Thetownend.com

Takeover complete.

JedMcCoy ‏@JedMcCoy
Finally ..!!.👍🍺🎊🎉🎈... Look forward to meeting you all at STFC Saturday ..Thank you for youre patience

Your, it's your.

Oh dear

What he's arranged a driver so he can have a drink on Saturday  :D

worst owner ever, he can't even spell.

I'm just glad this whole takeover saga is over.

Let the new manager saga now take over..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3TUWU_yg4s

Now to find out who they are then

...two weeks too late, damage has been done.

Fuck meeting us, show us some ambition now...

If they have cash and ambition there are going to be a lot on here who are very disappointed!

Thank fuck for that.

Now lets get the management sorted and win this fucking league!

i think that's what "better late than never" means.

Some good news at last.

You mean worstest  :)

Now on Advertiser.... no mention of Martin King.

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/10243595.Sale_of_Swindon_Town_complete/

Although BBC are reporting that King is involved.

Maybe. Maybe not.

That's it now. I'm never coming back whilst we're in this lowly division.

As I see it they've saved us from entering administration and from the looks of things were involved in preventing us from selling any more players at a cut price. So far, so good, in my opinion.

I did shudder when I read the club had emailed every other club declaring all our players are for sale at half their value.

Which nob-head thought that was a sensible sales pitch.

I fucking despair

and this from the same article:

"Had Swindon entered administration it is understood that the League would have been likely to hit the club with a more sizeable penalty than the mandatory 10-point deduction, with demotion and even expulsion from the league a possibility."


they might not turn out to be the perfect owners, but frankly, it's much better than the above reality

So I'm assuming more names wil lbe releaeed if the adver are only reporting 3 names as it is not beleived they have any money or sorts betwewen to fund the club's future.

Interesting times ahead, look forward to hearing their detailed plans for the future.

Yeah old board out....

The BBC story names 4 (those we already kniow) with a little more detail including King.

so who are the dodgy ones again?

Quite so. But there's a nagging voice at the back of my head saying this is all very reminiscent of when that other consortium fronted by a bloke with no money but a nice line in affable chat took over in 2001. Right down to the "well, look at the alternative" takeover PR. I hope we're not going to spend the next five years stagnating our way to oblivion with a retread Bob Holt trotting out his "When I got back from Brentford ... padlocks on the gates ... be grateful for what you've got ...." party piece every time someone dares to suggest things could be better. Let's hope not, hopefully the start of a bright and ambitious future

the past is the past and these are entirely different individuals. i agree that caution is required but some of what i'm reading - here and on twitter - goes well beyond caution.

First thing Jed needs to do now is tell us who the 'unnamed' members of the consortuim are. The longer they remein 'unnamed' the more concerned I'll be.

Trust has to be gained.

At the moment I would trust this new lot about as much as Harold Shipman looking after me granny

Indeed there's a lot of positioning for the 'I told you so' role going on at the moment.

Oh, hell yes. Right now, we are on day zero, we know nothing about these people and can only judge them on what they have done in their own pasts to some extent and moreso what they do from hereon in. However, it is a foolish man indeed who doesn't learn the lessons of his own past and the same applies to clubs and other institutions. Those who don't learn from the mistakes of the past are condemned to forever repeat them (paraphrasing horribly)

thank you for proving my point :)

Isn't that what you're doing?   ;)

I'm going to end up spending entire nights researching company and director backgrounds aren't I?

With the current squad of players we have we should be able to achieve promotion with any half-decent manager. Then hold our own in the Championship with a couple of decent additions. Increased TV revenue and higher attendances should hopefully cover the higher wages of players. Therefore, there's no reason why we can't be successful and sustainable. 

The alternative to this buy-out just doesn't bare thinking about. I think all we are saying is give Jez a chance  :)

But we must still be losing £250,000 per month. Who's going to pick up that tab

No I'm optimistic which in my case is a once ibn a life time experience, so if it all does well obviously I told you so!  8)

Ultimately I think we have got to prepare for a tightening of the purse strings for the simple reason that the model that the old owners pursued for the majority of their reign was totally unsustainable. In some ways we have dodged a bullet here by Black writing the debt off, as without that we were heading rapidly towards Portsmouth territory on a smaller scale, but probably proportional to our size.

I do fear that many have already made their minds up and if the owners don't start splashing cash and appointing a high profile manager the moaning will commence, we have been spoilt.

Interesting few days coming up, if only for hopefully some news from people like Fittton et al who may be able to shed some light on the last few months.

Also Jedders suggested he wanted to engage with the fans, didn't the last lot promise this on arrival and it never happened?

You mean you've not started? FFS! ;)

Let's hope not, eh?

I dont think any sane Town fan expects the cash to start flying again - but I dread the usual spiel coming out preceding a fire sale of our playing assets

Couple of small whinges and then back to work.

This has been going on for what feels like weeks yet these is still nothing on the offical site, you would have thought they would have had time to draft something for release when required.

Why no presser with the new board till next week (accordng to Morshead on Twatter?)

don't think there are any

Maybe some of them are away etc?

