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Tycoon eyes up Rovers

10:04am Monday 18th June 2007

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By Andy Neild »

AMERICAN-based businessman Daniel Williams is believed to be the man spearheading a consortium looking to buy Blackburn Rovers - although the club last night insisted a takeover deal is NOT imminent.

Rovers are staying tight-lipped over speculation in yesterday's Sunday People newspaper that Williams, with the assistance of former Blackburn director Walter Hubert, is preparing to launch a £67million takeover bid.

However, a statement that was on Williams' company website appeared to confirm that the former Cambridge graduate is one of the parties interested in buying out the Walker Trustees.

The website for DJW Ventures, Williams' venture capital business, referred to the Spring 2007 acquisition of Blackburn Rovers for over $100,000,000' as being DJW's highest profile and also most significant investment' to date.

Rovers insist they will not make any comment on specific individuals' looking to buy the club, and a spokesman last night added they do not intend making any further statements until or unless they enter into a period of due diligence or open the books for one of the interested parties.

But a deal is not believed to be imminent, and the Williams consortium is only one of several groups from both Britain and abroad thought to be interested in launching a takeover.

Nevertheless, Williams seems to be a serious player, and the fact he is a boyhood Rovers fan, who originally hails from Lytham St Annes, will win the approval of the club's supporters.

Williams is reported to be the brains behindAmerican-based Nuttall Investments, a company he named after the street which runs by Ewood Park.

According to the article in the Sunday People, Williams is said to be selling his investment groups to raise the cash and fulfill his dream of owning his favourite team.

The New Jersey-based entrepreneur is also thought to have enlisted the help of Hubert, a former director at Rovers during the 1960s and 1970s, as part of his bid to buy Rovers.

Hubert had a couple of spells on the Rovers board and was even appointed vice-chairman in January 1971, although pressure of his business interests compelled him to resign exactly 12 months later.

He was deputy chairman and joint managing director of Blackburn-based scrap metal business Tom Martin and Co Ltd., a company set up by his father, Arthur, in 1948, which was later sold for several million pounds.

The 75-year-old is now thought to reside in London, but he remains a keen Rovers supporter and attended several games last season.

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Robbie, Manchester says...
10:59am Mon 18 Jun 07

Well it looks like someone at the L-E-T picked up and read a morning tabloid!

for some reason i dont like the sound of this deal! mainly cus i dont have a clue who this guy is! saying that i dont think i will know who must the people looking to take over are!

does anyone know about this guy.. how much money he has.. that kinda thing? he aint a billionaire thats for sure.. and i hear reports he does not have the money to hand to buy us out! i really am not liking the sound of that. does this mean getting a loan against the club..

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daveg, lytham says...
11:03am Mon 18 Jun 07

No one seems to have heard of him in this town.
Appears to have left area saright to Cambridge Uni then the States.Profile of him on one site says he loves rugby union but none of the USA clubs he says he coached at seem to mention him in dispatches.
Also one site has a picture of him which is nothing like the one in the Sunday people.

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Daniel, spain says...
11:05am Mon 18 Jun 07

Let me be the first to say what wonderful news his is. He's a Blackburn Rovers supporter, he used to live locally, and he even named his company after a street by Ewood Park. He's selling his company to raise the cash to fullfill his dream of owning his favourite team. This is surely the news every Rovers fan wanted, someone who loves and supports the club, not some russian billionaire who knows nothing about the team he's buying. For abramovich, it's purely an investment, a game. When he gets bored of his latest toy, he will pull the plug. Williams is doing this for love. And, seeing as thi should be completed by the start of august, we will not have to sell Benni Mccarthy no matter what Chelski bid. Can't wait for Bellamy to come back. This clearly will be the new S.A.S but this time it's B+B This will be the best strike partnership we've had since Shearer and Sutton. I'm still not convinced on Samba, i'm concerned he may have over achieved like Mokoena did when he came in. After all, if he was this good, why wasn't he playing for Hertha Berlin when we signed him?. I would go and buy Jonathan Woodgate, we know he's top quality. Then a first choice right back and a holding centre midfielder to replace Savage who isn't getting any younger. We will have the cash to make these signings. With Arsenal losing Henry if we made these signings, we would have a very good chance of finishing 4th next season. Let me know your thoughts guys. I know even Vinjay can't be moaning about this takeover now!

