Adver News: Swindon Town chairman to step aside when takeover goes through

[RobertT]

Our best period in history came without money behind the owners in the mid 80's to early 90's.  We operated at a small loss each year, sold the odd player for a few quid to make ends meet, and invested in the Manager (as well as a bit of "creative" accounting for a few of the earlier years I suppose, but small fry of about £100k).

Money is not the be all and end all, and new owners will find a club in a relatively healthy state with the first real rise in revenue for decades.  The current CE is behind a rise in Commercial revenues that is pretty unique in our recent history.

So, even if they are not minted, a way exists to survive and even succeed with a bit of elbow grease and the right team in place.

[Reg Smeeton]

So back to the Diamandis-era omnishambles then?

I'm a bit more optimistic than that personally. But let's at least let them get their feet under the table and see how things pan out before we start judging (either way)

Good use of a new word...it was an answer to a question in a recent University Challenge, having been accepted by the OED in 2012.   Still no idea what it means though...and just because it's accepted in Oxford, doesn't mean we have to accept it here.

After all, I don't see the word bopard in the OED.

[sonicyouth]

A consensus of people that know a little bit...that's sadly where we're at atm. 

5 years ago we were in a similar position, but once the names Black Wray and Arbib leaked out, it didn't take long to formulate a view that here were some fellas with serious money.

were those names leaked out? i recall them being announced post takeover.

[Peter Venkman]

were those names leaked out? i recall them being announced post takeover.

Black's name was leaked out before the takeover went through but I dont think the others were, I know this because I remember doing a fair bit of investigation work to find out about Andrew Black well before the takeover went through.

I was sooooooooo bored, I wanted to spend some time doing a bit of investigation about the other member of the takeover.

Mr Fitton has already stated that it is made up of at least 3 individuals....

Mr Fitton himself
Mr Jeremy Wray

and at least one other....last week he said one of the members of the consortium was a local man, with sports connections and worth several hundred million pounds.

Mr Fitton denied vehemently that Edward Wray (co founder of betfair) was involved in any way.

So I had a search (as one does!) and have put several clues together and am sure that I know who he is.

Mr Jeremy Wray's best friend is a man called Andrew Black, this Andrew Black lives locally in Gloucestershire, this Andrew Black is worth in excess of £200,000,000 and Mr Andrew Black is the other co-founder of none other than Betfair!

Mr Fitton only said that Edward Wray was not involved in the takeover.

I may be wide of the mark but hey, I was bored and putting several 2 and 2's together.

Well it took my mind off the club for an hour or so and kept me out of the way of the missus while she was cooking Sunday dinner!

[pauld]

Good use of a new word...it was an answer to a question in a recent University Challenge, having been accepted by the OED in 2012.   Still no idea what it means though...and just because it's accepted in Oxford, doesn't mean we have to accept it here.

Omnishambles refers to series of rolling fuck ups around and after (but by no means limited to) Osbourne's "pasty budget" where the government didn't seem to be able to get anything right. It's also a pretty good description of the Wills/Diamandis era so when you said we were likely to be operating under an Osbourne model, that doesn't just refer to austerity but also blithering incompetence on a scale not seen here for the last 5 or so years

[sonicyouth]

Black's name was leaked out before the takeover went through but I dont think the others were, I know this because I remember doing a fair bit of investigation work to find out about Andrew Black well before the takeover went through.

fairly sure Arbib's name didn't come out until significantly later.

Wray isn't exactly minted either is he?

[Peter Venkman]

fairly sure Arbib's name didn't come out until significantly later.

Wray isn't exactly minted either is he?

No Arbibs name came out well after the takeover went through and no Wary is not rich but his brother certainly is, not that thats any relevance to anything now .

[Reg Smeeton]

were those names leaked out? i recall them being announced post takeover.

Betfair were linked to the deal in October more or less 2 months before it happened.

[Simon Pieman]

Thanks for that.

So while we are massively better off than pre-Black, we will in likelihood still need to find a bit to pay them back. Its fair enough, but obviously worst case at some point  we'd be left with a St Modwen debenture style scramble, though I'm sure Black would be more accommodating.

It will depend on the deal structure, what debts are paid off/written off and what charges are released I'd expect. I doubt we'll know for a while yet!

[ghanimah]

Omnishambles refers to series of rolling fuck ups around and after (but by no means limited to) Osbourne's "pasty budget" where the government didn't seem to be able to get anything right. It's also a pretty good description of the Wills/Diamandis era so when you said we were likely to be operating under an Osbourne model, that doesn't just refer to austerity but also blithering incompetence on a scale not seen here for the last 5 or so years

Osborne, it's Osborne... 

[pauld]

Osborne, it's Osborne... 

Bugger. See, the omnishambles has started already

[Red Frog]

Bugger. See, the omnishambles has started already

Paul, you're right down with the cats, dude. Omnishambles was Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year 2012. 

[Reg Smeeton]

Paul, you're right down with the cats, dude. Omnishambles was Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year 2012. 

  really

[Bob's Orange]

Does he have his own song?

What about to the tune of the old cornflakes ad - 'Patey, Patey, very very Patey, not done much lately'

[Peter Gibbons]

Does he have his own song?

What about to the tune of the old cornflakes ad - 'Patey, Patey, very very Patey, not done much lately'