JR looking for exit?

NY,

In a strange way on this occasion I agree that what will be will be in the area of ownership.

I have made my views known to VSC in the past that I thought they were just the mouth piece of the Donny board. I have now got to know members that are on the VSC board of directors and they are very concerned about the take over and have advised JR of their concerns. The reason I mention the threat of litigation is so our members on 606 are aware and can form an opinion on the actions of Sequentia.
I would have thought Sequentia would have been on a charm offensive to persuade supporters that this takeover was the best thing since sliced bread but no! Surely with £40m to spend they could employ good PR people to spin a better line because who would turn down that amount of investment without a very good reason.

Until I know who and why I have grave feelings about this take over.

I stand by my views which are formed on the research I have carried out. The only time I am not a happy bunny is when someone misquotes me.

JR aint leaving he just wants some support.

I fully understand Alex, but I feel that getting your knickers in a twist over something as unimportant as the Rovers, compared to other pressing issues you have is not good for you.

I am just concerned that you are worrying over something you cannot control. I am trying to put the importance factor into some sort of priority.

In the end, they will do as they like, there will not be a referendum on the matter, we are all pawns.

I do realise that a football club is more than those who own it, but as they have large amounts invested they will decide for good or bad,

I've had this feeling for a while now. John is not getting any younger and although I'm sure promotion has done him the world of good, I saw him during the relegation season and he looked terrible.

He said (I think in his book) that he recognized that eventually the time would come when he should move on. He said that when this happened his priority would be to find new investors with the club's best interests at heart.

Do I think he will do that? Sorry, no. He'll sell up to who has the required cash on the hip. We'll just have to see what we get.

Moaning and protesting about it? Well, I think if there is anything "not cricket" about the new owners, we should publicize that. The thread that was removed was pretty damning and seemed well researched. That said, I don't think having such a thread removed was an over-reaction by Sequentia Capital. I'm sure if I was trying to negotiate millions out of someone and they were faced with those allegations, I'd want something done.

Newyankee: Most of your comments are on things which one could argue you have no hope of influencing and to be totally cynical, little of anything any of us ever say on here ever has real power to change things.

To follow your own advice though, please try to be positive. You plugged away for a long time about the commercial side of the club and yours and other similar views may well have influenced the club to improvements and the appointment of a new CEO.

More generally, my own feeling about this issue surrounds not only the suitability of new owners, but their principal objective. If we did get into the PL we might get away with the current stadium capacity for a year or so, but longer term it would have to be at least 20k which would mean stadium investment of £20M(???) which would have to be found from their coffers because PL TV etc money would then be needed for maintaining a quality squad.

Initially though, would the £40M seen by JR in the bank statement (how quaint!) get us into the PL? If it did, not come off in year 1 would the money supply and the challenge be maintained? Would there even be funds to sustain a quality squad in the Championship?

But even more fundamentally what is their main business objective? It is time to keep feet on the ground. We don’t currently have even 10k regular support so sustained support of more than 20k even in the PL is a really tall order for Doncaster. 20k even might be over-ambitious, so is football success the prime objective or not?

And will the invested capital be borrowed with club assets used as security?

The danger from the fans' viewpoint would be a new owner who simply acquired the assets to profit from them on a short term basis without serious intentions to sustain and improve the football. What if he puts us into debt and wants out?

I suppose this is the point where Newyankee's objections to hot air re-emerge in that we cannot expect new owners to publish and seek our approval to a prospectus.

It does make me wish that intelligent people like I assume we are, had some real influence and perhaps a share or two. It is not until the last ditch (e.g. Portsmouth) that serious business-minded supporters seem to organise themselves.

We are nowhere near that, but nevertheless prevention is better than cure.

This may sound completely off the wall, but I wonder if JR has considered seeking investment from supporters beyond the token stakes of the VSC?

...."If it did not come off in year 1, would the..."

Donaldo, I was not saying that supporters should sit back and do nothing. I was, however, asking Alex to not get too upset about things he cannot control now, when he has things of more importance to worry about at home.

I fully understand the feelings of many back there, but just felt that Alex was becoming too taken up with the subject.

I am not advocating we sit back and take whatever JR decides to give us, although many on here would accept Ridsdale if JR said he wanted him. I was purely wanting Alex to put things in perspective.

By the way Donaldo, plugging away for better commercial people and a new CEO is different from trying to influence men who have more money invested than any of us could dream.

Money is the root of all evil as we all know. However, you can do more when you have it than when you don't. It is obvious that these people have money and everything has a price.

NY - i have been intending to mention this to you:
I well remember your crusade to get Dave Morris (an lod school pal of mine by the way) out of the office he had with us and i know that you rate Gavin Baldwin highly.
However, during the recent takeover talks i have noticed a swell of opinion going against GB and have read quite a few posts calling for his head now.
Nothing in it from me, just bringing it to your attention in case you hadnt seen anything.

Hound

I would imagine that that was one of Gavin's jobs, bring in new investment, something your pal Dave was unable to do. I would suspect that Gavin is doing most of the negotiating with the Irish and NOT JR himself.

That doesn't mean I am totally behind this, but he is doing what JR and the others are paying him to do.

Maybe, one of them doesn't like the connection with the Irish and I respect him for that. However, he himself has enough money to put where his mouth is if he so wishes.

The fact that Bramall hasn't made a bid himself shows he is not 100% for a takeover, unless it involves other peoples money. I just hope that whatever happens we get people who ARE interested in the club for the future and not just for "what they can make quickly".