2 million cash pumped into the business in return for shares. Reported at companies house.

Edited December 6, 20214 yr by Mounts Kipper

6 hours ago, masi 51 said:

Don't think our playing budget will change much initially. We have no idea the Stake or % this new mon has invested into the club. Let us say it is 10% then he will only be expected to fund 10% of any additional money needed to run the club.

???

It clearly doesn't work like that otherwise you would not have BMLL Ltd now being the largest shareholders

Companies issue shares according to their Memorandum and Articles of Association.

27 minutes ago, Sluffy said:

...so in that sense it will NOT be being spent on improved players wages or transfers.

Well they're not exactly going to announce we've got X amount more to spend, are they?

But again, all these plans are for nowt if we go down next year as that's ~15M revenue gone just like that. So some must be for players to keep us up; or at least we will see a shift to player transfers from previously budgeted expenditure elsewhere.

5 minutes ago, jmjhb said:

Well they're not exactly going to announce we've got X amount more to spend, are they?

But again, all these plans are for nowt if we go down next year as that's ~15M revenue gone just like that. So some must be for players to keep us up; or at least we will see a shift to player transfers from previously budgeted expenditure elsewhere.

Well YES they are, if EEP has put in share equity.

That's a requirement under Company Law.

You are the one who seems to like to be thought of as being ITK.

As you know I have my doubts you personally are.

All I can go off is what is in the public domain.

Leiweke was charged in June 2025 with allegedly rigging the bidding process for the $375 million University of Texas’s Moody Center arena. He pleaded not guilty.

He was found guilty and faced up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for allegedly conspiring to steer the arena contract to his company.

Leiweke is now a board member of FV after becoming a minority investor in the club.

If he's put in equity that HAS to be reported to Companies House - to date it hasn't.

We therefore do not know how the investment has been made with FV or for what it is for.

We are told it is NOT going to ...have a significant impact on the playing budget or transfers...

The sentence continues ...but rather it is the next step in the club’s journey of sustainable growth since its takeover by Football Ventures in 2019.

I don't know what that means, do you?

I imagine it is more to do with becoming more efficient as a company, reducing costs and improving efficiency (and looking to squeeze more money from the fans).

Now my background was in the public sector and I've dealt with putting public services out to tender with the political belief being that private companies are more efficient than the public sector.

The way I read the above bits about 'sustainable growth' putting the 'customer' at the heart of every decision sounds eerily like 'privatisation' to me.

The thing is though that if that was the case the employees in the ticket office, etc, should have been consulted on this well before today's announcement, so I don't believe it is,

So what is left?

Leiweke is not here to be benevolent, he's here to make money

If his investment is not towards the playing budget or transfers, then what else could it be?

The comment that he's reminded us of is that he's been involved with the 02 and CoOp Live which suggested to me that his comment must be relevant in some way (otherwise why say it?) I can't believe he's here just to put a few more shows on at the Stadium, so my thinking is that he's more likely to develop the land (wasn't there talk at one time about building extra hotel rooms outside of the Stadium?) or something else on a grander scale.

If so something like that could make putting on shows becomes much more lucrative if he owns (or is a partner with) the company that owns the Stadium, the car parking, the hotel (and expanded hotel room availability) and the more profit the hotel earns the more FV can move the profit to fund the football club losses and thus become more sustainable rather than FV having to fund £10m trading losses themselves year on year.

I haven't a clue if I'm anywhere near right but by what we know (or rather what we are told) the investment isn't on the football side of the business and Leiweke seems to be more involved in stadiums and putting on shows than the 'soccer' part of the business.

That's just how my reasoning goes at this stage.

A bit leftfield, but is it possible to put a roof over the toughsheet??

5 hours ago, Sluffy said:

s we continue our transformation into a premier club that delivers victories and unforgettable experiences.”

It is the first time I've heard anyone at FV mention about their ambition is to be a Premier League club

Don’t think it’s necessary the same thing they could mean by a premier club the facilities and match day experience not necessarily anything to do with getting the club into the premier league otherwise it probably would of said league

37 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

A bit leftfield, but is it possible to put a roof over the toughsheet??

😂😂 we’re not hosting 11pm tennis matches!

All this talk of big ideas with concerts - @jmjhb has pointed it out, we’re worth a lot less if we get relegated and a fuck load more if we get promoted, regardless of whether we get a Harry Styles residency through the summer.

I’ve no doubt that they’ll use any expertise they have to increase none football revenues but their number one focus to make our football club worth more than it is today (obviously their aim) is to get us promoted. I would therefore suggest that any money invested is going on players and football infrastructure and not a roof over the Toughsheet!

