Ellis on the phone again

[Zappa 0]

Right, so that rules out the chance of it being a wind-up caller fooling you NL. Just had to ask. So you're genuine, the caller is genuine, it's therefore a genuine story. That's good enough for me.

 

I have to say that I don't know what to think of A. Ellis for doing this. In one sense it's good that he's speaking to a somewhat trusted Rangers fan about what's going on, but something also seems a tad unprofessional about the whole [phone-a-fan] thing and I find that side of this saga - worrying.

[Guest Northampton_loyalist]

Right, so that rules out the chance of it being a wind-up caller fooling you NL. Just had to ask. So you're genuine, the caller is genuine, it's therefore a genuine story. That's good enough for me.

 

I have to say that I don't know what to think of A. Ellis for doing this. In one sense it's good that he's speaking to a somewhat trusted Rangers fan about what's going on, but something also seems a tad unprofessional about the whole [phone-a-fan] thing and I find that side of this saga - worrying.

 

 

I dont see it as worrying at all to be honest. Let me run you through the whole lot quickly as it may help add a little to your thoughts.

 

When the news of Ellis being interested first broke it did not even occur to me that getting his number would be possible, it didnt strike me as unlikely or anything, I simply didnt think about the chance. I wrote a fair bit on FF saying that despite him being a developer we should hear him out etc and when the penny finally dropped about our mutual contact I had a good 3 weeks posting history of being 'open' to the whole idea. I cold called him, nothing more nor less the first time. No warning from our mutual aquaintance, no text in advance and certainly he can have had no clue as to who I was at all, I could have been quite literaly anyone. With that in mind his answers were very much of a 'stock' variety and I put that down to not wanting to tell someone to piss off without first knowing who they were. He didnt give up anything sensitive and the only real deviation from 'common' wisdom was him insisting that Ibrox was safe. I wrote up the conversation honestly and left nothing out and added nothing nor did I call him again. Eventually, rumours came from sellickquicknews saying the deal was off, the herald ran the story of the deal being off and other outlets flirted with it. I dropped a text and asked him outright if the deal was still moving forward. He told me it was and I reported upon that. As it turns out, the Herald were clearly wrong, the scum sites were clearly wrong and me, with 'no' info and taking a big risk of being proven a liar was proven right. Then, on FF a few weeks again down the line, we had stories of '72 hours' so i decided to text and ask for an update. The result is shown at the top of this thread.

 

 

Now, where in there is it shown that you should not be worried? Well, the first call was cold, he didnt know who I was and i could have had any motive. However, all it would have taken is him monotiring one or all the websites (something I think is a certainty for ANYONE looking at buying the club, guaging the reaction of the fans, trying to learn about what is in store, any number of very very good reasons) to see that our first chat was with the person I said it was (I was clear and up front when telling him who i was and what I was about) and that it was reported if not overtly favourably, at the very leat honestly and openly. The second contact was a good chance for him to correct lies in the media and elsewhere without doing anything other than typing a few words into his phone and from there a tiny level of 'trust' was established. He answered my query yesterday because I think he recognises it does no harm at all and potentially a lot of good. He states he is a football fan and he is clear in saying he knows we are going through hell, so, little snippets like that can make a difference. He will clearly see that getting the fans onside is important if he wishes to have a fruitful time at the club and a harmless conversation that takes 5 minutes and doesnt really divulge anything sensitive is a 5 minutes well spent in terms of dealing with 'a fan'.

 

Obviously that is my take and I wouldnt try and tell you what to think or believe. I see him being open to the idea of chatting to a guy (trumpet blowing time) who got his number, isnt a dumpling and can report honestly, and is clearly passionate and worried as a good thing. Put it this way, after the first call if he had blanked me or been in any way obstructive I would be far more worried than by him taking 5 minutes to say not a lot really.

[wabashcannonball 0]

What would N_L have to gain from making this up?

 

I also know for a fact such 'principals' monitor forums such as these and would quickly and strongly request any erroneous information be removed.

 

Why do you think Ellis is a non-starter?

 

 

Because he claims to be a lone player, and no one can fathom when he won the euro millions....Minty will be owner this time next year, and MIH will be sailing along wondering what all the fuss and fannytails were about.

[Guest Northampton_loyalist]

Because he claims to be a lone player, and no one can fathom when he won the euro millions....Minty will be owner this time next year, and MIH will be sailing along wondering what all the fuss and fannytails were about.

 

A spokesman has said he is acting alone.

 

Now, picture the scene.......

 

Mr Ellis has put a bid together and found backers. Ellis has created a company (he has) which he is the owner of. The investors have guaranteed �£x millions or indeed paid �£x millions into the new company. they are and will remain silent partners of THAT company, annonymous investors of his holding company. Ellis then bids for the club on behalf of his new formed company. Now, he is the chairman, MD, CEO, and secretary of that company all by himself, despite there being wealthy backers 'involved'. When asked by the media or making releases himself, he IS acting alone in that case. It is HIS company and HE is making the bid. Once (if) the bid is successful whatever contracts he has with the investors will mature and that 'I' will become 'We'.

