Be Honest would you sell?

[spyinthesky]

If you were the owner of SFC, and not a died in the wool supporter, would you look to realise your asset at this stage?

 

With a reported £90m in gross revenue forthcoming (hopefully secured for the immediate future), a decent ground (bought and paid for) a well respected Academy and a squad worth, say, £50m+ (most on longish contracts) set against an investment of say £25-£30m, it doesn't look a bad return.

 

I think any owner would be looking at the downside going forward eg higher player wages and transfer fees to cement Premiership future, possible investment in increased stadium capacity etc etc against the additional revenue potential.

 

I really hope that the owners do have a long term continuity plan for the club as, apart from the odd hiccup here and there, Saints have made remarkable progress since the dark days of the previous regimes.

[Bearsy]

totes! If the owners is in it to make money now is the time yo! As you say if we don't win another game for 4 years we'll still get £90m from tv. Plus this summer is gonna be good one for selling players cos all prem teams are rolling in additional tv cash!

 

I'd sell everything that i can, I'd play the youth team & sell them if they get good, I wouldn't spend any more than I'm earning from ticket sales and then I'd flip the club as a debt free concern in league 1 or whatever once I've trousered all the parachutes!

 

I mean, hope the Lieb-bears don't tho!

[Colinjb]

It would depend on who is willing to buy.

[Turkish]

If it was ROI Cortese and the Liebherrs were looking for now would certainly be a good time. They could easily double their money.

Edited 21 April, 2013 by Turkish

[ToreSF]

If the club is sold, I hope the new owners keep Cortese in charge.

[Wopper]

Chancers like Lowe will never get near the club again.

[Joensuu]

Depends on the offer. £70m no; £120m + probably.

 

Until then we are turning a (slight) profit, and progressing. Keep in that direction and the possible return will be greater - oh, and then there is the outside chance that investors are enjoying the ride. So long as it isn't costing them much and they are in profit on the overall deal, there is every chance they might just sit tight and see what happens.

[Saintandy666]

Depends on how much the offer is and who to. I doubt the Liebherrs/Cortese would want to sell the company they have rebuilt to some person who would **** it up all over again.

[CB Fry]

I think now would be a brilliant time to sell up for them. We're at the high water mark for them to maximise their return.

 

As a dispassionate advisor to the Leibherrs/MALI/whoever it is I would say sell and get the hell out of English football.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Certainly is a good time to sell but who would buy......?

[Turkish]

Certainly is a good time to sell but who would buy......?

 

I hear there is a Hong Kong businessman with experience of running English clubs looking for something to do........

[adrian lord]

Any Arab Emirate Sheiks still yet to buy a trophy club?

[Wiggles31]

Could question, who would buy? We are gonna cost a fair bit. Still it would be a good time to sell. Reckon they wanna take the club to a higher level (stadium expansions etc.) and to maximise an either bigger return. Who knows? As long as Cortese is at the healm I am happy.

[VectisSaint]

Just shows the attitude of all the "want it now" generation. ML never invested in Saints in a make a quick buck way, he was so rich that what was invested was really just pocket money. Maybe it would be a good time to cash in, but I don't believe for one minute it will happen, ML and NC had a vision, a project which is not yet completed. NC will want to go to the next level, there is nothing really to be gained by selling now, making a few more quids for an estate that is worth billions, totally pointless.

[CB Fry]

Just shows the attitude of all the "want it now" generation. ML never invested in Saints in a make a quick buck way, he was so rich that what was invested was really just pocket money. Maybe it would be a good time to cash in, but I don't believe for one minute it will happen, ML and NC had a vision, a project which is not yet completed. NC will want to go to the next level, there is nothing really to be gained by selling now, making a few more quids for an estate that is worth billions, totally pointless.

 

Nicola Cortese, sacking two successful managers because they weren't delivering enough success quick enough for him is clearly not part of the "want it now" generation.

 

Clearly not.

 

Christ.

[Saint 76er]

TBH, I think this is more personal to those involved than just a money making exercise (the Liebherrs are billionaires after all). From what he has said it would seem that Nicola made a promise to Markus to see through their dream of CL football and it may be that Markus left funds for this purpose. The family don't need the money, as such, and very probably would wish for Markus' dream to be fulfilled in his memory.

 

NC clearly has plans for the future and seems to be heading the club in the required direction poste haste, so it does not look as if anyone is looking for a buyer now or probably for some time to come. Presumably the day will come when the current crew are ready to move on, but we may be CL champions by then!

 

Of course, who knows what would happen if someone comes in tomorrow with a crazy offer? Maybe it would be considered, or maybe they would just be directed down the road to a more deserving case who actually need the money ...

[Olallana]

Is it fair to believe that the club´s worth will rise the coming years?

I think so.

 

If you did business in the stock market. Would you sell your shares even if it´s as almost as certain that your shares will rise the coming 12/24/36 months?

Maybe for the normal guy that needs money and wants to cash in, but the family dont need that.

 

And why would they not honour Markus wishes?

[VectisSaint]

Nicola Cortese, sacking two successful managers because they weren't delivering enough success quick enough for him is clearly not part of the "want it now" generation.

 

Clearly not.

 

Christ.

CBF in stupid post shocker. Clearly not looking for quick sell if he is investing in new manager and willing to pay compo for sacking previous manager. No idea what Christ has to do with this, I guess as usual you are unable to string together a coherent argument, because as usual you don't actually understand the discussion or what is happening.

[VectisSaint]

TBH, I think this is more personal to those involved than just a money making exercise (the Liebherrs are billionaires after all). From what he has said it would seem that Nicola made a promise to Markus to see through their dream of CL football and it may be that Markus left funds for this purpose. The family don't need the money, as such, and very probably would wish for Markus' dream to be fulfilled in his memory.

