PDA

View Full Version : ER Ownership - Caveat emptor !



MrsORichSenior
28-12-2016, 12:07 PM
Elland Road Ownership - Caveat emptor !
Here is a crucial element for any potential buyer of our club,IMO - the ground.
Having access to various reports & sitting in recent meetings with regard to West Ham & Spurs stadia planning proposals I could weep at the ER situation.
Using the Spurs stadia development as an example & looking further into their fiscal prospectives I note the full extent of public contribution to Tottenham Hotspur's planned new stadium project.This is revealed with the club positioned to benefit from controversial council plans to develop an area opposite the new ground involving the demolition of existing local businesses.Council planners please note in Leeds !
Spurs have bought substantial land in that area, now proposed for residential development, and recently moved ownership of the property offshore, raising the possibility of avoiding corporate capital gains tax when it is sold at a profit – although Spurs deny the transfer was motivated - my view differs,here's why.
(Tottenham transferred all their property in the High Road West area to TH Property Ltd, a company registered in the Bahamas. That is the Caribbean tax haven home of Joe Lewis, the billionaire currency trader who owns a majority of Spurs via his holding company, Enic International, also registered in the Bahamas. Levy is, with his family, a potential beneficiary of a trust that owns 29% of Enic International in the Bahamas. Levy's salary is paid by Enic International, which is then repaid by Spurs).:O

Now you may now understand what one Mr Kenneth Bates 'master plan' was all about & his productive use of Trust Funds,complex funds may I add starting in Guernsey & ending in Guernsey,my view,my opinion after looking and listening to various parties with 'an interest' of taking Leeds United AFC forward a while back.Tracking potential Beneficiaries is not easy for obvious legal reason and would not certainly fit the slot of this Thread or Forum.
Title & Deed holders of property or Land does though - so without direct info on what Leeds City Council know of the situ regarding of such on ER and of more importance the land around ER,which they do know,this IS a real problem for potential investors,IMO.
Hard-pressed local councils are increasingly keen to help Premier League clubs, which have become stand-out multimillion pound success stories in often impoverished neighbourhoods,Man City & Liverpool grounds surrounds spring to mind in this respect as do Spurs now.
When renegotiating with the council, Levy insisted major regeneration had to take place across Tottenham High Road, where Spurs had bought property, if staying in Haringey was to be viable - (of course he did for his £££££'s).
Spurs own the designated supermarket site too, having assembled it from properties bought gradually over the years, it too was transferred to TH Property in the Bahamas, which is leasing the site to Sainsbury's now.
Regeneration around the Spurs ground was/is still crucial and that is the same for ER, imo,also it seems of Property developer Jacob Adler’s MBH Investments firm who has now submitted plans for a two-storey building accessed from Elland Road on land between the Subway outlet and The Old Peacock pub.Yes the same Jacob Adler who owns ER with an agreement that contained a clause that means the club can buy back the ground for a set fee at any stage before 2029 but both rent and the buy-back cost rise by three per cent every year - so he'll not be selling ER on the cheap now will he.
My worry is who actually does own other areas around the ER Stadium now as any stadia refurbishment won't come cheap if land is required by prospective owners.
Leeds City council have let the fans & folk down as they've shown no foresight or nouse in the past which if they had we would have been in a better 'selling' position today and have a club running on the German/French league morals of Stadia jointly run and owned by club,council and community so all benefit or even a "peppercorn rent agreement" as in place at Chelsea.The CPO (Chelsea Pitch Owners) whom own Stamford Bridge freehold,the turnstiles,the pitch and the Chelsea FC name in turn granted the club a 199-year lease on Stamford Bridge at a cheap rent,so if Chelsea move away they cannot keep the Chelsea name anymore - So for all his money Abromovich is stuck to redevelop now in situ for his craved 60,000 stadia - bet he loves Bates now too.
What a mess for us 'tho - it's a shame that the various 'fan groups' opposed to MC & the various consortia offering money didn't direct imput & resources into buying the Stadium,IMO,thus protecting such an asset for future generations and keeping greedy "here now gone tomorrow" money grabbers off it.A positive solution to a negative situation that's still possible Mr Radrizzani if you choose not to go down getting Image Right deals to fund the purchase of ER or heaven forbid a relocation if Mr Jacob Adler digs his heels in over his current deal of us handing over a wedge of £1.4 million plus a season to sit in a stadia needing some TLC.
MOT

MrsORichSenior
02-01-2018, 01:17 PM
http://i63.tinypic.com/bheyqd.jpg

Moscowhite noted this split second image (above) on a club promo shown at half-time on LUTV at weekend.......... thus reminding that a plan is in place for the club over time.

