Club was prepared to make a loss on their investment

[Steven]

I think this comes from fcbusiness.co.uk.
Issue 53 - 06-11
Issue 53

Exclusive Leicester City Interview

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Leicester City vice-chairman Top Raksriaksorn said the club was prepared to make a loss on their investment as they pursue a place in the Premier League.

City have been linked to a host of summer transfer targets, and owners Asia Football Investments have pledged to give manager Sven-Goran Eriksson the cash needed to mount a promotion challenge.

Emile Heskey, Marlon King, Keiren Westwood, Nicky Maynard and Paul Konchesky have already been linked with moves to the Walkers Stadium.

City were also strongly linked yesterday to young Mexican striker Antonio Pedroza Whitham, who is said to have caught Eriksson's eye with his performances for Mexican side Jaguares.

City are also trying to bring back to the club the six loan players who finished the season – Kyle Naughton, Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick Van Aanholt, Ben Mee, Yakubu and Diomansy Kamara.

Raksriaksorn, whose father and City chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn owns King Power, said in an interview with FC Business magazine that they were prepared to lose money as they chased promotion, but would not risk the financial health of the club.

"I understand that the biggest cost is wages, but sometimes we will have to lose money to bring in good players," he said.

"At the same time we want to work towards balance. Don't forget that we (King Power) are retailers – we know how to grow revenues. I view this as a long-term project. I know we can bring a lot of success. To achieve what we want to achieve will take a long time."

Part of Raksriaksorn's long-term strategy is to raise the club's profile overseas and open up business opportunities which will help City generate extra income which can be invested into the squad. City have already clinched sponsorship deals with AirAsia, Singha Beer and King Power, and Raksriaksorn is negotiating a television deal so that matches can be shown in Thailand next season.

King Power are also investing in an academy in Bangkok which should be open in the next few months.

"We know we need to improve many things at the business," said Raksriaksorn.

"I try to make the brand bigger, take Leicester to Asia, improve the Academy, get fans in the ground earlier and improve non-match-day income.

"There are many good staff members at Leicester already. I want to tell them my vision and then we'll develop it together."

FC Business is out today and can be purchased by logging on to fcbusiness.co.uk

 

[Blaarev]

Maybe I'm being blue-eyed and blonde here, but from what I read now and what they have already done, Top & Co seems to be the best thing that has happened to the club since.....

 

[Blue Maniac]

Maybe I'm being blue-eyed and blonde here, but from what I read now and what they have already done, Top & Co seems to be the best thing that has happened to the club since.....

Phil Gilchrist?

 

[beaumontfox]

He scored a fab goal at Anfield.

 

[Blaarev]

Nah, Jari Rantanen

 

[Lako42]

Love these lads, might send them a valentines day card, don't tell them.

 

[Scotfox]

I get the impression that the owners really have their priorities sorted out. Clearly Thailand and the Far East in general has massive financial potential and City have landed really lucky. Unlike Manchester City and Chelsea whose respective owners are literally throwing money into buying success Leicesters owners seem far more pragmatic, yes it will cost them initially, but pay back could be massive in the longer term for them, the Club, and ourselves as supporters. I will wear my City, 'King Power' sponsored shirt with pride I do trust Top his dad, and Sven to bring the success we all crave.

 

[Macky]

... it will cost them initially, but pay back could be massive in the longer term for them, the Club, and ourselves as supporters.

How would you measure this payback? They probably won't see any return from their investment, regardless of how successful, or not, that the team are.
To suggest that it could be 'massive' leads me to think that you must be taking some fierce strong drugs and you probably need to lay off them for a while.

I do trust Top his dad, and Sven.

I don't trust any ****er

 

[RHYDAL]

I get the impression that the owners really have their priorities sorted out. Clearly Thailand and the Far East in general has massive financial potential and City have landed really lucky. Unlike Manchester City and Chelsea whose respective owners are literally throwing money into buying success Leicesters owners seem far more pragmatic, yes it will cost them initially, but pay back could be massive in the longer term for them, the Club, and ourselves as supporters. I will wear my City, 'King Power' sponsored shirt with pride I do trust Top his dad, and Sven to bring the success we all crave.

If you ask me, both your and our Asian investors are bonkers. They will never see either a cent back on their investment, or any sort of meaningful success to feed their egos.
It's like the great tulip rush of the 1600s. Ridiculous money changing hands for what is essentially a pastime. Kicking a ball around ffs.
Sooner or later someone is gonna shout "The Emperor is Naked" and it's all gonna burn in a cloud of bitter reality.
But of course no-one asked me so I'm off back to the sanctuary of the safe house.
Nutters the lot of 'em. Madness I tell you. Doomed.

