Worrying news this evening that the sale of the club to US billionaire, Joshua Harris, has fallen through. The South London Press, who have been fed the story so far, are confirming the deal is off - http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/Sport.cfm?id=42216&headline=Sports%20mogul%20Harris%20pulls%20out%20of%20Charlton%20takeover%20talks
If it is simply a case of being unable to agree a price, you have to wonder why and how due diligence has been completed, unless the current owners have been playing brag with a nine-high and had their bluff called. Let's face it, they have form for driving a hard bargain and failing to sell (Dale Stephens). Perhaps they have another party to turn to but if you can't do a deal with an American billionaire, I struggle to see how you are going to get better from someone else.
Hardly a morale booster for the side ahead of Saturday and we risk missing the opportunity to strengthen in the January window. At least Mr Slater can claim the high ground and say he was right when he said there was no takeover under way when he spoke at a supporter's get together last week. Not sure he can claim the same legitimacy about "the five year plan." A relegation fight in year three and a return to Year One certainly wasn't part of the plan.
If it is simply a case of being unable to agree a price, you have to wonder why and how due diligence has been completed, unless the current owners have been playing brag with a nine-high and had their bluff called. Let's face it, they have form for driving a hard bargain and failing to sell (Dale Stephens). Perhaps they have another party to turn to but if you can't do a deal with an American billionaire, I struggle to see how you are going to get better from someone else.
Hardly a morale booster for the side ahead of Saturday and we risk missing the opportunity to strengthen in the January window. At least Mr Slater can claim the high ground and say he was right when he said there was no takeover under way when he spoke at a supporter's get together last week. Not sure he can claim the same legitimacy about "the five year plan." A relegation fight in year three and a return to Year One certainly wasn't part of the plan.
I agree with all of that. You have to assume that TJ & MS are not stupid, and obviously DD had been completed for it to get to an offer stage as you rightly said, where they think they're going to get a better offer from God only knows.
ReplyDeleteIt's so mind boggling that it leads me to think that they must have other interest, if not, then I dread to think what will happen during the close season.
Despite our present lowly position, I still feel that we will avoid relegation but with a fire sale of our better and younger talent and the inevitable departure of CP,then next season we'd be relegation certainties.