Ping-EPL fans

[MrBug708]

I just read that Thailand bought 30% of Liverpool. What's the deal with that?

[MIJB#19]

They got screwed and bought the right of the Uruguayan Liverpool?
Just kidding, I had no idea what this is about...

Doing some research, it seems the Thai prime minister wants to spend his private money on buying a share in Liverpool.

People like these help clubs to get big in 5 years, only to see the clubs end up destroyed in 10 years...

[Crapshoot]

Eh, I think the reaction from pool fans is basically xenophobia...

he's a fairly rich man, who might help Liverpool tap the East Asian Market that Man UTd has basically made their own- and he brings a different sort of expertise. Furthermore, he made a reasonable offer for the club, greater than that of Morgan. What's the problem ?

[Marc Vaughan]

Eh, I think the reaction from pool fans is basically xenophobia...
he's a fairly rich man, who might help Liverpool tap the East Asian Market that Man UTd has basically made their own- and he brings a different sort of expertise. Furthermore, he made a reasonable offer for the club, greater than that of Morgan. What's the problem ?

(Playing devils advocate)
Actually from what I can understand the offer from Morgan was higher (the club has miquoted its valuation hugely - his offer was also for 30% of the club, but for a higher cash balance) ... the fans also see Morgan as a fellow fan rather than someone who's planning on cashing in on a club as an investment.

This to the average fan is a much safer bet as he's not so interested in making a profit and more likely not to leave the club in the lurch if things go wrong.

PS. The Thai PM had already indicated that he has no real loyalty to Liverpool and that he'd invest in another club if his offer was turned down.

[Katon]

I'd heard that Morgan's offer valued the club at about 2/3 of what the board and the Thai PM valued it at.

I think the objection to the Thai PM is based on two things - that he really doesn't care about Liverpool in particular and also that he is apparently at the center of some fairly serious human rights violations.

[bhlloy]

As I understand it, there was some SERIOUS doubt whether Morgan had the collateral to back his bid up, and he went round shooting his mouth off about the bad job Houllier and the current administration had made of things the last couple of years. His bid was higher though (I heard £72 million to £66 million)

Basically it came down to a choice between a fan with "limited" collateral(limited in inverted commas - think he's worth about £250 million) who would want a very hands on approach when it came to boardroom decisions and would want to make changes, or a very very wealthy foreign businessman (also happens to be prime minister of his country) who saw his investment as purely business and wouldn't want a hands on role. It's no surprise to me which offer the board and shareholders chose to accept.

[Blade6119]

I think this is a smart move...they get a nice influx of cash, from a person who doesnt take over control of the club. They also have access to a new market, that potentially could allow them more prospects or fans. Im sure all the best thai youngsters will get a look at Liverpool now, and i doubt any will be going elsewhere or else their families will be killed...

Id imagine thats how the MLS got Freddy Adu, just some friendly family death threats and something about sending them back to Africa :)

[bhlloy]

A nice idea in theory, although I can't think of one Thai player who is good enough to play in Division 3 let alone for Liverpool. But it is an expanding market and they say that China (along with the US) will be the team to watch in 10 years time.

[mordhiem]

Yeah, as already said, Morgan was planning to raise it by a share issue (i.e. not with his own money) that greatly undevalued the club in the board's opinion. In exchange he wanted a seat on the board and planned to get involved in the running of the club (he all but said he wants Houllier sacked). On the other hand, the Thai PM offered a guarenteed cash injection and he doesn't want to take any real role in the day to day buisness of the team. Easy choice IMHO. To all Liverpool fans saying "But he's not a real fan!", well, Peter Risdale was a 'real fan' if I remember correctly...

[daedalus]

I think this is a smart move...they get a nice influx of cash, from a person who doesnt take over control of the club. They also have access to a new market, that potentially could allow them more prospects or fans. Im sure all the best thai youngsters will get a look at Liverpool now, and i doubt any will be going elsewhere or else their families will be killed...As bhlloy said, it's doubtful that there are any Thai soccer players worth being in D3 or conference. Thailand is also a pretty damn bad market for merchandising with their counterfeit problem. I also doubt that whatever Thai version of the Corleone family is over there really gives a crap if Billy Bob (or whatever it is in Thai) play for a team that he has no actual financial attachment to. Now, if you're talking about them playing for or having to do with whatever local team they might possibly have attachment to or control over? That may be a different story.Id imagine thats how the MLS got Freddy Adu, just some friendly family death threats and something about sending them back to Africa :)Cute as conspiracy theories may be, perhaps you can take the foil hat off long enough to think about the possibilities that the fact that he can't sign in Europe for another couple of years *may* just have had a smidge to do with why he's in MLS. I don't remember if his family got actual citizenship or just green card when they immigrated over so I wouldn't guess that wonderful theory of a threat of deportation is really the way to go. A wacky concept: not all immigrants are illegal aliens. Weird, huh? Oh, and, if he was deported back to Ghana as you think his family was threatened with, he'd probably be able to sign in Europe earlier.