[overseas baggie]

Disagree
Leeds,Blackburn , Leicester , it's not a fluke you just need investment ,good management and belief
Southampton and Everton both have very capable teams and could do it.

Leeds won the league the year before it became the Premier League, and Blackburn just 2 years into the life of the Premier League.  Impossible to compare it with Leicester winning it on 2016 when the financial gap was much greater than it was 24 and 21 years ago.

You are right though.  A club like Southampton or Everton (or maybe West Ham) could "do a Leicester"

[collins101]

I would have thought he was referring to when Leeds were playing champions league football which is a bit more recent. It can be done, we finished 8th after a dire 2nd half of the season.

[overseas baggie]

I would have thought he was referring to when Leeds were playing champions league football which is a bit more recent. It can be done, we finished 8th after a dire 2nd half of the season.

Ah yes - understood.  Yes Leeds played Champions League in 2000-01 and UEFA Cup a year later. 

I still find it astonishing that nobody has bought them and managed to turn them around.  Massive potential and a strong global brand.

[costa blanca baggie]

Ah yes - understood.  Yes Leeds played Champions League in 2000-01 and UEFA Cup a year later. 

I still find it astonishing that nobody has bought them and managed to turn them around.  Massive potential and a strong global brand.

I agree. Something weird there. It almost seems like nobody serious wants to take it on. Their fans are everywhere.

[zippyandbungle]

I agree. Something weird there. It almost seems like nobody serious wants to take it on. Their fans are everywhere.

Fans everywhere , club all over the place..

[Standaman]

It is truly remarkable that a serious overseas investor will spend £175m on us and not even consider spending a less than a third of that to get Leeds United. That tells you two things the Premier League TV revenues are worth a lot more than a big fan base and Leeds United is a mess and has been for more than a decade.

[baggiejohn]

It is truly remarkable that a serious overseas investor will spend £175m on us and not even consider spending a less than a third of that to get Leeds United. That tells you two things the Premier League TV revenues are worth a lot more than a big fan base and Leeds United is a mess and has been for more than a decade.

Are they still carrying the "Dreary O'Leary sh*t or bust" debt?

[Standaman]

Are they still carrying the "Dreary O'Leary sh*t or bust" debt?

No the administration cleared that out but it took it's toll. Firstly they no longer own Elland Road nor their training ground. Secondly it left them at the mercy of some absolute chancers as owners Ken Bates GFH Capital and the daddy of them all Cellino. Each of them have degraded the club to point it is just a large body of ill tempered fans clinging on to past glories, there are 91 better football clubs to investment in.

[baggiejohn]

No the administration cleared that out but it took it's toll. Firstly they no longer own Elland Road nor their training ground. Secondly it left them at the mercy of some absolute chancers as owners Ken Bates GFH Capital and the daddy of them all Cellino. Each of them have degraded the club to point it is just a large body of ill tempered fans clinging on to past glories, there are 91 better football clubs to investment in.

On the other hand, if me & you had a fiver each, might be a decent investment opportunity, even if it's only for the scrap metal when they demolish Elland Road 

[Jimbo Baggy]

Well a great start to the Gouchan Lai/John Williams era a 4-2 Home win in a game we needed to win. Hopefully more of the same next weekend at the Britania against Stoke ??

[Jimbo Baggy]

Ok Id like an over all response, are all West Brom fans happy Lai is operating from China and leaving all the business side of it to Williams. I for one would sooner he be over here and dealing with the day to day stuff with Williams. Peace still being here as an advisor still annoys me. Its like decisions have to be passed between two people before Mr Lai agrees don't you think ??.

I just hope me see more of Mr Lai than the Villa saw of Randy Lerner. I hope we don't have a silent owner, Villa fans were happy with Lerner to start with, then he never bothered going to games, the pee poor 22,209 attendance today cant have encouraged him, mind the result was fantastic. I hope he comes over before the year ends. Preferably near Christmas. Free drinks and pies all round please Mr Lai.

January is the time we will see if he and Williams mean business, after a shocking last window.

[Standaman]

Ok Id like an over all response, are all West Brom fans happy Lai is operating from China and leaving all the business side of it to Williams. I for one would sooner he be over here and dealing with the day to day stuff with Williams. Peace still being here as an advisor still annoys me. Its like decisions have to be passed between two people before Mr Lai agrees don't you think ??.

