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Microsoft co-founder interested in the Villa; It can’t be true can it?

20 January 201520 January 2015| Badger123Badger123| 107 Comments| 6:37 PM
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Here’s a good news story for us, even if it’s the usual load of baloney that comes out of the papers.
Basically one of Microsoft’s co-founders is interested in buying the club;

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-gossip-microsoft-billionaire-8482194

Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft along with Bill Gates and as you’d guess, he’s worth a load of money.
$17 billion apparently or £11.22 billion in proper money.

While I’d absolutely love this to be true, you have to question it, if Tom Fox’s spiel not long ago saying that Randy Lerner is revitalised and keen for us to push on, is supposed to be true.
My opinion is that if Lerner was indeed revitalised, he’d have put his hand in his pocket and we would be signing at least a couple of decent proven players in this window.
Given that there’s no sign of this happening and indeed Lambert has said we can’t even afford Scott Sinclair, I think Tom Fox was talking rubbish.

So, if that’s the case, a sale is probably still on the cards at the right sort of price.

I’ve noticed a fair bit of debate on here recently about financial fair play and why it would be pointless for an owner to buy the club and pile a load of money in.
My take is that we all know there are ways around this, Manchester City’s stupidly massive sponsorship being the classic example.
Even then, what exactly is the punishment if you break the rules?
I believe you get banned from European competitions.
I’m playing Devil’s advocate here, but would that really be so bad?
Just think; a team that wins the league, but is banned from Europe would surely have a better chance of winning the title next season, wouldn’t it?
I suppose it depends on how important you think the Champions league is, but I’d be quite happy to be challenging for the title and put the CL on the back burner. Then when you’ve got a decent team, you start to comply and eventually get allowed into Europe.
The point is, you build a really good base to work from, with a top quality squad and all the best prospects in the academy.

All that said, it’s probably a fanciful notion and I’m sure you’ll tell me why.

Paul Allen buying the club is probably also a pie in the sky idea, but I’d so much love it to be true.
And even though I’ve previously said I don’t want Villa Park renamed, I think I could actually just about live with “Microsoft Villa Park”. Not that I’d expect Microsoft need to advertise in football.

107 thought on “Microsoft co-founder interested in the Villa; It can’t be true can it?”

  1. Two points Badger – not defending RL but I believe the situation with Sinclair is that we are only prepared to pay £1.5m which is a long way from saying we can’t afford him. I think many Villa fans would be slagging Lambert off if we paid the asking price of £3m. Secondly, my understanding is that FFP rules can also significantly affect transfer dealings. ManC have been restricted as have a couple of Championship clubs – Notts Forest being one.

    As for the rumour, who knows but notwithstanding, there is a lot more we could achieve with greater funds than we are at present without breaching FFP rules.

    1. And QPR are probably going to be fined and restricted on transfer through breaching FFP last season.

      1. I believe that QPR can only be fined if they get relegated this season because the Football League FFP and the Premier League FFP are completely separate. Man City got around it to sign Frank Lampard by buying an MLS franchise and buying him as an MLS player, but then loaning him back to City. The MLS are pretty pissed off about it as well. The fact is there are ways around FFP if the owner has unlimited funds. I think Man City had to play with a squad of less than the normal 25 in Europe this year as a punishment.

        1. Except Lampard was never an MLS player, he never signed a contract with NYCFC, until just this past week or so. They’ve owned him on a 6 month contract which got extended.

          1. That is probably the case, but they bought the MLS franchise for a reason, and I don’t hink that Lampard will be the last player NYFC sign and gets loaned to MCFC

          2. You mean first as he didn’t get loaned to City as they own him outright and are letting him go end of season to New York. They own him permanently.

            And it’s more of a MCFC will be loaning players to them. But if they do sign a big name, ala a Lampard in the future, or David Villa if they needed a striker, they’ll bring them in on loan on the off season easily.