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iamarover, London says...
11:11am Mon 18 Jun 07

This is seriously questionable. The same web site quoted by the LET - see link below

http://66.102.9.104/
search?q=cache:O_Y2n
Xl44EMJ:djwventures.
com/_wsn/page3.html+
%22The+Spring+2007+a
cquisition+of+Blackb
urn+Rovers%22&hl=en&
ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk

lists some very insignificant investments in VC fund terms - Brendan Flood would be sniggering in his Claret tea mug looking at this rag tag of a bring n buy jumble stall. Most worryingly is the detail on his supposed main vehicle EliteGraduateJobs which is 'cash flow positive' in Q1 this year! ie loss making up to now for 3 years, adn then earning a bit more money than he pays himself and a few rag tag employees in his global office empire of..oh dear, 2 - offices. This cannot be a serious bid. Please God it is not. Has all the hallmarks of a debt funded asset rape. Check out all this guy's biographies and none mention football let alone the Rovers. Rugby is his thing. Cambridge in 96? Means he is around 30. He just cannot be worth anything unless he is some sort of financial genius. The figures suggest not. Avoid.

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Johnny Blue Boy, Lancaster says...
11:12am Mon 18 Jun 07

I know the club are puttingf a positive spin on this but I am concerned. I thought the Trustfund guaranteed Rovers long term future. I did not realise that the family had the option to cash in. Any takeover consortium will be subject to normal commercial constraints. The Trust have already negotiated the price £20 million upwards which means the new owners will have that much less to invest in the club.
It could all end in tears unless we are very careful.

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iamarover, London says...
11:14am Mon 18 Jun 07

PS Nuttall Investments is his vehicle for taking over the Rovers. So didnt exist until then. He is no knight in shining armour, just some corporate raider who Google'd the Rovers to get a suitably historic name for his planned pillage of our debt free club. Resist.

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Robbie, Manchester says...
11:54am Mon 18 Jun 07

Glad its not just me who is scared by this.. until he comes forward and shows his hand openly i say keep his hands off! what money is he going to invest..

Posted by: Daniel, spain on 11:05am today keep the cheque book in the draw! whats his company worth a few hundred million? if that!!

sorry i think we should hold out.. but then again depends how much the walker family want rid.. the rumbleings are they want rid alot

also its not just this williams its a consortium(or how ever you spell it)i would be interested, so i WANT to know who else makes this up. what there back ground is. etc

dont get excited yet!

p.s i got a few hundred quid if anyone wants to chip in to get a counter bid going..

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David Wilkinson, Express Gifts says...
12:48pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Surely this take over is as more use to the rovers as a chocolate fire guard is to a chimney sweeper!?

Everyone keeps piping on about we can get the SAS days back at Ewood! Do you honestly think Shearer will come out of retirement and Sutton could sort his silly eye problems out just like that!?

I just don't get it guys!

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Danny Mallon, Haworths Chartered Accountants says...
12:52pm Mon 18 Jun 07

He's probably a fat sod if he lives in bloody America!

I DO NOT WANT A BIG FATTY TAKING OVER THE CLUB I LOVE!!!!!!!

p.s I love Donna Riley hehe

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Ben, says...
1:30pm Mon 18 Jun 07

I am not surprised by Iamarover's comment that the nuttall investment name is new, it sounded a bit suspicious last week when I heard the company name. It doesn't sound like he has much money and I think the board need to careful that he pledges a certain amount investment in the team each year and not just a one big transfer kitty this year. I think we should hold out for someone who has more money and sees rovers more of an expensive hobby and not an investment

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dan, Burnley says...
1:31pm Mon 18 Jun 07

David Wilksinon wrote:
Jammy bugger! I know her... she's fit! I used to fancy her for like EVER but she wouldn't look twice at me cause i was probably too busy babbling on about Super Atko and Gordon Cowans! (Nice guys) Anyway, on a more serious note... my Father Robin knows a man who knows this guy. Apparently, he's a nasty pie! He trats people mean but is always smiling cause he has lots of money! If you ask me, we should get Jack Walker back!
sorry to the rovers fans for the above muppets.. the comment about bring jack is sick and is not excuseable.. sorry..