Edited Saturday at 05:374 days by Eddie

12 minutes ago, Farnywhite said:

Don’t think it’s necessary the same thing they could mean by a premier club the facilities and match day experience not necessarily anything to do with getting the club into the premier league otherwise it probably would of said league

If that is the case then why are they talking about "victories"?

The clubs facilities were a victory, or the match day experience was a victory - the word doesn't fit does it?

Even crappy clubs deliver victories and "unforgettable experiences" from time to time.

You could be right though, probably just the usual hyperbole to sell someone a dream.

Personally I wouldn't see anything wrong if FV set themselves a target of being a PL team, at least the club would show it has ambitions to be one again someday.

11 minutes ago, Eddie said:

😂😂 we’re not hosting 11pm tennis matches!

All this talk of big ideas with concerts - @jmjhb has pointed it out, we’re worth a lot less if we get relegated and a fuck load more if we get promoted, regardless of whether we get a Harry Styles residency through the summer.

I’ve no doubt that they’ll use any expertise they have to increase none football revenues but their number one focus to make our football club worth more than it is today (obviously their aim) is to get us promoted. I would therefore suggest that any money invested is going on players and football infrastructure and not a roof over the Toughsheet!

Obviously it depends on whoever invests wants the money to be spent on.

For all we know so far EEP might want to invest on upgrading the Hotel.

If what has been reported so far is correct them the investment is not going to impact greatly on player costs or the transfer budget.

Leiweke is here and a board member for a reason IF the investment is NOT going to effect player costs and transfer budget then the investment most be earmarked for something else.

That's my logic anyway.

33 minutes ago, Sluffy said:

If that is the case then why are they talking about "victories"?

The clubs facilities were a victory, or the match day experience was a victory - the word doesn't fit does it?

Even crappy clubs deliver victories and "unforgettable experiences" from time to time.

You could be right though, probably just the usual hyperbole to sell someone a dream.

Personally I wouldn't see anything wrong if FV set themselves a target of being a PL team, at least the club would show it has ambitions to be one again someday.

It was only 2 weeks ago that FV were dampening every one’s expectations that we had one of the lowest budgets in tje league so it’s unlikely this week there talking premier league aims

2 minutes ago, Farnywhite said:

It was only 2 weeks ago that FV were dampening every one’s expectations that we had one of the lowest budgets in tje league so it’s unlikely this week there talking premier league aims

I don't equate the two.

One is present circumstances and one is future ambition.

Think of it this way, we were without a pot to piss in when FV took us over, we fielded a team of kids when we played Wycombe away but FV stated their ambition was to get us into the Championship.

Same sort of thing isn't it?

8 hours ago, Zog1 said:

Based on Venezia if that is their model, i can see some similarities between them and us.

Close to their international airport, good transport links with the motorway and rail, starting from a very low base, room around the stadium to build, in or near a big city that isn't the capital.

Makes sense.

Pretty sure that we have hear previously that FV have wanted to maximise the off field revenue, so why not bring on board someone with experience in that area?

Get a small, local brewery into the structure and have decent ale options for matches.

The premier club thing is just corporate speak

If it meant Premier League, it'd read Premier League

The best way to improve the ‘fan experience’ is to win more , especially in injury time

28 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

If it meant Premier League, it'd read Premier League

Nah it wouldn’t..

It would read

EPL

48 minutes ago, Sluffy said:

I don't equate the two.

One is present circumstances and one is future ambition.

Think of it this way, we were without a pot to piss in when FV took us over, we fielded a team of kids when we played Wycombe away but FV stated their ambition was to get us into the Championship.

Same sort of thing isn't it?

I think it’s probably easier just to go of what the club is actually saying it’s a small amount of shares a seat on the board and it won’t effect the figures on the playing side which they have told us will be on the low side .

Trying to second guess this guys motives above what he actually does which is putting events on and the club using is expertise to generate more long term revenue

Edited Saturday at 07:194 days by Farnywhite

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

😂😂 we’re not hosting 11pm tennis matches!

All this talk of big ideas with concerts - @jmjhb has pointed it out, we’re worth a lot less if we get relegated and a fuck load more if we get promoted, regardless of whether we get a Harry Styles residency through the summer.

I’ve no doubt that they’ll use any expertise they have to increase none football revenues but their number one focus to make our football club worth more than it is today (obviously their aim) is to get us promoted. I would therefore suggest that any money invested is going on players and football infrastructure and not a roof over the Toughsheet!

The Co op arena cost 365m to construct...Would be over 500m todays raw materials cost.

Had a look at why he would want to invest 100m Euro into some random Italian Football team.

Got the answer straight away. They are more than halfway through a new Stadium build. One with a retractable roof that will hold concerts all year round.

All these stadia are around 25k capacity.

