[johnny Cash]

I'm aware of that, Lai certainly wasn't acting as you or I would walking into Barclays. Lewpowski didn't say anymore than he has been told by sources that Lai borrowed a nine figure sum in sterling, so at least £100m to help part fund the purchase.

You said CL said personal loan not me. We’ve always know they was some form of equity financing / investment group as Lai is the controlling shareholder and director of private investment firm Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited.

[Albionic]

Now that's an interesting observation, isn't 9 figures in Yuan around 8 figures in pounds sterling?

roughly 8 RMB (yuan)to a quid

[baggiejohn]

You said CL said personal loan not me. We’ve always know they was some form of equity financing / investment group as Lai is the controlling shareholder and director of private investment firm Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited.

I listened to the podcast, & it's pretty much a "friend of a friend" told me, I'm not sure there's any substance to it at all.

[baggie82]

I always find it interesting, no one fully or really knows our finances yet people keep saying Lai should just "loosen" the purse strings for the sake of risk and reward.

Our accounts are published every year which include the wage bill, income and outgoings and detail the future payments due in and out. We know the players have flex-up and flex-down clauses on their salaries. We also know what our income in, even more accurately than usual for this season as it's limited to TV revenue. There is more than enough evidence to have a sensible discussion.

[Webby]

Our accounts are published every year which include the wage bill, income and outgoings and detail the future payments due in and out. We know the players have flex-up and flex-down clauses on their salaries. We also know what our income in, even more accurately than usual for this season as it's limited to TV revenue. There is more than enough evidence to have a sensible discussion.

True but without having those books up to date and sat in front of you we don’t 100% know so we’re still a best guess.

My guess would be if the money was there and an opportunity to spend it to ensure potentially more re sale value of the club then it would be taken

[BB74]

I always find it interesting, no one fully or really knows our finances yet people keep saying Lai should just "loosen" the purse strings for the sake of risk and reward.

Imagine I walked into your home and said, extend this kitchen it will cost you 20-30k but the risk/reward is maybe in 2/3 years your house would be worth 80-100k more (random figures). Just "loosen" your purse strings. You'd quite possibly tell me as good as that sounds you just can't afford or fund that right now (or just F off). Fair does.

If the money isn't there, the money isn't there. Even for a football club.

Love this explanation. Simple and should get through to the feeble minded.

[PartisanBaggie]

I listened to the podcast, & it's pretty much a "friend of a friend" told me, I'm not sure there's any substance to it at all.

Journalists don’t reveal their sources. It’s an unwritten conduct code in their industry.

I’d expect Chris Lepkowski to be vague as to where the information came from.

[baggie82]

You said CL said personal loan not me. We’ve always know they was some form of equity financing / investment group as Lai is the controlling shareholder and director of private investment firm Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited.

By personal loan I meant he had financed the debt himself, i.e. it is not not on the clubs accounts, the club isn't on hook to pay it back, Lai is. I wasn't referring to the way he had done it.

[TheJacko2000]

imagine that you developed a problem with your roof on a property you aquirred 2 years ago.
You purchased it for 200,000 pounds but you've been tiold that if you dont spend 20,000 pound.fixing the problemt , then your investment wont be worth the proverbial Tommy Tank...that should be the analagy

I'd imagine a classic (talking) steam engine in pale blue would be worth a pretty penny to be fair... 

[Droitwich Baggie]

We have bloke in charge who doesn't seem to look at his investment.
I have investments, but I do monitor them, and adjust when I feel they are not performing...Ditch, move, and reinvest where necessary.

[paulosull]

Chinese might be paying us back for was it John Trewicks remarks about the Great Wall, quote when you've seen one wall you've seen them all.

[wba1993dave]

https://fortune.com/2020/09/23/investors-european-football-sports-teams/

Interesting Article

[Jeremy Roland Peace]

genuinely don't think Lai will ever put any money into the club.

however he will never find a buyer to pay him what he paid for the club and in chinese culture for him to sell at a loss would be very bad.

so we are stuck in limbo with a squad that isn't good enough, a wage bill so high we can't move any out to get any in easily, and an owner we are stuck with.

it's going to be a very depressing ride the next few years.

[gazberg]

He's only going to drive the value of the club down by not investing unless he's hoping to hold us for multiple decades and let inflation bring it back up in paper value but who knows where and what league we would be in by then.

[overseas baggie]

We have bloke in charge who doesn't seem to look at his investment.
I have investments, but I do monitor them, and adjust when I feel they are not performing...Ditch, move, and reinvest where necessary.

Selling an unlisted club as a private company isn’t quite the same as selling totally liquid listed investments in a share portfolio.  Finding a buyer of football clubs is hard enough at the best of times.  And due to COVID this is not the best of times!   He paid too much to buy us which is a big part of the problem.  Peace sold at the top market (and then some).

[Droitwich Baggie]

He's only going to drive the value of the club down by not investing unless he's hoping to hold us for multiple decades and let inflation bring it back up in paper value but who knows where and what league we would be in by then.

Again, I agree with you.
As I said in another thhread.
You can't stand still in business. You have to invest to be able to grow and go forward.
In a nutshell....
No investment will become a no business left.

[darbolina]

He seems the worst kind of owner, passive, cold and uninterested.  It's probably a good job fans aren't in the ground as I could see much more anger directed at him at the moment which obviously wouldn't matter as he's the other side of the World, aloof from the club.

