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Singapore group with Ian Rush links buying up non-league grounds

AFKABartram
AFKABartram Posts: 58,158
in Other Football and Sports
And leading to them going out of business.

Grateful if others could add the details please as it doesn’t feel right buried in an unconnected Members Only thread 
«1

Comments

  • Athletico Charlton
    Athletico Charlton Posts: 14,425
    edited June 2021
    Taken from other thread.

    Whyteleafe FC and Abingdon Town both wrapped up yesterday:

    http://www.theleafe.co.uk/?content=story&page=1849043590799676584


    Whyteleafe is one of three non-league football grounds around the country that has been bought by Irama (the other two being 150 year old Abingdon Towns Culham Road and Brighouse Towns West Yorkshire Payments Stadium), and they have expressed interest to buy at least eight more.

    Irama have close links to Ian Rush.





  • clive
    clive Posts: 19,795

  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,202
    Shame on Ian Rush for being associated with this in any way 
  • hoof_it_up_to_benty
    hoof_it_up_to_benty Posts: 22,563
    Dreadful story - Ian Rush is a disgrace.
  • Athletico Charlton
    Athletico Charlton Posts: 14,425
    Maybe not just Rush
  • Lordflashheart
    Lordflashheart Posts: 5,639
    Is Ian Rush on Twatter ? I’m not, but maybe those who are could message him asking why he (who started at lowly Chester) is putting his name to this shameful strategy - clearly it’s a property development company
  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,202
    Athletico Charlton said:
    Maybe not just Rush
    “ They currently operate a “football college” in Liverpool, and from September 2021 will run a similar operation in Tenerife, where they offer a full-time two-year course “equivalent to three A-levels”.”

    Try getting into Cambridge with your certificate from the Stephen Gerrard Academy!
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,755
    Is this not something that can be brought before Tracey Crouch?
    This is despicable 😡
  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,532
    I saw an FA Cup tie at Whyteleafe in 2019. It seemed like a decent club. Such a shame. Yet more crooks infiltrating football, but this time at a lower level.

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  • BlackburnCharlton
    BlackburnCharlton Posts: 352
    On the other thread it says they have plans for 8 more grounds. This has to be stopped. It is a disgrace. Are they stupid to put their names to this behaviour. Beggars believe.
  • Cafc43v3r
    Cafc43v3r Posts: 21,600
    I wonder if they chose Brighouse Town because they already have a college attached to the club?  It does sound very similar to the Stevie G MBE academy model already.





    It's a very strange set up https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/brighouse-towns-football-ground-put-sale-243971 all round. 
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 21,089
    thai malaysia addick said:
    I saw an FA Cup tie at Whyteleafe in 2019. It seemed like a decent club. Such a shame. Yet more crooks infiltrating football, but this time at a lower level.
    Location, location, location. The development value of the ground has no relevance to the stature of the club they are putting out of business.

    Utter bastards.
  • RodneyCharltonTrotta
    RodneyCharltonTrotta Posts: 14,865
    edited June 2021
    So many private residential and commercial landlords are based overseas. Not just yuppie apartment complexes in metropolitan areas like London and Manchester but even bog standard terraces in areas like Grimsby and all over.

    Wealthy overseas millionaires and billionaires buying up whole streets and will never come to the UK.

    Same with much of the country's infrastructure.  

    Surely there should be should be a balance between welcoming overseas investment and avoiding protectionism but also about having a stake in the societies you are ultimately materially impacting. 

    Surely the investment needs to be more than financial and other considerations such as impact on society need to be taken into account.


  • charltonkeston
    charltonkeston Posts: 7,405
    I hope they find rare newts, bats and other frustratingly difficult obstacles in their plans to develop these parcels of land. In fact I hope they spend a lifetime regretting buying land. 
  • soapboxsam
    soapboxsam Posts: 23,267
    edited June 2021
    Unfortunately for my local Club Whyteleafe, the 500k sale of the ground and the owner wanting to sell, and with no one else willing to take on a club and the bills they have folded. 
    Irama, from what I heard locally didn't have to set a high rent as Covid had already put Whyteleafe on the ropes and Irama knew that.

    Whyteleafe have a 3G pitch which local youth teams still use plus the successful Kinetic foundation, and as mentioned, Steve Gerard's academy. There are so many talented footballers from the vast South London and Croydon area.

    Will be interesting to know if Irama so called committment to Youth football disappears if the clubs they purchase all topple and they get planning permission to build houses ? We may just be cynical but....

    Whytelefe is just 5 minutes away from the expensive Woldingham/ Warlingham golf course and multi million pound houses.

    That's why for Charlton it was so important to have CAST, even though some of our fans needed sharks to circle before the danger was realized.
  • soapboxsam
    soapboxsam Posts: 23,267
    edited June 2021
    Athletico Charlton said:
    Maybe not just Rush

    Just to be Clear:

    Ian Rush has allowed his name for a fee to be used when Irama buy Football grounds at part time lower league level. He may believe they are never going to build on the grounds they are purchasing ! He may prove to be right( very unlikely) but being Cafc fans that is difficult to swallow. 