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Oracle, says...
1:34pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Have to say that this guy sounds like a corporate raider! Regardless if he isn't or is a fan, it doesn't sound like he has the financial muscle to really make a difference and if what i read above is true then he will have to borrow the money with the club as collateral. Either means he can't make it a success and so has to sell everything he can to pay the interest rates/debt leaving us penny pinching and a far cry away from John Williams’s prudent approach. Personally I would sooner have a Russian Billionaire than a guy who, if he is a fan, only wants the trophy of saying he once owned Blackburn Rovers before leaving us to tumble into obscurity!! The Walkers have never really been interested in keeping the club on since Uncle Jack (God rest his soul) died. Sure John Williams will ask to see this guys books before handing over the keys on empty promises and high debt backing.

Bring in Paul Allen!!

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50+ season man, Chorley says...
1:40pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Have faith in your board of directors, both past and present they have one thing in total common - Rovers first and fore most.
Yes it's nice to speculate about these things, but if the MD & directors say its right for the club then you can bet your bottom dollar (pun) that it is 100% right for BRFC.

I don't think John & Daniel are related OR are they?

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Scott, Manchester says...
1:52pm Mon 18 Jun 07

NO NO NO NO and NO

this guy has no money! he will take a loan and stick it on the club.. This is not the way forward.. John Williams i beg you tell him to stick it!! Please

i have just over £1000 in savings.. come on guys lets chip in and save our club from being ripped apart

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Richard, Darwen says...
2:00pm Mon 18 Jun 07

If this guy is a "real" fan then he will leave the club alone. this is not good guys. he has not major money.

we are not going to get a randy, or malcom or a roman..


but someone with some money would be nice



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Lee Wilson, London says...
3:28pm Mon 18 Jun 07

I don't think he is going to buy the club himself, it says in the papers he has American backers. If we think the Founder of Microsoft or any of the other World's Richest Men are buying Blackburn, we are dreaming. The current owners are obviously not going to pump more money in to the club, so what is wrong with the idea of a young local guy with overseas backing purchasing the club if they are going to make money available.

It is typical of our mentality that someone tries to do something good and we all try and shoot the bloke down without knowing any of the facts. Has he even spoken about this - we are making all of these posts without even knowing the facts, or if the bloke is even really interested.

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Paul Kellerman, US says...
3:32pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Just worried that it says that he doesnt have all the funds to buy the club outright. That means that there will not be an awful lot of money available for transfers. Thats why people are sceptical.

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ZB, blackburn says...
5:19pm Mon 18 Jun 07

its pretty obvious what this american is doing. He will be using BR as a cash generating cow, to fund his other ventures (remember league money is astronomical).. so he will syphon off the cash generated by BR and use it to fund his other businesses. All the while ladening BR with debt. He is nothing more than a venture capitalist, eyeing Rover's cash flow.

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Stuart A, BLACKBURN UK says...
5:32pm Mon 18 Jun 07

ZB wrote:
its pretty obvious what this american is doing. He will be using BR as a cash generating cow, to fund his other ventures (remember league money is astronomical).. so he will syphon off the cash generated by BR and use it to fund his other businesses. All the while ladening BR with debt. He is nothing more than a venture capitalist, eyeing Rover's cash flow.
This guy is not an american, His english, and lancashire born. was everybody saying this when Uncle Jack bought the club, hes going to run it in to debt. Jack did the oppostie.He made us in to a top flight club and Premiership Winners. I'd like to see Rovers win the title again. Response to another quote Rovers are not in Debt the money what comes from the TV income pays for everything. They will also make a profit from the gate in take why do you think there dropping/Freezzing the ticktet prices.

