Sky Bet Football League thread 2015/16

[The Lusophone]

Ameobi, Heskey and Eidur? It's like its 2006 all over again.

[Colly]

Sho time!

[Noah]

[Matticus]

Thats a lovely sports bra you got there Shola.

[Colly]

[Thrilla]

GET IT UP YE @Matt

[9 to 5]

I could get used to Thursday night football.

[Matt]

I preferred playing in league one anyway.

[MDK]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

I preferred playing in league one anyway.

See you there next season 

[Adam]

Doesn't look like I'll be seeing either of you :(

[Lineker]

Supporters group Leeds Fans United have announced that they have reached an “agreement in principle” with Leeds chairman Massimo Cellino to sell his shares in the club.

A statement on Friday night from the group - which was set up in April in an attempt to buy a minority stake in the club – confirmed that the Italian is willing to walk away if he receives a satisfactory offer.

“Leeds Fans Utd has today reached agreement in principle with Massimo Cellino to purchase a majority stake in Leeds United Football Club,” read the statement.

Cellino, who is currently appealing against a ban for breaching the Football League’s owners and directors rules following a conviction for tax evasion this year, met with the group on Friday and later confirmed on BBC Radio Leeds that he has agreed the deal in principle.

“100% I will sell to the fans, if they want to buy it and look after the club. The fans are the only asset the club has,” he said.

Cellino, who has had six managers in less than two years at Leeds, had earlier said that would like to stay for 10 years but claimed he is “losing his balls” and losing sleep trying to run the “nightmare” club.

“It’s bad firing a coach,” he said in an interview with The Times on Friday. “It’s very bad, the worst thing. You think I get peace from that? My dream is to have coach for 10 years. It could happen at Leeds.”

[Adam]

Hallelujah!

Such is the circus of Leeds United though, that I still would not be surprised if something ridiculous caused this to not happen.

[MDK]

EWB whip round? I'll get a hat.

[Adam]

The only thing that could scupper that plan is if somebody eats the hat. This is EWB after all...

[Lineker]

The Blackpool owner, Owen Oyston, has told the Blackpool Supporters’ Trust that he is ending talks with them over their proposed takeover of the League One club.

The BST had announced plans for a leveraged buyout of the Seasiders over the summer with a £16m package that would have seen Oyston, who has been in charge of affairs at Bloomfield Road since the 1980s, and his family retain several assets connected to the club.

The Blackpool owner posted a series of public statements asking for clarification over numerous elements of BST’s bid and has now called time on their proposal after claiming they had not provided him with those assurances.

In a letter addressed to the trust posted on Blackpool’s official website, Oyston said: “I am very disappointed after giving you extended deadlines twice that you have failed to respond to the questions which, if you were serious, you would have dealt with responsibly and comprehensively.

“The proposal that you put to me which the press referred to as a £23m hostile bid and which you, both in your letter and publicly have stated is a £16m bid, is, as you have now admitted, no bid at all, but an invitation for me to give you all the assets and cash without you producing one penny of new money.

“In short, you are asking me to give you all the cash and assets and you have not even answered the basic questions I have to put to you.

“I believe that if you were left to run the club it would go to the wall because you do not have any money or the experience necessary to support the club in its moment of need.

“It would be irresponsible of me to simply hand this over to you as it is clear to any independent observer that you could not operate it successfully. From the many discussions I have had with large numbers of fans, it is clear that they have seen how I have been able to support the club through tough times and know I am in a position to do so in the future. They have implored me not to hand over the cash and assets to you.”

In July, BST had been asked by Oyston to explain 10 queries he had before he was able to “take your proposal seriously” and despite claims from the owner to the contrary, the trust have stressed those clarifications were provided in September.

In statements posted across some fans’ forums, they said: “We are disappointed, but not surprised, to read that Owen Oyston has finally closed the door on negotiating on BST’s bid.

“We will publish a detailed response over the weekend but right now we just wish to refute the spurious claim that we “failed to respond to the questions”.”

[Matt]

I'll be surprised if the LFU takeover happens, they still need to get money from somewhere. It's going to need a backer, hopefully Pearson and his friends get involved.

[MDK]

I'm sure we can cobble together a pinky to buy them 

[Lineker]

 

[Benji]

So what does that mean exactly? Fans can't buy, or it'll be a hostile takeover or something?

[Lineker]

Not sure. Maybe @Matt can shed some light on it when his cobwebs clear. Here's a write-up...

 

Massimo Cellino has reneged on plans to sell Leeds United to supporters, Leeds Fans Utd has announced.

The Italian purchased his 75% controlling interest in the Elland Road club from Gulf Finance House in April 2014. Protests against him by Leeds fans during the defeat against Blackburn led to him telling LFU on Friday that he was willing to sell them his controlling interest.

LFU was due to meet with Cellino’s lawyers on Wednesday in a bid to gain an exclusivity period, but its plans have been thrown off track by his apparent change of heart.

“Leeds Fans Utd has just been informed by the lawyers of Massimo Cellino that he no longer wishes to sell to Leeds fans,” the statement read. “Our insistence on him confirming his verbal offer of exclusivity in a legally binding agreement has forced transparency on his motives.

“It is much better that we identify this insincerity now before we spend our shareholders’ money. This exercise has proved our capacity to adapt to any acquisition scenario very quickly.

“We now know we have the capacity to do both a minority and majority deal, and it has shown that Leeds fans have a desire for fan ownership. We hope that Massimo will treat the club and fans with respect and honour.”