Ken Anderson - Old Owner (Definitely. For Ever ..... )

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I said we have a clean-slate opportunity. I didn't say we had money for posh chalk.

We have nine contracted players for next season. Earlier this week you suggested binning the lot of them. Now you're saying we have no money for replacements AND the U23s aren't up to it. You might be right on all counts, but which do you think is most important? Would you rather the underachievers had another year of collecting money we can't afford and they don't deserve?

I understand that short-term contracts aren't very good for building a solid base but I prefer it to the alternative, a millstone from under which we're only just beginning to crawl. Yes, we have no money, but at least we're not tied into long-term contracts with feckless idiots.

[antony.thompson]

Kenny makes a reference to player recruitment in his post-Forest missive to the masses: "The recruitment team have been busy over the recent weeks scouting players here and across Europe". Which got me thinking: when was the last time we signed a player from a non-UK club? Was it Derik?

[Mar]

Kenny makes a reference to player recruitment in his post-Forest missive to the masses: "The recruitment team have been busy over the recent weeks scouting players here and across Europe". Which got me thinking: when was the last time we signed a player from a non-UK club? Was it Derik?

It's about time we got back into the international scouting route. Working really well under Allardyce and was seemingly binned off for some absurd reason under subsequent managers. A multicultural squad just made things more interesting.

Just had a look, apparently José Manual Casado was the last player coming in from a foreign side (Almeria for reference). Which is just over a month after we signed Derik.

For what its worth, the other names from foreign clubs that season were Pisano and Jon Ceberio.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

BN: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16 ... ef=mr&lp=2

No firm guarantees were offered by the Bolton chairman after he was quizzed on whether Parkinson would be given the task of leading the club into a second season in the Championship.

With survival secured, the potential for new ownership or investment is significantly greater and Anderson has already spoken about finding up to £30million of funding this summer. He has been strongly linked with a Saudi Arabian consortium but also has links in China, the US and Eastern Europe.

Where that would leave Parkinson, who led the club to a thrilling 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday to complete a remarkable late sprint to safety, is up for debate.

Ken said:

It’s time to think through, see what we want to do next season. We need to reflect on what has and hasn’t happened. I will have talks with the manager in the coming weeks.

We are in touch every day. We talked about how we were going to play – but I did not pick the team. He picked the team, there was no doubt about it. All we said between us was that after last week’s game we were going to have to go out to be attacking, a draw wasn’t going to work.

Parky said: (http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... over_talk/)

I love my job. I’m looking forward to going into next season with a stronger squad. It’s 2015 since the club were able to spend any money on a player and we’ve bobbed around and pieced things together. That’s very difficult in this division of multi-million or billionaire owners spending money.

But it’s a great club and you’d be very surprised if there weren’t people looking to invest in the club. Look at the stadium and the set-up when the fans got behind us in the first half on Sunday. We’re developing a new training ground and that’s getting better and better. So there is so much to place and the club is ready to push on.

[BWFC_Insane]

BN: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16 ... ef=mr&lp=2

No firm guarantees were offered by the Bolton chairman after he was quizzed on whether Parkinson would be given the task of leading the club into a second season in the Championship.

With survival secured, the potential for new ownership or investment is significantly greater and Anderson has already spoken about finding up to £30million of funding this summer. He has been strongly linked with a Saudi Arabian consortium but also has links in China, the US and Eastern Europe.

Where that would leave Parkinson, who led the club to a thrilling 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday to complete a remarkable late sprint to safety, is up for debate.

Ken said:

It’s time to think through, see what we want to do next season. We need to reflect on what has and hasn’t happened. I will have talks with the manager in the coming weeks.

We are in touch every day. We talked about how we were going to play – but I did not pick the team. He picked the team, there was no doubt about it. All we said between us was that after last week’s game we were going to have to go out to be attacking, a draw wasn’t going to work.

Parky said: (http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... over_talk/)

I love my job. I’m looking forward to going into next season with a stronger squad. It’s 2015 since the club were able to spend any money on a player and we’ve bobbed around and pieced things together. That’s very difficult in this division of multi-million or billionaire owners spending money.

But it’s a great club and you’d be very surprised if there weren’t people looking to invest in the club. Look at the stadium and the set-up when the fans got behind us in the first half on Sunday. We’re developing a new training ground and that’s getting better and better. So there is so much to place and the club is ready to push on.

It is interesting that Iles' editorial is more "up in the air" than Ken's actual comments. Ken doesn't say anything there that would make me think Parky is in trouble. It reads more like we'll meet and discuss what we need next season. However, I guess the potential of a new owner or shareholder means that Parky's position is potentially in question. It would be a shame after his work to not get a chance to reap the rewards if the purse strings are loosened a little. However, that is modern football I guess.

