Ever since the Tottenham Hotspur PLC delisted itself from the stock market rumours that the club was preparing itself to be sold have grown stronger and stronger. Logistically everything is slowly falling in to place, with much of the land for rebuilding a new stadium already purchased by the club, and planning permission for a […]
Are Spurs About to be Sold?
Ever since the Tottenham Hotspur PLC delisted itself from the stock market rumours that the club was preparing itself to be sold have grown stronger and stronger. Logistically everything is slowly falling in to place, with much of the land for rebuilding a new stadium already purchased by the club, and planning permission for a new stadium having got the green light.
Most people quite rightly assumed that Joe Lewis would sell Spurs once the new stadium had been built, with the increased revenue from higher match day attendances making the books look more appealing to any potential investor. This is without mentioning the megabucks that come with the naming rights for the new Tottenham Hotspur *Insert Major Company Here* Stadium.
Yet the latest ITK and Twitter rumours seem to be suggesting that Joe Lewis is taking more of a day to day interest in the club. Some have said this could simply be an old man taking an interest in one of his investments, whilst others have said that he is priming the club ready for sale, possibly before the new stadium has even been started.
[linequote]It has been mooted that new owners are ready to take-over the club, and that, at least for the time being, they would be happy for Levy to remain in his position as Chairman.[/linequote]
ENIC have financially guide the club very well, and whilst Levy has made the odd crazy decision with managerial appointments, he has been a solid chairman for more than 10 years. It has been mooted that new owners are ready to take-over the club, and that, at least for the time being, they would be happy for Levy to remain in his position as Chairman.
However, the club doesn’t need to be sold outright, but could do with some investment to help build the new stadium, and in the very near future provide a war-chest for the new manager to help build his team. Perhaps Lewis’ apparent increase in interest in the club has to do with finding a new investor, who in the next few years could go on to buy the club outright?
An investment, be it through naming rights, or selling a stake in the club, could help to advance it sale by helping to build on our success both on an on the pitch over the last few years. Without some investment, and without the millions that would have come from Champions League qualification this year, there is a chance that the club will become stagnant in the next season or two. This would make it harder to fund a new stadium and remain competitive on the pitch, which in turn would make the club far less appealing to a potential buyer.
[author name=”Sibs” avatar=”http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/1991260449/image.jpg” twitter=”SibsTHFC” tag=”Sibs[/linequote]
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
82 Comments
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21/06/2012 @ 9:21 pm
It’s mooted rather than muted: ‘It has been mooted that new owners…’
21/06/2012 @ 9:23 pm
Cheers. Changed now.
22/07/2012 @ 10:51 pm
All I can say it’ll be the best thing that ever happened to spurs if the kharifi family take over…forget the premiership we will be battling the likes of barca for the champions league!
21/06/2012 @ 9:29 pm
Joe lewis is a cunt. Hope he dies. fucking idiot of a man
21/06/2012 @ 9:39 pm
Ignorant cretin. Grow up and post tou your peers. Care in the Community will help you find an appropriate site.
Plenty of thought in the article. Obviously above the head of the challenged inarticulte neanderthal.
21/06/2012 @ 9:54 pm
And so say all of us.
21/06/2012 @ 9:40 pm
You are a disgrace.
21/06/2012 @ 9:41 pm
hey Hod Is God, Don’t beat around the bush,say what you really mean…we are all friends here!
21/06/2012 @ 9:48 pm
can`t you respond without swearing….don`t bother next time
22/06/2012 @ 7:49 am
Everyone has aright for free speech……except a moron like hod is god. You should delete idiots like this.
22/06/2012 @ 9:52 am
‘Hod is God’ should see a psychiatrist pronto; he’s a got a withered and warped brain.
21/06/2012 @ 9:56 pm
Hod is God? an embarrassment to all honest and genuine Spurs supporters.
21/06/2012 @ 10:02 pm
Agreed, Joe Lewis is a cunt and we all know why. Hes fucked us up, Fucking cunt hope he dies a painful death. Come on the Arabs!!
21/06/2012 @ 10:04 pm
We dont need a fucking owner like that….who doesnt give a shit about the club. Fuck right off u tight cunt
22/06/2012 @ 1:12 am
Please explain your strange reasoning, fuck-wad.
21/06/2012 @ 10:05 pm
can’t help thinking that Tay and Hod is God may be the same 14 year old…… I know it’s only Thursday night, but seriously get a girlfriend already!!!
