Thursday 12 November 2009

Selling The Club Down The River Mersey


So reports are suggesting that we have set a price for Carlton Cole. £20m. Some might argue that Liverpool are willing to meet that valuation, we should sell him; and as big a fan as I am, I can understand the logic - but only if the money was to be reinvested.

The trouble is, of course, that the cash will simply be absorbed by the debt mountain. C&B Holdings now know that nobody is going to meet their inflated valuation whilst taking on the monumental debt. Any £100m offer will be for the club without the debt - eg £50m to clear the debt and £50 for the club and all its assets. So that leaves the banks with just £50m tops for the club itself. So what would you do in their shoes, assuming you have no love for the club and don't care what happens to it after you have disposed of the "asset"?

Simples as my friend Hierros Bill would say! You sell players, use the cash to reduce the debt, and so increase the net value of the £100m offer. By selling Cole, C&B Holdings pocket £70m instead of just £50m. Sell two of Green, Behrami and Upson, and you could nearly be up to your target figure!

But that would spell certain relegation! So what, with the club sold for £50m, that would no longer be Straumer's problem. But who would then pay £100m for the club? Nobody would have to, the club would now be available at £50m, not a bad price for a London club in the Fizzy Pop with zero debts and a loyal fan base who could be guaranteed to nearly fill Upton Park every game. With the parachute payment, it might look like a tidy investment. No wonder Intermarket and Sullivan are sniffing.

There's that old East End saying: where there's muck, there's brass. Well West Ham are sure in the shit so...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm probably clutching at straws ( but what else does a West Ham fan have these days) and I realise this is currently only speculation, but the following would suggest that Intermarket would be looking to step into the breech before the transfer window in January:

" - - - as they plan to have a deal finalised by December 11th. Once assuming control Intermarket plan to give manager Gianfranco Zola their financial backing to improve the squad. Byrne stated “We have definitely got the interested parties with the money needed to do what we need to do and get in some funding to stop West Ham having to sell players and make sure they can strengthen to be able to avoid relegation.”

No need to throw ourselves under passing buses quite yet, HF.

S4W

Hammersfan said...

If they buy at £50m, they can invest - but how much? What if C&B Holdings sign a deal now, to sell Cole in January, with the £20m used to knock off the debt? How serious are Intermarket anyway? Look mate, I must rush, I can see the Number 15 coming along Peckham High Street!

Anonymous said...

Well I suppose it's the law of supply and demand :

Coal will always fetch a higher price in January than it will in the Summer.

Sorry!! I'm leaving now.

S4W

Orange Boy said...

S4W how the hell can you run down the org then become a regular on this crap blog?

Anonymous said...

why is it always doom and gloom on this blog it really fucks me off support the club you MUG and stop being such a pessimist.

Hammersfan said...

LOL The Orgsters are back! Control the language please guys. I know Nev allows it on the Org, along with cyber bullying of school kids, but we don't need it here thanks!

Anonymous said...

Orange Boy because on here I'm allowed to have a laugh!
Laughter was banished sometime ago on the Org.
Dave Dismal Rules Not OK

S4W

Anonymous said...

ironsfan says

I have been banned. Seems like it is a closed club. Upset anybody in the inner sanctum or the Klan as you call them and that's it.

Orange Boy said...

Looks like you will have to think up a new character then. As for you S4W can't have much backbone if you let old grumpy chase you off.

4theGoodOftheOrg said...

Hierros Bill = racist klansman, who knows nothing about football and writes drivel, simples

Straight4ward said...

Nice try OrangeBoy.

The REAL Orange Boy said...

Come on Guys, let's get original. No need to hide behind my name.

BTW, as much as he isn't a fan of the short arsed Grumpy Dave I think it is far past the time that we should begin to use the more apt and abbreviated version of Roberto's name - 'roid'.

apache said...

Ironsfan, have you really been banned?

It's probably because they think you're Fanno.

I could have told them you're not, you were much more aggressive.

That's a joke.

Hammersfan said...

Hi apache. I think the banning of ironsfan says it all. I don't know if he is the real Orange Boy or somebody else, maybe even El Martillo in another guise, but I can't see what he did wrong, apart, of course from having a go at Grumpy and taking the piss out of westhamtilIdie. Like I always said, there is a Klan. Grumpy can express pleasure at Cole getting injured, Sheppey can use the most foul abuse, but ironsfan, who appears to be a devoted fan who attends games from Aylesbury and defends Cole and even Turds is banned. The Stasi have nothing on Nev and his Backdoor Boys!

The real deal (or is it peel) Orange Boy said...

Who started all this crap Fanno? But before you blame...???!! Just like the Freddie Sears post

Hammersfan said...

Who started what? Who challanged the Klan? Hotshot first off, then me. Now it is roberto and ironsfan. One looks as if he is gone, the other may be on borrowed time. He is no fan of Fanno but I would hate to see him banned. What else is there to do in Scotland?