New(er) Consortium

Anything yellow and blue
Kernow Yellow
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Kernow Yellow »

tomoufc wrote:OxVox committee appear to be favoring one bid over the other. Yet at the same time they're calling for clarity on all sides. If true it doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. And if they are favoring one side they have no business doing so without a consultation of members.

Apologies in advance if I'm reading this wrong.
I think you're reading it wrong. Firstly, there doesn't even seem to be a bid on the table from the Methven consortium. Just a general desire to provide an alternative to the other bid. Secondly, OxVox clearly state that they want more information from all parties, and are not happy with the (lack of) communication from any of them. They've also made it clear that they'll fully consult the membership once they know enough to be in a position to do so. Though their/our opinions are likely to be of little consequence unless the RTB is triggered, and possibly not even then.

I suspect that Charlie's lot are hoping to join forces with OxVox at that point to scupper a stadium deal for Ashton. But it's unclear whether Ashton's bid involves the stadium at all!

Having said that, some of the committee presumably know Charlie through their mutual Yellow Army work so there must be a bit of chumminess there already. But fwiw I think OxVox are handling this as well as can be expected.
Snake
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Snake »

SmileyMan wrote:
Snake wrote:If I were a businessman with no interest in local football I’d jump at the opportunity to buy a ‘x’% share in the stadium and its surroundings. The overflow car park and corners alone would recoup the investment made once they’ve been converted into housing.
I love the way that people keep punting this out as a solution, and yet the multi-millionaire professional property developer who currently owns the stadium hasn't done it.
I wasn’t pointing this out as a solution, just a business investment opportunity for someone who didn’t give a fuck about Oxford United. And how do you know FK isn't in the process of doing it?

The home of Oxford United, like many other new grounds, was moved from Headington to an ‘out of town’ piece of polluted land blighted by legal problems and covenants that no one else wanted when it was first proposed in the early 90’s. Now, due to a recent government policy introduced to address the national housing shortage it’s ripe for property development and is very much ‘in-town’ – and there will be a queue of asset strippers waiting in the wings if FK decides to sell and be done with the hassle.

That bit of greenery on the other side of Grenoble Road won’t look like that in ten years time. The current protestations of SODC are lies as they are simply waiting and looking for a really decent s106 deal to emerge - so they can afford to bide their time and sit on their hands and wait...

Not sure what your cryptic point is Myles. The Labour Party in Oxford will be in power for at least the next 5 to 9 years and desperately want more affordable houses in the City but are wary of interfering in footballing issues after the stick they got the last time in helping to save the club.
Hog
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Hog »

So do OxVox have to wait until someone else makes an offer before they can take up their Right to Bid? If not and they think they've got the backers* why don't they just get on with it and make their bid now?

*Stop smirking at the back
SmileyMan
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by SmileyMan »

Myles Francis wrote: That may have something to do with the the willingness (or otherwise) of the local council to deal with the current owner.
I always assumed these things are conducted through the debating technique of bribes. You don't have to deal with the whole council, just half of the planning committee.
Snake
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Snake »

SmileyMan wrote:
Myles Francis wrote: That may have something to do with the the willingness (or otherwise) of the local council to deal with the current owner.
I always assumed these things are conducted through the debating technique of bribes. You don't have to deal with the whole council, just half of the planning committee.
Wrong on your planning committee point, but correct that this is the 21st Century version of brown envelops stuffed with cash.
tomoufc
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by tomoufc »

Hog wrote:So do OxVox have to wait until someone else makes an offer before they can take up their Right to Bid? If not and they think they've got the backers* why don't they just get on with it and make their bid now?

*Stop smirking at the back
As far as I understand it (I checked the law recently, but I'm no expert): anyone has a right to bid at any point. When they do so OxVox must be informed (and then have 6 months to launch a counter-bid). So OxVox could bid now if we wanted, but we would have to inform ourselves that we had done so!
&quotI've been a slave to football. It follows you home, it follows you everywhere, and eats into your family life. But every working man misses out on some things because of his job. &quot
theox
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by theox »

Kernow Yellow wrote:
tomoufc wrote:OxVox committee appear to be favoring one bid over the other. Yet at the same time they're calling for clarity on all sides. If true it doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. And if they are favoring one side they have no business doing so without a consultation of members.

