shurlock

And you call those who express concerns or doubts about Goa conspiracy-theorists. Jesus wept.

I thought most people grew out of libertarianism after their boll*cks dropped and they lost their virginity - I didn't realise it afflicted geriatric #properdrinkers too.

It was a loan.

Which Boris Johnson called “a gigantic fraud...arrogant and contemptuous...as democratically proper as the transition from Claudius to Nero...evidence of a political world gone mad”.

Boris has it in the bag. He only needs 105 votes to make it to the run-off vote of wider party members and already has 114 votes. Save an unforeseen implosion and he’s already survived numerous career-enders, he’ll likely add to his vote tally as he cleans up supporters from other hardliners like McVey, Leadsom and probably Raab at a minimum. Once the vote goes to the grassroots who are more extreme on Brexit than MPs (never mind all the UKIP entryism), it’ll be game over. Gove is the best equipped intellectually to expose Johnson’s faults; but that’ll only happen if he makes it to the final two (Johnson is wisely lying low at this stage but that will become more and more difficult the deeper they get into the race). At any rate, it would require something exceptional for Gove to overtake Johnson given his softer position on Brexit and his unpopularity among the rank-and-file for whom feelings are more important than facts.

Both were moronic. It’s different insofar as Rory Stewart immediately realised he’d f**ked up, retracted the statement and apologised whereas Boris Johnson has repeatedly doubled down on his lies. So yeh it’s different.

When’s the next paediatrician hunt pal?

Ohhhh Ducky’s triggered

Benjamin Lecomte From Montpellier? Oh no, it can’t be him. Windows Cleaner called him League 1 at best.

It’s called free publicity pal. Rory Stewart is positioning himself for the next election after the swivels infatuation with Boris and the pursuit of a hard Brexit ends in tears.

Glad others are calling sadoldgit out on his vile insinuations. He loses the argument and resorts to playing the nationality and race card. Textbook.

Good lad. Supposedly in hustings with the ERG, he was more convincing than Dominic Raab in his willingness to pursue a no deal Brexit if circumstances required. Please don’t waver. For me.

It’s Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin are spoken, not written). But I’ll let you off.

Listening to LBC, didn’t realise how lightweight Matt Hancock is. #mydovermoment

It was stated in the official announcement at the time, though the link is no longer working: http://www.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2017-04-17/1203301621.PDF “标的公司拟通过使用30%自有资金与70%并购贷款的方式支付股权收购 款项,目前并购贷款处于境外金融机构贷款审批流程中”. Which states that borrowed funds made up 70% of the acquisition. The figure was also reported in the Chinese media: https://36kr.com/p/5088259

Sorry it’s 70%.

He borrowed 70% of the purchase price and pledged the vast majority of his stake in Lander Sports Development as collateral for the loans to buy the club.

Hello Les. I assumed you were still hiding in the metaphorical toilet with Nigel after the Peterborough result. But glad you got out OK. Hang in there pal - need you and LD fighting fit to ensure the momentumification of the Tory party.

Eh? Monies for players we sold and needed to be replaced (unlike other sides). Because we’ve seen far more churn in personnel and consistently run a surplus (as measured by pretax profits), we’ve had far less margin for error in the absence of fresh investment. In a business as hit-and-miss as the transfer market, especially in the parts we’ve fished in where many signings do not pay off but are more than covered by the occasional huge success, that strategy is difficult to sustain in the long-term (unless you’re hopelessly naive about the success rate of signings). True our recruitment record has been poor and there’s room for improvement; but it has been exacerbated by monies available which have put us under more pressure to be competitive and find the next gem - objectives which are often in tension. In that sense, you simply cannot separate the two as you do. If you can’t understand why others are objectively concerned by aspects of the owner’s behaviour (which according to insiders like Adam Leitch have had a negative effect on the club’s on and off the pitch performance) while continuing to hide behind vacuous strawmen like all businesses borrow (yes but in varying degrees), it’s difficult to have a discussion.

Saint Lard the Walter Mitty of ITKs.

Fingers crossed Les and LD vote with their hearts for the hardliner. #usefulidiots

Interesting posts. So stepping back and assuming your thesis is correct, what are the main implications for the club and our ability to compete?

It requires no great insight to understand that Goa is interested in leveraging the club’s brand in China -kiddies academies what have you. People pointed that out well before you and don’t claim to be ITK. But from experience there’s a huge difference between that and using the club’s tangible and intangible assets to expand Goa’s business in foreign markets like the UK.

Of course, they borrow. Nice strawman pal. But too much debt carries significant risks.