I just hope me see more of Mr Lai than the Villa saw of Randy Lerner. I hope we don't have a silent owner, Villa fans were happy with Lerner to start with, then he never bothered going to games, the pee poor 22,209 attendance today cant have encouraged him, mind the result was fantastic. I hope he comes over before the year ends. Preferably near Christmas. Free drinks and pies all round please Mr Lai.

January is the time we will see if he and Williams mean business, after a shocking last window.

It depends if Lai wants to micro manage everything from China this would present a problem however providing that he delegates sufficient authority to the Williams there is no particular reason for him to be constantly involved in the day to day running of club.

In point of fact it is Williams who has experience of running a football club Lai doesn't, quite where the line is drawn between the operational management and ownership remains to be seen. My hope is we don't have a hyper active owner but one that sets a strategic direction and lets local management with get on with delivering it and judges them on results and I don't mean in knee jerk manner of we won today so everything is wonderful or we lost so let's sack everyone.

We don't know what we have got yet nor will we until we see events unfold over the coming months, this time next year we will probably be in a much better idea of how the new owners will operate. 

[baggiejohn]

It depends if Lai wants to micro manage everything from China this would present a problem however providing that he delegates sufficient authority to the Williams there is no particular reason for him to be constantly involved in the day to day running of club.

In point of fact it is Williams who has experience of running a football club Lai doesn't, quite where the line is drawn between the operational management and ownership remains to be seen. My hope is we don't have a hyper active owner but one that sets a strategic direction and lets local management with get on with delivering it and judges them on results and I don't mean in knee jerk manner of we won today so everything is wonderful or we lost so let's sack everyone.

We don't know what we have got yet nor will we until we see events unfold over the coming months, this time next year we will probably be in a much better idea of how the new owners will operate.

I agree 100% with this.

[VANDERLEI]

It depends if Lai wants to micro manage everything from China this would present a problem however providing that he delegates sufficient authority to the Williams there is no particular reason for him to be constantly involved in the day to day running of club.

In point of fact it is Williams who has experience of running a football club Lai doesn't, quite where the line is drawn between the operational management and ownership remains to be seen. My hope is we don't have a hyper active owner but one that sets a strategic direction and lets local management with get on with delivering it and judges them on results and I don't mean in knee jerk manner of we won today so everything is wonderful or we lost so let's sack everyone.

We don't know what we have got yet nor will we until we see events unfold over the coming months, this time next year we will probably be in a much better idea of how the new owners will operate.

Bang on. Lai is the banker. John Williams is the man to get things done, he will be making the decisions according to the budget he is given from the owner(s).

[Tony Goddens Gloves]

God help us with Williams in charge. Already came out with a bullsh@t statement re transfers, wasn't he also there when the venkys rolled into town ?

[MarkW]

God help us with Williams in charge. Already came out with a bullsh@t statement re transfers, wasn't he also there when the venkys rolled into town ?

He was, but he quit after the Venky's decided to sack Allardyce in November 2010, despite the previous season them getting to the semi-finals of the League Cup and finishing in the Top 10 the season before

[VANDERLEI]

God help us with Williams in charge. Already came out with a bullsh@t statement re transfers, wasn't he also there when the venkys rolled into town ?

Williams has done a good job over the years. Let's hope he has the freedom to do so with us.

[Dexy]

God help us with Williams in charge. Already came out with a bullsh@t statement re transfers, wasn't he also there when the venkys rolled into town ?

Not a great start but let's judge him under the new regime .

[WBArgo]

No the administration cleared that out but it took it's toll. Firstly they no longer own Elland Road nor their training ground. Secondly it left them at the mercy of some absolute chancers as owners Ken Bates GFH Capital and the daddy of them all Cellino. Each of them have degraded the club to point it is just a large body of ill tempered fans clinging on to past glories, there are 91 better football clubs to investment in.

Good post, it's a bit off-topic but do you know who owns the ground and training facilities? And if so, how did they aquire them, at a bargain price I assume?

Anyway, I'd be happy to see Lai as predominantly the banker...just look down the road at the Villa and their new 'hands on owner' to see how it can pan out. Lai seems to understand that Williams is a safe bet and is letting him make the decisions which I think is sensible.

[Standaman]

Good post, it's a bit off-topic but do you know who owns the ground and training facilities? And if so, how did they aquire them, at a bargain price I assume?

Anyway, I'd be happy to see Lai as predominantly the banker...just look down the road at the Villa and their new 'hands on owner' to see how it can pan out. Lai seems to understand that Williams is a safe bet and is letting him make the decisions which I think is sensible.

Not sure about the training ground but they sold Elland Road it to a Company in the British Virgin Islands on a 25 year lease with a buy back option and like a lot of what happened with Leeds at that time it who owns what is as clear as mud.