Apologies in advance if I'm reading this wrong.
I think you're reading it wrong. Firstly, there doesn't even seem to be a bid on the table from the Methven consortium. Just a general desire to provide an alternative to the other bid. Secondly, OxVox clearly state that they want more information from all parties, and are not happy with the (lack of) communication from any of them. They've also made it clear that they'll fully consult the membership once they know enough to be in a position to do so. Though their/our opinions are likely to be of little consequence unless the RTB is triggered, and possibly not even then.

I suspect that Charlie's lot are hoping to join forces with OxVox at that point to scupper a stadium deal for Ashton. But it's unclear whether Ashton's bid involves the stadium at all!

Having said that, some of the committee presumably know Charlie through their mutual Yellow Army work so there must be a bit of chumminess there already. But fwiw I think OxVox are handling this as well as can be expected.
The Statement on Yellows Forum today would suggest that OXVOX do 'support' the Methven consortium.
A-Ro
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by A-Ro »

tomoufc
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by tomoufc »

theox wrote:
The Statement on Yellows Forum today would suggest that OXVOX do 'support' the Methven consortium.
Indeed, and potentially for understandable reasons. I think it's time for an OxVox emergency members' meeting though. This needs some scrutiny, even if all the facts aren't available to hand for whatever reason.

p.s. I have absolutely no reason not to trust the good intentions of the OxVox committee. By the sounds of it they may have been playing a blinder.
&quotI've been a slave to football. It follows you home, it follows you everywhere, and eats into your family life. But every working man misses out on some things because of his job. &quot
tomoufc
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by tomoufc »

From what I'm seeing on the other side the Methven bid looks fantastic, although almost too good to be true. What's going through IL head now, I wonder? One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the £8million of debt that I'm guessing IL would want settling before he sells the club. Perhaps the other consortium are offering more in terms of debt clearence, or (this would be a shock) an actual sale price?

And what's going on with Kassam? Obviously there's a lot of money to be made from selling the stadium for housing land. But at the moment the stadium, I believe, is legally for the purpose of playing football in it, and there's that lease agreeent... so perhaps he (or someone else?) would be willing to help fund the construction of a new stadium at water eaton in return for tearing up the lease at the Kas Stad?
&quotI've been a slave to football. It follows you home, it follows you everywhere, and eats into your family life. But every working man misses out on some things because of his job. &quot
tomoufc
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by tomoufc »

interview with Charlie on the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0219tqq

skip to 01:40:00
&quotI've been a slave to football. It follows you home, it follows you everywhere, and eats into your family life. But every working man misses out on some things because of his job. &quot
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

Thanks for posting the link, Tom - much appreciated and interesting to listen. He came across as credible enough, and he does at least have Oxford United coursing through his veins like the rest of us.
tomoufc wrote:From what I'm seeing on the other side the Methven bid looks fantastic, although almost too good to be true.
For those of us who don't venture to the Other Place, could someone summarise?
Snake
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Snake »

Kairdiff Exile wrote:For those of us who don't venture to the Other Place, could someone summarise?
Ok, Charlie Methven wants zillions of people to like a Facebook page. Uncle Firoz points out that err, there is a legal contract to pay rent at Minchery Farm until the Universe ends, the governing Labour Group in Oxford want to build loads of houses on both sides of Grenoble Road, and the governing Conservatives at County Hall want to further develop the Water Eaton site. SODC are watching with interests and Ian Lenagan has turned his phone off. That should save you some time wading through it.
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

Snake wrote:
Kairdiff Exile wrote:For those of us who don't venture to the Other Place, could someone summarise?
Ok, Charlie Methven wants zillions of people to like a Facebook page. Uncle Firoz points out that err, there is a legal contract to pay rent at Minchery Farm until the Universe ends, the governing Labour Group in Oxford want to build loads of houses on both sides of Grenoble Road, and the governing Conservatives at County Hall want to further develop the Water Eaton site. SODC are watching with interests and Ian Lenagan has turned his phone off. That should save you some time wading through it.
Diolch, butt. 8)
Snake
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Re: New(er) Consortium

Post by Snake »

Kairdiff Exile wrote:Diolch, butt. 8)
Sheep Shagger!

What concerns me the most is that this is a very grand and complex plan and it will take a while to come to fruition. It’s like the crisis in 1998 all over again and that took years to resolve. In the meantime there are simply too many interested parties with a finger in Oxford United’s pie to expect an instant result. Does anyone think that Ian is going to dig into his pocket again for new players this summer while this rumbles on?

p.s. Charlie has so far had close to a thousand internet warriors making the one second effort involved to click ‘Like’ on his Facebook page.
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