Abu Derby County

[GboroRam]

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

? But that could be said of many countries 'local' indigenous (aka poor) populations. Still, it's their country. What's your take on a Yankee takeover, Trump might be looking for a new toy?! ?

The USA, for all its faults, still defends freedom of speech. UAE not so much. Plenty of torture stories to turn the stomach. If a human being has inalienable rights, I personally feel that the UAE fails to honour them. And that leaves me uncomfortable with a member of the aristocracy in charge of the country running the club. 

[Old Spalding Ram]

Barnsley, owners Chien Lee consortium estimated worth  £7 billion

Stoke, Coates family £6.7 billion

Sheffield Wednesday, Dejphon Chasiri £5.2 billion

Coventry, Joy Seppala £2.3 billion

Blackburn, VH Group, £ 1.5 billion

Preston, Trevor Hemings £1.025 billion
 

Im sure every championship club forum has had the same kind of thread over the past 18 months, even Forest!
 

...............personally I’d rather stick with £550 million pauper Mel Morris..?

[bimmerman]

8 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Perhaps the Rams could be Trump’s next project with Boris as his number 2 and Nige could bring on the oranges at half time ?

????

[Newcastle Fan]

2 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Ah, we are big fans of QC Nick De Marco here after he absolutely rinsed the EFL on our behalf. 

Yes, I thought his name would bring recognition here ?

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

1 minute ago, Newcastle Fan said:

Yes - and I realise that this could cause confusion.  To clarify:

In 2019, the Bin Zayed Group (BZG) ‘tried’ to buy Newcastle.  They went to the press saying they’d ‘agreed’ the sale of the club - they hadn’t; Ashley had simply stated the price.  They couldn’t offer proof of funds.  It didn’t get to the PL sign-off stage.

In 2020, the Saudi state (PIF) bid for NUFC, putting down a sizeable deposit - the problem was the PL would not sign the deal off (and still won’t), mainly due to Saudi Arabia’s piracy of PL TV broadcasts.  This is still rumbling on in the background; it is currently being looked after by QC Nick De Marco.  The PIF could still buy NUFC.

I think  we use this QC to stuff the EFL...Thx for clarifying, looks like they are not exactly what it says on the tin 

 

 

 

 

[kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong]

We still know nothing about whatsoever about this deal other than the initial information from Percy so I really do think that we need to wait until we know before deciding the whole thing is wrong or right and the ins and outs of it.

But...I would have faith in Mel and his love of the club as a huge supporter to do the right thing here.

let's wait and see.

 

 

[biellaram]

3 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

The USA, for all its faults, still defends freedom of speech. UAE not so much. Plenty of torture stories to turn the stomach. If a human being has inalienable rights, I personally feel that the UAE fails to honour them. And that leaves me uncomfortable with a member of the aristocracy in charge of the country running the club. 

The USA does what?? Where? Where does it defend freedom of speech?? The country where the presidents two advisers (His Daugherty and her husband) are threatening to sue (having instructed their solicitors who have commenced the process) the Lincoln Project for placing billboards which throw their words back at them? 

[i-Ram]

37 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

poo, I was sceptical, but didn’t realise it was this bad. 

I think you now have sufficient information to complete your Due Diligence Dossier and can pass it over to Stephen Pearce. You have a career in Forensic Accounting ahead of you my boy.

 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

52 minutes ago, David said:

I don’t want to go into the laws of UAE which the new potential owner may or may not agree with, we have enough problems in this country to sit here and judge other countries cultures.

What I do want to say is though, IF this takeover is completed, most of all I’m absolutely delighted for Mel personally. Having had the pleasure of speaking with him on numerous occasions, I know how much this club and the city of Derby means to him and how much, not just financially, but time he has put in for little reward. 

If he has now found the man or men that he feels comfortable passing on the baton and is able to recoup some of the money he has ploughed into the club, I couldn’t be happier for him. Honestly, this is well above what this might mean for the club.

I do hope he remains at the club in some capacity, although if he chooses to walk away, tired of battling with the EFL, sick of reading abuse from ungrateful fans who have never made a mistake or made the wrong call in their life, and choose to spend more time with his wife and family I would completely understand, nor would I blame him one bit.

If I was a multi millionaire, there is not a chance I would touch any football club with a barge pole, you would find me on a beach somewhere, pina colada in one hand and a cigar the other.

One day, what the man has done for this club will be appreciated by those that maybe cannot appreciate today. I guarantee it.

What this potential takeover might mean for the club, I don’t know, whilst some have been very recently over critical of the money spent by this club, I find it a little hard to stomach the excitement of draining another mans bank account. Is this what being a football fan is about? Shouting NEXT as soon as one chooses to tighten the wallet a little? Getting all giddy over their ranking in the worlds richest?

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see top quality players at this club, but I don’t like this modern day attitude whilst blaming Sky for ruining the game.

The potential new owner could be worth 200 billion, but that does not mean we will have 200 billion to spend, 198 billion could be tied up in assets and investments, so whilst it might sound like the fun police have arrived, I think we should maybe hold back a little and not get carried away until the vision for the club has been laid out.

