Finally, some good news to report. Negotiations with Gamechanger 20 Ltd, the company that was set up by a US consortium months ago, with a view to buying our club, appears to be back on! We all know how badly we need investment, and we all know how reluctant owner Marcus Evans is to part with his money, so this could be the answer to our prayers!
Now, some of you might think that American investment in football clubs, in any form, is a bad idea. They would only interested in making a quick buck and moving on, but if this was the case, then why on earth would they want to invest in Ipswich Town football club? It makes very little financial sense – unless of course, they intend to spend big!
That’s what would be needed to turn this club around and if the article at the beginning of this month in the Guardian is to be believed, then Evans would write off around £100m of debt owed to him, and receive up to £30 million for the sale. From our perspective, this could be a win-win situation!
What is the reason for all this optimism? Well, because Russell Claydon writing in the Suffolk News, reported today that an Ipswich-based solicitor believes a US-led takeover of the club is ‘likely back on’ after priority HM Land Registry searches were renewed on three parcels of land this morning.
Paul Munnings, who is a commercial property associate with Prettys, first revealed the searches relating to the Playford Road and Bent Lane training ground areas in Town owner Marcus Evans’ name on the TWTD website on March the 2nd, and those rumours have simply not gone away.
In an exclusive article in the Athletic on the 26th February, it reported that a 51-year-old Los Angeles-based businessman Brett Johnson was on the verge of buying the Sky Bet League One club for £17.5 million. This is a lot less than was the quote in the Guardian but the correct figure probably falls somewhere in between. Evans is expected to retain a 5% stake in the club apparently.
So when Marcus Evans controversially told fans to “be careful what you wish for” was it entirely about managerial change, or perhaps club ownership as well? Only time will tell.
