[halifax_baggie]

He was relatively unknown then and perhaps used the move to get into the Prem. I'm sure I read that he said he wouldn't want to play for us anyhow due to our style of play.

Whooosh - it was a joke !!!!

[stoxman]

Had it on good authority from someone who is deeply in the know that there is very real interest and at an advanced stage.  As I've said before,  I am sceptical of Chinese ability to follow through on deals but my contact seems to believe this has a good chance.

A

[baggiejohn]

It won't operate like that at all. We are not waiting for a cash injection to make us solvent we can and have to trade normally until something happens e.g. contracts are signed and money changes hands. It is in neither party's best interests not to.

I'm with you on this Stan, it will be sold as a going concern, can't see the new owners being hands on at all

[Standaman]

Had it on good authority from someone who is deeply in the know that there is very real interest and at an advanced stage.  As I've said before,  I am sceptical of Chinese ability to follow through on deals but my contact seems to believe this has a good chance.

A

Interesting, if it is one of the high profile super rich such as Ma or Jianlin I would have thought that they would have the resources to buy us several times over even allowing for the fact much of their wealth is tied up in other assets. However there are a lot of other Chinese businessmen with over arching ambitions and insufficient capital to make them a reality these are far more numerous than the super rich and could be ruinous owners.

I hope for the best here but fear the worst. As ever there is very little hard news but the persistent rumours of something in the pipeline are beginning to make think there might be a serious proposal on the table.

[BAGGIES4LIFE]

Hopefully BREXIT will help pave the way for a takeover if it is on the cards. The £ is down over 10% against Yuan so JP gets more for his shares or the new owners could acquire us for less.  There has never been a better time for this to happen, prayer mats to the ready fellow baggies!

[LongBridge Baggie1]

Interesting, if it is one of the high profile super rich such as Ma or Jianlin I would have thought that they would have the resources to buy us several times over even allowing for the fact much of their wealth is tied up in other assets. However there are a lot of other Chinese businessmen with over arching ambitions and insufficient capital to make them a reality these are far more numerous than the super rich and could be ruinous owners.

I hope for the best here but fear the worst. As ever there is very little hard news but the persistent rumours of something in the pipeline are beginning to make think there might be a serious proposal on the table.

True in what you about no smoke without fire. As for Ma and Jianlin if it is them, the great thing about us is the fact they're not going to have to spend a ton just on our name. If they are clever we can built into a brand no debt, we own everything. So the building blocks are there. Just hope Peace avoids another Venky's/Yeung. Though that would be a risk if we sold to anybody not just the far East

[baggiejohn]

I would think this is a Tata/JLR type deal, the owners know how to make money, WBA know how to run a football club. If we keep that relationship intact, it can only be good news. I've dealt with the Chinese, & their psyche is very similar to the Japanese, so the fact that WBA principals, Mark Jenkins, Richard Garlick & Nick Hammond tend to be "outward facing" will stand us in good stead.

[zac]

Matt Wilson of the Express and Dingle has said that Jack Ma isn't one of those that JP is fielding interest from.

[Topman]

I think we all knew it was wishful thinking the billionaire guy. What is more worrying is he says, fielding interest, this says to me they are not that far along with anything at all and this could drag on for ages more and probably like last time end with no agreement

[wba1993dave]

Local Jounro's haven't got a clue, seen so much tripe from both local papers about transfer targets and none have come to fruition. The only good reliable journo that covers the Midlands is John Percy.  As for the takeover I think we have to be patient.

[baggiejohn]

Local Jounro's haven't got a clue, seen so much tripe from both local papers about transfer targets and none have come to fruition. The only good reliable journo that covers the Midlands is John Percy.  As for the takeover I think we have to be patient.

Think Matt Wilson's pretty good, EM's been a joke since CL left.

[B_H_Baggie]

Matt Wilson of the Express and Dingle has said that Jack Ma isn't one of those that JP is fielding interest from.

To be fair the longer it went with nothing more than those screenshots that appeared on twitter the less likely it was to be authentic, as for the club fielding interest that appears to be their standard answer when asked about takeover. Club won't admit to anything more until a deal is virtually done after what happened last year.

[B_H_Baggie]

Think Matt Wilson's pretty good, EM's been a joke since CL left.

Matt Wilson is like the rest of them and will just say what he's given by the club so when asked about takeover this time the answer was always unlikely to be any different than the usual fielding interest. Telling that they have said Jack Ma isn't one of the interested parties though.

[WBArgo]

It's all becoming very similar to last season, lots of talk then at the end of it nothing gets done. Hopefully it won't interfere with our transfers if we keep Peace at the helm.

[gerry m]

It's all becoming very similar to last season, lots of talk then at the end of it nothing gets done. Hopefully it won't interfere with our transfers if we keep Peace at the helm.

