[baggie96]

From the quoted EFL website
On 8th May this year a sister company to Bilkul Football WBA LLC was set up, called Bilkul Football Management LLC.
I believe Nestor & Ashish Patel are directors of this business, probably, an umbrella company, set up to generate funds for both us & Bologna.

Why is Mark Miles not listed as a CEO or equivalent position then? Other MD’s are.

[baggiejohn]

Why is Mark Miles not listed as a CEO or equivalent position then? Other MD’s are.

On the EFL website page that you provided a link for, there is a caveat as follows:

*For the avoidance of doubt, this includes directors at any parent companies in addition to directors at the Club itself.

Which leads me to believe that Nestor & A Patel are directors of the Bilkul Football Management company.

It would make sense to have business management specialists heading up a company specifically designed to generate income for your operating companies.

The gold standard directory for directors & executives of UK companies is companies house.

[baggie96]

On the EFL website page that you provided a link for, there is a caveat as follows:

*For the avoidance of doubt, this includes directors at any parent companies in addition to directors at the Club itself.

Which leads me to believe that Nestor & A Patel are directors of the Bilkul Football Management company.

It would make sense to have business management specialists heading up a company specifically designed to generate income for your operating companies.

The gold standard directory for directors & executives of UK companies is companies house.

Yes, it does under the key for a which relates to a person being a director. Key d says a CEO or anyone in a similar position and does not have the link to parent company below it. Andrew Nextor has an a and b next to his name meaning he is a director of either the club or parent company but he is the CEO or equivalent of the club.

[Standaman]

I would hope and expect some clarity from the club as to what exactly the role Nestor has at the club. Obviously it is a significant one because he is listed as CEO on the EFL website.

The appointments certainly seem to cement the ownership as part of the Bologna/Montreal Football First nexus. Not that is a bad thing but transparency is important.

[baggie96]

You wouldn’t think EFL would make a mistake due to the fact all directors need to pass a test with them…

[baggiejohn]

You wouldn’t think EFL would make a mistake due to the fact all directors need to pass a test with them…

I don't think EFL or you have made a mistake, Nestor & A patel are clearly directors of businesses directly linked to WBAFC, & as such have to pass the "suitability" test.

Mark Miles is now listed as Director of Operations on companies house web site, so it's possible Nestor could be coming in as a CEO, but it would make more sense for him to have control of the Bilkul group of companies rather than direct involvement with WBAFC.

[baggie96]

Extremely grateful that Patel and Co have taken over and they are doing great things. By all accounts they are ploughing money into the club, however we need to be more creative with revenue if we are to compete in this league with the PSR.

The most obvious thing to do is sort naming rights out on the stadium and training ground. This needs to happen, fans might not like it but it can generate serious funds. Eg Blues owners bought the naming rights to St Andrews for £10m/season. That’s massive and would practically sort the PSR out for us if we do something similar.

[KYA]

I think the new owners deserve some credit they refused to sell Fellows on the cheap which is a good sign long term and seem to be sorting the club out to function more professionally. We had a very good window   considering the financial restrictions.

[gazberg]

Only 6 months in and repaired half the damage done by Lai

[BB74]

Are the new owners actually great and doing good things or have our standards just sunk so low after Lai?

Just playing devils advocate.

[KN22]

Are the new owners actually great and doing good things or have our standards just sunk so low after Lai?

Just playing devils advocate.

As is often the case, I think it’s a bit of both. It’s just refreshing after what came before.

[gazberg]

Yes I agree with KN22, it's both. He was that bad

[robnewbold]

Lai was a disaster, but i am impressed they have kept Fellows, it would have been an easy £10-15 million in the bank and they resisted ( no doubt CC was also putting his twopennyworth in to make sure they did the right thing for the future of the Club).
They seem to have their heads screwed on.

[alex1]

Lai was a disaster, but i am impressed they have kept Fellows, it would have been an easy £10-15 million in the bank and they resisted ( no doubt CC was also putting his twopennyworth in to make sure they did the right thing for the future of the Club).
They seem to have their heads screwed on.

I'm also impressed by them resisting the temptation to take an easy £10-15m for Fellows.

[Standaman]

It is a good point that Lai set the bar so low that virtually any engaged ownership would have been an improvement. However the evidence of the first 6 months is the Patels are far better than that. There is real joined up thinking going on both on and off the pitch. It might all unravel but right now I think they are the best owners we could have hoped for this time last year and they are having a galvanising impact the club. 

[Albionic]

It is a good point that Lai set the bar so low that virtually any engaged ownership would have been an improvement. However the evidence of the first 6 months is the Patels are far better than that. There is real joined up thinking going on both on and off the pitch. It might all unravel but right now I think they are the best owners we could have hoped for this time last year and they are having a the galvanising impact the club.

When you consider some of the pond life which were sniffing around at the end of Lais tenure, thus far we have hit the jackpot. We were very much there for the taking for a "development consortium".  Thankfully Bilkul have thus far backed up the rhetoric with delivery, long, long may it continue.

