Re: So the deal is done... : Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:38 am  

Oh dear. It would appear the biter is bit. This article sums up a lot of Rovers fans feeling http://www.mediaactivist.com/blog/ I for one am all in favour of a steady hand on the tiller and I'm fairly confident that we (The Dons) will be ok and we have a damn good reason IMO to be optimistic. Never easy is it being a Doncaster sports fan ?

Oh dear. It would appear the biter is bit. This article sums up a lot of Rovers fans feeling http://www.mediaactivist.com/blog/ I for one am all in favour of a steady hand on the tiller and I'm fairly confident that we (The Dons) will be ok and we have a damn good reason IMO to be optimistic. Never easy is it being a Doncaster sports fan ?

Re: So the deal is done... : Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:34 am  

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Ryan said it was "a dark day for football".

He added: "Louis and I were just looking to do the right thing but this is the end of my involvement in football now.

"It has been a long love affair between myself and Doncaster Rovers but it has hit the buffers today.

"The way I feel right now I doubt I will ever go to another football match in my life."

A Doncaster Rovers spokesman said: "We have today received the statement on behalf of the Tomlinson Ryan Trust confirming the Crowdfunder project has failed to reach the terms of the funding arrangements.

"We are aware that the statement confirms that the proposed deal to takeover the club is now in doubt, we are awaiting formal confirmation that the takeover deal will not complete as expected on Friday 18 July."

Please let this be true. John Ryan, by pursuing such a public course of action has thoroughly embarrassed himself and lost all remaining shreds of credibility he had. If the outcome is that Bramall and Watson's family are still the owners then I am satisfied.

Re: So the deal is done... : Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:39 am  

Well it was a pretty crappy bid then if it relied on begging from the public to total £2,000,000 to kick start it.
And what of Tomlinson's money?
Sweet fanny?

Re: So the deal is done... : Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:47 am  

Stand-Offish wrote:

Well it was a pretty crappy bid then if it relied on begging from the public to total £2,000,000 to kick start it.
And what of Tomlinson's money?
Sweet fanny?

Not sure he spends it on that SO

Re: So the deal is done... : Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:27 am  

I am inclined to believe Tomlinson, it certainly backs up what we all thought:

He also said: "I was explicitly told that the deal to buy the club was not dependent on the money raised by crowdfunding. Unfortunately I was misled."

Re: So the deal is done... : Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:18 am  

This business seems like quite a complicated one but I think Louis Tomlinson's allegation of being misled wasn't aimed at John Ryan. It was aimed at the legal advisers who put the takeover package together in the first place.

John Ryan and Louis Tomlinson had probably been advised by their legal team that the the takeover would be okay without the "cash" raised from the fund, but the football league's new "fit for purpose" tests demanded that without sufficient "available cash" in their back pockets, the takeover couldn't be allowed. Consequently, because they hadn't got sufficient cash funds themselves to meet the football league's requirements, the takeover did became dependent on the cash raised through the fund, and there wasn't enough of it.

I have some sympathy for John Ryan and Louis Tomlinson in this matter.

On the other hand, whilst John Ryan has undeniably done a lot to help Donny Rovers, his attitude at times does disappoint me.

Re: So the deal is done... : Mon Jul 21, 2014 1:25 pm  

I have no sympathy what so ever for John Ryan. But I am willing to offer him some advice for the future. Do your business in private not through the press. You won't be left with massive egg on your face then.

Re: So the deal is done... : Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:25 pm  

The reason I have sympathy for John Ryan is that I feel the takeover has become a victim of the incompetencies of others in football - leading to a severe tightening up of the "fit for purpose" rules, which have impacted on John Ryan and Louis Tomlinson.

Twelve months ago, I'd guess this takeover would have been allowed to go through by the football league.

[Jemmo]

Re: So the deal is done... : Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:59 pm  

"Fit for purpose" means "are they rich enough"

Look at Leeds United's new owners sacking players cause they were born on the 17th. But he has plenty of money so it's OK.

Re: So the deal is done... : Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:03 pm  

Jemmo wrote:

"Fit for purpose" means "are they rich enough"

Look at Leeds United's new owners sacking players cause they were born on the 17th. But he has plenty of money so it's OK.

Very true!