Takeover News/Rumours

[Grumpy Old Man]

Aye me too mate but then it makes you think if that’s the case why he’d want them here in any capacity. Surely he wouldn’t want a pair of failed chancers riding off the back of any future success they can bring.

If the only way to get the control was to leave them a token stake (and that's all that 20% is) he clearly thought that it was worth it. The reality is that SD and CM will now have the same level of influence as Sartori previously - ie bugger all.

 

[10 Gary Rowells]

Is it still just the one piece in The Guardian? No other reports?

Curious to hear Barnesy this afternoon ...

In today's Times - one of the main footy stories.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

sure Juan has said to his mates, look boys.... if you'd witnessed the trafalgar square the day and night before a lower league checkatrade trophy final. IMAGINE what my people will be like if we actually deliver a modicum. of success !
pop open the champagne guys, our time might just be about a comin


lord knows, we've waited long enough !!!!!!!

Can't help but think Kyril looked at that and thought "Bloody hell - this lot are even crazier than the OM ultras - I'm in"

 

[Dilligaf60]

I've never been the full shilling tbh

None of us are.

 

[Gobuchul]

Aye me too mate but then it makes you think if that’s the case why he’d want them here in any capacity. Surely he wouldn’t want a pair of failed chancers riding off the back of any future success they can bring.

I would suggest that it's fairly obvious. I would suggest that the shares he has sold reduces his exposure to close to zero.

He has negotiated 20% so when the promotion is achieved, he can sell his 20% and make a decent profit.

 

[10 Gary Rowells]

Little update if anyone cares:

“Big plans”
“very exciting future”
“sleeping shareholder, no influence” (in reference to SD)

Once it’s been completed it sounds like they’re going to be pretty open about all these plans.

So let’s see... cautious optimism is my current state of mind

Very encouraging. Obviously, you can't say who you get your info from but can you allude to how this person is getting insights?

 

[Gonzo Mackem]

I would suggest that it's fairly obvious. I would suggest that the shares he has sold reduces his exposure to close to zero.

He has negotiated 20% so when the promotion is achieved, he can sell his 20% and make a decent profit.

Or that he now is no longer exposed to the impact of covid on the club with the potential to recoup money in the future.

 

[KittenMittens]

Little update if anyone cares:

“Big plans”
“very exciting future”
“sleeping shareholder, no influence” (in reference to SD)

Once it’s been completed it sounds like they’re going to be pretty open about all these plans.

So let’s see... cautious optimism is my current state of mind

Sounds good to me. Don't know why anyone was worried about Donald, he can't influence anything at that level.

 

[GBSAFC]

Can't help but think Kyril looked at that and thought "Bloody hell - this lot are even crazier than the OM ultras - I'm in"

Our fans despite all the debacle still love the club... owners come and go. At times its been tough to love and harder to watch, but with the oxygen of success ... even in the small, we come to life almost
Faith just needs restoring

 

[Confucius]

I really wish we'd stop worrying about kids who have opted to leave league one to play for Manchester United and Arsenal. I really don't get it. I've supported this club my whole life, would I have stayed at Sunderland's academy if United or Arsenal wanted me? No chance!

People at this stage are just using this as a petty excuse to have a pop at the owners.

I really wish people would see that he is an overall f***ing disaster

 

[oddbod]

I've long wondered whether Sartori always planned to get more involved but was quiet because he knew Donald and Methven were going to fuck it up and, when he made his move, he didn't want to be damned by association.

Do you remember on here when the three amigos took over.......people speculating about their motivations ect always looking for the positives and shouting down the more sanguine posters who suggested to wait and see what they did not what they said they would do.We all want the best for our great club but i personally will wait until the deal goes through and see what their plans are and see how they deal with the leaches don and charlie ...I also hope santi plays a bigger role because up till now he got 20% of our great club with little outlay and has been absent most of the time with his political career in his own country...........Lets all hope for the best as one thing is for sure there are no better supporters in the universe than the safc massive and perhaps for once we will get the owners we deserve.

 

[wigwams]

Can we make loan signings or is that just during the window?

 

[socrates]

If the only way to get the control was to leave them a token stake (and that's all that 20% is) he clearly thought that it was worth it. The reality is that SD and CM will now have the same level of influence as Sartori previously - ie bugger all.

this is what I recon as well.

Donald and Methven retaining shares as an investment, in the event the 'club 'takes off' and they can make a lot of profit on their shares.

They will have no influence around the club, they know they are hated. I dont think we'll see them again around the club

 

[doodlebugs]

It's because no more than two clubs have EVER averaged 2 points a game over a season. 3rd place has never been close to it and they won't this season. If we average 2 a game we will go up

don't get me wrong,i bloody hope ya right,3 seasons in this fukn league is enuff for anyone,i only said what i said because after all,this is Sunderland we're talking about,the club where all goes as smooth as owt

 

[Comeback_Kenwyne]

In mail and was on sky

Also in the Times this morning, but with a bit more detail.

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According to the Times (sorry if SEB):

"The potential sale of Sunderland appeared to move a step closer yesterday, with Stewart Donald, the owner, believed to have reached an agreement to sell 60 per cent of the club for £22 million to a consortium headed by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori.

The Times understands that there is still some way before a deal is concluded, however, with due diligence not yet completed by the interested party and any deal needing the ratification of FPP (the company set up by the American investors Glenn Fuhrman, Robert Platek and John Phelan), which loaned the club £10 million 12 months ago.