          4. That’s not what has been reported in the media in the US. The story here is that NYFC signed him from Chelsea and loaned him to Man City. It’s all a sham anyway because both clubs have the same owners. I guess they can claim anything that they want to claim. Wenger eluded to it, and probably has the inside scoop from Henry who has been at NY Red Bulls… Bottom line is that FFP is complete BS.

            1. Agree ffp is bollox. If you’ve got enough money and good lawyers you can find loop holes galore

          6. Oohah City have been given limited funding of fourty million net spend and limited their foreign players in the CL. They arent getting around anything.

            1. Bony and lampard says they are. The thing is it disnt matter now they gave still got a decent team and in cl

      2. Exactly fined and restricted so what. If we get fined and have one restriction period which we will keep appealing for years does it matter. If we got fined £40m we would get most of that back anyway. Also ffp is anticompetitive and will get thrown out in European law.

        1. I don’t get why you honestly think any businessman is going to be okay with being fined 40m. Yes City’s and PSG’s owner’s aren’t going to cry over it, but we’re not going to get someone in who’s going to be okay getting fined huge money. You really need to get that out of your head.

    1. Andrew, here’s Lambert’s quote;

      “We can’t do what Man City are asking us to do at this minute.

      If it became feasible financially then who knows but there’s a bit of them asking too much at the moment.”

      In other words it’s not financially feasible at the moment.
      What can that possibly mean, apart from we can’t afford it?

      If we simply weren’t willing to pay, surely Lambert would have just said so?
      No doubt we’ll be able to judge come the end of the window.

      1. I honestly have large doubts about anything Lambert says anymore. But maybe, seeing Sinclair wants 50k wages and City want 4m for him, he’s just not worth it. But I can see why he’s saying that, though I’m still going with Lerner’s not willing to pay that. Either smaller fee or he’d have to lower his wages.

  3. City’s sponsorships didn’t save them from FFP, they have strict restrictions in the CL and have only a 40m net spend, compared to most teams.

    PSG’s sponsorships are pretty much being played off by FFP and they could be screwed themselves.

    Why would you want to win the league and not play in Europe? Any businessman isn’t going to make that work. Europe makes you a lot of money, and he’s not going to spend a lot of money if European money isn’t guaranteed

    And I doubt he’d change the name, he’s been huge in the three teams he owns but he doesn’t change things. He’d also more than likely name it around Vulcan instead of Microsoft. .

  4. Jonny Gould tweeted Lerner and Allen have started negotiations. He did claim there was another interested group in Azerbaijan but that one seems dead now.

  6. Eventually, one of these rumours will have some credibility (or every billionaire on the planet will have been linked) No doubt IanRobo will suddenly appear on here again saying “I told you so”. As ever, I will not be holding my breath.

  7. Hope so really hope so app they have opened negotiations lets hope he buys us or maybe he might be investing money utv

  8. Paul Allen is a lot less fanciful a lead than many on here. Firstly because he has a NFL franchise as does Randy, though Paul’s is the best of the lot currently. This allows some non cash transfers between the two if it helps with tax. Secondly he has a MLS franchise, Villa could help with that – but as others above have detailed, City used theirs to fiddle the Lampard transfer and a tame MLS franchise might help us.

    To spend big on transfers and wages under ffp you need to generate more income, and the fastest way to do that is to get some moneybags sponsor. There could be few better than Microsoft. What Microsoft sells is not London dominated so a base in the middle of the country for product launches and seminars could be useful for them.

    Gradual is fine, there isn’t a Man United or Chelsea across town who has to be taken on with blitzkrieg. We’d be delighted if we got back to 6th in the table by the end of next season.

      2. I dont think this us happening anyway ardent. Story seems to have faded now and no major news outlet has reported it. Good while it lasted though. Lamberk out

  9. The other story on the Yank site about Fox seeking a Director of Football is good news for the Lambert out brigade. Highly respected managers do not co-exist for long with Directors of Football. As one Italian manager described the appointment. “Worry? Of course its a worry. Like finding condoms in your wife’s handbag.”