21/06/2012 @ 10:08 pm
Are u joking me? The guy doesnt care. He’s more worried about his boat in the bahamas. You are deluded if u think he cares one bit. SELL NOW
22/06/2012 @ 11:16 am
Tay, I’ll write this slowly because you obviously have difficulty in comprehension. Joe Lewis doesn’t own Tottenham, he owns ENIC. He has no interest in football, his is making money-so he’s only doing what he does-When Spurs are ripe to sell, ENIC will sell as they’re an investment company, hence the name English National Investment Company.
22/06/2012 @ 4:45 pm
They are producing a saleable product, I’ll go with that.
21/06/2012 @ 10:13 pm
Whereas Sheik Mansour cares so much about city and it has been so detrimental to their progress!
But you are right, we have clearly gone backwards under his stewardship, what with us playing in the championship last year and never having got close to the Champions league….oh no hang on, that’s West Ham isn’t it…
You are a clown sir !
21/06/2012 @ 10:19 pm
What a waste of ink!
22/06/2012 @ 1:30 pm
even virtual ink is wasted on people like this..14 y.o gooner fans probably…tsk tsk!!!
21/06/2012 @ 10:28 pm
more made up crap based on nothing more than rumour
21/06/2012 @ 10:36 pm
What will be appealing to any buyer is the fact we have nominal debt and are as we all know the biggest and best club in the premiership
Levy looks tired of it and if they are going to sell? that makes you wonder why he has asked that slut Redknapp. But Lewis and Levy are looking for a premium, the most that lazed out is £40mill and will get at least is £300mill. So if you can get it? Fuck off and lets move on. With an owner who will invest in players of quality
Osmanov would be a laugh
21/06/2012 @ 10:48 pm
I think Hod is God and Tay are being a bit over the top , but come on Joe Lewis you aren’t getting any younger and you can’t take your money with you can you ? So why no just spunk it away making Spurs champions as your legacy ! It;s what i would do with your sort of cash and you’d still have plenty left for yachts , high class hookers or whatever your current hobbies are .
21/06/2012 @ 10:50 pm
If only Usmanov was a Spurs fan. Some of you guys are either deluded or are members of ENIC. We are lucky we are in this position. Lewis OUT and ANY sheikh in PLEASE!! Save my club. PS DB u talk shit, Sheikh Mansour is the best thing to EVER happen to Man City. Listen to urself. You are a complete fool
21/06/2012 @ 10:55 pm
There was a rumour two weeks ago that a sale was possible. I´m dissapointed that Levy hadn´t had a manager in place prior to sacking Redknapp and it´s all dragging on and on. If Lewis sells I would like Levy to stay on as Chairman, but he has to be more communitive with the fans.
21/06/2012 @ 11:06 pm
ha ha @ Tay …guess they don’t teach sarcasm in your school.
I honestly can’t believe the level of comment on here today, did all the intelligent Spurs fans take the evening off?
21/06/2012 @ 11:17 pm
Arab owners to “Tottenham” erm…
22/07/2012 @ 12:25 pm
The only way spurs are gonna get anywhere is look for Arab owners. Its about what’s best for the club just look at city, could we ever imagine them winning the epl before!
28/07/2012 @ 10:39 pm
Arab owners to Arsenal – double erm.
21/06/2012 @ 11:19 pm
Sarcasm? you think all this is funny and a joke? Your a fucking twat. Go and wank Joe Lewis off u mug.
21/06/2012 @ 11:21 pm
Shutup I have been watchin Spurs since ’72 and I have seen it all, this is just another rumour being tossed about so be quiet you silly 15 year old cunt.
21/06/2012 @ 11:26 pm
u have seen it all? what the full body of joey lewis? u fucking cunt. go suck sum dick u knob jockey
21/06/2012 @ 11:29 pm
Thanks for that match of the day spurs fan.
21/06/2012 @ 11:32 pm
Go to bed and ask Uncle Joe to read u a bedtime story about the Old Ugly Jewish Man that was so stingy with his money he bought an entire institution down. Sleep well
22/06/2012 @ 1:14 am
Are you okay? do you need a hug? Big man behind an Internet connection. Muppet.
21/06/2012 @ 11:33 pm
What a load of crap some of you speak !!! We have a capacity of just under 37,000 !!!! We can’t splash the cash like some otherwise we would end up like the pikeys!!!! Levy and Lewis have run the club superb in my eyes ,in fact were 1 of the best run clubs in the country ! Harry got too big for his boots and tried to drag his contract issues through the media,big mistake because there’s only 1 winner there ,you need a strong chairman and we’ve got 1 .we need to make the right appointment now ,were not far away from the others ,and with the right guidance we could be there ! Moyes or blanc for me Coys !!!
21/06/2012 @ 11:35 pm
borderline racism?
