US-based consortium close to £18m takeover

[Max B Gold]

Hoover already inflating the figure to make it sound like a cash grab .

£18m for a lower league club with no assets and clocking up 3m a year in losses feels crackers. Football really is a massive bubble waiting to burst.

Luckily there appears to be an endless supply of rich American franchise junkies.

[HackneyO]

Looking forward to our rebranding as The London O’s

“Little” London Os

[redintheface]

Looking forward to our rebranding as The London O’s

“Little” London Os

Gor blimey guv’ner you’re a toff!

[Max B Gold]

Not at all - the minority interests will have a minority say. Who is holding the 30% anyway?

Minority shareholders can be a pain in the arse through requiring things to be done by the book etc.


I’d guess it will be Travis with the 30%.

Reckon it's more likely everyone leaves a bit in, maybe in current ratios, so they can benefit further down the line. Otherwise the current investors will be walking away without a return.

If I was buying for £18 or £20m I would want all of the shares and no single shareholder to be left in with more than a 25% holding. With my 70% holding I can literally do what I want.

It's a stroke of luck that Nigel & Co will get their £18m back.

[Berin]

So the new investors want to import a product that no one wants and sell it to an audience that doesn't exist? If this was about another club I'd be pissing myself laughing.

[Max B Gold]

So the new investors want to import a product that no one wants and sell it to an audience that doesn't exist? If this was about another club I'd be pissing myself laughing.

Ssshh

[Loyal_Supporter]

Presumably this

https://europeanleague.football/

London Wyverns?

[Max B Gold]

Lokomotiv London

[Long slender neck]

So the new investors want to import a product that no one wants and sell it to an audience that doesn't exist? If this was about another club I'd be pissing myself laughing.

Isnt the silly american rugby game quite popular though?

[Mylo Xyloto]

Funny how you can buy a whole club for the price of Jay Stansfield.

Yet we have a player here who has scored more outfield goals!

[HackneyO]

Not at all - the minority interests will have a minority say. Who is holding the 30% anyway?

Minority shareholders can be a pain in the arse through requiring things to be done by the book etc.


I’d guess it will be Travis with the 30%.

Reckon it's more likely everyone leaves a bit in, maybe in current ratios, so they can benefit further down the line. Otherwise the current investors will be walking away without a return.

After Teague sold up are there any major shareholders currently other than Travis. It always sounded like he was basically funding everything.

[OyinbO]

Hoover already inflating the figure to make it sound like a cash grab .

£18m for a lower league club with no assets and clocking up 3m a year in losses feels crackers. Football really is a massive bubble waiting to burst.

It'll be £18m on the understanding that permission for the new stadium is granted soon, which will push the value of the whole enterprise up considerably. And the stuff about the American Football team will be part of the proposition to get permission for the new stadium.

[OyinbO]

Minority shareholders can be a pain in the arse through requiring things to be done by the book etc.


I’d guess it will be Travis with the 30%.

Reckon it's more likely everyone leaves a bit in, maybe in current ratios, so they can benefit further down the line. Otherwise the current investors will be walking away without a return.

After Teague sold up are there any major shareholders currently other than Travis. It always sounded like he was basically funding everything.

Teague has not sold up, he's just diminished. And Parry still has a significant stake - although it seems unlikely that either has been putting much in of late. There's also a few bits and pieces investors, including the new guys from this season: the dentist and the West Ham fan.

[Long slender neck]

And what about Steve Davis? Still involved?

[HackneyO]

Reckon it's more likely everyone leaves a bit in, maybe in current ratios, so they can benefit further down the line. Otherwise the current investors will be walking away without a return.

After Teague sold up are there any major shareholders currently other than Travis. It always sounded like he was basically funding everything.

Teague has not sold up, he's just diminished. And Parry still has a significant stake - although it seems unlikely that either has been putting much in of late. There's also a few bits and pieces investors, including the new guys from this season: the dentist and the West Ham fan.

So Travis is likely to be the largest shareholder, and if he’s not reducing his stake by much £18m gives the others a reasonable return.

