New Chief Exec

[Dog Blade]

Not sure if posted elsewhere etc but details of a press conference as follows;


Sheffield United have called a media conference for 3pm on Friday, November 20 when they will announce the appointment of a new chief executive.

Chairman Kevin McCabe will introduce the figure who is well-known to English football and a major player in the sports rights business. There will be opportunities for interviews, film and photographs.

The media call will be held in the club’s Legends of the Lane facility, starting at 3pm.

 

[Houso]

The chap who brokered Abramovich's Chelsea purchase?

 

[Grecian2000]

Isn't Turry back on the market?

 

[Houso]

Isn't Turry back on the market?

We can only dream

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

The chap who brokered Abramovich's Chelsea purchase?

Yep, it was rumoured to be Trevor Birch, was at Chelsea for the Abramovich purchase, Everton briefly and then went to Derby to oversee their takeover.

 

[SotonBlade]

If it's Trevor Birch, then could it be a takeover imminent?

 

[Houso]

There's rumours on lots of places at the moment that we've got a very big announcement coming up on the first of December. Even a pig on PorkTalk claims he's heard about it from a former player who still works at the Lane.

Mentions of Red Bull investment won't go away either.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

If it's Trevor Birch, then could it be a takeover imminent?

You'd think so, if not a complete takeover, at least oversee some kind of investment which seems to be on the cards.

 

[SotonBlade]

Very big announcement in terms of what exactly?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Mentions of Red Bull investment won't go away either.

Nah, we never use wings

 

[Houso]

Very big announcement in terms of what exactly?

A takeover.

 

[SotonBlade]

As much as people slate McCabe, i'm very confident that he would only do something, be it investment or takeover, if it was to better the club and move it forward. I think if any sort of investment or takeover was to just move the club sideways, then i don't think he'd do it.

 

[Bayingblade]

I agree Soton. I also don't think he's the type to start promising "investment by 31st March" etc..................unlike some. If/when it does happen, it will be announced as a done deal.

I also think KM will retain a level of interest if it were to happen as I can't see him handing it over lock, stock and barrel.

 

[SotonBlade]

I agree Soton. I also don't think he's the type to start promising "investment by 31st March" etc..................unlike some. If/when it does happen, it will be announced as a done deal.

I also think KM will retain a level of interest if it were to happen as I can't see him handing it over lock, stock and barrel.

If it is Birch, it could be something considerable given his history

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I agree Soton. I also don't think he's the type to start promising "investment by 31st March" etc..................unlike some. If/when it does happen, it will be announced as a done deal.

I also think KM will retain a level of interest if it were to happen as I can't see him handing it over lock, stock and barrel.

That's what young Simon is there for, I'm sure it'll be a proviso of any deal that he's on the board.

 

[Micalijo]

As much as people slate McCabe, i'm very confident that he would only do something, be it investment or takeover, if it was to better the club and move it forward. I think if any sort of investment or takeover was to just move the club sideways, then i don't think he'd do it.

I don't doubt that McCabe is a supporter of SUFC, in fact he definitely is. However, when you own it and when you have effectively combined it with substantial personal/family property interests I personally believe that your behaviour towards the football club becomes different. He's got directly competing aims of maximising family wealth and creating a successful SUFC. I believe it is easier to reconcile these two perfectly understandable aims if they are kept separate.

McCabe's almost comical interview immeiately prior to Beattie's departure will forever leave a nasty taste for me every time I part with my season ticket money and I just cannot help thinking that this any new investment is a necessity caused by the general collapse in the property market rather than a step that will take the club to a new level.

 

[SotonBlade]

I don't doubt that McCabe is a supporter of SUFC, in fact he definitely is. However, when you own it and when you have effectively combined it with substantial personal/family property interests I personally believe that your behaviour towards the football club becomes different. He's got directly competing aims of maximising family wealth and creating a successful SUFC. I believe it is easier to reconcile these two perfectly understandable aims if they are kept separate.

McCabe's almost comical interview immeiately prior to Beattie's departure will forever leave a nasty taste for me every time I part with my season ticket money and I just cannot help thinking that this any new investment is a necessity caused by the general collapse in the property market rather than a step that will take the club to a new level.

Thought provoking post Micalijo.

Put yourself in McCabe's shoes for a sec. Imagine selling out to prop yourself back up, then returning to watch the club and finding out that from the repercussions of your sale or whatever that the club has declined.

This is all hear say, but the fact McCabe is a fan, must have some bearing on it.

 

[Micalijo]

Thought provoking post Micalijo.

Put yourself in McCabe's shoes for a sec. Imagine selling out to prop yourself back up, then returning to watch the club and finding out that from the repercussions of your sale or whatever that the club has declined.