I presume this means we could get some loaners in... Now.

How the hell can they go away, they have no money!!

Thursday is signing on day

They've been clipping those "Week's break in France for a quid" vouchers from The Sun. That's why they have to go this week, they're always off-season those things

Meh, this board will need to win me over. I'm not convinced.

Start with my requested full colour picture diagram of who we still owe money to and by when ;)

I think expecting Ward and Miller to identify some new signings is asking a bit much.

I'm guessing new signings would have to wait until a new management team are in.

In fairness, there was a presser scheduled today but they decided to hold it off until next Wednesday so as not to distract the players from these two matches.

Charlatans/bastards/chancers etc.

From what I have read on the subject, the new owners have saved us from a potentially awful fate and have prevented the loss of five or six other Matt Richie's.  Jed seems to have nothing to hide on Twitter, and I think the board have shown ambition in buying a club like Swindon Town.  Okay, Manchester City we ain't, but we're a club which has had a successful couple of years and we do have a "rich" Premier League history!!

I think anyone who knocks the new owners at this stage is deluded and short-sighted.  I think it's wait and see time, but it sounds like they've made the best of a fucking bad job by the previous board by letting us into that state.  That said, had we not spent the money, would we sitting top - yes, top - of League One?

My feeling is, whilst di Canio has been a fantastic manager for Swindon Town, the manager hasn't hauled us up to where we are in the league, the players have.  The new board have managed to keep the nucleus of that squad together and it showed on Tuesday night when we battered the former league leaders at their manor.

Of course, if a Maurice Malpas or Paul Hart is appointed tomorrow, I may change my tune, but I think the future is still looking pretty bright.  I loved di Canio, I was gutted to see him leave, and I'd take him back in an instant, but I can't help feeling a Nigel Adkins or Glen Hoddle would do a better job.  They also might sign less Atiku's than PdC....

Accounts for last season are due for filing at the end of this month. I have a feeling they’re not going to be pretty reading…..If they’re filed on time that is.

Will do my usual analysis for those sad enough to care.

I'm relieved it has finally gone through, but I still have this anxious feeling about Jed & Co. Hope things become clearer once they speak next week!

I know there were a few already identified before PdC left. Obviously Rubbish Wright Phillips has gone elsewhere, but they must have had a few in the back pocket.

On reflection, you're probably right. At least we have more than 13 fit players at the moment, so it isn't as pressing as it was around transfer deadline day.

Are we? I thought that was the figure being reported as our wage bill, not our monthly loss.

TBH I've got so much whirring round me head at the moment I don't know what I'm on about half the time.

Thank God there's a game to go to on Saturday/Tuesday - all this 'behind the scenes' stuff is getting on me tits

:ty:

Neither do we ;)

That's the wage bill which has been considerably reduced in recent weeks/days, loan players gone, couple of players moved on, no backroom staff to pay, two cars should be back in the car park, not got to pay the rent on a certain house in Ramsbury . . . the list goes on.

League Two champions last season, top of League One this... is it actually possible to do a better job than that?

Perhaps people are just trying to convince themselves, but there has been some serious underestimating of the job Di Canio has done here these last couple of days.

Agreed

A lot of sense there Walrus, but I don't agree about Di Canio. I do think he was a major influence on us getting to the top of the league and I feel certain that one day he will manage at the very highest level (with some spectacular bust ups along the way). But now we move on, right now I'm grateful to the new guys and cautiously optimistic for the future.

The last 18 moths feels like one of those mental lost weekends where you don't expect much at the start but then everything comes together, it's a total blast and you smile at the memories for years after. The past week has felt like the following Monday morning. But, as they say, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.  :)

Don't forget a Wembley final, and by my rough estimate knocking out 67 teams from higher divisions in various cups.

Not happy with the way his tenure has ended and feel like he's contradicted some of the personality traits he claimed to value so highly - but that doesn't change the fact it's been one of the best 18 months on the pitch in terms of success and aesthetics that I can remember.

Not sure it was that many LR  :)

Callum Rice.... get googling people

 Seebeck 87

http://www.cdrex.com/seebeck-87-limited-8597134.html

Nick Wtakins is being retained .... I like this!

http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/seebeck-87

Capital: £1

I wonder what they're planning to spend all that on? :)

Only listed as a Director in the new holding company and the company who own this place

http://www.theangelhotelbourne.com/

Renaming Di Canio's Deli

That is exceedingly good news.

Brilliant news!

This alone gives me considerably more grounds for optimism than I had this morning, is this pukka? Where is this being quoted?

Callum Dermot Rice.  British citizen, living in Dunstable.  (These Luton connections won't go away.)  Postcode on one of the Director check sites is given as LU6 1BP, which is Barrie Avenue, Dunstable...which looks like this (http://goo.gl/maps/rdFjR).

Very average looking suburban street.  Assuming he lives there, I'm hoping he's not the money man.