[gazberg]

New interview up from John Percy today with Shilen. Nothing new in it really or anything you wouldn't expect but heres the gist of it:



Mr Patel says the club has changed his life andwe must earn the right to be in the PL.

He says clubs like ours can be sustainable in the PL, we have showed it but a long term strategy/vision is important.

Shilen says once he walked around the Hawthorns he knew he had to get the deal finalised.

Patel wants us to stop losing our best kids to rivals as well as in general. Expects a fw of the youngsters to make step up to 1st team squad soon.

Nestor says using their data on transfers they expect to us to be 6 points better off than last season while saving 20% in terms of releasing all the dead money, high earners. Will take more than 1 window to get the players they want though.



"Albion also intend to develop a system of identifying young talent with high potential from overseas, utilising data and analytics.

The goal is to discover unpolished gems and sell them on for a substantial profit, with the Football League’s Profit & Sustainability [P&S] rules a concern for the majority of Championship clubs.

Those rules are a frequent subject of discussion, with Albion one of a number broadly favouring the Squad Cost Rules which permit clubs to spend 85 per cent of their revenue on transfers and wages. A resolution is expected before Christmas.

“The shortcomings and holes in the system is a growing conversation,” says Patel.

“Everybody is made to play by the same rules and we understand that. Having a plan for P&S was a big part of our process coming in.

“We didn’t want good work on improving the squad and making us more competitive to be undone by penalties that are avoidable.

“We are very focused on making sure we’re on the right side of the rules.

“It’s not been easy, but navigating P&S, certainly for this year, is one of the competitive skills that every club has to develop.”

Patel says that the two outstanding loans will be resolved soon.

“We don’t plan to keep them in place forever. We’re working strategically on the right way to deal with it.

“We also have clarity on the 2014 loan and, as with the MSD loan, we’ll be looking at the right time to address that.”


Also mentions the passing of Mark Townsend and thought about how the club could help and show respects, loves the sense of comminity around the club.

[Barrington]

Making all the right noises 

[robnewbold]

IMHO we are in very safe, professional and strategically savvy hands. At last.

[Webby]

IMHO we are in very safe, professional and strategically savvy hands. At last.

I'd argue we had that before and everyone wanted different

[SmethDan]

I'd argue we had that before and everyone wanted different

Meanwhile I'd argue the (grasping ) pair of savvy hands wanted something different too. Such as oodles of money and a tax free lair somewhere off shore in the company of the former Miss Jamaica    .

[Standaman]

Patel must have sat down with the football journalists that cover the club because here is a very similar article from the Express & Star (not paywalled)

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2024/10/03/shilen-patel-reveals-his-west-brom-premier-league-feeling/

It is very upbeat and comforting to hear after years of neglect and mismanagement. Things got off to a flyer on the pitch but Patel is still sorting out the mess behind the scenes. The Lai legacy unfortunately will still be a break on what the club can achieve until all the issues are addressed the bloated payroll, neglected infrastructure and the MSD loan but progress is being made.

Meanwhile I'd argue the (grasping ) pair of savvy hands wanted something different too. Such as oodles of money and a tax free lair somewhere off shore in the company of the former Miss Jamaica    .

At one point you could argue Peace was safe and savvy. The twin pillars of that reputation Ashworth and Hodgson decamped in  the space of 12 months at that point safe became grasping and savvy became desperate. The point being the dynamics of football club ownership change over time.

As an aside Mrs Peace in a reveals all interview with ITV prior to appearing on the real housewives of Jersey (no that is a real thing I swear) said her and her husband moved to the island because of the "lifestyle and sea air" Well bless my soul no tax considerations came into that at all

[gazberg]

Wonder how long they will sit before taking action or if they can even afford too.

Under Lai, CC will have had it very good here, relatively hassle free. I'm not so sure Bilkal have bought the club to grind out draws at 1ppg.

Carlos may think there are only 7 squads clearly worse than ours but i'd be surprised if Bilkal feel that way.

[BalisPen]

I don't think any of this is CC's fault.

Can anyone recall any of our attacking mf driving forward and skillfully going past players and setting up chance or shooting themselves.

Hopefully, Nestor and Pearce are searching for someone who can do this as we need them as soon as the window opens.

We should have tried to bring in someone like Lewis Koumas in the last window, but CC wrongly thought he had enough in that area with Swift and Grady.

[Atomic]

Wonder how long they will sit before taking action or if they can even afford too.

Under Lai, CC will have had it very good here, relatively hassle free. I'm not so sure Bilkal have bought the club to grind out draws at 1ppg.

Carlos may think there are only 7 squads clearly worse than ours but i'd be surprised if Bilkal feel that way.

They clearly don't. Andrew Nestor stated in a previous interview forth place was where he believed we should finish.

Bilkul are a loyal organisation but their loyalty will only stretch so far.

Carlos is getting an easy ride from our fanbase. Can you imagine the reaction if it were Ismael or Bruce in change right now? Carlos has "credit in the bank", I get their reasoning but the past doesn't help us going forward.