Richard Balls Hits The Nail On The Head.

[Duncan Edwards 2,220]

No doubt we’ll see some “Make Norwich Great Again” hats soon...

....or maybe Richard Balls will emblazon a big number on the side of a bus that will be invested in our club if we “take back control”...

[Jerzy Krukowski 5]

Putting some shares (some or a majority) up for public sale could generate some income and show confidence that supporters also can be trusted to keep City''s status as a community club. Passing them over to Tom, with no proven competance is what sticks in the craw for many. It smacks of a patronising attitude. Its a business and they''re free to do what they like with their shares, but the running a football club comes with the pros and cons of celebrity, so they can''t complain when many in the "community" don''t like some of their decisions.

[yellowfever 17]

Sadly not as if we are to approach the Club again which may or may not be a possibility, sharing confidential information or even speculating as such on a public website would not engender a huge amount of trust.

As stated earlier deals like this require a lot of time with extensive DD which means time allocated from other deals that have a higher probability of success. aggressive T/Os with public companies are one thing where you are convincing the institutions that your business plan is better than the existing, a private company T/O is more difficult unless the cheque is large enough, but extremely difficult with entrenched majority shareholders. If the premis is right then we may go again but i dont think a t/o would be countenanced - a more profitable investment strategy should be welcome but again that requires time to implement and of course a willingness of the owners to listen. They cannot be so naive as to not have considered plausible models but if they adopt the corner-shop core business model, i think we will be a bit scuppered as the reliance will be on producing home grown talent and scouting to buy/develop cheap and sell higher. nothing wrong with that but is a bit of a one trick pony fraught with risk.

[yellowfever 17]

No that is not the case. The opinion offered at the time was that this was not a strategy that was being considered and as such it was dropped. If a Benefactor came forward then I am sure they would be welcome with open arms that is quite different from an investor who would want overall control. I suspect the recent Ed Balls comment about the door being opened was geared at that scenario but someone/trust/company would have to be prepared to watch their funds go south unless they could have any influence on decision making and even then there is no guarantee of success. The Jack Walker investment was exited shortly after his death as I suspect the beneficiaries of his estate questioned the ROI, which i reckon wasn''t uppermost in his mind when he invested his millions.

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

Great first post YellowFever.

If we remain in this division for years, where are we going to magic up the money to be competitive under the current ownership model?

[Duncan Edwards 2,220]

So how much were you looking to stump up? I’m assuming that the people involved (you) are considerably richer than the current incumbents, so I’m interested to know how much we missed out on.

I’d also go to the press because they have stated point blank that there have been no approaches made and you know that to not be the case. Given the current levels of discontent now would be an ideal time to go public and garner some support to increase the pressure on Delia and MWJ. Showing them to have lied to the shareholders and fans would surely make their position virtually untenable?

[Mello Yello 2,281]

C''mon everyone, our superb conveyor belt of an Academy is churning out footballing talent like an Amazon parcel delivery driver''s daily Christmas multi-drops.......The Academy is to be our financial future and we must have faith......It''s Christmas, dig deep into your pockets true fans and assist our cash-strapped community club and chip in, let''s get that dowdy portakabin Colney upgraded........Yes Soiree!.......

Maybe those unfortunates who for whatever reason can''t attend NCFC games, could start the ball rollin'' with those much needed cash donations?......Do your bit - are your Colney cheques in the post yet?......

[TIL 1010 4,722]

I reckon this '' we '' that yellowfever mentions must be him, Tom Cavendish and True Grit.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

I''m sure I''ve seen these claims somewhere before. Wasn''t there a local businessman?

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

[quote user="Duncan Edwards"]So how much were you looking to stump up? I’m assuming that the people involved (you) are considerably richer than the current incumbents, so I’m interested to know how much we missed out on.

I’d also go to the press because they have stated point blank that there have been no approaches made and you know that to not be the case. Given the current levels of discontent now would be an ideal time to go public and garner some support to increase the pressure on Delia and MWJ. Showing them to have lied to the shareholders and fans would surely make their position virtually untenable?[/quote]I hate to do this, Duncan, but unfortunately I am not sure they have ever said there have never been approaches. Only that they have never received a formal offer. Companies frequently get approaches or expression of interest from potential buyers. Very few turn into formal offers. Cullum''s did not.When we paid Deloitte''s (I think it was) to trawl for investors a few years back Bowkett said there were more than 50 expressions of interest. But on examination none of them stood up financially. And in this case it seems clear what is being talked about is an approach/expression of interest falling far short of a formal offer.

[Duncan Edwards 2,220]

Ah, I see.

So perhaps the approach mentioned on this thread did exist but the proposal didn’t stand up to the scrutiny of the board?

Purple, wasn’t there a load of shares set aside for potential outside investment? What happened to them? Also, am I wrong in thinking that the current % held by Delia and MWJ is only as late as it is because previous share issues weren’t bought and so they picked up the shortfall? I might have dreamt that to be fair...

