Waterford Complaint

[culloty82]

Interesting development this morning - appears a consortium fronted by Marc Bircham is in advanced talks to buy the club, also includes a friend of his who "already owns an English football League One club":

https://twitter.com/damienwlr/status...83660862840832

[Nesta99]

Sounds a bit Roddy Collins tbh. If Netflix followed Waterford FC around with cameras it would top that All or nothing series by a lot!

[sulywaterfordfc]

Apparently Bircham, the fleetwood town owner Andy Piley and a local business group have formed a consortium and are in talks with purchasing the club. Forrest’s son George has signed for a club in something like the 8th tier in England.

[total hoofball]

Another dodgy League 1 club owner who is only up on trial for fraud and money laundering charges this October, what could possibly go wrong for Waterford with this takeover this time?

[Nesta99]

Keep him away from the post and it might just be ok!

[Longfordian]

This is possibly a stupid question but are there are any "fit and proper person" type checks in LOI licensing? I'd have thought fraud charges might pose a problem.

[Nesta99]

An organisation run for decades by John Delaney...Fit and proper person checks would have been some laugh!

[2 Year Contract]

Deal agreed. This will end well.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/...medium=twitter

[sulywaterfordfc]

He is also counter suing. Can’t be any worse the Forrest or power. Power left Swindon and us on the verge of folding. Forrest is a good man but should never of owned a football club.

[Nesta99]

He is also counter suing. Can’t be any worse the Forrest or power. Power left Swindon and us on the verge of folding. Forrest is a good man but should never of owned a football club.

Any particular reason, just beyond his financial resources or too inclined to get involved in team selection? Waterford were incredibly lucky that he was interested in buying when Power was pulling fast ones all around him (its the one thing i'd be curious about if Delaney stayied at the FAI a bit longer is whether he could have gotten around the rules on European qualification and whether it could have been preplanned with Power in advance if WFC finished top 4/won cup).

The court case is yet to be heard on Piley and his businesses so maybe not fair to call it a Power mk II but it's still a bit Waterford. The press conference will be interestinng though he will just refuse to comment on ongoing legal issues. Unpicking the stuff around Power and Swindon was quite an eyeopener but there was always chatter of messing at Swindon but havent heard anything on Fleetwood bar the already mentioned climb through the divisions, missing out on a big sell-on for Vardy when Arsenal wanted him. A case was taken by Piley in 2015 against a number of people where the ruling made was to retract comments and desist from whatever thee people were saying, not a whole lot more info on that. The current case to be heard is seemingly in a legal progress for 8 years so could be connected. Ofgem fined a couple of Piley's companies £2! + donations to charity. Current charges are serious if found guilty but additional fines would be the the outcome, they're softer on white collar crime in Engalnd and Wales than they are here. Supposedly Piley's companies are owed about €20mil by Fleetwood but assurances have been made that these wont be called in until the club can afford them, he is involved 18 years now and the wheels havent come off. The balance sheets dont look great even pre pandemic but if debts are covered than thats a positive. It doesnt seem to be a consortium with other clubs he is involved with so may be some differences on how things at Waterford will be done.

Whats a bit odd is that there isnt a whole lot on the court cases past and pending. Stuff on Piley's personal business stuff are scant eg his estimated wealth ranges from a few million to 49mil but still is a lot lower than what you'd expect from an owner of a bunch of energy related companies imo and can carry a loan of circa £20mil to a football club. The wiki page is a homage to the success at Fleetwood and successful business ventures, and all the charitable involvements, like it was written up by one of his kids. It will be an interesting period for Waterford, I have no bases for this opinion but it could be an investment that works. A potential issue is if Bircham is installed as manager and things dont go to plan what happens - I dont think there's a rule that stops a (part) owner from being a head coach if he is a member of the consortium?!

This article is fun and worth a read, not sure its a serious effort,...clueless if it is!
https://sportschunky.com/net-worth/f...eam-net-worth/

Some links to the company registers with accounts if someone is bothered, the football club accounts may be of interest to have a look at for something of a comparison between the finances of our own league and L1/L2 in England. Bircham's registration there too.
https://find-and-update.company-info...mpany/03359117

https://find-and-update.company-info...Q/appointments

https://find-and-update.company-info...mpany/11658634

[sbgawa]

I'm not surprised a club like Fleetwood (their owner) are investing in Ireland, a fraction of the Fleetwood budget would be the highest budget in Ireland with a chance of playing in Europe to boot.
Also instead of paying bohs for Promise Omacherre he could have signed him (or the next fella) for Waterford and shipped him over to Fleetwood when he was ready.

If Waterford get promoted expect them to be trying to sign a lot of the young talents with a promise of a path to the UK if they play well.
I'm officially cheering for Cork and Galway now its bad enough having to deal with the Derry Galacticos next year.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Any particular reason, just beyond his financial resources or too inclined to get involved in team selection? Waterford were incredibly lucky that he was interested in buying when Power was pulling fast ones all around him (its the one thing i'd be curious about if Delaney stayied at the FAI a bit longer is whether he could have gotten around the rules on European qualification and whether it could have been preplanned with Power in advance if WFC finished top 4/won cup).

