🚨 STAVELEY: SELL NOW OR I WALK | Statement made is clear message to Sullivan that the TIME IS NOW

0:00This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Hope you're good. I hope you're having a decent end to your week. It's Friday, there's sunny shining at the moment anyway. And, yeah, I stand by playing later, of course, Rexham. Looking for a full-fween on the spin, which would be massive. It just feels like that would be a real statement. That's the sort of run that really kind of indicates that this team's really up for it in business as season, so it's a big opportunity for us. But, yeah, I'll have the team news for that later on and do the predicted 11. So we're talking about more about that game then. This one is regarding Amanda Stavley. She's now released a statement as was expected. It's kind of a little bit sooner than expected. I thought it was going to come a bit later, possibly at the weekend. But it's come Friday morning. It's received mixed reviews and I'll get it. I'm sort of in the same mindset I'm going to be honest, a little bit mixed, because I think there's elements to this. I think there's messages within this statement. I think we're going to go through and just get a little bit of a feeling of where we think this could all mean for Westam.

1:06I'm seeing a lot of people on social media saying, well, that's it. They've walked away. I don't think that's the case, personally. Not to suggest that, well, there you go. She's making a bid. But I think there's a big message in this. This start from the statement, of course, quite below me here, it said, we're obviously disappointed not to have been successful when I've been to require 25% shareholding in Westam United. That's right. It's clear. The first part of this statement is nothing surprising. This is all kind of what was expected to be said. For transparency, our original offer was for both David Sullivan's 38.8% stake and Vanessa Goals 25.1% stake at the club. So they put in a bid then, what's that? 50, 62.9% they were after. Which is considerable. That's what they were looking to purchase. It said there was always the potential that they, the other shareholders, would take up their rights under the shareholding agreement, which they have elected to do. Again, no surprise. They'll be know this. Now, this is quite interesting.

2:07This is now the next part. I think this is a message to Westam fans. She then says, from the outset, we and our global investment partners approach this opportunity with enormous respect for Westam. It's history, identity, and most importantly, the loyal and committed supporters. We saw real potential to make a positive difference, rejuvenate the club and help Westam compete consistently at the highest level of English football. It says, Medrad and I, who has been, along with our partners, retain the greatest respect for the Westam community who supported us both in the stands and online in recent weeks. So that's a real decent message, I think, to the Westam fans, a bit of a real show of respect towards the club. And also a sort of message to say, well, look, this is what we want to do. This is what we, you know, this is our intentions for the club are to take the club forward, to be competing at the top end of English football. All that kind of stuff. So I think that's a big message to the Westam fans. I think the last message is to David Sullivan, personally, and the other shareholders.

3:07It says, we will continue to follow this process closely. Our ambitions for the club remain, and we would be open to the opportunity to work constructively with the existing shareholders. In the future, subject to us not taking up other opportunities that have been present to us in the last week. So I think that's a nod towards Everton, because obviously we're seeing Everton, and we've got financial difficulties, he talks at there now, putting part of the club up for sale, et cetera. So there's an opportunity there to go and buy an Everton. I think that's what that is. Now, some are reading it and saying, well, that's her saying, I'll walk in wife of my stand, that's what I'm going to go and pursue. I don't read it as that. As I've said before, we know from her and say, this isn't just about a football club. This is about the real estate, it's about the land. And there's a huge opportunity at Westam in terms of the stadium and the land surrounding it, and they know it. Now, with Everton, I don't think you're going to get that. Look, you get the stadium, of course, you know, that's a wonderful stadium. I know it's about it, but does it come with the sort of same as the real estate as what Westam can offer?

4:09I'm not so sure. So I think actually that part in message is a direct message to our shareholders, a particular David Sutheran, basically saying, we're going to walk away if you don't start playing ball, basically. If we don't start coming to sensible conversations and taking things forward, we've made you and I'll say, you've not taken it, we aren't prepared to walk away. So I'm not taking it actually as a big blow in terms of, I mean, I'm not happy about it. I'm much rather, I come out and say, as I said, my previous video about this, I was hoping really, she come out and say, well, we've had conversation, constructive talks or something with Sutheran, and we're hoping to reach a deal soon or something. That's what I was really, back of my mum's hoping to hear. That's obviously not happened. But there's no walking away. There's absolutely, because you could, let's be honest, if they were going to walk away now from this deal, and go to Everton or wherever, they would just say, we've found in our attempts, we wish West Amel were the very best, great club, thanks very much, we're going to pursue, they could just say that, they haven't said that.