I think getting rid of him is a mistake unless there is real significant money to play with and then all bets are off.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm intrigued by the phrase "no firm guarantees were offered". Depends how much the point was pressed, I suppose: if Iles asked a straight-up question and Ken dissembled, that's more telling than if the idea of Parky getting hoofed wasn't really raised.

I have to say, as good as Parky has been for Ken, it wouldn't surprise me all that much if the chairman were to turf him out this summer – takeover or no. I have no inside line, I just get the feeling Ken makes decisions based on his own agenda. If he thinks he'll sell more tickets (and keep us up) with some glamorous replacement, it'd be thank you and goodnight. And that's without even pondering a takeover, which might entail the new owner/investor's own man being brought in ("Ooh look, it's Gianfranco Zola!").

[Harry Genshaw]

. And that's without even pondering a takeover, which might entail the new owner/investor's own man being brought in ("Ooh look, it's Gianfranco Zola!").

Don't even joke about that!

[palindromeofbolton]

Tweet from Nixon this morning (at 3.38am in fact!):

Bolton. Takeover/investment talks go on. Issue here will be keeping those who have loans happy. Eddie Davies for one.

If it’s the family [of investors - later on confirms Saudis]I think it is then money no problem. Just depends whether it is a branch of the family who wants to do this. All at club think it’s on.

Here's the link to the thread, tho he's got protected tweets so you need to be a follower to view. https://twitter.com/reluctantnicko/stat ... 8871744512

[BWFC_Insane]

Tweet from Nixon this morning (at 3.38am in fact!):

Bolton. Takeover/investment talks go on. Issue here will be keeping those who have loans happy. Eddie Davies for one.

If it’s the family [of investors - later on confirms Saudis]I think it is then money no problem. Just depends whether it is a branch of the family who wants to do this. All at club think it’s on.

Here's the link to the thread, tho he's got protected tweets so you need to be a follower to view. https://twitter.com/reluctantnicko/stat ... 8871744512

Struggling with this a bit. If it is as advanced as Nixon claims surely there would be more local reports of this? Iles is quiet on it. Just seems a bit weird like when Nixon said we were bidding for Jordan Rhodes when the club was broke....something isn't adding up.

These deals aren't usually done quickly and for it to be at an advanced stage now news surely would be out more widely.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Eddie Davies doesn't have any outstanding loans, does he? Just a payback clause (£5m or something?) if we hit the top flight. I may be wrong...

[BWFC_Insane]

Eddie Davies doesn't have any outstanding loans, does he? Just a payback clause (£5m or something?) if we hit the top flight. I may be wrong...

That's what Nixon means. I assume any investor coming in, doesn't want to pay Eddie £5M after he the new owner/investor has invested heavily enough to take us to the top flight.

It was fair enough when Eddie wiped the huge debt to let KA/DH takeover. But any new investor would be buying on the basis of putting their money in and probably wouldn't want to do a deal with ED given ED's not contributing anything now.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Eddie Davies doesn't have any outstanding loans, does he? Just a payback clause (£5m or something?) if we hit the top flight. I may be wrong...

That's what Nixon means. I assume any investor coming in, doesn't want to pay Eddie £5M after he the new owner/investor has invested heavily enough to take us to the top flight.

It was fair enough when Eddie wiped the huge debt to let KA/DH takeover. But any new investor would be buying on the basis of putting their money in and probably wouldn't want to do a deal with ED given ED's not contributing anything now.

In that case they're tyre-kickers. £5m's f*ck-all compared to what the Premier League would both pay upon promotion – and cost to get there.

[BWFC_Insane]

Eddie Davies doesn't have any outstanding loans, does he? Just a payback clause (£5m or something?) if we hit the top flight. I may be wrong...

That's what Nixon means. I assume any investor coming in, doesn't want to pay Eddie £5M after he the new owner/investor has invested heavily enough to take us to the top flight.

It was fair enough when Eddie wiped the huge debt to let KA/DH takeover. But any new investor would be buying on the basis of putting their money in and probably wouldn't want to do a deal with ED given ED's not contributing anything now.

In that case they're tyre-kickers. £5m's f*ck-all compared to what the Premier League would both pay upon promotion – and cost to get there.

Not necessarily, and we know so little about them it is difficult to say. But the principle would be that any investor who pays his money into a club doesn't want to owe Eddie £5M if his money transforms the club. I can totally understand that. Its a success payment on the basis of Eddie selling the club to KA/DH for nothing. But the new owner would be buying shares off KA and not ED and would be paying for them AND also investing. I can fully see why the £5M presents a problem. Probably comes down to a negotiation between Ken and any investor as to who covers it...seeing as KA did that deal....