Nothing wrong if his motive is to upgrade the Stadium even shove a roof on it if he is willing to pay for the upgrades it would be a win, win with money coming into the club all year round

10 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

The Co op arena cost 365m to construct...Would be over 500m todays raw materials cost.

Had a look at why he would want to invest 100m Euro into some random Italian Football team.

Got the answer straight away. They are more than halfway through a new Stadium build. One with a retractable roof that will hold concerts all year round.

All these stadia are around 25k capacity.

Nothing wrong if his motive is to upgrade the Stadium even shove a roof on it if he is willing to pay for the upgrades it would be a win, win with money coming into the club all year round

Watching the WC the stadia in the USA are light years ahead of those in the UK.

Not saying we are going to build similar but pretty sure improvements can be made, some pretty easy like cleaning bird shit off the seats.

Making the ground more attractive which can attract more events which generates more income seems a sensible thing to get some experts in to do.

15 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

The Co op arena cost 365m to construct...Would be over 500m todays raw materials cost.

Had a look at why he would want to invest 100m Euro into some random Italian Football team.

Got the answer straight away. They are more than halfway through a new Stadium build. One with a retractable roof that will hold concerts all year round.

All these stadia are around 25k capacity.

Nothing wrong if his motive is to upgrade the Stadium even shove a roof on it if he is willing to pay for the upgrades it would be a win, win with money coming into the club all year round

We're not having a roof on the stadium. Reverse engineering the existing roof to be strong enough to be fully covered would be a mammoth task (and very expensive).

How about flattening the Toughsheet completely, redeveloping or selling the whole site and constructing a new stadium nearer the town? A modern roofed stadium similar to those seen in the USA would be a massive upgrade and could then be used 12 months of the year. These yanks think big so maybe we should too?

4 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

How about flattening the Toughsheet completely, redeveloping or selling the whole site and constructing a new stadium nearer the town? A modern roofed stadium similar to those seen in the USA would be a massive upgrade and could then be used 12 months of the year. These yanks think big so maybe we should too?

Will never happen. The road links make it popular for what the yanks will be interested in. Similar to why boo hoo wanted it. Not factoring in the cost of flattening a perfectly good stadium. I’d be up for it though ha

4 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

How about flattening the Toughsheet completely, redeveloping or selling the whole site and constructing a new stadium nearer the town? A modern roofed stadium similar to those seen in the USA would be a massive upgrade and could then be used 12 months of the year. These yanks think big so maybe we should too?

You seem to be thinking what i am thinking....Though he would not move site. Everything is perfect at the toughsheet ie infrastructure, Rail and roads. He has found the perfect location

Not sure football is top of his agenda

29 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

The Co op arena cost 365m to construct...Would be over 500m todays raw materials cost.

Had a look at why he would want to invest 100m Euro into some random Italian Football team.

Got the answer straight away. They are more than halfway through a new Stadium build. One with a retractable roof that will hold concerts all year round.

All these stadia are around 25k capacity.

Nothing wrong if his motive is to upgrade the Stadium even shove a roof on it if he is willing to pay for the upgrades it would be a win, win with money coming into the club all year round

I’m not saying that they won’t look to make some improvements to the stadium but it’s not a good return on their investment.

There are 2 months in the year where we can make money on concerts and even then, we have to compete against the AO arena, Co-op, Etihad, old Trafford cricket ground, Hill Dickinson etc etc which are all far more attractive.

Let’s say we managed to be successful and attracted 5 big concerts in those 2 months. This is complete pie in the sky but you’re not adding more than £2-5m of profit from those considering the costs that would go into it. Nice to have - absolutely, worth the required investment and the way that these Yanks reckon they will make their big money with us - no chance.

You could instead stick the money into the team to try and get lucky and hit 8th in the league and reach the playoffs offs. Who knows from there, we all know it becomes a bit of a lottery. If it all goes right and we reach the promised land then these guys have just 100x their money. That’s what they want, not reducing our losses whilst pumping capex in to do so.

It absolutely makes sense that they will use whatever nouse they have to improve commercial revenues - frankly it reduces the amount of their own money they have to pump in. Anyone thinking that this is the main reason for buying us though is mad. World class concert venue for 2 months and a L1 football club for the other 10 is no use to anyone, especially them.

I've always thought it more likely that over time an investor could acquire more of the site as a whole, the arena as well and develop the whole area into an events and sports complex, build a more modern training and youth development centre even closer as well if possible, have a campus much like what City have now.

It's obviously a pipe dream and would cost hundreds of millions, but it'd be a huge draw for further investment and revenue streams.

Some fucking rose tinted glasses on here about what Bolton offers to the rest of the country / world.

@Eddie has it correct. Their best ROI will include ensuring we stay in the Championship the first time of asking and then push off from there.

Edited Saturday at 08:194 days by jmjhb