Why have we never been bought by billionaire?

[old skool tom]

It's amazing a club with our history and global fanbase hasn't been bought

 

Wonder if DIC bought us ten years ago if we'd be top dogs now?

[clangers]

Because we would have been a relatively expensive purchase compared to say City or Chelsea. We'd have been around the £250-£300 million mark for any potential billionaire plus the cost of a new stadium. I'm pretty sure Chelsea and City were snapped up for less than £100 million each, in Chelsea's case he simply paid off their debt and Bates pocketed a few million.

 

We also need to remember that both City and Chelsea are media vehicles for their respective owners, both are seeking to gain legitimacy from their ownership.

[stringvest]

Fans are too bolshy 

[Russ Atmosphere]

Too thread-starty?

[ZonkoVille77]

I think DIC went tits up anyhow so that's a blessing in disguise. We'll be a better proposition when some stadium work has been completed and I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to buy us then. But it's either going to be more clueless yanks or some rich Arabs who'll swap manager's every 2 years. Soul destroying.

[JagSquared]

I'm not sure f we would have been top dogs (with DIC) but investment from the right source at that time would have been ideal, when moores sold the club.

 

We had an excellent manager building A strong competitive team already in Rafa and would have only had chelsea and United to compete with financially. If DIC had invested and were willing to fund a new stadium plus an injection into the squad would have cemented our place towards the top end of the table and made us pretty sustainable before FFP kicked in. It may have also put off mansour off at City.

 

Although as with others at the time I thought it would have all been a bit soulless and a shit way to win which I maintain.

 

As to why a billionaire never bought us it's a combination of factors. First is that we required a new stadium, which is a hell of a lot to put down and when you consider that secondly, this would be on top of the need to invest heavily in a side to make us competitive.

 

finally billionaires buying clubs is just a vanity project. Why buy an already historically successful club with the above two points and then only ever be seen as a footnote in a gloried past, when you can buy a middle of the road club and be the sole reason for them to be at the top and have everyone to know it. You alone. Building a dynasty which is why Chelsea and City got picked.

 

A smaller factor is also location, as a billionaire surely you would prefer a London based club (or a city known because of another club like city) to add to this which is why I am concerned the next potential clubs to be bought by a billionaire are West Ham, with their shiny new stadium and Tottenham who are building theirs.

[an tha]

I think DIC went tits up anyhow so that's a blessing in disguise. We'll be a better proposition when some stadium work has been completed and I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to buy us then. But it's either going to be more clueless yanks or some rich Arabs who'll swap manager's every 2 years. Soul destroying.

Won't we be even pricier once the ground is tarted up.....FSG are going to want to make good on that investment whether they sell or not.

 

The next ripe picking for rich buyers is west ham, a council gift ground like city, London, cheap to buy

[Bjornebye]

Worrying that, you are right about West Ham. Sad times when you need a billionaire owner to compete properly. Footballs soul was lost the day Abramovich bought chelsea. 

[xerxes]

The amount of money needed to bring the stadium up to scratch and the investment required to have us competing at the top table is too much.

 

It is ironic that our worst owners, G&H, came closest to shunting us into the 21st century with a new ground.

 

FSG's half baked half new/half old option ensures that when we come to be sold we will be behind the pace again.

[xerxes]

Worrying that, you are right about West Ham. Sad times when you need a billionaire owner to compete properly. Footballs soul was lost the day Abramovich bought chelsea.

West Ham and Spurs will shade us in the ground stakes in the next few years.

[cloggypop]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-fc-owner-john-w-3379841

[Section_31]

These types of owners are attracted to different things. Abramovich is typical nouveau riche Russian, probably walks his wife around Hyde park in 30 degree heat in a mink coat and diamonds the size of manhole covers purely to prove his new money can trump old money. "My wife she look like queen."

 

City's owners are trying to build PR for their country and wider business interests.

 

Our owners are actually trying to make a living out of us.

 

I imagine owners that fall into that latter category are few and far between, unless Branson finally wakes up to the fact he's not very good at building space rockets.

[KevieG]

Sadly i don't think we will be able to compete long term without one. We are already 5th in terms of financial power in the league and with west Ham and Spurs probably ripe for the picking for another billionaire it could get worse.

 

Its possible to compete in a one off year but thats not sustainable when united can chuck 200 million at the problem.