Note the old West Stand built up like the East Stand with south west corner joining current gap.Several tower blocks and buildings alongside the M621 screened off via trees appear for someone's revenue pockets too.

Old Fullerton Park area looks the biz with Academy arena pitches and pitches for Community use just as club promised,just not sure what's going to happen other side of East stand areas as that was also earmarked for training pitches and facilities too at the council meeting application stage I recall although a new Park & Ride area was also to be designated at that meeting to lessen polluted traffic congestion.

Before any discerning voices start with team before stadia logic the club has stated development of West stand will commence after promotion and that we are solidified in PL for a year before any works commence - hence 5 year plan folks budget wise.

All great news but leases,civil engineering protocol (space for stands & foundations) and of course the people who live in the area all have had a say including concerns of pollution (health issues daily for players training 'clean air wise' as well) in an area next to heavy traffic routes........................

Interesting but I recall listening at a Spurs media meeting unveiling their stadia plans a while back thinking "no chance" but five years down the line they delivered after overcoming all similar voiced concerns.

MOT

joellufcprice
02-01-2018, 04:46 PM
I read your first thread and couldn't get my head around how you could be complaining that we owned our stadium lol then realised it was a post from 2016.

Forza Radrizzani

Rev72
02-01-2018, 05:13 PM
Sooner we get in the Prem the better.

alfinyalcabo
02-01-2018, 05:21 PM
Sooner we get in the Prem the better.

You have to earn the right to that Rev..your last two games suggest to me that you need a couple of signings to help you ASAP ..Id prefer to have you in there rather than the likes of Swansea Brighton or Bournemouth..More derbys the better

Billyni
02-01-2018, 05:25 PM
All good, all good. Had to look at the date of the original post too :p
The future seems to be planned which has been unheard of for many years at Leeds.
My only wee quibble would be, are we planning for promotion this season or would the people in charge think that perhaps the club is not quite ready yet?

MrsORichSenior
02-01-2018, 10:44 PM
Good point Billy :s .......... regarding funds for this season & are we ready now.

This council plan of who owns what around ER suggests busy lease activity & money equated for already ..........

http://i67.tinypic.com/2hd09pg.jpg

hopelesslyoptimistic
03-01-2018, 04:30 PM
Good point Billy :s .......... regarding funds for this season & are we ready now.

This council plan of who owns what around ER suggests busy lease activity & money equated for already ..........

http://i67.tinypic.com/2hd09pg.jpg



Have it on very very good authority that the stadium redevelopment plans are very impressive and do not need the strips of land to which you refer MrsO.

Will allow low stadium to be used for multipurpose events without messing up the pitch. Only thing will be whether plans ambitious enough in terms of capacity (and thus potential income streams) for long term aspirations.

MrsORichSenior
03-01-2018, 11:44 PM
Regarding 'low pitch' - well the fact that ER current lower tiers are elevated it makes sense lowering pitch as Spurs stated lowering their pitch by a further 165cm/5'5" would not compromise sightlines of spectators and would at the same time give enough room to expand their capacity by 5000 to over 60000 thus allowing fans to be closer to the pitch and have a decent view of it as well.

Don't mind modern multi event stadia and been in a few 'modular design' types (similar to the West Ham set up) in Europe which are not to good in truth but if ER is 'structurally designed' like the new Spurs job then great - even better if its like some of the new French stadia built for the 2016 Euro Championships incorporating fantastic sound acoustics for live music events and major roads nearby encased in tunnels to lessen traffic emissions and purpose built tramways to ease congestion,all the better. :cool:

Not sure what Leeds Rhinos boss Paul Caddick makes to all this as his construction company was involved developing a retail/community park in York with a new joint York football & rugby team ground on the agenda, as well as developing Headingley cricket ground incorporating some innovative designs - so would be nice to see him involved.

My actual preferred usual 'pre-sleep read' is Viz - but promoting the Safe Standing initiative now makes War & Peace an attractive alternative to my last reading of updated UK Stadia Law. XD XD .............

http://www.safetyatsportsgrounds.org.uk/about-us

MOT

Orgoner
04-01-2018, 01:24 AM
Good point Billy :s .......... regarding funds for this season & are we ready now.

This council plan of who owns what around ER suggests busy lease activity & money equated for already ..........

http://i67.tinypic.com/2hd09pg.jpg

Is it just me, or does that look a bit like a knob drawing?!

Too bad I didn’t get to speak with him first, but a friend of mine’s brother-in-law supposedly now has something like a 10% stake in West Ham.

My understanding is that it is investment rather than loyalty based, which may prove quite shrewd if they can weather the storm this year as they have a very large catchment base if you think about it logically.

Football is rarely very logical though....