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

[quote user="Duncan Edwards"]Ah, I see.

So perhaps the approach mentioned on this thread did exist but the proposal didn’t stand up to the scrutiny of the board?

Purple, wasn’t there a load of shares set aside for potential outside investment? What happened to them? Also, am I wrong in thinking that the current % held by Delia and MWJ is only as late as it is because previous share issues weren’t bought and so they picked up the shortfall? I might have dreamt that to be fair...[/quote]Oh I see. You were dubious. Such cynicism. I have no opinion on the existence or otherwise, although it is the case that around 2013-14 Southampton was kind of up for sale. Markus Liebherr had died and it was known that his daughter seemed less wedded to the club than he had been. And did sell out this year, to a Chinese group. In that case, though, that would suggest yellowfever''s group was interested in buying a club, rather than only Norwich City. As to your question about what may have happened when an approach was made, yellowfever would have to be a bit more specific, particularly about whether it was a very general inquiry or something closer to an outline proposal. I very much doubt that Bowkett would unilaterally have rejected an outline proposal without consulting the other directors.Those extra shares - up to one million of them - do not exist, but could do. The directors have to power to create and issue them if the need arises. The point being that one million is comfortably more than the curent total of a bit over 600,000, so could represent a new majority holding.It is the case that Smith and Jones acquired more shares than they had envisaged by default. In at least one share issue, as Delia said later, some people they had expected to chip in did not. I don''t know who this was aimed at. But they then bought the unexpected remnants to make the issue a success and ended up with more than 60 per cent of the shares (a figure since reduced by a Foulger purchase of new shares a few years back).

[Mello Yello 2,281]

So Richard Balls hasn''t hit the nail on the head then?

Is that because the Club and Board apologist brigade have said so......?

[Duncan Edwards 2,220]

I think the Purists consider the nails hit.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Nope, there''s never been anyone local with money.  BTW, where''s Peter Cullum when you need him and does anybody really know what happened to the lovely Turners!?  [:O][:O][:O][;)]

[Mello Yello 2,281]

So we go with ''NepoTominism'' then......

[Canary Wundaboy 1,358]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]It is the case that Smith and Jones acquired more shares than they had envisaged by default. In at least one share issue, as Delia said later, some people they had expected to chip in did not. I don''t know who this was aimed at. But they then bought the unexpected remnants to make the issue a success and ended up with more than 60 per cent of the shares (a figure since reduced by a Foulger purchase of new shares a few years back).[/quote]

And that situation remains because they actually enjoy being the majority stakeholders and on''t want to give up control

[norfolkngood 1,086]

i posted quite a while ago maybe a year someone was sniffing around wanting to buy or make a offer but like i said it might have been just asking around or nothing official

there are people all the time trying to buy clubs i imagine we get people asking quite a bit as debt free own the ground and colney

just not for sale

[Grando 260]

I have a hunch that the way this will eventually play out is that Nephew Tom will one day inherit the shares, realise he has little interest (and not enough money of his own) in running a football club and flog it off at that point to the first bidder that comes along. Thus making a mockery of the stance that our owners are currently taking.

[TCCANARY 263]

You''re forgetting the role of the Trust and the trustees.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Nobody ever quotes that bit of the Times interview.

[Mike 0]

Richard Balls talked a lot of sense IMO.

The fact that they stated they do not listen to any offers for the club, means they could potentially be turning down great owners with money to invest. They see the club as their play thing and are giving it to the nephew so he can have his play thing...

I for one , am fed up with their constant mistakes and appalling stewardship of the club I love. It''s the reason I''m not bothered about missing games when I have other things to do, despite having a season ticket. THat was never the case...

[Diane 500]

Am I right in thinking that Richard Balls is related to Ed

Balls ??

[Mello Yello 2,281]

Cousins apparently......

[TIL 1010 4,722]

[quote user="TCCANARY"]You''re forgetting the role of the Trust and the trustees.

[/quote]When was this trust set up then and who are the trustees ?

[A Load of Squit 5,130]

[quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="TCCANARY"]You''re forgetting the role of the Trust and the trustees.

[/quote]When was this trust set up then and who are the trustees ?[/quote]No-one has said that it will need to exist until Delia & MWJ decide they no longer want to be on the board, presumably it will be set up when that is the case.

[Mello Yello 2,281]

Can we trust the trust?

[TIL 1010 4,722]

What Trust ?

[Mello Yello 2,281]

The trust that will be eventually entrusted to trustee Tom.....

[A Load of Squit 5,130]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]What Trust ?[/quote]From The Times article,Our nephew, Tom, is now a board director. He’s

35. He’s a very good board director. He’s a very passionate Norwich City

supporter and he will be the recipient of our shares.” “They will go

into a trust first,” says Michael. So Tom cannot sell. “He could if the

trustees think it’s right and proper. He can’t do it on a whim. He’s

been a fan since he was eight.”