We know what bad ownership can do to a club and Leeds United are perfect example which is why until we see how Lai runs the club over the course of a year or so I wouldn't jump to any firm conclusions. Ownership is long term and can't be judged on the outcome of a season. The ownership decisions that shape what now looks like were taken 2 to 5 years ago.

Lai's first decision was how to transition from the old to the new. By appointing Williams as Chairman and using Peace as an adviser it would suggest that he is relatively cautious and has the sense to know that he is operating in a different country and industry to the one he has been successful in. This is different to many new foreign based owners but in fairness many clubs are taken over in circumstances which are far less stable than the one that he inherits at the Albion. 

[baggiejohn]

Lai's first decision was how to transition from the old to the new. By appointing Williams as Chairman and using Peace as an adviser it would suggest that he is relatively cautious and has the sense to know that he is operating in a different country and industry to the one he has been successful in. This is different to many new foreign based owners but in fairness many clubs are taken over in circumstances which are far less stable than the one that he inherits at the Albion.

This tells us all we need to know. There is more information on Guochuan Lai in the Editors notes section.

http://www.wba.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/full-statement-on-west-bromwich-albions-takeover-3226381.aspx

It appears that Mr Lai is a very cute investor & indeed made from the same block of stone as Jeremy Peace. However the Global stock exchanges like his ideas to the tune of circa £1.8 billion.
I can see, measured investment in the football club, provided he gets a return & certainly evolution as opposed to revolution.

What I can't see is a desire to continue to flatline, he'll want to see some progress, & certainly us winning something. I think Richard Garlick set the benchmark at the Assembly meeting, top 10 & a serious attempt at the FA cup.

[SmethDan]

Not sure about the training ground but they sold Elland Road it to a Company in the British Virgin Islands on a 25 year lease with a buy back option and like a lot of what happened with Leeds at that time it who owns what is as clear as mud.

We know what bad ownership can do to a club and Leeds United are perfect example which is why until we see how Lai runs the club over the course of a year or so I wouldn't jump to any firm conclusions. Ownership is long term and can't be judged on the outcome of a season. The ownership decisions that shape what now looks like were taken 2 to 5 years ago.

Lai's first decision was how to transition from the old to the new. By appointing Williams as Chairman and using Peace as an adviser it would suggest that he is relatively cautious and has the sense to know that he is operating in a different country and industry to the one he has been successful in. This is different to many new foreign based owners but in fairness many clubs are taken over in circumstances which are far less stable than the one that he inherits at the Albion.

Property developer named Jacob Adler of MBH Investments.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/owner-of-elland-road-wants-to-build-across-from-leeds-united-s-south-stand-1-8049893

The 'deal' they signed for that sale sounds ridiculous. £8,000,000 for Elland Road and then leased back with an option to buy back at any time, but with the agreed buy back cost rising by 3% per year.

Just looked MBH Investments up on Company Check dated up to 2014.
Although rated as a low risk firm to invest in they appeared to have quite a few outstanding debts. If you scroll down to 'Key Financials' at the bottom of the link, their net worth and current assets make for interesting reading considering they own Elland Road.

https://companycheck.co.uk/company/03303241/MBH-INVESTMENTS-LTD/companies-house-data

[Jimbo Baggy]

Gouchan will be over for the Tottenham match. Wonder if this could be Tony Pulis's last game, if a bad result. Wonder if he will be generous and offer the free drinks again. Id also like another interview done, basically up dating us on his plans for the future.

[WBArgo]

Gouchan will be over for the Tottenham match. Wonder if this could be Tony Pulis's last game, if a bad result. Wonder if he will be generous and offer the free drinks again. Id also like another interview done, basically up dating us on his plans for the future.

Doubt it. We could lose 5-0 and we'd still be around 13th in the league, no need to panic from Lai's perspective and he's said he wants to keep stability in place.
He won't be giving out free drinks either, it was his welcoming gift when he bought us.

[Jimbo Baggy]

Well a lot of papers are reporting John Williams and Gouchan Lai will be having a meeting with Tony Pulis after the game Saturday. Lai apparently be using an interpreter and he speaks very little English. I'm sure the January budget will be discussed. It seems to me we were willing to spend big last window, but for Pulis turning down a number of high profile signings we didn't. Be interesting to see the out come of this meeting and if the press get any information from it.

I do think there is friction between Williams and Pulis, if he doesn't go before, I can see Pulis leaving the end of the season. 100%