# Anyone interested in buying Leeds United?



## Damo (2 Mar 2007)

Hi,

As a Leeds United fan from the early 1970’s I can’t help but feel there is an opportunity for a savvy consortium from Ireland to buy the club. 

Given that they are in administration, about £25million in debt, at the bottom of the Championship (Division 2 in old money) and there last share price when a plc was 2.75p, someone will buy the club for next to nothing.

They have a number of positives such as a good stadium, loyal support (they still get crowds of 20-25,000), the only major club in a growing city and of course a great tradition and brand. 

What do you think?

Damo.


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## tallpaul (2 Mar 2007)

Damo said:


> Hi,
> 
> 
> Given that they are in administration, about £25million in debt, at the bottom of the Championship (Division 2 in old money) and there last share price when a plc was 2.75p, someone will buy the club for next to nothing.




Unfortunately that next to nothing will amount to the €25 million debt having to be taken over by the new owners. They seem doomed this season, no money for new players, reduced gate receipts next season due to playing in a lower division and probably fewer fans attending, they could end up in a spiral with reduced revenues dragging them further down. Footbal is a money game now: no money, no chance.

They never really got over the mad spending of the turn of the century and without an Abramovich to keep them afloat...


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## ClubMan (2 Mar 2007)

tallpaul said:


> Footbal is a money game now: no money, no chance.


Or to put it another way - Shelbourne.


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## gipimann (2 Mar 2007)

As another long suffering LUFC fan, I think they should have applied for the vacant spot in the eircom league......or aren't they good  enough?


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## Guest127 (2 Mar 2007)

and another one here. ernie wise would do a better job than that ejeet that's currently manager (or mismanager. )
sad days indeed


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## BlueSpud (2 Mar 2007)

God lads ye must be sick.  Seems like only last week LUFC were battling away in the quarter (or was it semi) finals of the CL, and now look at ye.  Can't say I'm sorry though, I know a few Leeds fans and they weren't half mouthy when times were good.  As Nelson would say in the Simpsons: HA Ha!  There ain't nothin' like kickin' a man when he's down (after you made sure he can't get back up).


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## extopia (2 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Or to put it another way - Shelbourne.



Just goes to show you how dangerous it can be to qualify for Europe. Leeds haven't recovered from their massive spending in an attempt to consolidate their position and become regular qualifiers for the Champions League. 

Shelbourne tried the same thing and failed miserably too. But at least as a plc Leeds had to publicly disclose their figures every year. The privately held eircom league clubs never had to submit themselves to that level of scrutiny, so only Ollie Byrne knew the real position at Shels until everything fell apart.

And now we have international matches in Croke Park featuring chants of "olé, olé, olé" as Ireland grind the old enemy into the dirt - with a World Cup coming up... Could rugby be the new soccer? Anyone want to buy a rugby club?


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## ClubMan (2 Mar 2007)

extopia said:


> The privately held eircom league clubs never had to submit themselves to that level of scrutiny, so only Ollie Byrne knew the real position at Shels until everything fell apart.


Most if not all _eL _clubs are limited companies so presumably have to file accounts with the _CRO _like any other limited company?

I'm not sure that most people didn't know the state of affairs down in _Tolka Park _- it's been common knowledge for many years in _eL _and wider circles and the _Revenue _certainly knew about it given that they served several demands for outstanding taxes over the years.


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## almo (3 Mar 2007)

Agree with Clubman, Shels were a basket case for years and knew more fiddles than Strataverius (apologies if it's spelled wrong).  What Shels did was talk a great game, get lucky against poor sides in Europe and then squander a massive windfall.  It might happen that another club can achieve what they did given a good draw, but it's oging to be tough.


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## extopia (4 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Most if not all _eL _clubs are limited companies so presumably have to file accounts with the _CRO _like any other limited company?



Yes - but those accounts are not necessarily complete, and not really readily available, in that one has to pay a fee to access documents filed with the CRO.


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## Z100 (5 Mar 2007)

almo said:


> What Shels did was talk a great game, *get lucky against poor sides in Europe*.........



 

2-0 at home to Hajduk Split 
0-0 at home to Deportivo La Coruna 
0-0 at home to Steaua Bucharest


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## Guest127 (5 Mar 2007)

as almo said - poor sides


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## Z100 (5 Mar 2007)

cuchulainn said:


> as almo said - poor sides



  So if it's not Barcelona, AC Milan or Bayern Munich it's a poor side?

Have a look at the Deportivo team from that game....sad anorak that I am, most of the names were familiar to me. Poor? Methinks not.

1 José Francisco Molina
2 Manuel Pablo García
3 Enrique Romero
5 César Martín
6 Mauro Silva
7 Walter Pandiani
8 Sergio González
14 Jorge Andrade
18 Víctor Sánchez
21 Juan Carlos Valerón
19 Albert Luque

Substitutes

13 Gustavo Munúa
15 Joan Capdevila
23 Aldo Duscher
24 Héctor Berenguel
20 Pablo Amo
17 Pedro Munitis
16 Rubén Castro


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## Nosey Joe (6 Mar 2007)

Cú it seems like only yesterday when we were talking about going over to a match! Were they still in the Premiership then? I suppose unlike some other posts this one is definitely in the right section. You need to have a good sense of humour to stick with them.............I think we have.!!!!


