lane to 62,000.  The new stadium — built on land adjacent to White Hart Lane — has opened the door to a broad range of other events that have helped to push commercial income up from €117mn in 2018 to €215mn in 2022. Last year, Tottenham hosted US singer Beyoncé for five nights on her global Renaissance tour, two NFL matches, as well as rugby games and heavyweight boxing bouts.  Money brought in from football has gone up too. Match day income is
Post a Comment
Read more

Spurs to sell minority stake

Tottenham Hotspur is in talks to sell a minority stake in a deal that could value it at up to £3.75 billion and pave the way for Joe Lewis and his family to sever ties with the Premier League football club. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is seeking an investment that values the club at between £3.5 billion and £3.75 billion, including debt. While the terms of any deal have not been finalised, City sources expect Spurs to sell about 10 per cent. The club is being advised by bankers from Rothschild on the sale. Tottenham wants to raise fresh capital for new player signings and to help fund the development of an academy for its women’s team, as well as a 30-storey hotel next to its north London stadium. The financier Amanda Staveley, who brokered the deal for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to take over Newcastle United, is understood to be among the parties to have expressed an interest in Tottenham. Staveley’s fund, PCP Capital Partners, has raised about £500 million to depl
Post a Comment
Read more