This is all hear say, but the fact McCabe is a fan, must have some bearing on it.

I'm not saying you do Soton, but I honestly think many Blades have this blind faith in McCabe to always do the right thing for SUFC but at present I genuinely think his main concern is the property market. Hopefully the cash he got recently from Valad should ease all fears about the family pot vanishing into thin air so I accept I'm almost certainly barking up the wrong tree. But, Scarbororugh are clearly into some huge developments and I can't see how these can generate profit in the medium term. I'm talking about aparatment blocks sitting empty or bringing in paltry rental streams before interest costs. SUFC own 50% of these liabilities.

Afraid I lost all respect for him after the Beattie interview (hence my views are clouded by this) and I don't think he will have the luxury of a choice of investors or buyers. Very few businesses - especially loss making ones - have a queue of people lining up to buy or invest.

It gets to me when people say Mcabe is a great chairman but he can't pick managers. I'd rather say he's an average chairman but a good businessman.

 

[Grecian2000]

A new Chief Exec on Nov 20 and a takeover on Dec 1 seems a little bit close together to me.
Unless the CE has been involved previously then it doesn't give him much time does it?

 

[SotonBlade]

A new Chief Exec on Nov 20 and a takeover on Dec 1 seems a little bit close together to me.
Unless the CE has been involved previously then it doesn't give him much time does it?

That wouldn't suprise me G2000. The Birch rumours have been around for a while, so things may have been going on behind the scenes.

The apoointment may signal that an investor has now been found and that he has been brought in to oversee it, as he has at other clubs

 

[Bladesway]

Could be interesting. But haven't we heard this sort of talk over at S6 over many, many years.

You could look at it many ways. Are we being asset stripped for a new Chief Exec and a new group to come in, invest and bring a new manager in? Or is nothing going to change and we carry on regardless.

 

[SotonBlade]

I'm not saying you do Soton, but I honestly think many Blades have this blind faith in McCabe to always do the right thing for SUFC but at present I genuinely think his main concern is the property market. Hopefully the cash he got recently from Valad should ease all fears about the family pot vanishing into thin air so I accept I'm almost certainly barking up the wrong tree. But, Scarbororugh are clearly into some huge developments and I can't see how these can generate profit in the medium term. I'm talking about aparatment blocks sitting empty or bringing in paltry rental streams before interest costs. SUFC own 50% of these liabilities.

Afraid I lost all respect for him after the Beattie interview (hence my views are clouded by this) and I don't think he will have the luxury of a choice of investors or buyers. Very few businesses - especially loss making ones - have a queue of people lining up to buy or invest.

It gets to me when people say Mcabe is a great chairman but he can't pick managers. I'd rather say he's an average chairman but a good businessman.

I like sensible debates like this!

I am slightly wary of McCabe, and ever since the crunch started to hit he has been a bit twitchy, and can't really account for all the cash in and out of the club. But generally, yes i do have more of a faith in him than not.

 

[Grecian2000]

Could be interesting. But haven't we heard this sort of talk over at S6 over many, many years.

Hells Bells, Geoff Sheard's mystery consortium is buying us.

 

[Micalijo]

What I will say is that Birch's expertise in dealing with debt could come in very handy if the value of stock in Blades Realty Limited (last accounts submitted February 2008) has dropped off a cliff.

It is easy to see how Blades Realty could get into problems and, without knowing anything about the legal nature of who is liable for what, if SUFC plc is liable for 50% of Realty, then it aint going to be pretty and Ryan France could become a big player for us very quickly.

 

[SotonBlade]

Like the analogy re: Ryan France

 

[matth]

Where's this being reported? Is it accurate?

 

[Fiery Blade]

New Cheif Executive Kavan Walker ?

 

[lenners]

So, he's either coming into to conduct a fire-sale as at Leeds or he's going to broker a deal with the new Abramovich.
I know where my money would be going.

 

[SotonBlade]

And so this thread is finally infilitrated after a successful 27 posts

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Random quote time again

“Trevor Birch is an insolvency practitioner. He has principally been involved with clubs undergoing financial difficulties”

“In the UK, only a licensed Insolvency Practitioner can be appointed in relation to formal insolvency procedures for individuals and businesses”

“Birch's appointment has prompted much speculation about the weakness of the club's finances”

“Birch has refused to buy any new players for manager Claudio Ranieri this season. He told national newspapers: 'No one will be signed unless we have sold a player first. We've always been determined to reduce our wage bill and we are sticking to that policy”

Gary Johnson:- "Sheffield United are pleading poverty a little bit and I think they need to bring some finances in”

Kevin Blackwell:- "There isn't the money there”

Kevin Blackwell:- “Banks are not lending money to football clubs anymore”