5:10We will continue to follow this process closely, our ambitions for the club remain, and we will be open to the opportunity of working to work constructively with the existing shareholders in the future. That's the David Sutheran, without a doubt, and the others possibly, the Chipsmith and others, but basically saying, we'll need to come and work with you. But you've got to let us in, you've got to enable us, the conversation to talk about by and share. I still think there's going to be another offer coming in. That's how I'm reading it. Look, I may be being overly optimistic, maybe, in terms of that, maybe they are going to look elsewhere. But we need to remember certain aspects of this, which I think we need to, which is paramount, is that a man's table is being involved in this process for quite some time. We know that she's already been around the training ground, Chipsmith took her around, the training ground. We already know that there have been conversations way back when we're Daniel Kutinsky. We should be in the ground, she's been around for a while, she's made now made a formal bid,

6:10and you need to think as well, if you're David Sutheran, right, and we know Sutheran, how awkward it can be, difficult, not a nice human bit, and let's be honest, and greedy. It's all about money, he will want the best price. And he's got every right to want the best price, right? That's a businessman. That's normal, that's to be expected. But that comes a point when you've got to sometimes accept that this is probably going to be the best opportunity to cash in. Because there doesn't seem to be a whole host of people queuing up to buy West Am. Because we've been at that stadium now in the Premier League for most of it, for 10 years. How many times have we had people come forward to go, I'm going to buy into West Am? We had pie capital a few years ago, which was sort of something of nothing at the end, really. This is the only time. This is the only real time we've had someone come forward and go, we want to buy into West Am united. So Sutheran is digging his ills in and on the share, I'll just be in all flexing their muscles, that's enough, don't worry, we'll get a better price. Well, you better be careful, and I think that's what that message says. It's basically, say, you better start playing ball.

7:11Because we want to buy into the football club, but we need a sensible conversation now. If you want to make money out of this club, if you want to cash in, then you need to then start accepting the fact that this is your best opportunity. So, as I say, yeah, of course I wanted it to be better. Of course I would much rather hear her saying that the deal has been done, and we're moving forward, constructive talks. I was hoping that would be kind of where it was leaning towards. It isn't said that, but it doesn't say she's walking away. It just says that they're, what was it? There's words, subject to us not taking up other opportunities that have been present to our consortium. So, I think that's a little bit of a warning. Basically, look, there's other options out there. You're not the only player in town. And it comes a point when you're holding the cards, and you're like, okay, well, well, I'm not prepared to sell you. You put your offer in it, and you can act to be big and brash. But at the end of the day, if Amanda's tape is the only one buying, and now she's now saying, well, I'm prepared to actually talk away from this, it's about time that you need to start thinking this through properly.

8:13Because let's not forget as well the other aspect of all of this. The same with Sullivan's got an investigation going on. You know, the football regulator here could force him to sell his shares very soon at a different price as well, at a market value. So he better start thinking things through here properly. That's put in pressure on Sullivan here, because he could be forced soon, very soon. We know that they're after him. We know that they're gunning for him. So it may well be, actually, that he's going to look at that and think, I probably need to speak to her and say, right, this is what I'm going into. I'm not convinced she walks away from this shit. I'm really not. I bloody hope she doesn't. I really, I feel this is a great opportunity for West Ham. Because I don't know about you. I'm not sold on Kratinsky at all yet. We've not seen anything from Kratinsky really. Let's be honest, we've got the statement, hopefully, coming today. And hopefully it will outline some ambitions and make us feel a little bit better in terms of what his intentions are. But let's be honest, like, the finance in the club hasn't happened. You know, that was supposed to happen. And why hasn't it happened? The people say, well, because of the stably interest.

9:14But if he had no interest in going anywhere, then why hasn't he financed the club? Why hasn't he pumped that money in knowing it was going to be a direct失 loan? He's got a lot here, a pressure on him, because he's not going to have done a deal with Sullivan, which hasn't gone down well, which I'm rightly so. So I feel like this statement puts a lot of pressure on my stamp, but it's a lot of pressure on the board to say, well, what's going on here? Because we've got a good opportunity here to bring someone in with a good track record who clearly wants to take the club forward, who's clearly showing, let's be honest, showing much more passion than we've got from our current shareholders. And do you know what I mean? She's been in the stands more than bloody Kratinsky. She's been here for years. So let's wait and see. Let's wait and see. Let's wait and see. As I say, I'm pretty convinced that this is not over yet, but time will tell. Time will tell, but it's going to be an interesting few days. There'll obviously be a statement from West Ham later. I'll talk about that later in the match preview stuff, because I'm guessing it'll be out today. I'm assuming the statement might be the statements coming out of the weekend.

10:16I did hear the club don't want to distract too much from tonight's game, so it might well be the coming of the weekend. But I'll do the predicted team later on, and for the team news, etc. I'll write, well, look, have a good one. I'll catch that everyone. Come on your minds.