Article Taxonomy: Takeovers

Articles on football club takeovers and related issues

More uncertainty at Liverpool

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There is more uncertainty about the future of Liverpool Football Club after a board meeting in London today.  There were hopes that a preferred bidder would have emerged by now, but a deal before the end of the transfer window looks unlikely.  Under new Premier League rules, clubs have to give ten days’ notice of a proposed takeover and no such notice has been given by Liverpool.  Kenny Huang is reported to have said that his bid has a 50 per cent chance of succeeding, but that remains speculation.


The statement issue by the board verges on the bland:

Takeover at Forest Green

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Cash strapped Conference club Forest Green Rovers, who have been struggling to pay off historic tax debts, look as if they are about to be taken over.   Dale Vince, Britain’s richest green entrepreneur, is poised to make a bid.  His wind power company is based in Stroud, close to the Nailsworth club.  He has built up a £85m fortune and ranks 657th in the UK’s rich list.  He has previously sponsored Shortwood United.


The good news follows the announcement last week of a lucrative two-year shirt sponsorship with Coventry Building Society.

Indian bidder for Liverpool

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An Indian billionaire is the latest person to register an interest in buying Liverpool football club.  Apparently the Sahara Group, owned by Subrata Roy, has been trying to negotiate with the club for several months, but the deal has stalled on debt concerns.  Reasonably enough the Sahara Group thinks that given the size of Liverpool’s debt the current owners should lower their asking price.

Chainrai uncertain about Pompey

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There is only one serious buyer in the frame for Portsmouth as far as the administrators are concerned, but Balram Chainrai is uncertain whether to buy the club.   From what he says here it seems as if his family could have the final say.   He has said, however, that he will put funds into the club even if he doesn’t buy it which seems the worst of both worlds to me.

Portsmouth win court case

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Portsmouth have won a crucial court case broug ht against them by Revenue and Customs challenging their Company Voluntary Arrangement.   The CVA can now go ahead and the club can prepare for the season.  If they had lost, there was a real risk of the club going out of business altogether.

Red dawn at Liverpool?

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It appears that the full resources of the Chinese Government through its China Investment Corporation  (CIC) are behind Kenny Huang’s bid for Liverpool.  CIC has $332bn to spend abroad.  Acquiring the club would be a propaganda coup for China and confirm the country’s status as a leading economic and political world power.   Premier League football is now big politics as well as big economics. 

Indian tycoon in for Rovers

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An Indian tycoon has targeted Blackburn Rovers for acquisition, demonstrating once again the appeal of the Premier League to foreign buyers.   Ahasan Ali Syed was educated in Britain and his Western Gulf Advisory company has £8bn in assets.   The club’s £20m debt would be wiped out and up to £300m made available for development with the intention of regaining the Premier League title last won in 1995.  However, there would be no Manchester City style splurging of cash.<

A done Maple Leaf deal at Liverpool?

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Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi has stated that he has agreed terms with Tom Hicks and George Gillett and is negotiating a final deal with them to buy Liverpool.  Certainly, he seems to have been their preferred bidder throughout, although what chairman Martin Broughton and RBS think about it is another matter.  Some view his gazumping as an attempt to drive up the price offered by Kenny Huang which at under £300m is under half of what the current owners want.

Kuwaiti family interested in Liverpool

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Kuwait’s al-Kharafi family are the latest potential bidders for Liverpool to be identified.  This means that four out of what are thought to be six bidders have now been named.


Media commentary is focusing on Kenny Huang and it appears that the Hong Kong-based businessman may have Chinese Government money behind him.  This led to Radio 5 raising the question of whether human rights issues would arise.  That woulld be a substantial extension of the fit and proper persons test.  Britain trades with China and is keen to expand that trade.