Administration

[ScepticalRoyal]

a) For all we know he does have the money to support the club, but for whatever reason has decided that RFC is no longer a viable business proposition

b) How are they supposed to ensure that a foreign owner will be any more loyal than 25% of the club's existing fanbase?

The FPPT, as far as I'm aware, is there to ensure that the potential new owner isn't involved in anything dodgy, isn't going to risk the future of the football club, and has access to funds to support the club. The third point was presumably covered by Boris' fortune, and we haven't any evidence to suggest that Anton was liable to being caught out on the first two criteria, so what exactly should the authorities have picked up on?

I'm not having a moan, honest.

It just seemed to me that the first stage of the takeover was stalled due to these new and rigorous tests that I'd assumed would stop this happening. If that's not their purpose then I've been misguided and apologise.

[floyd__streete]

a) For all we know he does have the money to support the club, but for whatever reason has decided that RFC is no longer a viable business proposition

It has taken him 2 years to suss out that a small club with all the global profile of Felix Bowness from a backwater town where the locals regularly traipse into the capital to watch better football wouldn't be sh*tting money as he had hoped

[winchester_royal]

a) For all we know he does have the money to support the club, but for whatever reason has decided that RFC is no longer a viable business proposition

It has taken him 2 years to suss out that a small club with all the global profile of Felix Bowness from a backwater town where the locals regularly traipse into the capital to watch better football wouldn't be sh*tting money as he had hoped

Yep. Wouldn't have happenned if he'd gone to Bradfield instead of Bearwood.

[Ian Royal]

I'm more inclined gven the latest to think that he was probably in it for the short-term on the basis of getting us up, and keeping us up while he found someone new to buy us for a big profit. Or at least take on a big chunk of TSI.

It seems we may have gone up too quickly, before he really settled his finances in place to take the whole club. With relegation, and the stuttering start to this season he decided that the way we went down meant it was going to take a rebuild and plenty of money to get us back up and so is cutting and running for what will probably turn out to be a small loss at absolute worst.

I reckon the delay in the rest of the takeover may have been that at least some of the money earmarked for the rest of the shares ended up going into the increased PL costs. And probably Daddy Zing saw that this was likely to be a much tougher nut to crack once we'd gone up and come down again and weren't going to walk straight back up again easily, so maybe withdrew a bit of backing.

Now he's got a baby and I understand a new hockey team? So he's got some new distractions and toys to play with, decreasing the desire to stick it out here and make it work out.

Then again, I've still not seen anything concrete to say he's bailing completely.

[Royal Biscuitman]

a nice white Bentley

So this rings true, but is he still shagging Cilla Black?

I wasn't close enough to see if anyone was down besides him in the passenger seat

[Royal Biscuitman]

I noticed at the Forest game that my half-time pint of Fosters was slightly less watered-down than usual.

Possibly a sign of our improving financial situation?

sounds like an excuse to put the prices up

[Royal Biscuitman]

I would guess that RFC's finances are similar to my own. A reasonable income but high outgoings and with debts and assets all over the place it's hard to work out whether you're in the red or black. So you play things cautiously, you don't mind spending £25 on a curry but you think twice about buying a new tv.

The TV will have a resell value, a curry won't...... the TV is an investment, the curry is a running cost (not because it will give you the runs).

When the club starts selling it's assets or investments you know it has problems..... er, hang on didn't we just sell our training ground? Have we actually built/invested the money in the new one?

[M Brook]

.. er, hang on didn't we just sell our training ground?

No.

[M Brook]

Have we actually built/invested the money in the new one?

No

[melonhead]

omg where are we training now?!

[SPARTA]

.. er, hang on didn't we just sell our training ground?

No.

To the annoyance of the utility company that want the land.

[Royal Biscuitman]

.. er, hang on didn't we just sell our training ground?

No.

To the annoyance of the utility company that want the land.

Can't we ground share with them?.... not sure which utility company it is so I will cover all bases and say it may lead to some sparks on the pitch / allow us to turn up and sing sh*t on the ground or it will give the players some much needed gas in their tanks.

[Royal Biscuitman]

I'm sure the advanced checks and balances by the "authorities" were supposed to ensure stuff like this didn't happen?

Support the club = Prevent it going into administration, Not buy better players/push for promotion/avoid relegation or buy more shares from the co-owner.

If anyone has screwed up it's the Chairman who screwed up with his own due diligence and/or employing the wrong people to do the checks for him, assuming his stated goal to sell to someone with deep pockets who could (not would) take the club to a higher level was true.

I think the club was Anton's baby.... then his wife had a real one and his priorities have changed.

[Cureton's Volley]

omg where are we training now?!

[Berry]

I sit here and laugh ot so loud in how far from the truth so many of you are....How do I know? Well I do and reading this stuff is like opening a tabloid....Sofunny.com

[Royal Ginger]

Glad you feel superior.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I sit here and laugh ot so loud in how far from the truth so many of you are....How do I know? Well I do and reading this stuff is like opening a tabloid....Wonga.com

[Bacon Double Cheese]

....... where Aaron Kuhl signed pro terms despite other clubs interested. You would of thought his dad (who is a senior coach at the club) would be have reservations......

Daddy Kuhl sounds a kuhl kind of guy

[donface]

I would guess that RFC's finances are similar to my own. A reasonable income but high outgoings and with debts and assets all over the place it's hard to work out whether you're in the red or black. So you play things cautiously, you don't mind spending £25 on a curry but you think twice about buying a new tv.

£25, that's half a curry you lightweight!

Everyone knows that a curry is 31 -ing quid.

FFFACT

[Cypry]

I still find it very strange that Anton disappeared the moment he had the baby. It was born in the last week of the transfer window, until that point he was still attending every game, had joined the team on the pre-season tour, and was still talking a good game regarding incoming players. Then suddenly he wasn't contactable, even for last minute player negotiations, as soon as we get an announcement that he's had a baby, and after that, complete radio silence right up until the present.....

I don't even recall there being an announcement as to whether the baby is a boy or girl, and I haven't seen pictures of either the baby, or his missus, since the birth....


I do wonder if, sometime in the future, we'll all find out that something awful went wrong with the birth, and that Anton has been forced to forgoe his commitments to the club for quite understandable reasons, which have nothing to do with money....