Skip to main content

Charlton takeover could go to court

Richard Cawley of the South London Press reports: ' It seems like there could be some kind of legal challenge coming from Charlie Methven's group about Thomas Sandgaard ending their takeover talks.'

“Our group refutes Thomas Sandgaard’s claim last Friday February 10 that we are in breach of the signed agreement to buy Clear Ocean Capital, the holding company of Charlton Athletic. We were expecting to complete the deal last Thursday February 9: a substantial deposit had been paid, the agreed purchase price had not changed, the money required was in the relevant bank accounts and Owners and Directors Test applications had been lodged with the EFL.'

'Our clear legal advice is that we are still in exclusivity to complete the purchase and we still expect to do so imminently, as stipulated by the agreement of December 20 signed by Mr Sandgaard. We note Mr Sandgaard’s statement that he has been conducting discussions with other potential investors and had been working on “a Plan B”. Such actions were, and are, in contravention of the exclusivity agreement, and any third party participating in such discussions would be committing tortious interference, for which the penalties are significant.'

'We note also Mr Sandgaard’s removal of the entire senior management of Charlton Athletic, also in contravention of the December 20 agreement. This, together with attempting to renege on the deal, has introduced unwelcome uncertainty and instability to the club and its’ fans, after a brief period when a competent management team had started to plan constructively for the club’s future. We urge Mr Sandgaard to complete the signed deal he previously agreed without the necessity for legal action.'

Background on the situation at Charlton and possible options can be found here: https://www.castrust.org/2023/02/faqs-regarding-ownership-of-charlton-and-the-valley/

The Athletic has reported that Thomas Sandgaard is in talks with Marc Spiegel, an American businessman who is co-founder of at Altanta-based recycling business.   He has offered a higher price for the club.   He is a big fan of MLS team Atlanta United.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fulham requires big funding from owner

After lengthy delays, Fulham’s shiny, new Riverside Stand has finally opened, creating “a unique Thameside destination with first class facilities for supporters and partners on match days, as well as for the wider community year-round”. This ambitious project has increased Craven Cottage’s capacity by around 4,000 to 29,600, while it has also taken advantage of the club’s fantastic location and wealthy catchment area by including two Michelin star restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool, corporate hospitality and event space, all benefiting from views of the Thames. Chief executive Alistair Mackintosh observed, “Fulham is the sort of club that can have a business class or first class and have fans that turn left on a plane.” Indeed, there is also an exclusive members club – with a football season ticket as an optional extra. It’s fair to say that “the times they are a-changing”, as this is a long way from the traditional pie and a pint. However, in a world where clubs face the tw...

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...

A poor financial record, but new hope at Everton

I recently saw an amusing video online in which a group of Everton fans were rebuked in jest for being hopeful.  Football fans in general tend to swing between excessive optimism and excessive pessimism, but for many it seems that moaning is in their bloodstream (Spurs fans probably take the trophy).  However, Everton fans have had plenty to moan about on and off the pitch.   Let’s hope that a new era is about to begin for this grand old club. Everton’s 2023/24 financial results covered a fairly momentous season, when they ended up 15th in the Premier League, though they would finished three places higher if they had not received an 8-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR). It was a worrying time for Everton fans, as the club faced a “perfect storm” of issues, including large financial losses, an ever increasing debt burden, a challenging stadium build and the tortuous sale of the club. There were eve...