Saudi Sportswashing Machine

[Baleforce]

Can't be good for the sport, can it? Already have City and Chel$ea oiling their way to success. I don't think the PL wanted them, but may have no way to block it.

Surely they’d never pass the fit and proper persons test?

 

[DTA]

At least there will be another middle of the road club competing financially with Emirates Marketing Project.
After the 2 to 3 years it will take for Saudi Sportswashing Machine to pump themselves full of fake sponsorship and signings they couldn't afford without a sugar daddy I think that will cut the top 4 off for us permanently. Hopefully that will then accelerate our owners deciding to sell THFC.

Sell to who? the Saudis could have brought us, and it would have easier for them to fake the ‘sponsorship deals’ with us than Saudi Sportswashing Machine

I for one am very glad they are not interested.

 

[markysimmo]

We already have a Toon thread, do we really need another one discussing how rich they are now

 

[DubaiSpur]

Sell to who? the Saudis could have brought us, and it would have easier for them to fake the ‘sponsorship deals’ with us than Saudi Sportswashing Machine

I for one am very glad they are not interested.

Nah. Saudis would have had to pay 3bn to ENIC plus maybe 500m to get us competing with the Emiratis at City.

3.5bn total investment. They could buy Saudi Sportswashing Machine for 300m, spend 1bn on the team and get the same results for 1.3bn, less than half the cost. Makes no sense to buy us - likewise with Arsenal.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Sell to who? the Saudis could have brought us, and it would have easier for them to fake the ‘sponsorship deals’ with us than Saudi Sportswashing Machine

I for one am very glad they are not interested.

Bedford posted on here last week that our owners value Spurs at £3.5billion. Makes no sense for the Saudi's to pay that for us when they can get Saudi Sportswashing Machine for 10% of that.

 

[Mikey10]

Just a part of me would find it quite funny if we accepted and left it up to Kane to agree terms. I can’t see him wanting to move to Saudi Sportswashing Machine.

He could do a lot worse. Great city and he’d be treated like a GHod by the fans.

 

[Finney Is Back]

most football fans will put up with anything if the team wins

Ashley has actually run Saudi Sportswashing Machine really well, they hate him because he's not put more of his own money in to try and buy trophies, we have an element of that attitude here

shame we couldn't get the ESL going whilst we had the chance, it would have pulled the drawbridge up in front of them, see, that's me not caring about burning down most of the English league system if it benefits my team

Interested to know how much Ashley paid for Saudi Sportswashing Machine, how much extra he invested in additional funds and what will his sale price be?

 

[Bishop]

Yeah, things are fudged until there are rules against it, that are actually enforced.

There are no rules against it. FFP isn't what you think it is and has been suspended post Covid anyhow.

Sooner or later it will crash, we’ll be in the box seat then.

They can’t all win, if they are not winning their reputation isn’t being washed, and they will drift away.

If it all came crashing down we are far more likely to suffer than one of the club's owned by the super rich who don't mind spending. Our income is based largely on the TV money, if that goes tits up we'd be fudged. It wouldn't really affect City, Chelsea or now presumably Saudi Sportswashing Machine.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Sooner or later it will crash, we’ll be in the box seat then.

They can’t all win, if they are not winning their reputation isn’t being washed, and they will drift away.

Ah... you're still playing the long game that Alan Sugar introduced in 1991!... Hope you've got at least another 30 years to wait mate.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I would snap their hands off for that.

Indeed.... Then we can watch Dane Scarlett in the PL games as well as the Europa Conference League.

 

[Bishop]

At least there will be another middle of the road club competing financially with Emirates Marketing Project.
After the 2 to 3 years it will take for Saudi Sportswashing Machine to pump themselves full of fake sponsorship and signings they couldn't afford without a sugar daddy I think that will cut the top 4 off for us permanently. Hopefully that will then accelerate our owners deciding to sell THFC.

As long as we qre profitable why would they sell? Winning trophies has never been their key motivator so why would the purchase of Saudi Sportswashing Machine change anything from ENICs perspective?

I suppose falling down the table might make us less profitable...but I can't see a great incentive to sell. They've missed out 3 times on the big money investors, realistically how many are left out there that would be willing to buy?

I think it's ENIC forever at this point. [emoji52]

 

[Glenda's Legs]

Indeed.... Then we can watch Dane Scarlett in the PL games as well as the Europa Conference League.

I know you want different owners for us, or perhaps rather for our current owners to find a way to invest more directly into the club, but would you be happy with us being taken over by the Saudi purchasers of Saudi Sportswashing Machine?

 

[ShipOfTheseus]

Just such a shame that our craven populist government fudged over the ESL. We’d be sitting pretty now. Second bottom of the table obvs, but still laughing.

 

[AdamB]

As long as we profitable why would they sell? Winning trophies has never been their key motivator so why would the purchase of Saudi Sportswashing Machine change anything from ENICs perspective?

