Carroll speaksApparently the Sheard-fronted US bid is in trouble. According to The Chronicle, the talks between the bidders and Seymour Pierce broke down after the US consortium failed to provide proof of funds. That’s not quite the end of things though as Derek Llambias has been teleconferencing with them, although no progress has been made.
In my experience teleconferencing takes a bit of getting used to. It’s all too easy to assume the mentality one does when watching television, forgetting that with a teleconference the people on the screen can actually hear what you’re saying.
I can remember a colleague of mine coming into the teleconference room, pointing to the screen and saying (I remember the phrase exactly even though it was 20 years ago): “who’s the fat, spammed-up, centre-parter?” and a small voice came out the speakers saying “my name’s Ian actually.” I was incapacitated with laughter for most of the rest of the conference.
So for that reason alone I predict the US bid has had it, leaving Barry Moat as the only viable candidate to take over the Toon at the moment. (more…)
Harris talks but says littleAccording to previous press reports, Newcastle United’s £39m overdraft facility with Barclays Bank ended on the 31st August and unless some other agreement was reached it was going to be renewed with only a £10m limit, in line with Barclays’ policy for Championship clubs.
If reports that the club owed £20m on that overdraft facility are true, then Ashley would have needed to pay off the other £10m by August 31st.
Barry Moat was apparently in the process of trying to negotiate some sort of deal with Barclays, which would allow the club to maintain a working overdraft facility higher than £10m and thus put him in a better position to take over the club.
I therefore wonder what happened with that, not that I’m expecting to hear anything from the club about it. (more…)
