14 Comments

Skinner makes more dubious takeover claims

Former market trader turn TV celebrity Thomas Skinner is back online trying the sell the takeover of West Ham by PAI Capital to Hammers fans on social media.
The former BBC apprentice West Ham fan insists he is not being paid to promote his one-man campaign on an approach led by former QPR man Philip Beard.
Skinner continues to promote the dubious takeover by making fantastic claims without any detail saying he can’t break anyone’s trust. He also claims he has asked the consortium to revert back to the old badge.
Skinner writes on Twitter:
‘So the guys at PAI are serious. I know what their vision is, and it’s brilliant, I can’t share too much, I don’t want to break anyone’s trust but this I can say. Firstly they will invest in the squad which we so desperately need. They want to pump money into the youth academy and work on our facilities as they’re not great. But most importantly they want to transform the Olympic Stadium into a proper home for West Ham, be our fortress!! And I’ve asked them if we can change back to our old badge, not the new one, we don’t like it.
They are 100 per cent football people and lots of west ham legends behind this deal  I don’t want to excite too many people but this is honestly great for our club, and I know lots want new owners. However, nothing will change unless GSB accepts the deal, the guys at PAI are serious, and I’ll let you all know on here when anything moves or I can say more. Please Sullivan, if you love our club and West Ham. Get this deal done.  I love West Ham and will update when I can. Have a great evening.”
What Skinner fails to explain is how Private equity firm PAI Capital would deliver profits and returns for their high wealth investors while delivering all these ambitious football dreams on the pitch and at the stadium/training ground.  The two aims are not usually compatible with each other.
Earlier this week he published a photo of himself with former Hammer Anton Ferdinand with the caption ‘West Ham Legend’, although Claret and Hugh understands that Anton is not one of the former players backing the takeover. No disrespect but Anton is not a West Ham Legend as I am sure he would agree himself if asked.
 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

14 comments on “Skinner makes more dubious takeover claims

  1. I know the guys at PAI almost as well as Thomas Skinner and I can tell you their vision is amazing.
    I’ve heard rumours that they can all see the sun and that is quite a long way away, its amazing how they can see it.

  2. Whether Skinner knows anything or not I have no clue and neither do you. What I have read this morning is from Ex-WHU Employee, who does appear to have inside knowledge, that there are two interested parties, one of which is PAI, and they are expecting further bids to be forthcoming, so watch this space.

    • Well there you go then. If Ex said it, it must be gospel.

    • If PAI want to buy out GSB that’s likely to be £500m+ Then invest in squad at today’s prices that’s another £400m+. Convert stadium into better football experience that’s likely to be £250m.
      So all in all well over £1 billion so let’s see the colour of your money and not via debt as with Glazers smoke and mirrors trick at Man U!!

  3. Have you been down to the job centre yet? Maybe one if the C&H faithful will share their pension with you?

    Bye bye GSB and C&H Hello PAI Capital

  4. No offence or disrespect Sean, its obvious that you are not wanting a change of owner as you pull apart any hint of an takeover.

    Why was it necessary to start your piece ‘Former market trader’ as this was surely meant as a thinly disguised insult or an attempt to discredit Skinner as was picking up on hiim calling Anton a legend.

    • This site goes out of business as soon as GSB are gone – Hence Sean desperately trying to spread this anti take over propaganda.

  5. Obviously an attempt at getting the ‘unhappy’ Hammers fans on board and start a campaign against GSB. They are tugging at your heartstrings! Don’t listen. We’re doing fairly well at the moment. European matches in the pipeline, players starting to be signed, Stadium capacity increased – I could go on but it’d be getting a bit long-winded.

    • Where have you been the campaign against GSB has been going on for years and is pretty mature by now. The sooner they are gone the better.

      • If you mean the campaigners I agree. Yeah why don’t they just give WH to a consortium headed by Sam Allardyce?

  6. Why do private equity firms invest in anything? You should know the answer to that so investing in a football club makes no sense for their business model unless as Sullivan has suggested they are only interested in some form of a property deal.

  7. When Roman Abramovich brought Chelsea, there was no hide n seek with his intentions or the money that he had at his disposal. So all this noise regarding PAI Capitals intentions, pushed by a reality tv face over social media is bizarre, especially when you take into account the seriousness, ramifications and the size of this potential takeover.
    It seems that some supporters are willing to grasp at anything, without the need for any real detail, but I’m not one of them.
    I’m with Graham on this one, as I doubt that this is a hobby for PAI Capitals, whose sole purpose is to make a profit for their investors. To disentangle West Ham from this stadium mess, build a new stadium as well as training facilities and invest majorly in the squad, … I simply cannot see it!

  8. Skerrit was always a good lad back in the day on WHO. Do I think these people are going to be great owners. Probably not.

    However the reaction from the fans shows just how much they want the Sullivan family out of the club.

    I am sure Sullivan doesn’t care but it shows that whatever they do there will always be a large percentage that just want them gone because of the Chairman’s personality.

  9. Is that a spotlight shining on me? A chance for a ringing endorsement. Get Barry Fry to back me up.

Comments are closed.