What is it you want from the next owner(s)?

Owners with some ambition and the funds to be competitive. A plan and money to back us sustain us in the Championship for at least five years. I would be worried if they didn't have control of the Valley and Sparrows Lane or were beholden to Duchatelet in any way - that would be a red line for me. Anyone who meets that criteria would be better than Duchatelet by a country mile. If they ran out of money downstream and we were put yup for sale again, then so be it. 

Owners that get the club and us. That want to win and progress.  Everything else is a bonus, I just want the inclusive feeling and the idea that we are all in it together again.  

Honesty, proper communication and removal of the old regime stooges would also be a fantastic way to start.

Rothko said:

What's the basics you are looking for? Investment in the team to be a decent Championship team for a couple of years, and do a Huddersfield/Norwich/Burnley/Old Charlton and go up from that. Investment in the supporters as well, in the way Leicester have really looked after their supporters on the journey. 

What's your dream scenario?  Cash rich oil state who want to clean their reputation who will fast track to the Premier League

What would worry you? Someone/Group that doesn't have the money to sustain Championship Football, and wants to impose a manager on the club who isn't Lee Bowyer. 

what would be your red line no no's? Talk of leaving the Valley, it's perfectly fine with a refurb for the considerable future, and removing Bowyer

Pretty much this but one thing I would say is "Listen to the fans"

Target 20k was the right idea but horribly executed by the club.  The new owners will need to speak to people - whether they be existing employees, players or just fans.  The fans are hugely important to the club and their opinion matters.  There are some fanatical suppoters who wouldn't get this quite right but there are enough with suitably sensible ideas so getting a cross section of these people on board would be highly beneficial

100% what Rothko has said. 

I think having big tits would be high up on my list as well.

We’ve had a succession of flat chested owners and look where that’s got us...nowhere.

We need to get back to basics and encourage buxom owners to come forward. 

I do wonder if the Aussies or Dalman not being ample up top has been one of the obstacles to a sale not being completed.

A bit of transparency wouldn’t go amiss.


And Big Tits.

Henry Irving said:

An exit strategy

Enough money to progress the club.

A focus on the academy with Cat A ASAP

Plan for long term growth not just short term success.

An exit strategy

An understanding of the history and ethos of the club and a willingness to embrace it

An exit strategy

I would have had good money on this checklist being rolled out 😂

ricky_otto said:

A bit of transparency wouldn’t go amiss.


And Big Tits.

Has there ever been a bigger tit than RD?

What's the basics you are looking for?  - Someone that breathes

What's your dream scenario?   - Merge with Millwall to create a South London Super Club

What would worry you?  - Not being able to smoke in the bogs at half time

what would be your red line no no's? - Bringing in goal music, cheerleaders and a soppy manufactured fake ultra group of 15 year olds that think each game is the Belgrade derby.

What's the basics you are looking for?

Honesty with a clear plan.  An environment where we will bring young players through, either from our academy or external, develop them and they either grow with the club or are sold on to reinvest would do for me.  Employ competent people with the suitable skills to do the job. 

It's hard work articulating what you really want in a new owner. Deep pockets, a vision of us as a successful club pinching above our weight, strong focus on our ethos as a club that does things 'the right way', the ability to see beyond the 'short term' - these are all things I'd throw into the mix. For now, though, so as not to set ambition too high, I'll go with: 'Not being an arsehole' 

To a fan, any club is where their heart is. A place to get together with like minded people.  Winning as much as possible is important, but the healthy existence of the club even more so. 

To the modern owner a club seems to be either a vanity project and /or a place to gamble lots of money (be it their own or other peoples').

The best owners seem to be the ones who gamble sensibly, by not putting the club in a situation where its whole future is at risk, perhaps because they understand how much it means to the fans and community it is in.  They also use proven experts within the game to ensure good decisions are made as much as is possible. 

A budget which includes academy water bottles