Will Our Ground Be Sold?

[Desso]

At the AGM last night we were told that the club was now two seperate companies; the playing side and the stadium. This would allow each "business" to be self accountable and to generate their own income For example any money from transfers etc. would go to the football side and not to the club as a whole.

Sounds good, but then SL said later that other clubs (he named about 5, Hull was one) had sold their grounds and had leased them back and that they had overtaken us in terms of finance. He felt we were being left behind.

Lets hope he knows what he's doing.

[kiwicolin]

at least he said we wont be sharing with the other lot

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

at least he said we wont be sharing with the other lot

But that could still happen, because if he sells the stadium company then the new owners(property developers) May just knock the stadium down and build houses.

[Guest ashtonyate]

So if the ground holding company could not get enough money from City to run the company could they kick us off and let the ground to the Rugby I wonder because if they cant the are at the mercey of the football company which makes the whole thing a farse

[lukejones2]

to be honest, they could have sold the stadium before if they had wanted to with it included in the same Co as the football Co.

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

to be honest, they could have sold the stadium before if they had wanted to with it included in the same Co as the football Co.

But there would of been a huge uproar that way, So I have my suspicions, I think that the stadium company will go into administration due to it not making enough money, This meaning a property developer could easily buy the company.

[lukejones2]

But there would of been a huge uproar that way, So I have my suspicions, I think that the stadium company will go into administration due to it not making enough money, This meaning a property developer could easily buy the company.

Fair enough, we all have our views. I don't think this will happen.

[Nibor]

But there would of been a huge uproar that way, So I have my suspicions, I think that the stadium company will go into administration due to it not making enough money, This meaning a property developer could easily buy the company.

I think you should look up what administration is and how companies go into it.

Nibor

[madmax]

My view is someone will purchase the stadium Company and Ashton Gate will be called something else, like Bournemouths Fitness First.

So it could be something like Hire-Rite Gate for example, this would generate a shed load of cash for Bristol City Holdings.

MM

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

I think you should look up what administration is and how companies go into it.

Nibor

I knows what it means and wouldn't of mentioned it if I didn't.

Administration of a business

There is provision in United Kingdom law for an insolvent company to be placed into administration. Various authorities may appoint an administrator, principally including:

• the courts (on application from a creditor, directors or partners)
• the holder of a qualifying floating charge over the assets of the business
• the company itself
• the directors of the company concerned
• a creditor

The task of the administrator is to manage the business so that the creditors can minimise the scale of their losses. The company is described as being in Administration. Ideally, the Administrator will sell the business as a going concern, securing the best price. It is quite probable that he or she will sell any realisable assets separately: the whole may be worth less than the sum of the parts (see Asset stripping).

[Guest REDCIDERARMY]

If we buy into these new supporters shares our we uying into the ground or the players co

[Roadrunner]

I remember the other lot selling Eastville. From that moment they went downhill to where they are know.

[lukejones2]

Administration looks to be a real possibility, at the end of the day Steve Lansdown is a financier and not a true football supporter like the current Doncaster Rovers Chairman and the late Jack Walker of Blackburn Rovers.

Personally, I think he is both.

[lukejones2]

If we buy into these new supporters shares our we uying into the ground or the players co

As I posted elsewhere:

Steve said that he envisages the ST and Supporters Club investing in the Football co. This is certainly not something that the ST have decided. We will need to consider this very carefully as it may well be beneficial to have a share in the stadium's ownership though BCFC Holdings.

Steve said that the new Stadium Co would also be more attractive to outside investors rather than the football co.

[Nibor]

I knows what it means and wouldn't of mentioned it if I didn't.

Administration of a business

There is provision in United Kingdom law for an insolvent company to be placed into administration. Various authorities may appoint an administrator, principally including:

the courts (on application from a creditor, directors or partners)

the holder of a qualifying floating charge over the assets of the business

the company itself

the directors of the company concerned

a creditor

The task of the administrator is to manage the business so that the creditors can minimise the scale of their losses. The company is described as being in Administration. Ideally, the Administrator will sell the business as a going concern, securing the best price. It is quite probable that he or she will sell any realisable assets separately: the whole may be worth less than the sum of the parts (see Asset stripping).

Well done on using wikipedia, why do you think we will suddenly become unable to pay the creditors?

The parent company still has the same assetts and same debts (albeit on better terms), and the same costs and potential for revenue.

If SteveL was an assett stripper who wanted to sell the stadium he had no need to go through any sort of charade and he would have done it long ago and run off with the cash without needlessly running up alot of debt.

Nibor

[lukejones2]

I feel comfortable that Steve is most certainly not an asset stripper out for what he can get without a thought for the club!

[Guest Chris Gas]

This means that they could sell half of the ownership of Ashton Gate to the Gas without selling half of the football club.