The court case is yet to be heard on Piley and his businesses so maybe not fair to call it a Power mk II but it's still a bit Waterford. The press conference will be interestinng though he will just refuse to comment on ongoing legal issues. Unpicking the stuff around Power and Swindon was quite an eyeopener but there was always chatter of messing at Swindon but havent heard anything on Fleetwood bar the already mentioned climb through the divisions, missing out on a big sell-on for Vardy when Arsenal wanted him. A case was taken by Piley in 2015 against a number of people where the ruling made was to retract comments and desist from whatever thee people were saying, not a whole lot more info on that. The current case to be heard is seemingly in a legal progress for 8 years so could be connected. Ofgem fined a couple of Piley's companies £2! + donations to charity. Current charges are serious if found guilty but additional fines would be the the outcome, they're softer on white collar crime in Engalnd and Wales than they are here. Supposedly Piley's companies are owed about €20mil by Fleetwood but assurances have been made that these wont be called in until the club can afford them, he is involved 18 years now and the wheels havent come off. The balance sheets dont look great even pre pandemic but if debts are covered than thats a positive. It doesnt seem to be a consortium with other clubs he is involved with so may be some differences on how things at Waterford will be done.

Whats a bit odd is that there isnt a whole lot on the court cases past and pending. Stuff on Piley's personal business stuff are scant eg his estimated wealth ranges from a few million to 49mil but still is a lot lower than what you'd expect from an owner of a bunch of energy related companies imo and can carry a loan of circa £20mil to a football club. The wiki page is a homage to the success at Fleetwood and successful business ventures, and all the charitable involvements, like it was written up by one of his kids. It will be an interesting period for Waterford, I have no bases for this opinion but it could be an investment that works. A potential issue is if Bircham is installed as manager and things dont go to plan what happens - I dont think there's a rule that stops a (part) owner from being a head coach if he is a member of the consortium?!

This article is fun and worth a read, not sure its a serious effort,...clueless if it is!
https://sportschunky.com/net-worth/f...eam-net-worth/

Some links to the company registers with accounts if someone is bothered, the football club accounts may be of interest to have a look at for something of a comparison between the finances of our own league and L1/L2 in England. Bircham's registration there too.
https://find-and-update.company-info...mpany/03359117

https://find-and-update.company-info...Q/appointments

https://find-and-update.company-info...mpany/11658634

Piley will be the sole owner of the club, there is no consortium involving Bircham.

With regards Forrest, he’s a good man and a football fan but unfortunately he lacked the experience of owning and running a football club. He wasn’t inferring with team selections, but the the decisions etc off field were the issue. Hasn’t helped there’s two people with high positions in the club have caused issues for the club remains to be seen whether they’ll be booted or not.

Of the ownership of Power, Forrest and Piley this seems like the one with the most potential.

Ideally this takeover is completed soon as if want any chance of winning the play offs we need to bring in 1/2 players as the squad is paper thin and doesn’t have a huge amount of experience either.

[sbgawa]

Piley will be the sole owner of the club, there is no consortium involving Bircham.

With regards Forrest, he’s a good man and a football fan but unfortunately he lacked the experience of owning and running a football club. He wasn’t inferring with team selections, but the the decisions etc off field were the issue. Hasn’t helped there’s two people with high positions in the club have caused issues for the club remains to be seen whether they’ll be booted or not.

Of the ownership of Power, Forrest and Piley this seems like the one with the most potential.

Ideally this takeover is completed soon as if want any chance of winning the play offs we need to bring in 1/2 players as the squad is paper thin and doesn’t have a huge amount of experience either.

You can only bring in free agents now and only up to 31st August AFAIK

[joey B]

https://waterfordfc.ie/andy-pilley-c...lues-takeover/

Takeover completed today….

[DCSIL]

Sounds a bit Roddy Collins tbh. If Netflix followed Waterford FC around with cameras it would top that All or nothing series by a lot!

OT but found out at the weekend Roddy Collins Jnr is Captain of Chesham United.

[SPXcyan]

I'm quietly optimistic about this appointment, felt unnerved when Power took over and that eejit Forrest after him, but this lad seems to know how to run a club properly.

[Nesta99]

OT but found out at the weekend Roddy Collins Jnr is Captain of Chesham United.

Thats a bit random even for a LoI journeyman.

[Martinho II]

OT but found out at the weekend Roddy Collins Jnr is Captain of Chesham United.

What league are they in DCSIL?

[Nesta99]

What league are they in DCSIL?

Southern Football League so 7th and 8th tiers. Looking at the table the only familiar football name to me is Merthyr (Tydfil) of the old football names from BBC classified results. Non football there are some nice little spots to visit like Truro and eh the Metropolitan Police. Ive taken in non league in England plenty over the years but cant say Ive dropped to seeing games at this level I dont think. But with 84 teams in its own structures, a pyramid within a pyramid it does give some idea of just how big the football industry in England is with sides that are semi-pro at this level.

*FC United of Manchester play in the Northern equivalent if it helps guage where on the pyramid these sit.

[total hoofball]

I'm quietly optimistic about this appointment, felt unnerved when Power took over and that eejit Forrest after him, but this lad seems to know how to run a club properly.

Just don't google any search terms like Fleetwood Town and Debt and definitely not the word Fraud