21/06/2012 @ 11:47 pm
Sacking Redknapp is another shocking management decision by Levy, much worse than the Jol for Ramos swap. Given that the Champions League brings in about an extra 30 million a season, you would have thought keeping the manager that got the team qualified for it with 4th place twice would be a good idea. Spurs have never finished as high as 4th in the Premier League ever and although Harry may not have been the man for the next 5-10 years, to kick him out now will prove to be a huge gaffe.
They should have kept him for another 3 seasons and in the meantime bring someone in or keep an eye out for a younger successor. As it stands, i will be surprised if Spurs even make the top 6 this season or the one after. I can see a protracted haggling over Modric’s sale, just like Berbatov this summer and time is ticking on bringing in a replacement for Harry etc. The disruption alone will take 2 seasons at the very least to recover from.
I think Levy has been a good chairman on the business side, on the football front he has been lacking big time. I hope a big investor is coming in and that when they do a big name can be brought in as manager and a ‘war chest’ is made available. However, this is a dream and the reality will be the hapless AVB and an equally hapless ‘Football Director’.
Levy has not learned from his football related mistakes, clearly. Hello mid-table!!
21/06/2012 @ 11:58 pm
Haha u make me laugh….politically correct bullshit. U must work in the media. Anyway enough of talking to that stupid cunt. Tottenham need ONE thing and One thing only. An INVESTOR. End of.
22/06/2012 @ 6:28 am
Ur an blinkered idiot!!
22/06/2012 @ 1:29 pm
Son, what have I told you about using my computer? And the profanities, I have warned you before!! Okay, my son Tay, is 14 years old and still shits the bed. I’m embarassed by him and honestly wish he would get knocked over by a bus. I don’t mean to sound like a bad parent, but he is a right cunt. Do you know he still cries at night and tries to suck on my wife’s tits. Come on son, you have drunk her dry, there’s nothing left in her.
Now, be a good boy, and go hang yourself…
21/06/2012 @ 11:58 pm
I dont really give a damn who owns the club, just as long as the people running the club do a job like levy, even if he does frustrate the hell out of me and the players love the club. The one thing I dont want to happen is us selling out like man city and chelsea did. I am a proud spurs fan, how could I be proud of winning the league or champions league because we had a blank cheque. Part of me feels sorry for them fans, both won nothing…..they both bought it, wheres the pride in that? How often do you see a man city player kiss their badge
22/06/2012 @ 7:29 am
When was the last time you saw a spurs player kiss our badge?
22/06/2012 @ 4:27 pm
If some chinaman of bored Arab wants to splash his cash, please step forward I’ll swallow my pride for that, where’s the pride in milling about the fringes of things, where’s the pride in almost having a team that’s almost about to crack the big time, reminds me of that only fools and horse saying “this time next year we’ll be millionaires”
22/06/2012 @ 12:10 am
We need an investor? Apart from the prideless clubs we are one of the top spending clubs. Two things need to change, 1. We must stop buying crap players 2. Levy needs to stop fighting over the odd few million, if a player is good you pay for him, if you want to fight over it then you lose him, I know levy is great at keeping the club afloat, but there are times when you just have to, its not like the bank is going to take the club if u spend an extra 5 million
22/06/2012 @ 4:30 pm
Agree, we have to accept we are not the most attractive club to some players, stop. Penny pinching and pay the money, vertgohen is a case in point, he is reported has saying he wants to come but our offer is 7 quid short.
22/06/2012 @ 12:12 am
Gooner trolls should have their comment moderated and then be banned via their i.p’s banned. Their comments are easy enough to spot.
22/06/2012 @ 12:36 am
tbf I just want some rich wankers to go in splash out on people like aguero lewis is never at the games and dosent show any loyalty towards r club coys
22/06/2012 @ 1:01 am
Sell it to who…. who would by a club with no manager, no strikers, and no midfield. Oh… let’s not forget no defence.
22/06/2012 @ 1:15 am
I am amazed at the comments made by two imbeciles, Hod the God and Tay. I am not old fashioned but I don’t enjoy reading swearing words – really boring and puerile. Grow up, you two, and be more imaginative linguistically. And please cut out the anti-semitism – there is no room for that. Remember R E S P E C T!!!!!!
22/06/2012 @ 8:31 pm
F’ing thought police, next you’ll be telling us that yid army is anti-semitic. Get off your high horse you sad fool… Respect who? Certainly not you!!
22/06/2012 @ 3:26 am
Fuck shit you slags cunts bastard bitches wankers cocksuckers rentboy whores motherfuckers….oops sorry I thought this was torrets members website
22/06/2012 @ 12:25 pm
Did you mean Touretts ? Or are you Dyslectic ? Or maybe just a sick goner scumbag !