[lukejones2]

This means that they could sell half of the ownership of Ashton Gate to the Gas without selling half of the football club.

True. Or to Bristol Rugby, or to Joe Bloggs concerts Ltd. My money would be on the rugby.

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

True. Or to Bristol Rugby, or to Joe Bloggs concerts Ltd. My money would be on the rugby.

Then after that the Rugby could then buy out the rest and we would have to rent off of them.

[lukejones2]

Then after that the Rugby could then buy out the rest and we would have to rent off of them.

But the stadium could have been sold in full to them amnyway if this was the plan. I am as certain as I can be that this is not the intention. If it was then what would be the benefit of splitting...? The benefit of splitting, and SL's talk opf outside invstment suggests that they could sell a proportion of the stad co if they want to where they couldn't before.

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

But the stadium could have been sold in full to them amnyway if this was the plan. I am as certain as I can be that this is not the intention. If it was then what would be the benefit of splitting...? The benefit of splitting, and SL's talk opf outside invstment suggests that they could sell a proportion of the stad co if they want to where they couldn't before.

And who would they sell it to, A property developer?

[lukejones2]

And who would they sell it to, A property developer?

This will be my last post on this direct topic but the answer to your question is no. They would have nothing to gain from selling part of the Co to a development Co. It just wouldnt happen. If they were to sell for redevelopment then they would sell the whole Co and they wouldn't need to split the asset frmo the football club to sell the stadium.

Splitting it out suggests that theu certainly WON'T be selling up for development. My suggestions for potential investees are as above. There has been talk in the past of Bristol Rugby getting involved and who knows?

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

This will be my last post on this direct topic but the answer to your question is no. They would have nothing to gain from selling part of the Co to a development Co. It just wouldnt happen. If they were to sell for redevelopment then they would sell the whole Co and they wouldn't need to split the asset frmo the football club to sell the stadium.

Splitting it out suggests that theu certainly WON'T be selling up for development. My suggestions for potential investees are as above. There has been talk in the past of Bristol Rugby getting involved and who knows?

But look at Wrexham when the sold to a property developer. It put the whole club in jeopardy just because the chairman wanted the stadium. So if a property developer did want to buy the stadium they can now do so more easily without putting the football club at risk if you get my drift.

[Nibor]

But look at Wrexham when the sold to a property developer. It put the whole club in jeopardy just because the chairman wanted the stadium. So if a property developer did want to buy the stadium they can now do so more easily without putting the football club at risk if you get my drift.

Just how exactly is a football club with nowhere to play not at risk?

There is no way SL is stupid enough to sell the stadium, if he wanted to risk the club's future to make money he could have done so by starting on the new stand without all the funding in place or by flogging the stadium years ago. There's simply no logic in what you say.

Nibor

[NickJ]

Nibor, and Luke.

Codfather I believe is in the right direction. His analysis is not quite correct in terms of administration of Ashton Gate Stadium Limited, in my opinion, but equally in my opinion he is correct in his view that there is an attempt to put in place an easier way to sell the stadium.

Also, regarding Nibor's comment that "SL is no way stupid enough to sell the stadium" - he actually said at the meeting that potential outside investors might be interested in investing in the stadium.

[Desso]

Many things can be read into this but, and I could be being naive here, I think that SL and KD would have the best interests of the club at heart in anything they do.

Having said that, with regard to the new premier seating area in the Williams Stand, a lot of people have questioned how Bastion (the marketing company) are going to fill it. Are there that many businesses out there who are collectively willing to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on corporate 3rd division football? - I don't think so, but if rugby was included then that would be different. The seats might not be full for football but I'm sure they would be for rugby. It's all beginning to make sense now.

I think that there will be an announcement in the near future that Bristol Rugby have purchased perhaps part or half of the stadium, so be prepared to watch football being played not on a well manicured lawn but on a muddy patchwork of lines.

[Nibor]

Nibor, and Luke.

Codfather I believe is in the right direction. His analysis is not quite correct in terms of administration of Ashton Gate Stadium Limited, in my opinion, but equally in my opinion he is correct in his view that there is an attempt to put in place an easier way to sell the stadium.

Also, regarding Nibor's comment that "SL is no way stupid enough to sell the stadium" - he actually said at the meeting that potential outside investors might be interested in investing in the stadium.

Yes, that's right, SteveL has spent most of the last year encouraging people to invest in the stadium. He's been open and honest about that all the way through.

The reason he has been doing this is in order to make the much needed improvements and build the new stand. That's what he was talking about I believe and it's a million miles away from selling it. Did you miss the comment about Ashton gate being our home for the next 106 years?

It's probably easier to get finance with a clearly defined company which runs in the black whose accounts aren't muddied by the fluctuating fortunes of a football club.

Nibor