[Tony Moanero]

The ground.

 

Liverpool isn't as trendy as London or Manchester.

[Ginny]

I think in the end it does come down to simple things like ground location. I mean, I grew up around anfield and Walton all my life. The place is a shithole. And Melwood is in the middle of crocky.

 

I think the modern footballers mentality is changing. The more money they get and the younger they are, the more they will probably start to separate themselves subconsciously from these sorts of surroundings.

[Iceman]

We should only sign hard bastards then. Like Big Phil Coutinho. 

[Creator Supreme]

I think in the end it does come down to simple things like ground location. I mean, I grew up around anfield and Walton all my life. The place is a shithole. And Melwood is in the middle of crocky.

I think the modern footballers mentality is changing. The more money they get and the younger they are, the more they will probably start to separate themselves subconsciously from these sorts of surroundings.

Which again sums up how shit modern football is! Just let it die, and let the carcass rot!

[Phoenix]

Lack of stadium

Amount of investment required

Location

Price elasticity

Fans expectations

[ratcatcher]

It's amazing a club with our history and global fanbase hasn't been bought

 

Wonder if DIC bought us ten years ago if we'd be top dogs now?

 

Dont think so. DIC have sold off a lot of their 'portfolio' in the last 10 years. I suspect they would have starved the club of funds or look for a quick sale.

 

Because we would have been a relatively expensive purchase compared to say City or Chelsea. We'd have been around the £250-£300 million mark for any potential billionaire plus the cost of a new stadium. I'm pretty sure Chelsea and City were snapped up for less than £100 million each, in Chelsea's case he simply paid off their debt and Bates pocketed a few million.

 

We also need to remember that both City and Chelsea are media vehicles for their respective owners, both are seeking to gain legitimacy from their ownership.

 

Lots of people say FSG bought the club 'on the cheap.' I dont agree with that. While its true financially the club was a basket case, the last 10 years have shown it was mostly a basket case on the field albeit in view of the CL.

 

But, leaving that aside, mega rich people dont like making other people very rich by giving them their money via a sale. Apart from the 2 cowboys putting a sale price of £500m - £600m which was way too high, that is why the club got no takers.

 

No doubt someone will mention the glazers and manchester united but they are the exception. They were making money and being successful before they were bought. It was in effect, a no brainer.

 

Spurs are already owned by a billionaire.

[magicrat]

The ground.

 

Liverpool isn't as trendy as London or Manchester.

It's massive tourist attraction. I read somewhere most visitors of any city after London and Edinburgh these days .Hotels going up all over the place , Liverpool 1 complex and massive investments in the port so I think were likely to see more jobs , more people moving to the area so I think anyone interested in spunking millions on a premier league football club could do a lot worse than Liverpool.  Better just hope its not the Bitters winning the lottery 

[Tony Moanero]

It's massive tourist attraction. I read somewhere most visitors of any city after London and Edinburgh these days .Hotels going up all over the place , Liverpool 1 complex and massive investments in the port so I think were likely to see more jobs , more people moving to the area so I think anyone interested in spunking millions on a premier league football club could do a lot worse than Liverpool. Better just hope its not the Bitters winning the lottery

Fucking hell, doesn't bare thinking about.

[ratcatcher]

It's massive tourist attraction. I read somewhere most visitors of any city after London and Edinburgh these days .Hotels going up all over the place , Liverpool 1 complex and massive investments in the port so I think were likely to see more jobs , more people moving to the area so I think anyone interested in spunking millions on a premier league football club could do a lot worse than Liverpool.  Better just hope its not the Bitters winning the lottery 

 

Mansoor looked at them but considered them to beyond even his help. Thankfully.

[magicrat]

Mansoor looked at them but considered them to beyond even his help. Thankfully.

Haha

i think Woodison vs Ethiad  may have been a factor though 

Seriously though Everton would not be a ridiculous punt, They would be cheap and a blank canvas .Shudders at the prospect

[xerxes]

Our owners are actually trying to make a living out of us.

I don't see it quite like that in that the money they might individually make, or lose, is pretty insignificant to them.

 

I think we were a strategic acquisition which was unlikely to lose money, but which did give them a stake in the burgeoning football world market.

[JohnnyH]

Not enough umbongo.