Sam Morshead just tweeted it.  May just be till the end of the season but its something

Best news of all!

official site

http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/article/completionofsale-670154.aspx

Does he actually know this or just "understand" it? :)

I hope you have no plans on sleeping tonight Simon Pieman

Maybe he lives there to keep the taxman from asking questions?

Ian Leslie Zant-Boer?

That's a house he bought specifically just to keep his huge piles of cash in, there wasn't room in the castle. What with all the gold and such

Good news about Watkins.


Didn't I read somewhere that Andrew Black was retaining 25% of the shares?

Company sec, not a director. May be a company secretary for hire, may be actually involved.

Didn't Jed or someone say a while back there were links to the club within the consortium or have I imagined that? If I haven't then I fail to see these links  :hmmm: maybe it was Watkins being kept on!

Is most likely an accountant/lawyer with no actual connection, looks like an off the shelf company

He was just the Secretary, so likely to be an employee only.

Sam is very understanding.

Upon googling turns out he is a Solicitor

I noticed he was a Director up until the 31st Jan and is now down as appointed secretary.

From google they dont seem to have the riches of Andrew Black or anywehre close.

The future will be an attempt at self sustaining, developing the youth structure and running the club as a going concern.

Company Secratary.

Position is listed as solicitor.


I have actually already had a look into Seebeck 87 which is a newly incorporated company (hence the £1 capital). At the moment Zant-Boer holds the single share – if this is anything to do with the takeover I expect a change of name and shareholdings very swiftly (or already happened).

Mr Rice owns and runs a hotel.

I just dont see how the names involved  have the funds to keep a non leagueside let alone a Championship one going, I understand the sustainability long term but that is going to take a couple of years at least to even begin  seeing the shoots of success.  They have stated in the club statement "we will seek to further strengthen the squad for the rest of the season" , the whole thing seems completely bizarre "Seebeck 87 acquire more than 99% of the shares in the Club" I thought Black was retaining 15% or am I missing something?

Could be financed by private equity. These are just the management team. Just a though.

How much money do they have then?

Hasn't Jed mentioned 2 silent partners in the past?

Just looking at the companies they run unless they have inherited money or won the euro lottery it does not seem they are particularly well off, of course I maybe wrong and they may have multiple off shore accounts from companies setup in tax havens all around the world .

He's married to Pilau Rice. Oh well, I'm glad Black has cut all ties. Although he could have given one to Jed.

Very good point I guess there is no reason why a private investor has to reveal their identity and would not be quoted as a director.

Found a picture of him, it's a bit grainy though.

It's called transparency which is what we expect - no secrets - no shadowy directors

The Angel Hotel, Bourne - somebody claimed that Callum Rice is a director of - has an interesting mission statement "To exceed your expectations whilst being supporting and being the hub of the community!"  If only that works out for us.

Ouch...a parting shot

Fair fucks i say

Let's hope it's not private equity. Private Equity investors want a return on their money and often asset strip to get one. Better for us if we now have rich men on board who appreciate that they are only going to lose money buying a football club but have the cash and love of football to do it anyway. Unfortunately, Mr Black didn't seem to have the last box ticked. Who knows where we may have got to if he had?

Patey didn't like Paolo much did he?

I think the feeling was mutual.

Who really knows?  None of us just a lot of speculation .....

But it does give off the vibe of a lot of people going down the we'll build a new stadium or re develop the existing one and see where we go from there

People are missing the point about the money. Andrew Black was ridiculously rich and yet he decided he couldn’t fund us anymore. What good was the money once he made that decision? In fact it could have left us where we started or worse (in footballing terms).

The club needs to be self-sustaining. I know we don’t have the comfort level without super-rich owners (in case the club do need a sudden cash injection) but I’m more concerned with how the new board will run the club rather than how rich they are.

I’m more interested in the following:

1)   How has the club purchase been finance? i.e. are there silent partners? What are the investment motives?
2)   What’s the business model?
3)   Will there be a redeveloped stadium or a new one in the pipeline? How will this be implemented?
4)   What’s the board’s ambition in business and footballing terms?
5)   How will it prevent financial difficulties in the future?
6)   What debts does the club have post-takeover and who does it owe this money to?
7)   Will there be related party arrangements?
8)   Will all directors be running the club full-time and will those that aren’t receive a salary?

They could do a lot worse than to hold a Q&A session at the club in the next couple of weeks. If only there was some way to make sure the massive idiots didn't get to go and ask anything...

How about a question and answers session based upon tweets to Jed so he can answer them on the Adver site via Sam M, that way they can avoid stupid questions as could well be brought up by thisis type mongs.

A few more:

• Who are you, and how are you qualified to run a football club at this level?
• Why Swindon?
• Will JM's involvement with Banbury cease in the summer?
• What is your exit strategy?
• [Follows Si's Question #3] Have you yet had discussions with Swindon BC about the County Ground, the lease and possible redevelopment?

You've nailed our concerns in one Si.This is actually a far bigger question than who's going to be the next manager,
because this question defines the short-term and long-term future of the club.

Me too - for a politician, that's pretty direct stuff, so him and PDC obviously didn't like each other very much.