 

Now, why? well hopefully Bluedell will be able to explain further but I can think of a few good reasons why it would streamline the entire bidding process and also be attractive to the behind the scenes moneymen. Maybe they, much as is claimed of McColl, want annonymity until a deal is done, maybe it is easier on a legal footing to deal with a sole buyer rather than a group who will all need to be looked into by the vendor, maybe it saves a shed load on legal fees? Maybe I'm talking a load of bollocks

[rbr 1,247]

NI many thanks again for taking the trouble to post , one question I cannot get out my head is why Rangers , we have no major income streams bar the fans , Scottisah footballs stock is as low as I can remember for a long while and there are clubs in the Championship up for sale that get better Tv revenue plus the ability to get into the Premier League .

 

So bar a bit of land in not exactly the best bit of Glasgow , why us ??????

[stewarty 1,878]

NI many thanks again for taking the trouble to post , one question I cannot get out my head is why Rangers , we have no major income streams bar the fans , Scottisah footballs stock is as low as I can remember for a long while and there are clubs in the Championship up for sale that get better Tv revenue plus the ability to get into the Premier League .

 

So bar a bit of land in not exactly the best bit of Glasgow , why us ??????

 

We can only speculate on that point until such time as we hear something official

[Bluedell 5,356]

It's more difficult to be a silent backer these days for a significant period of time, although we don't know who owns the shares of the new Guernsey company (presumably Ellis himself) and who will own them in the future. The Guernsey Companies Registry is not as forthcoming with information as its UK equivalent.

 

I recall that when Ken Bates owned Chelsea, a sizable percentage of the shares (26%) were owned by a mystery party through Guernsey coincidentally, and although a supporters group did speculate as to who owned the shares, it was denied by that party and nothing was ever proven.

 

Ellis has obviously satisfied the relevant parties that he does have access to the finance involved, although it is very likely that this cash has not filtered into the new company yet.

 

It would be fairly straightforward for some other people to become involved very quickly, and there are loads of reasons why they would not want identified at this point. However if this was the case then the previous statement about Ellis working alone would be misleading and would not be a promising start with his relationship with the club's support.

 

It could be that Ellis IS working alone. Nobody seems to know much about him, and perhaps he has access to cash that we don't know about. Perhaps he is borrowing the cash. there are an number of possibilities at this point, and because we know so little it's impossible to speculate.

[wabashcannonball 0]

A spokesman has said he is acting alone.

 

Now, picture the scene.......

 

Mr Ellis has put a bid together and found backers. Ellis has created a company (he has) which he is the owner of. The investors have guaranteed �£x millions or indeed paid �£x millions into the new company. they are and will remain silent partners of THAT company, annonymous investors of his holding company. Ellis then bids for the club on behalf of his new formed company. Now, he is the chairman, MD, CEO, and secretary of that company all by himself, despite there being wealthy backers 'involved'. When asked by the media or making releases himself, he IS acting alone in that case. It is HIS company and HE is making the bid. Once (if) the bid is successful whatever contracts he has with the investors will mature and that 'I' will become 'We'.

 

Now, why? well hopefully Bluedell will be able to explain further but I can think of a few good reasons why it would streamline the entire bidding process and also be attractive to the behind the scenes moneymen. Maybe they, much as is claimed of McColl, want annonymity until a deal is done, maybe it is easier on a legal footing to deal with a sole buyer rather than a group who will all need to be looked into by the vendor, maybe it saves a shed load on legal fees? Maybe I'm talking a load of bollocks

 

 

The correct expression is I believe, if your auntie had bollox......:fish:

[Guest Northampton_loyalist]

The correct expression is I believe, if your auntie had bollox......:fish:

 

I get it. You can take one single part of one single statement and surmise from it that Murray will own us in a years time. I cant look at the same statmenet and draw an altogether less fantastical conclusion?

 

 

As others have said, you like to throw your opinion around, right up to the point you are asked to validate it. Little soundbites like above dont make you appear clever, they simply invalidate the 'points' you try to make through that medium.

 

Toom Tabard and nothing more.

 

Oh, and just to keep in with your style of posting......

[bmck 117]

However if this was the case then the previous statement about Ellis working alone would be misleading and would not be a promising start with his relationship with the club's support.

 

This worries me, and I am not sure I would be as happy to picture a scene in which this was the case. I realise there is clearly big money involved, and this a big boys game, but NI your support for Ellis seems quite disproportionate to the facts we have. You said you supported him on forums before you talked to him, and obviously after talking to him. Is it loyalty because he is a friend of a friend, or is it a bit of star struckness or the prospect of being on familiar terms with the guy should he become the owner? None of these are bad, obviously, they are perfectly natural, but they are no reason why anyone other than you should be similarly optimistic. I realise you are not trying to convince people of anything, but I want to be enthusiastic, and so far all there appears to be is platitudes, with no clear reason why he wants the club or what he intends to do with it and for whom. You seem to have set out a stall to defend the guy when there is no real information one way or the other why anyone primarily interested in rangers and the good of the club should be similarly enthusiastic. Do you know something we dont? Or is it a hunch or a good feeling?