The Chinese Way | Vital Football

The Chinese Way

RebelBee

Vital 1st Team Regular
Rumours circulating as to the possibility of Chinese / Asian investment in BFC. Article in the Sun (I know) yesterday. Stacks up with things I've noticed at the last few games & what one or two fans have said over a long while now.

So does anyone know stuff & what do we think if this has legs?

Happy Easter n'all....


 
Ever since I have been a fan, we have always been "the sleeping giant", but too difficult to wake up. Now we are an established Championship club, with a new ground on the horizon we would be an interesting and much less riskier investment than in the past. There must be a limit to MB's willingness to see us through every year. Even if there is nothing behind the rumour, it makes sense.
 
Now covered in the FT this rumour has legs as far as I'm concerned. And it fits with the group of Asian businessmen I've seen in the directors box / forecourt at the last home games. It may all come to nothing but I do think people are talking now that LR is a reality. Given where we've come from it's hard to imagine BFC being an attractive investment proposition to serious investors - but we are. West London near Heathrow, new stadium development, pushing up the championship - it's all there! MB's injection of finance is approaching £100M & maybe even he feels that help is needed to go that next step, whilst I have had doubts & criticism in the past he has revived the club & made us worthy of investment, sure any partner / deal needs proper scrutiny. I love our soul & history but nostalgia & romantic notions of the past won't do it in the modern game, we have the chance to regain our pre war importance believe me we are no small club. The alternative is to struggle along like an Oldham or alike. Sure we've had bad owners and should be wary, ironically these were British and there are many good examples of overseas investment in English clubs as well as a few bad ones. Interesting that the figures being suggested are around £40M for a 50% stake. Some will say it's not enough but consider that pro rata this is more than the buy out costs of a number of so called big midlands clubs recently. Also it's a buy in and I'd assume MB will want to see more investment beyond this. I'm of the view that now that we're moving it's about the future generations & not so much me anymore. I trust MB - he's earned that & the right to look seriously at what's best for the club. Not a blank cheque from me but an open / cautious approval to look at this sensibly. The bees are rising, we won't be able to please everyone or carry them all with us. But to drink by the Thames in TW8 with my mates, & to enjoy watching good football played by a team in red & white stripes is plenty enough. The rest is what we make it.

Coyr
 
I trust MB so view this as a positive development in the long run but can't say I am not wary. The track record of some of these Asian investors is dubious to say the least, just look at Blackburn, Birmingham and Cardiff to name a few. They just don't get or believe in our culture it seems to me.

As long as MB retains a semblance of control over the club then maybe we should be viewing this as a good thing, as said above we can't expect MB to fund the club at the same level forever, it could be the final piece in our push to the Premiership and reawakening of the sleeping giant that Bill Dodgin once called us.

All of which makes me determined to enjoy every minute at GP that we have left as the sun sets over the old place. Yesterday was as good as it gets, a packed house and demolishing a big named club with fluent and exciting football at our tight and character full ground. Maybe it is a false picture with MB funding it all but whatever LR and foreign investors bring us in the future these are days to enjoy and treasure.
 
Good post KB, Friday's performance was as complete as they come, the play so good that at times I had to pinch myself - irresistible when we're like that. As good as anything under the Warbs era & another big club put away. How far can it go, and for how long? As long as we the fans keep the essence of Brentford going some well placed investment won't overly trouble me. We've wasted big moments in the past- and had some wronguns as owners - British at that. The foundations are literally there for BFC to finally be restored to our place in the upper echelons of the game & in London football. MB has taken us this far & I'll trust him to do right by us.

 
Definitely the right attitude KB. Enjoy it, I'm feeling very envious. In my usual spot on the Ealing Terrace, Jota's second goal would have been something to see.
 
Good performance, Friday. Couple of moments it looked like they were sneaking back but for the best part we dominated and made them look very poor. With at least two of our midfield stalwarts back next season, Egan and Barbet looking good partners for Dean, I am very confident of being right up there next season.

That goal from every angle, Spanish. Hope one of them is close enough to your spot on Ealing Terrace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_6TUoyefVY
 
Cheeky little point oop narth, happy with that and a smart move to change the side around. We have a few big calls to make on fringe players & need to try a couple or we'll never know. Looks like Alan Mac's season is over, possibly his time at GP too. Shame as he's really added something recently, his injuries are now too frequent.

So on to the big 2, need to get everyone fit & prepared for these, plus every available bees fan out for both games. Totally unpredictable Brentford-anything is possible!

No more news on the Chinese investment, talking to people at the last game my sense was more when not if. All about the details I guess.
 
My first ever game at Griffin Park was against Barnsley. It was in the days of Third Division North and South, so it must have a cup game. Towers and Francis got a goal each. In those days there wasn’t strict segregation and I was next to a Barnsley fan in a woolly hat. “Ey up Barnsleh kick the fookin’ bastud” At that tender age I had never been north of Stevenage and I wondered what planet he had come from.
 
Like it Spanish-have some similar memories of northern visitors to gp from my youth.

You coming over any time soon to see the bees?
 
Yep. That sums up my first meetings with norverners. Thought they were from another planet.
Always had norvern names too, like Winterbottom or Clogger lol.

Monday was drab. Awfully drab. End of. ;0)
 
When I saw their manager was called Paul Heckingbottom I thought they had got him from Central Casting

Can't do it this season Rebel, but next season definitely.
 
By the way Bolton, my comments about the North, were about the surprise as a young lad and were not meant disparagingly. I lived near Manchester for a few years and loved it. I've seen the Bees in every third and fourth division ground up there from Darlington to Chester.
 
No worries Spanish. I too have failed to make a game at GP this season, as although my journey isn't as far as yours, it is still well over 250 miles each way ( I no longer live near Bolton). Your post reminded me of the 70s, 80s and 90s watching Brentford on virtually every ground in the NW, the one I missed was Rochdale. I too will miss GP having seen my first game there in the early 60s
 
I remember Spotland. There were 6 double decker buses from the town hall to the ground and we all fitted into half the top deck of one of them.