[Standaman]

"They aren't entitled to the information".

Remember that when you get huffy about fans protesting outside and inside the ground folks. A group of blokes from a land the other side of the world with no connection to your local community have no respect for you, your club or your community.

This pretty much highlights gap between most fans view of how football clubs should conduct themselves and the realities of the rights even of shareholders (not just fans) under UK company law. Here I am assuming this response has been given the okay by the clubs lawyers but it rings true given my layman's knowledge of these matters.

On many of the matters raised the Club can legitimately claim commercial confidentiality but as an across the board response to all the issues raised it is wholly inadequate and does seem to signal an unwillingness to engage with a Group that does have not only concerns shared by many supporters but does have money invested in the club.

Sadly I am not surprised by the response but it does not make it any less appalling.   

 

[skyclad99]

Not Lai but not making a separate thread for this bloke too.

From liquidator podcast :

Breaking News:  The sole director of WBA Group Xu Ke (aka 'Ken') has refused to answer ANY of the 38 questions recently posed by the club's minority shareholders, claiming that they aren't entitled to the information and citing confidentiality.  #WBAFC

Actually I would have thought that as a shareholder you are entitled to know what is going on with your investment. however this is the response we all expected so it comes as no surprise.

As I mentioned before I personally think that the request is something that needed to be put into place before further [potentially legal] action by S4A. The club has had the opportunity to explain the reasoning behind the actions they have taken - they have chosen to go 'no comment'. 

If S4A are going down this route then I fully support them. 

[baggiejohn]

IMO, if Lai had planned to be here for the longer term, he would have addressed some of the questions posed by S4A. It would have been in his interests to have them on side.
If the rumours are true, & he is in discussions with other investors, he's probably been advised to play a straight bat.

[skyclad99]

IMO, if Lai had planned to be here for the longer term, he would have addressed some of the questions posed by S4A. It would have been in his interests to have them on side.
If the rumours are true, & he is in discussions with other investors, he's probably been advised to play a straight bat.

Not one from Wuhan then...........

[baggiejohn]

Not one from Wuhan then...........

Ha ha,  I was searching for another phrase, but couldn't think of one.

[SmethDan]

IMO, if Lai had planned to be here for the longer term, he would have addressed some of the questions posed by S4A. It would have been in his interests to have them on side.
If the rumours are true, & he is in discussions with other investors, he's probably been advised to play a straight bat.

Based on what? Lai's been fronting for an investment group since 2016 and to date he's expressed little if any interest towards them. So how have you formed the opinion he'd be any more open but for potential investment talks? Because from where I'm looking there's zero evidence to support this.

[skyclad99]

Based on what? Lai's been fronting for an investment group since 2016 and to date he's expressed little if any interest towards them. So how have you formed the opinion he'd be any more open but for potential investment talks? Because from where I'm looking there's zero evidence to support this.

That's the issue really, there is no evidence to support any of Lai's intentions. The only thing it is fair to assume is that he will accept an offer close to what he paid, which is not going to happen. Anything else is absolute guesswork.

[baggiejohn]

Based on what? Lai's been fronting for an investment group since 2016 and to date he's expressed little if any interest towards them. So how have you formed the opinion he'd be any more open but for potential investment talks? Because from where I'm looking there's zero evidence to support this.

Think I've qualified it by saying longer term, it's in his interests to have them onside.

[SmethDan]

Think I've qualified it by saying longer term, it's in his interests to have them onside.

The only thing you've qualified is that you're making an assumption based on a guess. He clearly doesn't give a flying fart about the 12% as proven over a near seven period or Shareholders for Albion in particular.

[paulosull]

Has Ron the position become untenable, With this statement which came from owners mouth piece?

[baggiejohn]

The only thing you've qualified is that you're making an assumption based on a guess. He clearly doesn't give a flying fart about the 12% as proven over a near seven period or Shareholders for Albion in particular.

I think I'll have to find a way of explaining myself better.

I know he doesn't give a flying fart, but S4A & A4A campaigns are now gathering momentum.
If he sees WBA as a continuing project, then it would be in his interests to open a dialogue with them.
The fact that he has chosen not to, suggests to me that he doen't see it as a continuing project.

[baggiejohn]

Has Ron the position become untenable, With this statement which came from owners mouth piece?

IMO, it's pretty close.

[skyclad99]

Has Ron the position become untenable, With this statement which came from owners mouth piece?

I have supported him in the past, but the silence is deafening.

[baggiejohn]

I have supported him in the past, but the silence is deafening.

I think Paul's right, Lai has thrown him under a bus, difficult to see what Gourlay could say that would appease both sides.

[tuamigos]

I think Paul's right, Lai has thrown him under a bus, difficult to see what Gourlay could say that would appease both sides.

'I'm off' might be a good start

[skyclad99]

I think Paul's right, Lai has thrown him under a bus, difficult to see what Gourlay could say that would appease both sides.

I anticipate that he is working full time on the season ticket renewal notice, wordsmithing words like ‘excellent value’ and ‘competitively priced’ into it, as well as a load of other fiction….

[baggie82]

'I'm off' might be a good start

That would leave Ken and Lai to run the club, the exact opposite of a good start.

[robnewbold]

Big Ron is the Schofield of WBA, he wont quit unless he is forced out with a big package.

[Standaman]

Ron's position became untenable when he said the ownership would repay the loan by the end of last year and they failed to do so. They threw him under the bus at point this is reversing the bus over him but frankly he will keep shilling for them as long as there is a pay cheque in it for him. 

[skyclad99]

Big Ron is the Schofield of WBA, he wont quit unless he is forced out with a big package.

I hear that Schofield is always looking for a big package......

[SmethDan]

I hear that Schofield is always looking for a big package......

Never has a problem with delivery slots either, the rewards of infamy.

[throstle]

The only thing you've qualified is that you're making an assumption based on a guess. He clearly doesn't give a flying fart about the 12% as proven over a near seven period or Shareholders for Albion in particular.

Add 14 years to that total. JP treated the minority shareholders with absolute disdain too.

[zippyandbungle]

Moral obligation would be a good start.

Well that could be attributed to every single part of society ….and there is much more important things than a football club?
Anyway, I don’t think the protests have had any effect whatsoever, the man at the top remains the man at the top.

[NJS]

Not Lai but not making a separate thread for this bloke too.

From liquidator podcast :

Breaking News:  The sole director of WBA Group Xu Ke (aka 'Ken') has refused to answer ANY of the 38 questions recently posed by the club's minority shareholders, claiming that they aren't entitled to the information and citing confidentiality.  #WBAFC

I think that this makes clear how little the folk at Yunyi Guokai investments are bothered about the opinions of a faraway rabble holding placards and shouting obscenities at them.  We might have done better to engage constructively and explain to them how their lead investor Mr Lai has been sold a pup and they would do better to persuade him to sell up before their investment goes completely south.

There is also the matter of potential legal proceedings over unpaid loans that might go to the courts and bring some untoward publicity that they really might care to avoid.

[baggiejohn]

I think that this makes clear how little the folk at Yunyi Guokai investments are bothered about the opinions of a faraway rabble holding placards and shouting obscenities at them.  We might have done better to engage constructively and explain to them how their lead investor Mr Lai has been sold a pup and they would do better to persuade him to sell up before their investment goes completely south.

There is also the matter of potential legal proceedings over unpaid loans that might go to the courts and bring some untoward publicity that they really might care to avoid.

I've got some sympathy with this opinion, I also thought that the letter from S4A had a confrontational tone.

On the other hand, I can understand their frustrations after banging on a closed door for years.