I suppose falling down the table might make us less profitable...but I can't see a great incentive to sell. They've missed out 3 times on the big money investors, realistically how many are left out there that would be willing to buy?

I think it's ENIC forever at this point. [emoji52]

I understand the scepticism about ENIC however I believe I'm right in saying that they've never taken any dividends out. So, yes, the club might be profitable but if those profits are remaining in the club and being re-invested, then I don't see that as a bad thing. And its clear that profits HAVE been reinvested when you look at the stadium, training ground etc

I guess the question following this is that given the stadium and training ground are more or less as good as they can be, what will future profits being invested in? Or would dividends be paid out in future years? There will obviously be interest payments on the debt, but we'll still be making something like £100m+ cahs profits each year which either needs to go on (i) dividends, (ii) players, (iii) paying down debt or (iv) perhaps, more investment in the facilities etc. If you rule out (i) and (iv) then its either players or reducing debt.

I dont see it as being in ENIC's interest to have us wallowing in mid-table and attendances declining so, bringing in back on topic, the Saudi Sportswashing Machine takeover might mean we need to invest more of the profits in players to compete. Obviously 'compete' can have different meanings, but for ENIC I suspect its aiming for 4th place

The Saudi Sportswashing Machine deal clearly makes it harder for us, but as long as we're playing attractive football and in/around the CL places (ie 4th/5th), thats acceptable. What isnt acceptable is dull football and/or mid-table finishes

 

[DTA]

Nah. Saudis would have had to pay 3bn to ENIC plus maybe 500m to get us competing with the Emiratis at City.

3.5bn total investment. They could buy Saudi Sportswashing Machine for 300m, spend 1bn on the team and get the same results for 1.3bn, less than half the cost. Makes no sense to buy us - likewise with Arsenal.

I get that, and in fact because of that… again sell to who?

@Finney Is Back

 

[Legohamster]

Levy was desperate to block this wasn’t he?

I seem to recall he was one of the chairman that didn’t want it to happen

 

[Baleforce]

There are no rules against it. FFP isn't what you think it is and has been suspended post Covid anyhow.If it all came crashing down we are far more likely to suffer than one of the club's owned by the super rich who don't mind spending. Our income is based largely on the TV money, if that goes tits up we'd be fudged. It wouldn't really affect City, Chelsea or now presumably Saudi Sportswashing Machine.

Who mentioned FFP?

The game won’t come crashing down, but sooner or later the authorities will want true competition, and social and ethical responsibility.

 

[Legohamster]

Bedford posted on here last week that our owners value Spurs at £3.5billion. Makes no sense for the Saudi's to pay that for us when they can get Saudi Sportswashing Machine for 10% of that.

There is an option which someone buys the club and not the stadium - which is the main money maker.
Very unlikely though

 

[SpurMeUp]

Just such a shame that our craven populist government fudged over the ESL. We’d be sitting pretty now. Second bottom of the table obvs, but still laughing.

One place above the arse? We’d be saited.


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

 

[Bishop]

I understand the scepticism about ENIC however I believe I'm right in saying that they've never taken any dividends out. So, yes, the club might be profitable but if those profits are remaining in the club and being re-invested, then I don't see that as a bad thing. And its clear that profits HAVE been reinvested when you look at the stadium, training ground etc

I guess the question following this is that given the stadium and training ground are more or less as good as they can be, what will future profits being invested in? Or would dividends be paid out in future years? There will obviously be interest payments on the debt, but we'll still be making something like £100m+ cahs profits each year which either needs to go on (i) dividends, (ii) players, (iii) paying down debt or (iv) perhaps, more investment in the facilities etc. If you rule out (i) and (iv) then its either players or reducing debt.

I dont see it as being in ENIC's interest to have us wallowing in mid-table and attendances declining so, bringing in back on topic, the Saudi Sportswashing Machine takeover might mean we need to invest more of the profits in players to compete. Obviously 'compete' can have different meanings, but for ENIC I suspect its aiming for 4th place

The Saudi Sportswashing Machine deal clearly makes it harder for us, but as long as we're playing attractive football and in/around the CL places (ie 4th/5th), thats acceptable. What isnt acceptable is dull football and/or mid-table finishes

All good points and we will see how it plays out. Assuming the Saudi Sportswashing Machine purchase does take them into the world of the super rich clubs then I don't see any great scope for top 4 finishes. City and Chelsea are very sorted there add Saudi Sportswashing Machine to the mix and you have one space that will have to won from the institutional clubs in Manchester United and Liverpool. Both clubs with better foundations than our own. Add in the new blood who have outperformed us for quite a few years now in Leicester and it really does look like an uphill battle.

I do wonder though, even if every pen of profit was spent on the pitch would that be enough to match the 3 money club's spending power? The truth is no. Instead we'd need work smarter and faster to work the market. The positive of now having a DoF and those decisions out of Levy's hands is looking better every day.
like Leicester ton more prestige than us