Post by CmonYouSpurs on Jul 1, 2007 19:04:51 GMT -1
Bristol City deny takeover talk
Bristol City chairman Steve Lansdown is stunned at reports Czech and Serbian oil tycoons want to invest £40m and take a controlling share in the club.
"This was the first I'd heard of it," Lansdown told his club's website.
Monaco-based broker Craig Hutchinson is said to be putting the deal together on behalf of the three unnamed investors.
"I've no idea who Craig Hutchinson is," added Lansdown. "I've never spoken to him and if he's a broker then it's a very strange way of brokering a deal."
The Robins were promoted to the Championship this year, and Hutchinson is keen to see the club go a step further in the future.
"I can't name the investors at this stage but we'd like to have an informal chat with the Bristol City chairman," he told the News of the World.
"My colleagues have £30-40m to invest as a controlling interest.
"They are very ambitious. They want to get into the Premiership."
But Lansdown insists he knows nothing of this interest and says it will be "business as usual" at Ashton Gate for manager Gary Johnson and his squad.
"I'm not a difficult person to contact so it's hard to understand why he's chosen to go through the newspapers instead of speaking to me directly," Lansdown added.
"I've no idea if it's a hoax, but in one way it shows how far this club has come in recent times, the value it is held in and the potential it has.
"I'd like to reassure everyone associated with the club - the management, players, staff, suppliers and most importantly the fans that it's very much business as usual.
"We don't want this to be a distraction ahead of our first season back in the Championship."
Bristol City chairman Steve Lansdown is stunned at reports Czech and Serbian oil tycoons want to invest £40m and take a controlling share in the club.
"This was the first I'd heard of it," Lansdown told his club's website.
Monaco-based broker Craig Hutchinson is said to be putting the deal together on behalf of the three unnamed investors.
"I've no idea who Craig Hutchinson is," added Lansdown. "I've never spoken to him and if he's a broker then it's a very strange way of brokering a deal."
The Robins were promoted to the Championship this year, and Hutchinson is keen to see the club go a step further in the future.
"I can't name the investors at this stage but we'd like to have an informal chat with the Bristol City chairman," he told the News of the World.
"My colleagues have £30-40m to invest as a controlling interest.
"They are very ambitious. They want to get into the Premiership."
But Lansdown insists he knows nothing of this interest and says it will be "business as usual" at Ashton Gate for manager Gary Johnson and his squad.
"I'm not a difficult person to contact so it's hard to understand why he's chosen to go through the newspapers instead of speaking to me directly," Lansdown added.
"I've no idea if it's a hoax, but in one way it shows how far this club has come in recent times, the value it is held in and the potential it has.
"I'd like to reassure everyone associated with the club - the management, players, staff, suppliers and most importantly the fans that it's very much business as usual.
"We don't want this to be a distraction ahead of our first season back in the Championship."