Seen a few people urge caution also, but with Fawaz 2.0 being thrown out as a possibility, I wouldn’t go that far as I believe Mel when he says he wouldn’t just sell to anyone and run away. He loves this club just as much as you all reading this forum right now. BUT, if this did all go Pete Tong, let’s not be quick to blame him when so many are ready to kick him out the door for not appointing managers and signing players with hindsight.

Finally, I would love it, Kevin Keegan style LOVE IT, if we could smash Bournemouth today as a thank you if this takeover is to go through early next week. Hard to see it though with Jozwiak out, what a find he was by the recruitment team. ?

[i-Ram]

9 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

The USA, for all its faults, still defends freedom of speech. UAE not so much. Plenty of torture stories to turn the stomach. If a human being has inalienable rights, I personally feel that the UAE fails to honour them.

Good old America. Even give free board and lodgings to those they entertain in Guantanamo Bay.

[Leicester Ram]

I was busy yesterday so only glimpsed this thread but I’ve had a thorough look at it this morning. It’s been a hell of a read.

It’s been shocking, hilarious, hopeful, distasteful, reassuringly empathetic, people have shared experiences from their personal lives, included some thoroughly researched, well thought out posts and some not so well researched or thought out posts.

While there’s been a few things said that I hated, I can forgive it because it’s the sort of emotional reaction I’d expect. We all love Derby County, enough that we’re all sad enough to spend time writing (mainly bickering) about it on here. How many people here have been more loyal to Derby County than women/men that they’ve dated? I’d bet it’s pretty ducking close to 100%.

To have the club we’re all obsessed with go through a change as huge as this would be, with as many implications as it would have, is no small thing and it’s fine to have extremely complicated feelings about it.

On one hand, I would love to see us finally get promoted, not just by the skin of our teeth but in glorious, swashbuckling style. I can’t think as far ahead as occupying a new, higher spot in the UK’s footballing hierarchy (and money doesn’t guarantee you anything) but I’ve always been jealous of the sort of players my Leicester supporting mates get to go and watch week in, week out. We had a glimpse of it most recently with Mount/Wilson/Tomori and it was intoxicating. 

But on the other, I cannot bare that someone like @ITSD wouldn’t want to follow Derby any more due to our owners record. Imagine having the club you love taken away from you like that? I honestly can’t comprehend that, it would leave a huge, huge gaping hole in my life. If this deal does go through and ITSD does choose to stop following us while the Sheikh is in control, then I am so sorry, mate, from the bottom of my heart. That is incredibly upsetting.

But I can’t stop my love affair with DCFC. I’m not in control of my relationship with Derby County. And that’s it, at the risk of sounding overly sentimental, this is about love which is powerful and bloody irrational at the best of times.

And it’s not about the club or the owner, it’s the relationship I have with my uncle who never had a son of his own to take to games so has gone with me since I was five, it’s all the incredible players I’ve watched, it’s the pubs I drink at before the game, it’s posting on here since I was 14 because I went to a school where there wasn’t a single other Derby fan, it’s the South Stand,  it’s the Harry Wilson free-kick at Old Trafford, it’s all of you lot on here, it’s all the bruises on my shins on Sunday mornings from celebrating goals on the Saturday afternoon, it’s all the truly crap players I’ve watched play for us that make you appreciate the special players, it’s the walk along a not particularly nice part of the Derwent on my way to Pride Park, it’s a train packed full of Derby fans going on an away day, it’s Martin diving for a penalty, Buxton pinging a perfect cross field ball out to a winger with his weaker foot or Bryson still flat out sprinting in the 94th minute.

There are so many things and people that make a football club what it is, which can’t be taken away. For me, a football club isn’t really them, it’s us. I couldn’t withdraw my support even if it did make a financial/noticeable difference and if you can, you’re a stronger person than me.

[Ramarena]

24 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Perhaps the Rams could be Trump’s next project with Boris as his number 2 and Nige could bring on the oranges at half time ?

[GboroRam]

1 minute ago, i-Ram said:

Good old America. Even give free board and lodgings to those they entertain in Guantanamo Bay.

Guantanamo was a human rights atrocity, agreed.

[GboroRam]

11 minutes ago, biellaram said:

The USA does what?? Where? Where does it defend freedom of speech?? The country where the presidents two advisers (His Daugherty and her husband) are threatening to sue (having instructed their solicitors who have commenced the process) the Lincoln Project for placing billboards which throw their words back at them? 

Let's say its on a bit of a knife edge. 

[Kernow]

It’s strange that Percy is reporting how close the deal is if this guy is a chancer who can’t prove he has the funds he claims. I know the EFL will need to do their checks, but I trust that Mel and our directors would fully vet anyone who shows a real interest in taking the reigns.

If he’s lied to the club about his wealth or his intentions, then I’m certain he won’t be able to get past the EFL’s fit and proper testing, they wouldn’t let another EFL club down, right? Right...?