 

NC clearly has plans for the future and seems to be heading the club in the required direction poste haste, so it does not look as if anyone is looking for a buyer now or probably for some time to come. Presumably the day will come when the current crew are ready to move on, but we may be CL champions by then!

 

Of course, who knows what would happen if someone comes in tomorrow with a crazy offer? Maybe it would be considered, or maybe they would just be directed down the road to a more deserving case who actually need the money ...

This...

[scotty]

TBH, I think this is more personal to those involved than just a money making exercise (the Liebherrs are billionaires after all). From what he has said it would seem that Nicola made a promise to Markus to see through their dream of CL football and it may be that Markus left funds for this purpose. The family don't need the money, as such, and very probably would wish for Markus' dream to be fulfilled in his memory.

 

NC clearly has plans for the future and seems to be heading the club in the required direction poste haste, so it does not look as if anyone is looking for a buyer now or probably for some time to come. Presumably the day will come when the current crew are ready to move on, but we may be CL champions by then!

 

Of course, who knows what would happen if someone comes in tomorrow with a crazy offer? Maybe it would be considered, or maybe they would just be directed down the road to a more deserving case who actually need the money ...

 

Nutshell.

 

Whatever the Liebherrs invested in SFC, its peanuts in the context of their other assetts. Markus clearly bought into a project, and while he and Cortese obviously wouldn't have been actively seeking to lose money on it I cant believe that a financial windfall could have been their primary motivation. There are far easier ways for billionaires to increase their wealth.

[ericb]

Said it before and i'll say it again, i'd be very surprised if we have the same owners in the next two seasons. Far too much information around that links us with selling and direct quotes from Cortese saying he doesn't expect to be around too long.

[CB Fry]

CBF in stupid post shocker. Clearly not looking for quick sell if he is investing in new manager and willing to pay compo for sacking previous manager. No idea what Christ has to do with this, I guess as usual you are unable to string together a coherent argument, because as usual you don't actually understand the discussion or what is happening.

 

Where did I say he was looking for a "quick sell" then? Vectis making sh it up shocker.

 

You started griping about the "want it now" generation. Everything that Cortese has done since he's been here is testiment to that generation.

 

If you want to "string together" a " coherent argument" I wouldn't start by moaning about a "generation" that our chairman embodies to the core of his being.

 

Keep trying. One day you'll understand.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Said it before and i'll say it again, i'd be very surprised if we have the same owners in the next two seasons. Far too much information around that links us with selling and direct quotes from Cortese saying he doesn't expect to be around too long.

 

When has Cortese ever said that?

[saintchris23]

I'm hoping that the current owners and chairman share the Jim Collins philosophy of turning a good company into a great one. For that to happen, champions league is a minimum requirement you'd have thought?

[Micky]

Said it before and i'll say it again, i'd be very surprised if we have the same owners in the next two seasons. Far too much information around that links us with selling and direct quotes from Cortese saying he doesn't expect to be around too long.

 

Where is this information, where are the direct quotes? This is all news (bad) to me.

 

Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2

[alpine_saint]

Much as NC clearly doesnt suffer fools or failure gladly, I still think the buy-out and his stewardship are guided by Swiss/German business ethics and not Anglo-American ones. Which means this is a very long-term project, to be seen through to its conclusion. There is still the less-than-trivial targets of stadium expansion and Champions League football to aspire to.

[sotonist]

If the Liebherrs are minded to sell I think NC will look to stay on.

[melmacian_saint]

I always thought Nicola Cortese would eventually be taking over the club from the Liebherrs....

[Wes Tender]

Just shows the attitude of all the "want it now" generation. ML never invested in Saints in a make a quick buck way, he was so rich that what was invested was really just pocket money. Maybe it would be a good time to cash in, but I don't believe for one minute it will happen, ML and NC had a vision, a project which is not yet completed. NC will want to go to the next level, there is nothing really to be gained by selling now, making a few more quids for an estate that is worth billions, totally pointless.

 

I agree with your opinion that this isn't a matter of making a fast buck and getting out. Neither do I think that we have yet reached the point of optimum return on the Liebherr's investment even if they were only in it for short term gain. Clubs' revenues from TV have risen substantially recently and will probably continue to do so next year too. Continued success of the team will also increase our marketability and the revenues from that. There are exciting future player prospects rising through the Academy who for a fairly minor outlay could produce a substantial return if sold, not that we seem to be contemplating that strategy anyway. Apart from any other consideration, the Liebherr name will be enhanced further by association with our continuing success and the wider recognition that we will gain Worldwide if we made it into the Champions League.

[The9]

It is one of the world's great mysteries why Markus decided to buy us, and what the purpose of Cortese's continued presence in the absence of his friend is.

 

Markus had enough money that it's difficult to reconcile it being financially based, especially as football is a fairly minor industry in terms all of but the largest clubs and notoriously difficult to make profit from. Although if you do it well enough, as we seem to be seeing, it all appears rather easy. One explanation is that he was winding down and may have known he was ill, and wanted a project to bring happiness to himself and maybe plenty of others, and that Cortese is just continuing Markus' altruism, but in the businesslike way he knows of achieving success.

 

The lack of fan-friendly policies does somewhat weaken the overall fuzziness of this view, however, and the first fan unfriendly decision (no instalments on STs) happened before Markus left us.

 

Cortese's repetition of the goals of European success and the appearance of the stadium regeneration on the ST DVD suggests he's going to be around for at least another few years yet. Whether he chooses to sell THEN is another matter, because that would be a hell of a profit.

[Bucks Saint]

I certainly hope that, whenever it does become the right time to sell, that NC and the Liebherrs remain consistent to their approach to the fans and once a price is set with the buyer, they still charge the standard £1.50 payment fee.