KopDweller

The financial sustainability route will be the quickest for the IFR....if he is in fact skint. If he can't produce a financially viable plan, or won't even engage with the Regulator, then they'll sell the club from under him

The IFR don't need to uncover financial irregularities. They'll ask him to prove he can fund the club. If he can't or just doesn't engage then they'll take further action.

Don't want to get into a discussion about the merits* of it but the principle of "umpire's call" in cricket might work here, a margin for human error in the official's decision. Take a line, say 6 inches from the defender's most outstretched limb, goal side of the players and even if the attacking player is forward of the defender, then it would be considered "linesman's call". Ie it's too difficult for the linesman to make a correct call for such a small infringement in real time. *Some cricket watchers hate the concept, saying it's either out or not out.

Can you briefly tell us what he said? Thanks.

This kind of ties in with my research on ChatGPT...it says January for issuing a forced sale directive (iirc). But deffo spring next year we'll be in new ownership or the process well underway.

Not engaging is not an option. They'll just install trustees to run the club.

As I mentioned earlier, a compulsory land purchase is exactly that - it doesn't matter whether the landowner agrees or not, the sale would go through, I'd imagine even to the point of arresting and charging someone protesting the sale. The HoC is sovereign in the UK. It can do whatever it wants. The only thing holding the government back is actually getting the legislation through parliament (MPs ethics) and getting re-elected at the next election (MPs gravy train ).

Thanks for getting back to me. I think some people are in doubt because of the current government regulators and their lack of meaningful action in their markets - OFWAT and the water companies for instance. But the IFR is a new organisation, with new legislation, so can be given the necessary powers. At the moment the consultation stage is ongoing for the Owners and Directors suitability tests. We've been mentioned in Parliament, the Sheffield MPs are on the case, and the House Of Commons can do *anything* it wants, even sell a football club against the owner's wishes - the only restraint for the government is whether it can get the IFR powers passed through the HoC and as there's a massive majority of MPs in favour, from all parties, there shouldn't be a problem. We should know soon enough tho.

It's similar to a compulsory land purchase when the government wants to build a motorway or railway for instance.

I know a lot of people are sceptical about the IFR but what you put above is happening as we speak. If the regulator is given sufficient powers, with Secondary Legislation being completed soon, and I think a lot of MPs are onside with how important football clubs are to their constituents, then change is coming to S6. Keep boycotting in the meantime. Hope for a takeover as well (I'm desperately trying to keep my glass half full wrt takeovers).

I've always thought that if we did move away from Hillsborough it would need to be reasonably close to the M1.

This. We've all got different opinions about the way things will pan out. But we need to be respectful of each other. I always think if I wouldn't say something to someone in person, then don't say it online. (I have done, of course, in here as well, but only when provoked)

Thanks for the response. The situation you mention is the current situation with DC effectively controlling both SWFC Ltd and Sheffield 3 Ltd. If the club is sold with new wealthy owners coming in then Chansiri might have already thought about this and arranged a long lease as I suggested, giving him a nice annual income. My hope is that the IFR will be able to break such a lease as being an unfair burden on new owners.

I'm hoping that the IFR has enough clout to break any long term Lease that DC might have set up between SWFC Ltd and Sheffield 3 Ltd. A 50 year lease at £3m per year is a very nice bit of business...

Yes. But I think the IFR need to be seen to get the best price possible - think the IFR is controversial enough without selling below market value - but as a distressed sale this would possibly be less than if he'd sold of his own free will 6 months ago. Definitely agree with your second paragraph. Even if he'd popped up to say he's engaged with the sale process to give the supporters some kind of reassurance - wouldn't break any NDA id have thought.