[DaveWBA]

He's done exactly what he said he was. It was only ever a marketing exercise for Lai and the Palm group.

[BB74]

He's done exactly what he said he was. It was only ever a marketing exercise for Lai and the Palm group.

Exactly. He has actually stuck to his word whether we like the outcome of not. It's not like he came in stating Champions League football in 5 years and that hogwash.

[gazberg]

Emotions aside and truth be told it's not even the lack of investment that gets me down it's the lack of interest he has.

We are so skint in part due to the constant bad decisions, bad signings and money being frittered away left right and centre. Bad appointments in terms of managers/board/directors etc.

No owner ever gets everything right but flip me this guys completely hands off approach gets nearly everything wrong.

If you take your eyes off the prize it's likely to slip away from you whether it be quickly or slowly. Now his toys in a lot worse condition than he paid for it he wants it sold but having a Titty baby fit that no one will pay him what he paid for his now malfunctioning toy.

Everyone says it's not his fault, he pays people to run the club for him and they are doing a rubbish job and its Lai's responsibility to take action but again he's so removed from the club he let's everything slide so ultimately it his fault in my eyes.

I've no love for Jeremy Peace and he's not Corberan but half the nonsense that's gone on under Lai's 'watch' (if you can call it that) would not have gone down under Peace because it was JPs investment. If you want something out of an investment you nurture it and help it grow.

Blokes got himself into trouble and only got himself to blame. Sadly for us that means bad news for our club.

[DaveWBA]

Emotions aside and truth be told it's not even the lack of investment that gets me down it's the lack of interest he has.

We are so skint in part due to the constant bad decisions, bad signings and money being frittered away left right and centre. Bad appointments in terms of managers/board/directors etc.

No owner ever gets everything right but flip me this guys completely hands off approach gets nearly everything wrong.

If you take your eyes off the prize it's likely to slip away from you whether it be quickly or slowly. Now his toys in a lot worse condition than he paid for it he wants it sold but having a Titty baby fit that no one will pay him what he paid for his now malfunctioning toy.

Everyone says it's not his fault, he pays people to run the club for him and they are doing a rubbish job and its Lai's responsibility to take action but again he's so removed from the club he let's everything slide so ultimately it his fault in my eyes.

I've no love for Jeremy Peace and he's not Corberan but half the nonsense that's gone on under Lai's 'watch' (if you can call it that) would not have gone down under Peace because it was JPs investment. If you want something out of an investment you nurture it and help it grow.

Blokes got himself into trouble and only got himself to blame. Sadly for us that means bad news for our club.

If as owner he and the chairman have set the budget for this summer at around £25m and Bilic and Dowling have gone out and spent most of it on one player then I'm afraid the blame lies with those responsible for recruiting players and not with those setting the budget.

Lai couldn't give two ***** about the Albion and we wont be competitive until we have an owner willing to pump £150m a year in... and even then we wont get that close to winning anything.

[gazberg]

Exactly. The people he hires are rubbish. He needs to change them but doesnt.

That's on him however far down the line you want to take it.

[DaveWBA]

Exactly. The people he hires are rubbish. He needs to change them but doesnt.

That's on him however far down the line you want to take it.

I'm including Bilic and especially Dowling in that.

[Astle1968]

I don't actually have a huge issue with Lai. My only real concern is that he doesn't really seem to care or be bothered about the club and I'd prefer a more hands on owner like Peace. However I'd much rather him leave the running of the club to others rather than try to interfere, especially from afar. Off the top of my head theres at least half a dozen other owners in the league I'd like less than Lai. For example I'm sure Fulham fans are buzzing this morning, but I'd take Lai over that clown any day.

Again, possibly not a popular opinion (especially the way the game is going) but I've never been bothered about an owner investing his own funds in to the club. As long as the club spends the money it self generates sensibly then I'm happy enough. If we have £40m to spend I'd be just an angry if we spent £80m as I would if we spent £20m.

More of an issue for me is how we go about our business. I still believe (possibly naively) that clubs can self generate their own funds and run without a billionaire throwing money around and can still compete in the PL. However it's borderline farcical that we have such a limited budget, but yet shop almost exclusively in the most expensive market in world football.

Whilst we will never be a top 8 side running like we are at the moment theres no reason why we couldn't be a solid mid table team. However to do this we would need to sign good youngish players from cheaper markets, develop them for 2/3 years and then sell on at a huge price before reinvesting. I know some fans think talk like this is negative and as we are the mighty Albion we shouldn't be talking about selling players but ultimately thats the best model for us long term. If you look at all the players we have signed in the last few years then theres only really Pereira, Diangana, Furlong, Ajayi and Kipre who even have the potential to be sold on for a profit.

[boinging_along]

If as owner he and the chairman have set the budget for this summer at around £25m and Bilic and Dowling have gone out and spent most of it on one player then I'm afraid the blame lies with those responsible for recruiting players and not with those setting the budget.

I don't buy that really.  That £18m has a lot of future value regardless of this season - 1 of 3 things will happen. 

1) He'll either be crutial in us staying up, in which case that money was well spent. 
2) If we go down we'll could keep him and have one of the best players in the Championship, important for a promotion push.
3) If we will sell him, we'll most likely get at least our money back if not more, worst case £10-£15m.  His value isn't going to crash to zero.

So that £18m isn't really like having £25m and only having £7m left.  It's more like buying a asset that will retain, if not increase in value.  It's about cash flow and that shouldn't be an issue to a 'well run' club with the Prem money behind us.