  10. Quite interested in what kind of striker Lambert wants. Hoping it’s one with better movement, smaller, quicker, a better version of Weimann would do very well next to Benteke.

  11. I just heard a rumour from someone that allegedly knows someone in the know that an emergency board meetings been called today (Hrmm, the plot thickens).

        1. Whoever our DOF is going to be no doubt you’ll slag him off before he’s even stepped foot into Bodymoor.

  12. Here’s a thought. Fox is clearly ambitious. If we really “can’t afford” Scott Sinclair what message would that send to him? Maybe he’s resigned! Or maybe he was brought in all along to assist in the sale of the club (better qualified than Faulkner?) and that’s progressing.

    Or none of the above!

  13. Fox has gone down in my estimations since his statement about Lerner being revitalized. We know this is rubbish and Fox must think were all gullible, falling for this and thinking that signings will come when they wont and it will all be because January is hard to do business. Absolute bollocks. Looks like another one of Lerner’s Yes men to me.

  16. Deloittes rich list puts Villa 22nd in the world with revenues of £133m in 13 – 14 but according to PL we haven’t any money. Sort of adds credibility to Randy’s prime strategy of recovering his investment whilst he can.

    1. On the other hand just think what it might be if we had a decent team playing decent football under a progressive manager! You can understand why Fox took the CEO job, the opportunity is massive but can he deliver?

      1. Just to be accurate it’s €133m (£113m) substantially up from 12/13 (£84m) which will be the increased Sky money. Reinforces the point that falling attendances only hurt if Sky show less Villa games……………..no worry then PL is achieving that on the pitch

      2. As fans we are paying for Randy Lerners naivety and irresponsibility when he first purchased the Villa, but Just do not understand why Fox who is massive in the name of sport decided to join us, then stated Randy is re-energised and wants to enjoy the club again…. I just don’t understand this statement then us not having any cash and flirting with relegation yet again !!

        1. As long and Fox and Lambert (he didn’t have to sign a contract extension) get paid good money to tow the line they don’t give a shit. Afterall their handsome salaries are peanuts compared to the sky money.

          Also it appears we are on the look out for another unknown striker to take the burden off Benteke.
          Get rid of Gabby and put Weimann in the middle (he is shit out wide)

          1. Steve I see your point, but Fox is a massive name, with a fantastic track record – why would he want to dirty his CV with a club with no cash, an owner who wants out and dwindling attendances ?? It just does not stack up !

    1. think Leicester were found guilty and charged £20,000 (same as our first fine). We have been fined 3 times with the amount going up each time. That’s probably why it cost us £60,000. The club should deduct it from the players’ wages.

        1. Is it just the players? I think the charge-sheet also referred to various coaches/backroom staff getting involved, at least in the latest incident.
          IMO it illustrates the poor discipline in the whole first-team set up.

  18. I’m a chef at The Belfry and can tell you that Ton Fox, Paul Lambert, Darren Fletcher and 2 other blokes were at the golf club today having lunch. They were here for about 3 hours.

    1. I lnow this sounds silly but is it just remotely possible they were there to have a game of golf!! Ot am ibeing ridiculous.

  19. Darren Fletcher?
    Decidedly average imo, but he’s won the league a few times, so what do I know?
    About our sort of price too, at £1.5 million 🙁

    1. We seem keen to provide jobs for various ManUre has-beens; how long before SAF is announced as Villa’s new Director of Football?? [£250k a year, only has to turn up at a few games, etc.]!

    3. I know il get slagged for this but i actually rate Darren Fletcher over the years. Whenever i saw him play agsinst us iv always thought he was among their best players and thats when they had ronaldo wtc playing for them. Great at breaking up play and linking midfield together and a real leader. Someone iv always wanted at VP. Having said that we are at least 4-5 years too late and he has had longrerm injuries. If he can recapture form of past he would be out best capain sonce sir Dennis imo.

