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The Sunday Times - Southampton put up for sale at £250m

The Odd Guy

By The Odd Guy,
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Ex Lion Tamer

Ex Lion Tamer

Posted
Posted

If we got taken over by Red Bull, it would be ok if we were top of the chain. But if we became a feeder club for Leipzig it would be very bad news. Imagine the uproar on here if our top players started being despatched to the parent club!

 

Worse owners than Gao:

 

Sullivan/Gold

Ashley

Glazers

Levy (got lucky with Poch, watch them sink)

Arsenal board?

 

 

Not many granted but Gao isn't the worst.

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stevy777_x

stevy777_x

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Our problems have not been down to Gao particularly, but the very poor recruitment in recent seasons.

Exactly. If we had recruited well, noone would be talking about Gao, like nobody talked about Kat as results on the pitch were very good during her tenure.

 

If you look at it, investment with Kat and Gao has been the same, with the exception of a loan for Kat who made loads of money through high interest payments.

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egg

egg

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Exactly. If we had recruited well, noone would be talking about Gao, like nobody talked about Kat as results on the pitch were very good during her tenure.

 

If you look at it, investment with Kat and Gao has been the same, with the exception of a loan for Kat who made loads of money through high interest payments.

 

The biggest fallacy is that we haven't spent money. We've spent a fortune. My issue is with muppets who've been in charge and overseen the signing of complete shiite at inflated prices and on ridiculous contracts. I think most sensible people can see that.

 

That said, I'd love an owner with more money than sense rather than one with more sense than money.

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Wurzel

Wurzel

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I worry that without Goa we won't be able to attract blue chip corporate sponsors like LD Sports.

 

Is their website finished yet?

 

Actually got a decent stream on Saturday and noticed their web address ldsports.uk going round the perimiter advertising. It still seems exactly the same as it did back when we'd first heard of them, including their claim of a

"With our ever-growing fanbase of 22,000 and counting fans on Weibo"

 

Maybe Blue Chip means something else in China :lol:

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egg

egg

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It's both really. All we've been doing recently is signing Neil McCanns and Darren Kentons at 2019 prices.

 

Isn't the only actual criticism of Gao that he doesn't sink personal monies into the club?

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JRM

JRM

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Actually got a decent stream on Saturday and noticed their web address ldsports.uk going round the perimiter advertising. It still seems exactly the same as it did back when we'd first heard of them, including their claim of a

 

Maybe Blue Chip means something else in China :lol:

 

Thanks, great website, can definitely see how they make such huge sums of money to be able to afford to pay us millions in sponsorship each year.

Bit disappointed on the southampton page they don't mention how many times we've won the Hampshire Senior Cup.

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le_tiss

le_tiss

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If we got taken over by Red Bull, it would be ok if we were top of the chain. But if we became a feeder club for Leipzig it would be very bad news. Imagine the uproar on here if our top players started being despatched to the parent club!

 

Worse owners than Gao:

 

Sullivan/Gold

Ashley

Glazers

Levy (got lucky with Poch, watch them sink)

Arsenal board?

 

 

Not many granted but Gao isn't the worst.

 

This is Bang On

 

Have no understanding of why Newcastle is being held up as an example? They are reasons why he sales never go through as similar to Gold and Sullivan they pay themselves interest off the loans they have made to the club without having any on the loans paid back (thus when the club is sold they will then get those loans paid back) - Also Ashley has sold off land the Toon owned to his other companies (similar to what G&S @ WestHam did with the old Upton Park (sold for a tiny amount to a development firm (owned by G&S) who now are building flats to profit))

 

Regarding advertising - i believe The Toon receives nothing for the advertising os Sports Direct at St James Park and any future deals include SD staying as the sponsor of the ground. Ashley has also always wanted a share 10/20% of the club even if sold.

 

The investment in their facilities is nonexistent

 

I am not saying Gao is great (quite the opposite) but to class him as the worst owner is just not correct - there are many more worst owners.

 

Unfortunately for all us fans - football these days is business or a plaything

 

Can't wait for him to go but no one is buying Newcastle with Ashley at the helm

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badgerx16

badgerx16

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Actually got a decent stream on Saturday and noticed their web address ldsports.uk going round the perimiter advertising. It still seems exactly the same as it did back when we'd first heard of them, including their claim of a

 

Maybe Blue Chip means something else in China :lol:

They have signed a marketing deal with the International Table Tennis Federation,

 

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1090141/table-tennis-ld-sports-ittf

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egg

egg

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Not really - it’s how well the club has spent considering the money is limited. All under his leadership.

 

I don't see the performance of his staff as a Gao issue. He had every right to rely on experienced football people to spend tens of millions wisely. They didn't, we have a shiite squad, yet Gao is the fall guy. Those people have gone but the poor players and their contracts haven't.

 

If we didn't spend what we could (our accounts suggests we have) then I'd be all over Gao, but our transfer failings haven't been down to Gao being unwilling to spend what we have.