[Macintosh]

8 hours ago, Jourdan said:

 

Do we know exactly how Sheikh Khaled made his money? Do we know what part he played in any human rights atrocities? Do we know what he believes or supports or endorses? Do we know how involved he is in the family structure and who he aligns with?

 

He is president of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation and a damn good egg.

[SuperDerbySuperRams]

My stance is that I trust Mel Morris. He has repeated time and time again that he is willing to give up control (in one form or another), to the right investor. Whilst further research into our new potential owners finds more questions than answers, I don’t think Mel Morris would sell to a “chancer”. Whether or not he has amassed billions in fortune is completely unknown, but you’d have to learn towards not currently...

[i-Ram]

8 minutes ago, Leicester Ram said:

I was busy yesterday so only glimpsed this thread but I’ve had a thorough look at it this morning. It’s been a hell of a read.

It’s been shocking, hilarious, hopeful, distasteful, reassuringly empathetic, people have shared experiences from their personal lives, included some thoroughly researched, well thought out posts and some not so well researched or thought out posts.

While there’s been a few things said that I hated, I can forgive it because it’s the sort of emotional reaction I’d expect. We all love Derby County, enough that we’re all sad enough to spend time writing (mainly bickering) about it on here. How many people here have been more loyal to Derby County than women/men that they’ve dated? I’d bet it’s pretty ducking close to 100%.

To have the club we’re all obsessed with go through a change as huge as this would be, with as many implications as it would have, is no small thing and it’s fine to have extremely complicated feelings about it.

On one hand, I would love to see us finally get promoted, not just by the skin of our teeth but in glorious, swashbuckling style. I can’t think as far ahead as occupying a new, higher spot in the UK’s footballing hierarchy (and money doesn’t guarantee you anything) but I’ve always been jealous of the sort of players my Leicester supporting mates get to go and watch week in, week out. We had a glimpse of it most recently with Mount/Wilson/Tomori and it was intoxicating. 

But on the other, I cannot bare that someone like @ITSD wouldn’t want to follow Derby any more due to our owners record. Imagine having the club you love taken away from you like that? I honestly can’t comprehend that, it would leave a huge, huge gaping hole in my life. If this deal does go through and ITSD does choose to stop following us while the Sheikh is in control, then I am so sorry, mate, from the bottom of my heart. That is incredibly upsetting.

But I can’t stop my love affair with DCFC. I’m not in control of my relationship with Derby County. And that’s it, at the risk of sounding overly sentimental, this is about love which is powerful and bloody irrational at the best of times.

And it’s not about the club or the owner, it’s the relationship I have with my uncle who never had a son of his own to take to games so has gone with me since I was five, it’s all the incredible players I’ve watched, it’s the pubs I drink at before the game, it’s posting on here since I was 14 because I went to a school where there wasn’t a single other Derby fan, it’s the South Stand,  it’s the Harry Wilson free-kick at Old Trafford, it’s all of you lot on here, it’s all the bruises on my shins on Sunday mornings from celebrating goals on the Saturday afternoon, it’s all the truly crap players I’ve watched play for us that make you appreciate the special players, it’s the walk along a not particularly nice part of the Derwent on my way to Pride Park, it’s a train packed full of Derby fans going on an away day, it’s Martin diving for a penalty, Buxton pinging a perfect cross field ball out to a winger with his weaker foot or Bryson still flat out sprinting in the 94th minute.

There are so many things and people that make a football club what it is, which can’t be taken away. For me, a football club isn’t really them, it’s us. I couldn’t withdraw my support even if it did make a financial/noticeable difference and if you can, you’re a stronger person than me.

 

[RandomAccessMemory]

Interesting.

I don't know what to make of all of this, however on the Newcastle thing, there is a lot of conflicting information out there, it seems the media were split in two, one side being fed by Mike Ashley, the other by BZG?

https://www.themag.co.uk/2019/07/sky-sports-insist-newcastle-united-takeover-is-nowhere-close-but-bzg-say-ready-to-go-who-to-believe/

I don't think it was the first time a takeover of them collapsed after being played out in public? It's certainly seemed that there have been talks for years of a takeover there, and none of them have happened.

All of the reports about us state that it is with the EFL for acceptance, so it seems there has been a lot going on in the background here, potentially for a while, without any leaks, so maybe they learnt from that situation being so public?

I've also seen the comment attributed to Mike Ashley

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/mike-ashley-breaks-silence-newcastle-16654469

Quote

And referring to the BZG's approach to buy the club, Ashley said: "'The last bid, the one from UAE, he's a prince and he's got £38bn or £100bn, all these numbers — well, why would you even care what you're paying then?

"What difference would £10m either way make?

"You would want speed, you would want certainty, you would want the keys and to get on with it.

I'm not sure why having multiple billions means you would want to ignore the value of something and chuck more money at it than you need to?

Does that statement also indicate he tried to up the price? If so, when? Before any agreement or after? If yes and if after I wouldn't be surprised if they were unhappy about it.

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

In my head there are currently too many red flags to be approaching this with any enthusiasm.