22/06/2012 @ 1:32 pm
That sad Sal meant Torrents I believe. There is too much anger in this world that we run out of appropriate non-swearing words and resort to such childish swearing.
Football in the sixties and seventies was great to watch. The players stayed loyal to their clubs to the end of their careers or until they felt slower or lacking in skill that they moved on in the twilight of their footballing life. It was also a period when any of the clubs in the old First Division had a chance to win the league – not now. We talk about just six clubs – no one else. Clubs like Newcastle or Everton will never be champions….unless some fabulously wealthy magnates like this sheik buying City are mad enough to invest in these once great clubs.
22/06/2012 @ 9:38 pm
love it when people comment on others spelling mistakes when they can’t spell themselves. It’s tourettes, dyslexic. Really hope there’s no spelling mistakes here or I’m going to look like a right tool. Spurs forever
22/06/2012 @ 12:39 pm
That’s gooner
22/06/2012 @ 3:44 am
The thought of stadium naming rights makes me shudder. You just know this will be a huge embarrassment and that we`ll be playing at something like Tenna Pad Crescent.
Meanwhile, I am old fashioned and you two – have a word with yourselves. Any trolls on here will take us apart if we act like that.
22/06/2012 @ 9:40 pm
Tenna Pad Stadium, lol
22/06/2012 @ 3:50 am
Levy and Enic have run the club as a business. Spurs do not have massive debts with crippling repayments.
Only Chelsea and Man. C. can afford to do that on a permanent basis, a driver I have met a few times tells me that he has supported Chelsea since the 50’s and for the first time he no longer feels part of the club, ”They could shut the gates and play with no suppoters in the ground, he would not miss my money Chelsea are now his club.” I suppose the same could be said of Man. C.
I for one do not really want this to happen to Spurs.
22/06/2012 @ 6:30 am
Interesting batch of comments….. I think the sale/further investment could have some substance, Levy and Lewis are smart operators financially,and if the financial fair play rules are ever truly enforced, Platini and blatter will look to the likes of Cheatski, PSG and the blue mancs hopefully, and throw them out of the Champs league.
This will leave financially sound clubs, like ours, to take on genuine investment, (unlike Blackburn and Birmingham the other side of the murky investment world of football) and move forward.
I think Ambrovich will leave cheatski soon, this particular little play whore of his has delivered the goods, i.e. all the silverware he wanted and he will hopefully divert his time and cash into the Russian World cup prpearations. Oh how sweet to watch them without a sugar daddy slide to obscurity where they belong!
22/06/2012 @ 8:33 am
I don’t know why anyone would want to buy a football club to suffer constant abuse from a load of retards but there we are. I suppose if we get sold to some dictator of a oil-rich state we might at least win something at the expense of our self respect.
22/06/2012 @ 4:33 pm
Bollox to self respect, in 10 years time when man city have 5 titles a couple of champions league titles, numerous premier league titles do you think they will care.
22/06/2012 @ 9:26 am
Am I the only Spurs fan on this site that doesn’t want to be another Man City? We cannot really want our beloved club to rack up millions of pound of debt in order to buy our way to glory, can we? What will happen when the oil money runs out? How will Man city survive? Spurs are a well run club who, lets remind ourselves, are not a million miles short of being title contenders. Yes we need a new stadium to increase revenue, and yes we do need to purchase one or two top players to maintain our challenge, but no we do not need a sheik! We do however need to continue to develop our youth academy and develop British talent through the ranks. That is the only viable way forward.
22/06/2012 @ 9:33 am
WHAT`S UP WITH YOU PEOPLE CAN YOU NOT DISCUSS A SUBJECT WITHOUT SWEARING SO FILTHY , BUT WHOLE HEARTLY AGREE BRING ON THE MEGA RICH A – RABS THIS IS THE FUTURE WE CAN`T COMPETE WITH THE BIG BOYS .
22/06/2012 @ 4:39 pm
STOP SHOUTING!!!
22/06/2012 @ 9:33 am
Maybe Lewis is getting more involved because Levy has personal problems at the moment. Or perhaps he’s getting more involved because we are in discussions with a naming part. Or maybe he’s not being anymore involved than usual.
22/06/2012 @ 9:56 am
Tay is a legend.
22/06/2012 @ 10:04 am
I agree with the comments of Madcap (some of the only sensible ones on this site today). We do not want to end up like City or Chelsea – all money and no soul. To use an analogy, it would be like buying yourself a degree, would you feel proud at the graduation ceremony accepting your certificate knowing you were a fake?