 

However you cut it, the only actual criticism on here attributable to Gao himself is that he hasn't put cash into the club.

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manji

manji

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Is it just me who'd really enjoy this?

 

Bring on other fans hating us. We'd be a bigger club for it.

 

Football is already all dodgy ownership, sponsorship, gambling anyway. I'd welcome fans criticising ownership by a drinks brand and media company while defending their oil barrons and arms dealers.

Spot on “ no one likes we don’t care”

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Greenridge

Greenridge

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I don't see the performance of his staff as a Gao issue. He had every right to rely on experienced football people to spend tens of millions wisely. They didn't, we have a shiite squad, yet Gao is the fall guy. Those people have gone but the poor players and their contracts haven't.

 

If we didn't spend what we could (our accounts suggests we have) then I'd be all over Gao, but our transfer failings haven't been down to Gao being unwilling to spend what we have.

 

However you cut it, the only actual criticism on here attributable to Gao himself is that he hasn't put cash into the club.

 

If you are the owner or CEO or whatever top dog then you are ultimately responsible for the performance of that asset. Always has been and always will be that way and rightly so.

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manji

manji

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Natasha Patel was head of Saints Performance Analysis . She is considered a genius in her field. We let her go to New York Red Bulls. We let her go with our goodwill. She is still in touch with Saints. She was responsible with Josh Simms going back to Red Bull New York on loan.

I was told a few months ago she was going to be in charge of all Red Bull teams at the end of the season which if my contact is correct will include us.

Take cover Manji I was told a team from Red Bull were shown round the ground a couple of months ago.

The story to the staff was they were just checking facilities.

I’m not saying RB are buying us but I reckon the interest is there.

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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

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Natasha Patel was head of Saints Performance Analysis . She is considered a genius in her field. We let her go to New York Red Bulls. We let her go with our goodwill. She is still in touch with Saints. She was responsible with Josh Simms going back to Red Bull New York on loan.

I was told a few months ago she was going to be in charge of all Red Bull teams at the end of the season which if my contact is correct will include us.

Take cover Manji I was told a team from Red Bull were shown round the ground a couple of months ago.

The story to the staff was they were just checking facilities.

I’m not saying RB are buying us but I reckon the interest is there.

I'd personally love that.
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Wurzel

Wurzel

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Natasha Patel was head of Saints Performance Analysis . She is considered a genius in her field. We let her go to New York Red Bulls. We let her go with our goodwill. She is still in touch with Saints. She was responsible with Josh Simms going back to Red Bull New York on loan.

I was told a few months ago she was going to be in charge of all Red Bull teams at the end of the season which if my contact is correct will include us.

Take cover Manji I was told a team from Red Bull were shown round the ground a couple of months ago.

The story to the staff was they were just checking facilities.

I’m not saying RB are buying us but I reckon the interest is there.

 

I'd be happy with that. Spent all my life supporting this also ran, nearly club. If it means someone like them adopting us to enable us to compete consistently with the big boys that's fine by me.

Some will claim that's not the sort of club we are. I've been watching us since the early 70s. We're a million miles away now from the club we were then, adding a bit of corporate global ownership won't change us any more than the last 50 years already have,.

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Snopper

Snopper

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I'd be happy with that. Spent all my life supporting this also ran, nearly club. If it means someone like them adopting us to enable us to compete consistently with the big boys that's fine by me.

Some will claim that's not the sort of club we are. I've been watching us since the early 70s. We're a million miles away now from the club we were then, adding a bit of corporate global ownership won't change us any more than the last 50 years already have,.

 

I`d be happy with that too.

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Fatboy40

Fatboy40

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We've had two recent owners in a row now who've had no interest in the football Saints play, just its "Return on Investment" and how the clubs assets can be leveraged. ML buying the club was a fluke, thank God he did, but it was just a blip on the road since Rupert Lowe came along.

 

We're stuck in a horrible ownership no mans land, not enough reputation to be seen as a trophy and not enough of a bargain that can be turned around to profit from. No Sugar Daddy is going to come along on their white charge and start any sort of south coast renaissance, so God know who Gao would actually sell to.

 

I'd love us to be a rich persons play thing as long as they actually knew something about Saints, but if that's not possible I'd take being Red Bull's West European / Premier League club as money would be invested and the club would be managed correctly again.

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Wade Garrett

Wade Garrett

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Gao is that good an owner he is looking to flog the club a few years after buying it.

 

Really in it for the long haul.

 

Lets face it, Sullivan, Ashley the Glasers et al have their faults, but they didn’t buy a football club just as a way of laundering money.

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aintforever

aintforever

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Posted
Natasha Patel was head of Saints Performance Analysis . She is considered a genius in her field. We let her go to New York Red Bulls. We let her go with our goodwill. She is still in touch with Saints. She was responsible with Josh Simms going back to Red Bull New York on loan.

I was told a few months ago she was going to be in charge of all Red Bull teams at the end of the season which if my contact is correct will include us.