Anyhow, I'm struggling to see how Nixon has the inside track here when seemingly its quiet elsewhere.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I thought one of the reasons Eddie had his loan on the books was so he would've have to be involved in an any takeover conversations? I am sure he has said previously he is keen to avoid a Venky's type situation here...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I can see why paying £5m might be a problem, but it's part of buying (into) the club. It is what it is. Compared to the near-£200m Eddie wiped off it's peanuts. That's hardly the problem of a potential new owner, but more importantly, it's much less than the money we'd receive for promotion.

It's also a tiny obscacle to buying (into) a club compared to the fees for Championship players. It's six years since second-tier Blackburn paid Huddersfield £8m for Jordan Rhodes (who's also on about £2m a year in wages); then Boro signed him for £9m, then sold him to Sheffield Wednesday for £10m. Many second-tier clubs have paid fees bigger than Eddie's clause:
• Forest (£5m Britt Assombalonga)
• Bristol City (£5.3m Famara Diedhiou)
• Cardiff (£6m Gary Madine)
• Birmingham (£6m Jota)
• Villa (£8m James Chester, £9m Scott Hogan, £11m Jonathan Kodija, £12m Ross McCormack)
• Derby (£5m Tom Lawrence, £8m Matej Vydra)
• Norwich (£8m Alex Pritchard)
• Boro (£5m Darren Randolph, £9m Martin Braithwaite, £15m Britt Assombalonga)
• Reading (£7.5m Sone Aluko)
• Sheffield Wednesday (£5m Adam Reach, £10m Jordan Rhodes)
• Fulham (£11m Ross McCormack)
• Wolves (£12.8m Helder Costa, £15.8m Ruben Neves)

That's just some of the declared fees but obviously you get the picture – and it's surprised me how many there have been while we've been busy scratching around for freebies. (£9m Martin Braithwaite, for the record, scored 5 in 19 before being sent back to France on loan.) By my reckoning that's at least 12 teams who've spent £5m or more on one transfer fee while in this division. Most of the others are run incredibly carefully (Brentford, Millwall, Preston, Sheffield United), or on shoestrings by owners wanting to sell (Ipswich, Hull, QPR, Bolton), or got relegated this season (Barnsley, Burton, Sunderland). (The only one I've not mentioned is Leeds, who are just plain weird; for the record, they spent £4.5m on Adam Forshaw in January.)

Anyway: if they're quibbling over £5m, they're either very clever or tyre-kickers. I hope they're clever.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Eddie Davies doesn't have any outstanding loans, does he? Just a payback clause (£5m or something?) if we hit the top flight. I may be wrong...

That's what Nixon means. I assume any investor coming in, doesn't want to pay Eddie £5M after he the new owner/investor has invested heavily enough to take us to the top flight.

It was fair enough when Eddie wiped the huge debt to let KA/DH takeover. But any new investor would be buying on the basis of putting their money in and probably wouldn't want to do a deal with ED given ED's not contributing anything now.

Well that's just too bad isn't it!
Like buying a house with a big garden and a TPO.
The TPO's still there when you sell it.

[Prufrock]

Seems fairly simple to me, and presumably it is accounted for in the price.

If I'm buying a business that has a potential £5m liability in the future, I'm expecting either the current owners to sort that out first, or a discount in how much I'm paying.

Up to super agent Ken to negotiate his way out.

[BWFC_Insane]

Eddie Davies doesn't have any outstanding loans, does he? Just a payback clause (£5m or something?) if we hit the top flight. I may be wrong...

That's what Nixon means. I assume any investor coming in, doesn't want to pay Eddie £5M after he the new owner/investor has invested heavily enough to take us to the top flight.

It was fair enough when Eddie wiped the huge debt to let KA/DH takeover. But any new investor would be buying on the basis of putting their money in and probably wouldn't want to do a deal with ED given ED's not contributing anything now.

Well that's just too bad isn't it!
Like buying a house with a big garden and a TPO.
The TPO's still there when you sell it.

Not really, because without knowing how the deal is structured we don't know if the liability is with KA or the club. And any new owner may want KA to take it on out of his spoils. We also do not know if any of this is even remotely happening!

I'd have thought the bigger issues to any deal will be the loans to BM, PBP and BW...that is where I can see bigger issues down the line.

[Peter Thompson]

Its still very good news - lets hope it comes off....

We need to see some quality on the pitch next season & this would certainly help

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Ken has broken his recent silence:

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2018/may/a- ... chairman5/

Proof, pudding, eating etc etc but it all sounds quite positive:

- Speaking with three potential investors
- He wants Parky to stay, and wouldn't welcome any approaches
- Money available for new signings