I doubt the Wrexham owners actually made any money though. They must have poured £millions into the playing budget as they climbed from Nat Conference to the championship. It's not JUST the purchase price that one would ascertain the return from ...

Russ - I'm not suggesting a purity test! I'd be open to someone like Bloom.

Crumbs that article from earlier is a bit worrying. I honestly can’t believe we’re selling out to such an unknown entity. This is going to end in tears, isn’t it

It would if they promised £86m over the next 5 years.

Nicander it rules out some genuinely good owners though. Tony Bloom seemed to make his money from gambling. Not the most reputable source of wealth but he’s done a great job at Brighton.

Thank you my dears x

Whilst I don't dispute your point Naz (in that people are just in it to make a profit), I'd say it's a bit unfair to put Reynolds & McElhenney in the same bracket as the Glaziers

Nicander. Ta. Just curious about where people would draw lines.

Happy Birthday also to Mick Smith - 68 today [Link]

Yes happy birthday Pads!

Happy Birthday Padds

Thanks Oddsy

Ian - someone with a known public profile and clear source of funds would be a start, as it establishes trust. Look at Reynolds at Wrexham for instance. Wrexham Trust had no Qs about who he was, where he came from or why he was interested, though they may have had other concerns.

Question. Who would people consider a good person to invest in the club? Also, if SSC was "fronted" by an ex Don instead of RB would that sway people?

OI - Man Utd only have Jason Wilcox though. We have the mighty Ryan Bertrand..

Trig - spot on, I think the key question for me (given that all options look bad) is how exactly we are maintaining the promised control over the ground and whether it is included in the 90% of economic value that SSC will own?

They aren't like the Glazers at least because they won't be loading us up with debt. They are a bit like Ratcliffe actually putting their money in to control the football side. The worry is that they might be as incompetent in this area as Ratcliffe with every sporting venture he has touched (football, cycling, sailing, rugby) becoming a disaster.

Trigger - Yes, who owns it, what happens duriung the five years, what can happen after 5 years etc. Versus, whats the position now, what happens now if we went into administration etc. It is hardly in a risk free position now as a subsidiary to AFCW PLC, so even something imperfect is still worth considering. I suspect the new arrangement gives some protections but doesnt remove all the risks.

Happy b/day, Paddington.

As far as I can see so far, it’s the only option apart from administration and it looks better than we could have expected. I suspect that they are in it to increase the capital value then sell up all or in part later to make a profit. Much like the Glaziers at Man United, and Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham (where I think they bought the club for £2m and have just sold 10% of it for more than that). But if we end up with a much bigger stadium, in the Championship and with better players then great. That's better than administration where who knows where we would end up.

That’s why it’s crucial to get clarity on who owns the ground through this deal.

These elements (barony, phd - although possible he has gained that legitimately) could just be to help him gain influence in his other business dealings rather than be procured for the purposes of taking over a League One football club.

Like David Frost, he rose without trace.

He comes across as someone who's in a real hurry to become, and show, he's a pillar of the British establishment. And in slightly cringeworthy ways - buying a Scottish title, acquiring a PhD in a subject that sounds incomprehensible. Maybe these are accoutrements that will help him further his business career in other parts of the world. Maybe they reinforce his idea of who he is and wants to be. But definitely odd. And an odder match for us than for other clubs, perhaps. If neither of my hypotheses were correct, I suspect this deal wouldn't be on the table. Doesn't mean he's a wrong'un, however.

Jason Arday?