Take cover Manji I was told a team from Red Bull were shown round the ground a couple of months ago.

The story to the staff was they were just checking facilities.

I’m not saying RB are buying us but I reckon the interest is there.

 

I’d be happy with that. Being Red Bull Southampton wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. In 135 years we’ve won one solitary major trophy, they could call us Hairy Balls Southampton for all I care if they are going to invest in team.

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SKD

SKD

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I thought Gao loved Southampton as he’s been coming on holiday here for 10 years. This was drummed Into us at the fans forum a few months ago.

Surely our board weren’t trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

 

Don’t really blame the board. They’re probably just as in the dark as us and ultimately if they want to keep a job they have to defend him.

 

As for Gao the sooner he ****s off the better. Not sure we could do any worse to be honest.

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Ex Lion Tamer

Ex Lion Tamer

Posted
Posted
Natasha Patel was head of Saints Performance Analysis . She is considered a genius in her field. We let her go to New York Red Bulls. We let her go with our goodwill. She is still in touch with Saints. She was responsible with Josh Simms going back to Red Bull New York on loan.

I was told a few months ago she was going to be in charge of all Red Bull teams at the end of the season which if my contact is correct will include us.

Take cover Manji I was told a team from Red Bull were shown round the ground a couple of months ago.

The story to the staff was they were just checking facilities.

I’m not saying RB are buying us but I reckon the interest is there.

 

It's plausible that this story in the Times has been placed in order to pressure RB to firm up their interest

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Badger

Badger

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It's plausible that this story in the Times has been placed in order to pressure RB to firm up their interest

 

If they're interested in us - big "IF" I think - then they hold all the cards, probably knowing there aren't many other interested parties*, and will want to see which division we're in next season before going further.

 

* excluding the Mickey Fialka/Barry the Briefcase Consortium of course.

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CB Fry

CB Fry

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It's plausible that this story in the Times has been placed in order to pressure RB to firm up their interest
It's not plausible that a Sunday Times article is required to flush out Red Bull.

 

Also, Red Bull are not buying us. Ever.

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Badger

Badger

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It's not plausible that a Sunday Times article is required to flush out Red Bull.

 

Also, Red Bull are not buying us. Ever.

 

I suspect Red Bull 2020 = Paul Allen 2007.

 

Unless of course Help Me Rhondda or Morph appear from nowhere to tell us otherwise.

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CB Fry

CB Fry

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I suspect Red Bull 2020 = Paul Allen 2007.

 

Unless of course Help Me Rhondda or Morph appear from nowhere to tell us otherwise.

At least the Paul Allen thing was built around a pretty detailed article in a national newspaper. It had independent plausibility at the start.

 

This I think is more like the "Richard Branson is going to buy us" stuff from the 90s. Just blind hope. Although it's an odd thing to hope for in my opinion.

 

That said, bring on the rumour mongers. HelpmeRheddbull, are you out there?

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jasonb

jasonb

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I suspect Red Bull 2020 = Paul Allen 2007.

 

Unless of course Help Me Rhondda or Morph appear from nowhere to tell us otherwise.

 

Wow. Paul Allen was 2007 ? Where is the time going.

 

What a saga. This thread will grow and grow for sure. Like just mentioned, RB sounds too good to be true.

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doddisalegend

doddisalegend

Posted
Posted

So what would people like as our next owner

 

A) Shady Russian, mates with Putin, lots of money.

B) Arab sheik with lots and lots of money

C) Soft drink company with money

D) local lad with love for the club but not that much money

E) dodgy foreigner owner with much less money than promised

F) American owners buying the club through loans put on the club

G) Hedge fund group flogging of the stadium to raise funds

H) Fan owned consortium not a pot to **** in

I) Good old fashioned British businessman with nice a side line in cheap sports wear or rubber cocks

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

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So what would people like as our next owner

 

A) Shady Russian, mates with Putin, lots of money.

B) Arab sheik with lots and lots of money

C) Soft drink company with money

D) local lad with love for the club but not that much money

E) dodgy foreigner owner with much less money than promised

F) American owners buying the club through loans put on the club

G) Hedge fund group flogging of the stadium to raise funds

H) Fan owned consortium not a pot to **** in

I) Good old fashioned British businessman with nice a side line in cheap sports wear or rubber cocks

 

If those are the only options then ... B or C

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Gordon Mockles

Gordon Mockles

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You do know NC wasn't the owner? He was just an employee spending someone's else's money whilst drawing a large salary himself, which was unsustainable.

 

Yeah, how dare he. He was such a disaster. :?

 

Cortese was the only person in years, in the upper echelons of the club, to actually have any ambition and he managed to spend wisely. They would identify the right target, put in a sensible bid, negotiate hard and acquire them.

 

This current joker has sent us back about 5 years after asset stripping us and perceives the value of the club has gone up by 40 million. No person in their right mind would buy us at that price

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