I would rather watch a team (Spurs) where any success we have is earned, not bought. I think that long standing City and Chelsea fans, if they were honest with themselves, would admit to uncomfortable feelings of how their respective clubs have achieved success in the last few years.
We all want success for our club – but at any cost?
22/06/2012 @ 10:18 am
Interesting article but I think you meant to say mooted, not muted.
22/06/2012 @ 1:21 pm
Are you joking!? Tay a legend! Bah!
22/06/2012 @ 1:34 pm
All success is bought, look at the squad, most have been purchased from somewhere, you are kidding yourself if you think players give two shites about the team they play for. if you have enough money on offer to the players they will join. It’s a romantic notion to think players have an affinity to anything other than the fat wage packet and all those lovely things it can buy them. Major consideration is how much money they can make. Oh i hear you say they not all likethat ake our fans fav King been with the club for life, do you think he’d of stayed so long had he not been plagued with dodgy knees?
I like Benoit at least he tells things like they are, he’d be off if he could get 3 quid more from somewhere else , he’s not alone just alone in admitting the truth. Harry was right when he said if you pay the money they will come, so bring on a sugar who will pay the money, the likes of modric would not think too long over 200k contract.
I myself would have no qualms about someone coming into spurs and turning them into the next man city, none at all. Uncomfortable? No.
Only potential downfall is the FIFA financial fair play or whatever they call it.
Hod is god is a man of few words, I do agree he has trouble expressing himself, text Tourette’s is an unfortunate affliction.
22/06/2012 @ 2:15 pm
oh dear! Hod is god and Tay… two gobshites who could with little effort make one abandon one’s support of one football’s great clubs and take up an interest in lacrosse. Tourettes or not Tourettes, that is the question
22/06/2012 @ 5:04 pm
A person who must use profanity is a person with many underlying problems, just like someone with terrets. Although almost all swear, there is a time and a place for it. The facts are that an individual who must use profanity is ignorant, has very low self esteem and self respect. They have a limited IQ and have had a bad education. For the most part during an argument for instance, due to all of these factors they will get frustrated to get their point of view across and due to a low intellect they will feel inferiour to the other person and so use profanity, maybe this is why the vast majority of them support arsenal. Please in the future think twice about how you view them, they have not the intelligence or self worth to no any better
22/06/2012 @ 7:44 pm
Only one word for your description of someone who uses profanity is utter bollocks ooops sorry, Virtually all people swear, and people swear pretty consistently throughout their lifetime — from the moment they can speak to the day they die. Swearing is almost a universal constant in most people’s lives. Research, according to Jay, has shown we swear on average from 0.3% to 0.7% of the time — a tiny but significant percentage of our overall speech (frequently-used personal pronouns occur at approximately 1.0% rate in speech). Swearing is more common than you might think. But personality research suggests that people who swear more, not surprisingly, score higher on traits such as extraversion, dominance, hostility and Type A personalities. Swearing is not just for the uneducated or people of a lower socioeconomic class — it knows no social boundaries in its expression.
I could make an assessment of your mental,social being by your few comments, would that opinion be right, probably not. You certainly cannot gauge someone’s intelligence by your formula, and if you think that you can then it may suggest your not as intelligent as you like to think.
Not that I’m saying Tay and hod the god are not as you portray them to be, they may well be as thick as shit, can’t say they offended me, though the remark about wishing someone would die is distasteful.
22/06/2012 @ 5:46 pm
Hehehehhe An Arab owning Spurs……are you bonkers ??
With our Jewish tag there is now way as long as I have a hole in my arse that a muslim would own a club with heavy Jewish connections……trust me they would be stoned in their own town !!!
Oh and I just checked…..hole still there!
22/07/2012 @ 12:39 pm
What’s wrong with Arab owners of spurs. Just to remind you this is football not world politics. And the point of a game is to win. And in our age it takes good players to win. And good players demand money. And most of the money is with the Arabs. So coys with Arab owners.
22/07/2012 @ 12:43 pm
Also is spurs really a Jewish club. It just got that name from opposition fans due to the large Jewish community situated near by. I mean if we really want to represent the community now spurs would be a Turkish or Afro carribean club. Anyway spurs is a north London club for us Londoners regardless of background.
22/07/2012 @ 12:50 pm
And also I just checked on the net there is a very big fan base in the Mid East for spurs! Thanks to Bale etc…Please keep your world, political, religious biases out of football. I think we should start a spurs fan club to look for an Arab investor NOW! Coys
28/07/2012 @ 10:47 pm
you want jewish connections BOBBLE you should f**** off to arsehole fc !
22/06/2012 @ 7:45 pm
Say no to Tay and hod the god bullies