      1. Fletcher was once a very good player. But over the last 3-4 years he’s been injured and I believe at one time sick or something. This season he’s been absolutely terrible. I can’t see him ever getting back his past form, or he’d be staying at United as what he was in the past is exactly what they need.

        1. Shame really Id have loved him 4-5 years ago like u say unlikely he will ever be the same now so just right for us!!

          1. Definitely not needed. Hopefully with Gil and possibly one more winger/attacking midfielder we’ll stop playing Cleverley and someone like Delph out of position. Meaning we’ll have more than enough depth for two midfielders to play in Westwood and Sanchez hopefully and have the depth in case injuries occur.

    1. Injury prone and over the hill – or young and hungry to loan out…. We are bound to sign him……

      1. Not sure about injury prone but he was extremely ill for a long period. It’s surprising that he is back playing. Great player before his illness; would be great to see him back playing well particularly given his courage. For the right money I’d give him a shot as we desperately need a leader on the pitch.

      1. Just looking at that situation he’s over thirty injury prone its against Lambert’s 3 years of going for younger players, he had chances months ago with ex villa men.

  21. If we sign fletcher in any way shape or form I would be livid. The guy is well past it and a total waste of money, we have one united reject in Cleverly we don’t want another!

    1. Well said that man, why to we have to contemplate has-beens, and if anyone younger shows any glimmer of talent they are put out on loan or bench warm !!

  22. Very good piece by Robbie Savage on BBC web site today about our lack of creativity / goals. Apparently we have the lowest number of goals in the top nine tiers of English football – another unwanted record. Most revealing is Benteke’s loss of form – getting the chances but not taking them.

    1. H60 you forgot to mention also the lowest number of goals in any of Europe’s major leagues – England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.
      Good job Roy Castle ain’t around, Lambert would have been straight on record breakers!

      3. If Lambert was on record breakers it would be a 1 hour special.
        I’ve come to the conclusion that with these past it and unknowns he thinks he is managing in Scotland.

          1. Nay, it would cost to much, you’ll need a interpreter, an phycologists, mathematical genius, and then after go out after midnight might frighten the kids.

  23. How depressing! Nearing the end of the month and a quick look at the transfer gossip only reveals that Jack G might go out on loan…Milner wants out of MC yet nothing about him returning to the Villa or anyone else coming in.

    My dad took me to my first match in 1956 so I’ve been a fan ever since. Never regretted that until this season… never been so depressed and bored in my life. Guess I’ll have to watch this again I suppose…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RxfqFrCBqQ

    1. Your complaint about nothing about wanting Milner to return should really be focused on the papers then, as they make up stories quite often so they should definitely be making up stories that we have a chance to get Milner back.

  24. Considering United can play Wilson sometimes with their strike force and he isn’t exactly anything special as yet, but we cant put Robinson or Grealish on instead of Weimann or Gabby lol It’s a joke.

    1. Lambert says the Scott Sinclair deal is ‘dead’ and that its ‘highly unlikely’ we will make anymore signings during this window.
      Championship here we come!!!

      1. Am just after reading that and Lambert saying Lerner will back him on transfers. They are filling us fans with bullshits again.

        1. They always do Dave.
          Look at last January’s ‘signings’ –
          Ryan Bertrand and Grant Holt.
          One previous to that – Sylla and Dawkins.
          Its awful.
          They are pinning all their hopes on Gil, a 22-year-old who had 2 assists from 33 games last season.
          Concede goals and can’t score = relegation.

    2. a very good point adam, with the quality reputation and sheer expense of the strike force ahead of Wilson .. there really isn’t any excuse for Villa not to try something a little different, whats the worst that can happen we lose? … again .. no change there then. whatever about robinson, I understood not giving grealish a go earlier on if they were adopting a softly softly approach but every time he has come on he has looked very lively. so considering we are the least attacking team in 4 divisions and probably most of europe .. whats the harm?
      I think criticism is warranted there.

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