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## Guest127 (7 Mar 2007)

we need a good sense of humour. and maybe St Luke too . if Leeds keep ( not ) playing the way they are and Stockport keep playing the way they are its looks like _our heroes _will be playing Stockport next year. which means that _our heroes _managed by Wise will be up against a team managed by Jim Gannon. who tried but couldn't manage a league of ireland team  Says it all about about the managerial capabilites of Wise when of the two Gannon is probably the better manager. and he was useless with Dundalk.


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## almo (8 Mar 2007)

Bushfire, I worked with Hajduk at that time, I even helped Shels (and they've still to pay the bill), Hajduk were useless, still are, playing in a poor league and suceed by having more money than others to buy referees and opposition (an age-old practice here in Croatia).

Beating them was no great shake as just a week previous they struggled to beat the Dinamo under-20's in the Super Cup Final (Cup vs League).

Deportivo came for a tidy draw and were successful, when they turned it on Shels were struggling.  I cheered for Shels against Hajduk (we're all Irish after all) but honesty must win out.  Did beating Mike Tyson make Kevin McBride suddenly world class.....?



Bushfire said:


> 2-0 at home to Hajduk Split
> 0-0 at home to Deportivo La Coruna
> 0-0 at home to Steaua Bucharest


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## Guest127 (8 Mar 2007)

almo said:


> ,helped Shels (and they've still to pay the bill),
> 
> Its in the post.


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## Z100 (8 Mar 2007)

almo said:


> Hajduk were useless, still are, playing in a poor league and suceed by having more money than others to buy referees and opposition (an age-old practice here in Croatia).
> 
> Beating them was no great shake as just a week previous they struggled to beat the Dinamo under-20's in the Super Cup Final (Cup vs League).
> 
> Deportivo came for a tidy draw and were successful, when they turned it on Shels were struggling.  I cheered for Shels against Hajduk (we're all Irish after all) but honesty must win out.  Did beating Mike Tyson make Kevin McBride suddenly world class.....?



Hi Almo. Trust me, I'm not claiming that Shels' European run was sublime and I accept the days when Hajduk and Steaua were any kind of force at this level are long gone, but we have to compare like with like, ie Irish football with Croatian and Romanian football. 

Whatever slump the latter two have experienced in recent times I still think Shels' results against those two teams were admirable and worthy of more respect than they're getting in this thread!! Especially considering our unimpressive record in European football (with a few honourable exceptions - Dave Barry's screamer v Bayern.....aaah  ) How do other Irish clubs' European records in recent times compare?

As for Deportivo, I didn't think they came for a draw - no Spanish club of that stature would be happy with a draw against a team from our league, to be honest. I think, with the quality of players they had in the squad that day (even if they were missing a few), they thought they only had to turn up, but they just didn't seem to have the stomach for it because they were harried and hassled from the start, Shels never let them settle. It was great stuff.

And come on, Shels held them scoreless for an hour in the second leg - surely even the begrudgers can give them credit for that?!

Shels were one game away from qualifying for the group phase of the CL and that achievement generated more interest and respect for Irish football than anything else in recent times. 24,000 turned up at Lansdowne for the first leg against Deportivo - I'd guess barely a 10th of them were Shels fans!

So, less of the begrudgery people, even if Shels aren't universally loved ) ) give them credit where it was due.


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## almo (9 Mar 2007)

Bushfire, I was ostracised (no that doesn't make me sing higher) in Knin for being caught on camera being swung around the away fans enclosure in Split when Shels opened the scoring in Split.  Then when Dave Rogers battered in that magnificent goal I leapt to my feet, forgetting that I was sitting with the Hajduk fans (all 140 of them) and nearly getting my head knocked off by Igor Stimac's brother for not being upset enough afterwards.

What they did was great, but should be taken in context.  I was thrilled for them but when I saw how they were already squandering the takings I just turned away, handed a bill and returned here.  Oh, and they still owe upwards from €8,000 in bills in Croatia that came in the form of drinks bills (tame by Irish standards I know).

I don't begreduge them their success, far from it, it was great, but it was against less than stellar opposition and did nothing long term for the EL.


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## Guest127 (9 Mar 2007)

Bushfire; I was joking when I made above post ( as almo knows)however to get a few points straight. Dundalk were the first ever LOI team to win away from home. 1963 vs Zurich. They were also the closest any Loi teamt to getting to the q/f of the european cup. 1979. lost 3-2 away to Glasgow Celtic and if Tommy McConville hadn't missed a sitter with 5 mins to go might well have knock Celtic out of the European Cup. as it was it ended 0-0. But that was an exceptional Dundalk team. Blackmore, Keeley, Dunning, McConville, Muckian and unfortunately Carlisle was injured playing a mickey mouse game for Ireland against New Zealand a few weeks previously. Never fully recovered either. I can remember Shamrock Rovers playing great stuff in the 1960's too and they too had great european nights. Shels did well, really well, but its hard to see any Loi team going any futher. Shels spent money they didn't have. and it still wasn't enough. according to the official FAI website the target for _ALL _weekend games this year is a total attendance of 15,000 ( up from last years figure of 12,000). accepting that Monaghan can only get a couple of hundred at most this still leaves an average of 1,500 for the other 10 games. very very hard to compete in europe with that finance. if Drogheda didn't have the 3 sugar daddies would they be full time professional on their gate/revenue raisers? doubt it.


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