 

[Brown Nose]

If you ask me, both your and our Asian investors are bonkers. They will never see either a cent back on their investment, or any sort of meaningful success to feed their egos.
It's like the great tulip rush of the 1600s. Ridiculous money changing hands for what is essentially a pastime. Kicking a ball around ffs.
Sooner or later someone is gonna shout "The Emperor is Naked" and it's all gonna burn in a cloud of bitter reality.
But of course no-one asked me so I'm off back to the sanctuary of the safe house.
Nutters the lot of 'em. Madness I tell you. Doomed.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they are the words of a disaffected fan of an imploding football club.

 

[Macky]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they are the words of a disaffected fan of an imploding football club.

It reads more like a sensible and rational summation of the state of affairs to me

 

[RHYDAL]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they are the words of a disaffected fan of an imploding football club.

Who isn't. Let's be fair, unless you're a Manc fan, you're disappointed this year, and pretty much every year.

Chelsea fans are sucked off, Arsenal fans are bummed out, Liverpool fans are rueing a shit start to the season just like yourselves. Spurs are deflated, even the League Cup winners are crying in the canal.

But it will be August soon and the tits will be back in the bra looking all perky, and we'll be slobbering over them singing their praises and ripping the shit out of the next guy's love. All the time secretly wanting to get hold of the ones Giggs has had his hairy shovels on.

Love it, hate it beautiful bollocks.

Oh, and I was right about Sousa.

 

[pork pie fox]

It reads more like a sensible and rational summation of the state of affairs to me

I agree

 

[GazLCFC]

Who isn't. Let's be fair, unless you're a Manc fan, you're disappointed this year, and pretty much every year.

Chelsea fans are sucked off, Arsenal fans are bummed out, Liverpool fans are rueing a shit start to the season just like yourselves. Spurs are deflated, even the League Cup winners are crying in the canal.

But it will be August soon and the tits will be back in the bra looking all perky, and we'll be slobbering over them singing their praises and ripping the shit out of the next guy's love. All the time secretly wanting to get hold of the ones Giggs has had his hairy shovels on.

Love it, hate it beautiful bollocks.

Oh, and I was right about Sousa.

What a wonderful new av you have there Rhydal!

 

[Billyjof]

But it will be August soon and the tits will be back in the bra looking all perky, and we'll be slobbering over them singing their praises and ripping the shit out of the next guy's love. All the time secretly wanting to get hold of the ones Giggs has had his hairy shovels on.

Quote of the year for me. :icon_bigg

 

[Macky]

Quote of the year for me. :icon_bigg

It really is quite beautiful, isn't it?

 

[Mawsley]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they are the words of a disaffected fan of an imploding football club.

Nope - that would be my words if I wrote them, but life is too short to fill it with negatives.

What he scribbled was just a calm and truthful viewpoint.

 

[Brown Nose]

It reads more like a sensible and rational summation of the state of affairs to me

Yeah but, it isn't really like that though is it?

There are many benevolent owners of football clubs who have poured money into clubs because they are persuing a dream. Think of a joyous Dave Whelan on the pitch at Stoke on Sunday or Jack Walker sobbing lke baby when he bought himself a Premier League title. Who is anyone to say that they are bonkers for choosing to spend their money in that way? They have more money than they need or can spend. Some super rich decide to pour money into charities. Others let is build up counting it like latter day Scrooges. Others decide to spend their money in ways that entertain them.

Are foreign owners exempt from being able to have a piece of the sort of drama and joy that only football can bring? I don't think so. Are our new owners ruthless businessmen trying to create profit from football, a la Mad Mandy? Again, I don't think so. If they were, they wouldn't be spending money on bringing Real Madrid here, or putting up big screens for a few weeks, or relaying pitches or upgrading training grounds, or backing Sven in the transfer market so wholeheartedly.

Just because we've had a egotistical, profit driven loon in charge, it doesn't mean they're all like that.

 

[Matt_B]

Who isn't. Let's be fair, unless you're a Manc fan, you're disappointed this year, and pretty much every year.

Chelsea fans are sucked off, Arsenal fans are bummed out, Liverpool fans are rueing a shit start to the season just like yourselves. Spurs are deflated, even the League Cup winners are crying in the canal.

But it will be August soon and the tits will be back in the bra looking all perky, and we'll be slobbering over them singing their praises and ripping the shit out of the next guy's love. All the time secretly wanting to get hold of the ones Giggs has had his hairy shovels on.

Love it, hate it beautiful bollocks.

Oh, and I was right about Sousa.

I wish I were a Chelsea fan

 

[Chuck T Masala]

If you ask me, both your and our Asian investors are bonkers. They will never see either a cent back on their investment, or any sort of meaningful success to feed their egos.
It's like the great tulip rush of the 1600s. Ridiculous money changing hands for what is essentially a pastime. Kicking a ball around ffs.
Sooner or later someone is gonna shout "The Emperor is Naked" and it's all gonna burn in a cloud of bitter reality.
But of course no-one asked me so I'm off back to the sanctuary of the safe house.
Nutters the lot of 'em. Madness I tell you. Doomed.

You may well be right in the UK, but Thai's are nutters for UK football in their homeland and a Thai owned club in the premiership on Thai TV regularly may well do wonders for their revenues back home.