I think if it was going to happen it should have happened by now. Pre-season training already happening.Not to sure about it interfering with our transfers as we seem to be playing a waiting game.

[BAGGIE5]

I seriously don't know what to believe.

It felt that it might be close before. The silence was giving me confidence that something might seriously be happening.

But now after matt wilson comments of peace is fielding interest at this point makes me think we are miles away. If so we have another big summer in regards if squad recruitinment and it feels like were letting players pass us by that would improve us.. Ie ritchie towensend and haggling for berahino.

I really hope somethings is happening that no one knows about.

[stuarthunt]

Hi guys, I'm new to the blog.
From Stourbridge but born & bred in Albion country Wednesbury.

Ref takeover I am as sceptical as they come but I do really believe there is something definately happening on this.
Local press are under strict orders on this and club won't release any real details until deal is pretty much done.
Hopefully this happens as we have gone backwards over last few seasons & it's getting harder to compete with out real clout behind us.
I'm keeping everything crossed.
Boing Boing

[baggiejohn]

Matt Wilson is like the rest of them and will just say what he's given by the club so when asked about takeover this time the answer was always unlikely to be any different than the usual fielding interest. Telling that they have said Jack Ma isn't one of the interested parties though.

Yes, I agree, but at least he tells it like it is, rather than the sensationalist rubbish that comes from the EM.

[baggiejohn]

I think if it was going to happen it should have happened by now. Pre-season training already happening.Not to sure about it interfering with our transfers as we seem to be playing a waiting game.

It won't have any impact on transfers or pre-season, they'll be buying a going concern. Whoever is buying the club, we need to understand their motives, I suspect it will be to get brand recognition, if so, they'll want us to progress to Europe, so they'll provide enough cash to get us into a top 6 place, but it's unlikely to be this window, & it might not be the next. I image the target for this year will be to preserve our EPL status, & then push on in the summer of 2017.
Look at how Leicester's owners are throwing cash at their team now, Jamie Vardy's been given a contract allegedly worth £120,000 a week.

[stuarthunt]

Bang on John
We will have our list of targets with or without takeover, lets just hope we can get our 1st choice ones and not 4th or 5th in each position were looking at.
Ref takeover, because if FFP we would have to build slowly anyway as fines and that would soon mount up i believe.
We need it to happen though as everyone is being brought or having big investment, Swansea, Everton & Palace to name a few, then there r the teams in the championship with rich owners, Sheff Weds the Vile & the dingles apparently about to be brought so its essential we get sold IMO

[baggiejohn]

Bang on John
We will have our list of targets with or without takeover, lets just hope we can get our 1st choice ones and not 4th or 5th in each position were looking at.
Ref takeover, because if FFP we would have to build slowly anyway as fines and that would soon mount up i believe.
We need it to happen thou as everyone is being brought or having big investment, Swansea, Everton & Palace to name a few, then there r the teams in the championship with rich owners, Sheff Weds the Vile & the dingles apparently about to be brought so its essential we get sold IMO

If you think about it this doesn't weaken our position, it strengthens it. If far eastern investors are looking at the EPL as a vehicle for brand recognition, there are only 20 clubs, 23 if you count the promoted clubs. The more clubs that get sponsors, the less opportunities there are, the last man standing gets to pick and choose, it's a sellers market.

[bangkokbaggie]

I recall a comment recently from I think a journalist using the initials TO (takeover?) as being the number one priority for the club at that moment ahead of transfers so I do hope this doesn't drag on like last year and end up again with no concrete deal.

[GrGr]

Hi guys, I'm new to the blog.
From Stourbridge but born & bred in Albion country Wednesbury.

Ref takeover I am as sceptical as they come but I do really believe there is something definately happening on this.
Local press are under strict orders on this and club won't release any real details until deal is pretty much done.
Hopefully this happens as we have gone backwards over last few seasons & it's getting harder to compete with out real clout behind us.
I'm keeping everything crossed.
Boing Boing

That just means the local press isn't doing it's job. JP doesn't own the local press and it's their job to report the news. It's not their job to look after the interests of JP.

[BAGGIE5]

I don't think the local press are been told they can't speak. Its just they know hardly anything. These days they almost guess at who want to sign. Worst kept secret that jp wants to sell and we want to sign matt phillips.

Phillips thing is starting to really grind. Sometimes i think if there was no takeover that would have been done now, even with albion being slow movers.

[Mo]

One can only imagine Pulis would have wanted at least 1 or 2 new signings in for the start of pre season training today . Puli has said hardly anything last few days and I can't see him not coming out and dropping a few disgruntled notes to the press before long . He's forever banging the drum about moving forward well the squad is weaker than last season so should be an interesting few days .