[EliotNes]

Looking forward to our rebranding as The London O’s

London Dragons.

Wyverns, please.

Let's get the mythical creatures right.

[Scuba Diver]

"Due diligence" =
Have they got enough cash to give us our cash?
Have they been horrid already somewhere else?

That's about it I reckon, and to be fair Travis does not have a crystal ball as to what might happen.

Any "re-brand" to the London Something would see me gone, but no doubt others will rock up to replace curmudgeons such as myself.

[Max B Gold]

"Due diligence" =
Have they got enough cash to give us our cash?
Have they been horrid already somewhere else?

That's about it I reckon, and to be fair Travis does not have a crystal ball as to what might happen.

Any "re-brand" to the London Something would see me gone, but no doubt others will rock up to replace curmudgeons such as myself.

I'm resistant to change too. Of all the teams I could have supported in London I chose my local basket case club. Never for a minute thinking they would be successful.

[Scuba Diver]

"Due diligence" =
Have they got enough cash to give us our cash?
Have they been horrid already somewhere else?

That's about it I reckon, and to be fair Travis does not have a crystal ball as to what might happen.

Any "re-brand" to the London Something would see me gone, but no doubt others will rock up to replace curmudgeons such as myself.

I'm resistant to change too. Of all the teams I could have supported in London I chose my local basket case club. Never for a minute thinking they would be successful.

I too feel let down. Success wasn't in the original agreement.

[gshaw]

Presumably this

https://europeanleague.football/

London Wyverns?

Not quite the RB Orient franchise I was hoping for but if it gets us a big budget and Championship football bring it on

[Rich Tea Wellin]

We’ll wait and see. A group of people seeing potential in us and willing to invest in us is good.
But £18m for us and the whole franchise thing sets alarm bells ringing.

[Max B Gold]

We’ll wait and see. A group of people seeing potential in us and willing to invest in us is good.
But £18m for us and the whole franchise thing sets alarm bells ringing.

The £18m is just to clear the debt owed to the current owners.That £18m got us to L1.

The new owners will need to put in around £20m to get us to the Championship and then with a new stadium and higher league status its a whole new ball game.

[Hoover Attack]

After Teague sold up are there any major shareholders currently other than Travis. It always sounded like he was basically funding everything.

Teague has not sold up, he's just diminished. And Parry still has a significant stake - although it seems unlikely that either has been putting much in of late. There's also a few bits and pieces investors, including the new guys from this season: the dentist and the West Ham fan.

So Travis is likely to be the largest shareholder, and if he’s not reducing his stake by much £18m gives the others a reasonable return.

That's not how this works. The £18m won't go to Teague, Parry and the other little guys.

[WilliamTell]

In December 2022, Florida-based property tycoon Brad Galinson (worth around £65-82 million) acquired a majority shareholding in Gillingham. Neil Harris was sacked 05/10/2023 with the club in 8th place. Stephen Clemence was appointed 01/11/2023 but left 30/06/2024 after ending the season in 12th place. In May 2024 Mark Bonner was appointed manager. When he was sacked in January 2025 John Coleman took temporary charge and in March 2025 Gareth Ainsworth jumped ship at Shrewsbury to join them. As I write they are 19th.
Maybe you have to be an American film star to run a successful UK football club?

[PKM]

In December 2022, Florida-based property tycoon Brad Galinson (worth around £65-82 million) acquired a majority shareholding in Gillingham. Neil Harris was sacked 05/10/2023 with the club in 8th place. Stephen Clemence was appointed 01/11/2023 but left 30/06/2024 after ending the season in 12th place. In May 2024 Mark Bonner was appointed manager. When he was sacked in January 2025 John Coleman took temporary charge and in March 2025 Gareth Ainsworth jumped ship at Shrewsbury to join them. As I write they are 19th.
Maybe you have to be an American film star to run a successful UK football club?

US basedFenway sports at Liverpool ain’t done too bad .
Bad owners are not bound by nationalities, plenty of duff English ones.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... j7pv6qg12o