[RMCF]

This may have already been discussed within certain teams forums, but you can't lift a newspaper these days without reading about another potential take over from some super-rich businessman.

And lots of clubs are mentioned.

Personally, I don't think its good for the EPL or the game in England. You can guarantee that prices will rise, as these people don't care about football or the club concerned - they only care about money.

Anyone else see bad times ahead?

[BrianC]

Speaking from a Villa fans perspective the Lerner take over is a big big improvement over what we had with English ownership. Before the take over we where slowly heading down the league and eventually we'd be where Leeds or Forrest are.

Its not just the cash injection, its sensible management and an actual plan for the future that has turned the club around. I'm convinced if we hadn't been brought out we'd have gone down last season.

I fully accept that season ticket prices will rise if and when we become more successful. However Doug would have done the exact same if by some miracle we achieved success under him. Obviously I don't want to pay more but if the club is selling out week in week out then its just a matter of time and has little to do with who owns the club.

Takeovers like the Liverpool and the Man U ones are completely different as its put the clubs further into debt, not something I'd been keen on if Villa wasn't a cash purchase.

[Steven]

This is a topic that can be viewed from several perspectives

Firstly, "tradition" or identity. I'll end there for my own sanity

Secondly, how the takeover is financed. Evidently Chelsea fans I presume will remain in the minority... despite being "billionaires", the Russian really is on a different level. No I am talking about the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool. Utd mostly, since we know more about that. £60 million annual interest repayments, or 85% of gate receipts according to today's Times. So that is huge money before they even pay the debt off! Then we hear Arsenal fans imploring their club not to go down that road with their own "maybe, maybe not, its all speculation" money man.

Fine line between winning and losing indeed

I thought I'd end on a cliche since this thread is all about going over old ground

[overkill]

It's been done RMCF. I agree with you, and frankly, having seen the way the US businessmen in particular work, I'm not convinced that any club, no matter how rosy things look at the start, is safe in their hands. Simply because they aren't in it, in any way shape or form for the game.

Yes a lot of UK businessmen messed up, and yes they weren't saint's, but at least we knew where to find them. As so many have found out, if the US guys decide things aren't working, well, it's a damn big ocean the Atlantic.........

I know, as we've been over this before some disagree, and well - that's up to them.

I do however, know Franny Lee quite well, so when things turn ugly, as has happened pretty much 9 times out of 10 in other countries where US (and other hostile foreign) takeovers have happened, I'm willing to ask him to supply a few truck loads of tissues so the respective fans can have a good, hard, cry.

[Steven]

Make mine man-sized