Louis-Dreyfus, 22, is the son of the former Marseilles owner Robert, who died in 2009, and Sartori already owns a fifth of Sunderland. Sunderland officials cancelled a meeting with the Red and White Army supporters group on Thursday.

Under the suggested agreement with the preferred bidder Donald would retain a 15 per cent shareholding in the club, while Charlie Methven would also keep the 5 per cent that he currently owns. At present Sartori has a 20 per cent stake. That in part has led to a low-key reaction among supporters to the potential change in ownership. It is believed Donald has spent about £10 million of his own money since buying the club from Ellis Short in 2018.

It was thought Donald had agreed to buy the club for £39.6 million but it later emerged he had financed the purchase using broadcast income paid to clubs relegated from the Premier League. The club’s draft accounts showed that a debt of £20.5 million had in fact been written off as an “exceptional operating expense”. It was also revealed that Sartori had paid only £1 for his 20 per cent share in Madrox Ltd, the holding company that owns Sunderland Football Club. It had been reported at the time that he had paid £3 million.

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The preferred consortium bidding for control now, with Louis-Dreyfus at its head, is believed to have offered its proposal to Donald at the end of October. The group is hoping to move towards completion by December, but there are major hurdles to be cleared before then with other parties still interested in buying the club."

ENDS

 

[palm 1]

this is what I recon as well.

Donald and Methven retaining shares as an investment, in the event the 'club 'takes off' and they can make a lot of profit on their shares.

They will have no influence around the club, they know they are hated. I dont think we'll see them again around the club

The daft thing is that football fans are so fickle that should we become successful and they are still part of the club , all that has happened previous will be forgotten.

 

[Mackem Tommy]

Also in the Times this morning, but with a bit more detail.

You must be logged on to see external links

According to the Times (sorry if SEB):

"The potential sale of Sunderland appeared to move a step closer yesterday, with Stewart Donald, the owner, believed to have reached an agreement to sell 60 per cent of the club for £22 million to a consortium headed by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori.

The Times understands that there is still some way before a deal is concluded, however, with due diligence not yet completed by the interested party and any deal needing the ratification of FPP (the company set up by the American investors Glenn Fuhrman, Robert Platek and John Phelan), which loaned the club £10 million 12 months ago.

Louis-Dreyfus, 22, is the son of the former Marseilles owner Robert, who died in 2009, and Sartori already owns a fifth of Sunderland. Sunderland officials cancelled a meeting with the Red and White Army supporters group on Thursday.

Under the suggested agreement with the preferred bidder Donald would retain a 15 per cent shareholding in the club, while Charlie Methven would also keep the 5 per cent that he currently owns. At present Sartori has a 20 per cent stake. That in part has led to a low-key reaction among supporters to the potential change in ownership. It is believed Donald has spent about £10 million of his own money since buying the club from Ellis Short in 2018.

It was thought Donald had agreed to buy the club for £39.6 million but it later emerged he had financed the purchase using broadcast income paid to clubs relegated from the Premier League. The club’s draft accounts showed that a debt of £20.5 million had in fact been written off as an “exceptional operating expense”. It was also revealed that Sartori had paid only £1 for his 20 per cent share in Madrox Ltd, the holding company that owns Sunderland Football Club. It had been reported at the time that he had paid £3 million.
The preferred consortium bidding for control now, with Louis-Dreyfus at its head, is believed to have offered its proposal to Donald at the end of October. The group is hoping to move towards completion by December, but there are major hurdles to be cleared before then with other parties still interested in buying the club."

ENDS

Fair enough, except if you have reached an agreement to sell, other parties are unlikely to be much of a major hurdle.

 

[Dilligaf60]

We'll have to see on that one.

Alternatively, would you revise your view if none of them do?

Is it not indicative to you that the fact premier league clubs were happy to take a chance oon them that maybe, just, maybe it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that they might have been just about good enough to help get us out of league 1?
Assuming of course we had a manager that had the guts to give them the chance, which we haven’t so maybe it is better they moved on after all. Another thing Donald will be lauded for no doubt. Absolute visionary that one. How lucky we are that he rescued us from oblivion.

 

[Guinness Guzzler]

Aye me too mate but then it makes you think if that’s the case why he’d want them here in any capacity. Surely he wouldn’t want a pair of failed chancers riding off the back of any future success they can bring.

He quite possibly doesn't want them here. In fact I'd go as far as to say he almost certainly doesn't, simply because him and the other lad have enough money to not need someone like Donald keeping a share since he can't really bring anything to the table.

Unfortunately he can't make them go if they don't want to. If all Donald would agree to is selling most of his shares now and selling more when we go up (which I imagine is the case, and then maybe a smaller amount kept in case we get to the PL), then Sartori wouldn't have a choice other than to walk away entirely. I doubt Donald and Methven will have any say when this goes through, they'll be purely hoping to get a bit of profit. It's undeserved but as long as we progress as a club I'm not overly bothered

 

[Comeback_Kenwyne]

Fair enough, except if you have reached an agreement to sell, other parties are unlikely to be much of a major hurdle.

I think the implication is the due diligence is the main hurdle. The added detail (which we all know) about Donald's prior creative accounting is a suggestion that it is possible more things like that might turn up.

The other parties bit is secondary information, which suggests what it says: other people are interested. Whether William Story classifies as a person, not sure. In many ways.