    Steven Gerrard's business partner has agreed a fee with Irama to play matches at Whyteleafe for the SG academy so they have a base in the south east, a train ride away for many talented young footballers from South London, Kent, Surrey.

    I know they are both Liverpool Legends but Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush have totally different roles in this story.
    Edit
    I have just seen Ian Rush on Sky sports News saying he is a massive supporter of grass roots football and the truth will come out !

  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,402
    Is possible that talent found in the south east would end up with liverpool if up to standard?, added to the fact that small clubs are financially vulnerable,  hopefully the liverpool lads have the best interest of the clubs in mind and not just an opportunity. 
  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,576
    edited June 2021
    I am going to hold fire regarding exactly what Ian Rush has been involved in all this, simply because I have always liked and respected him and am finding it difficult to believe that the outcome has been his intention.
    I and thousands of others are going to be hugely disappointed if he’s been heavily involved in these goings on.
    I sincerely hope he hasn’t. 🙁
  • charltonkeston
    charltonkeston Posts: 7,405
    jonseventyfive said:
    Is possible that talent found in the south east would end up with liverpool if up to standard?, added to the fact that small clubs are financially vulnerable,  hopefully the liverpool lads have the best interest of the clubs in mind and not just an opportunity. 
    I doubt that they are the brains behind any of this, just the name and a chance to invest their money. 

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  • Lordflashheart
    Lordflashheart Posts: 5,639
    soapboxsam said:
    Athletico Charlton said:
    Maybe not just Rush

    Just to be Clear:

    Ian Rush has allowed his name for a fee to be used when Irama buy Football grounds at part time lower league level. He may believe they are never going to build on the grounds they are purchasing ! He may prove to be right( very unlikely) but being Cafc fans that is difficult to swallow. 

    Steven Gerrard's business partner has agreed a fee with Irama to play matches at Whyteleafe for the SG academy so they have a base in the south east, a train ride away for many talented young footballers from South London, Kent, Surrey.

    I know they are both Liverpool Legends but Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush have totally different roles in this story.
    Edit
    I have just seen Ian Rush on Sky sports News saying he is a massive supporter of grass roots football and the truth will come out !

    Are you saying he has been challenged by the press over this matter today ?

    I can’t find anything on internet
  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,234
    edited June 2021
    Good grief, they have an office in Cannes and a large yacht to charter.  https://www.irama.world/cannes_office.php

    https://www.yachtcharterfleet.com/luxury-charter-yacht-26060/irama.htm

    If it smells like....
  • hoof_it_up_to_benty
    hoof_it_up_to_benty Posts: 22,563
    Is Matt Southall involved?
  • hoof_it_up_to_benty
    hoof_it_up_to_benty Posts: 22,563
    cafcfan said:
    Good grief, they have an office in Cannes and a large yacht to charter.  https://www.irama.world/cannes_office.php

    https://www.yachtcharterfleet.com/luxury-charter-yacht-26060/irama.htm

    If it smells like....
    Website looks dodgy...
  • Cafc43v3r
    Cafc43v3r Posts: 21,600
    "Ian Rush is a real estate investor and partner with Irama in all our football grounds shown on this page. Ian Rush plays no part in any other part of IRAMA's business unless stated, and nor should he be held responsible for any of IRAMA's acts. Ian Rush and IRAMA own these football grounds and have no affiliation to the clubs and teams using the grounds."

    This is weird 
  • hoof_it_up_to_benty
    hoof_it_up_to_benty Posts: 22,563
    Cafc43v3r said:
    "Ian Rush is a real estate investor and partner with Irama in all our football grounds shown on this page. Ian Rush plays no part in any other part of IRAMA's business unless stated, and nor should he be held responsible for any of IRAMA's acts. Ian Rush and IRAMA own these football grounds and have no affiliation to the clubs and teams using the grounds."

    This is weird 
    Truly bizarre..
  • Vincenzo
    Vincenzo Posts: 2,911
    Absolutely disgraceful.
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,494
    It's not weird or bizarre. They're attempting to lend their property acquisition and development company an air of legitimacy by using him as a frontman.

    Rush's advisors are cretins - I suspect he has absolutely no idea about the company or its intentions, and his business/image management company didn't do their due diligence.
  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,234
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    It's not weird or bizarre. They're attempting to lend their property acquisition and development company an air of legitimacy by using him as a frontman.

    Rush's advisors are cretins - I suspect he has absolutely no idea about the company or its intentions, and his business/image management company didn't do their due diligence.
    Normally I'd agree with you 100%. My department once investigated a scam being fronted by a couple of famous snooker players - they had no real idea of what they had let themselves in for.  https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/illegal-club-closed-down-3551517

    But it is odd that Rush is described as a "real estate investor" rather than "partner" or "ambassador" or some such.
  • Hal1x
    Hal1x Posts: 4,265
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    Is Matt Southall involved?
    No mention of Range Rovers yet.

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