If this guy wants to buy it I say let him.He will give us that little bit extra in our transfare fund to fetch in more players.

BLACKBURN ROVERS PREMIERSHIP CHAMPIONS 2007/2008

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John Welsh, Torquay says...
5:56pm Mon 18 Jun 07

I think the point everyone is missing here is that NO businessman is going to buy Blackburn Rovers and pump millions in to it without expecting a return. Whether this young lad is buying it with his own money or someone else's, I want to hear whether there is cash for players and whether he's going to do what Roman did at Chelsea, and Glazer at Man U, and fire all the executives.

As for him being American, I know people who were at Cambridge with him, and his parents and grandparents are all from Lancashire and he was born in Lytham General, and only moved to America in his 20s - by the rationale of some people on here, David Beckham is Spanish and Mark Hughes is German then....

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Hank, NYC says...
6:19pm Mon 18 Jun 07

The reason why so many US dollars are flowing into the premiership and anywhere and everywhere else that isn't the USA is because the US economy is about to tank, bottom out, whatever ya wanna call it.

The dollar has been trading at 2 to the pound for the last 6 months and the tired old greenback can no longer take the strain. The huge US dept is finally about to break the camel's back so if you don't want your nest egg to go with it then you'd better get it out and invested in other more sure bets.

You might be thinking, so what's that gotta do with Rovers...well, I'll tell you, once the US economy has recovered from the impending crash we will see US investments move just as quickly in the opposite direction and to hell with the collateral d. or disgruntled supporters to you and me. I suggest Rovers fans do their homework on Daniel Williams and "Nuttall Investments" because nobody gets a free meal ticket in this world.

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john myles, Wall Street says...
6:33pm Mon 18 Jun 07

I'm impressed! I didn't realise there were so many economics experts within the Rovers fanbase. I think everyone is worrying unnecessarily at this stage. Look at what the club has said:there are a number of interested parties (hopefully the ex prime minister of Thailand isn't one of them) and I'd trust John Williams and the board to advise the Trust only to sell to who represents the best option for the club going forward. I'd also like to think that the Walker family will have enough respect for Uncle Jack to try and act in a way that he would support if he were still here. I think Danny Williams and/or his consortium is a long way from owning Rovers at present but if he does manage it I'd be confident it's in the best interests of BRFC given that the Trust clearly want to sell.

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Lee Wilson, Torquay says...
7:17pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Just a note, the "economist" has it backwards. You buy BRFC for 50million quid today, it costs the Americans 100million dollars. Then if their economy recovers and the dollar goes back to 1.5 say (for easy maths) they would have to sell the club for 66million pounds just to break even (i.e. get 100 million dollars back).

So that is a completely back asswards argument, since they would only make money that way if the dollar continued to collapse. British purchases are EXPENSIVE for Americans right now - or the other way around, buying American stuff is cheap because you get two dollars to your pound.

Thought I would clear that up. Last post was a good one though, I agree with that.

Oh, and I assume if the Walker Trust sells, the three million a year (which isn't much anyway) goes away I presume

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Gerupta Singh, Whalley Range(posh part) says...
7:54pm Mon 18 Jun 07

I say turn ewood into a mosque,at least it will be full to the rafters every week......I am one appy Dingle

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Alan, Blackburn says...
8:26pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Perhaps one of you experts would indulge me for a moment and excuse my simplistic reasoning capacity but at the moment we have a situation at Rovers where after all the bills have been paid the remainder of the cash goes to Mark Hughes for team building. So, as we've seen TV revenue is set to increase so that means more money for MH to spend on the team - we don't have any shareholders to pay at present, that is the way Jack Walker wanted it. Surely this scenario can't be improved on?

Perhaps Lee Wilson you could explain if you know otherwise?

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Oracle, says...
8:46pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Stuart A wrote:
ZB wrote: its pretty obvious what this american is doing. He will be using BR as a cash generating cow, to fund his other ventures (remember league money is astronomical).. so he will syphon off the cash generated by BR and use it to fund his other businesses. All the while ladening BR with debt. He is nothing more than a venture capitalist, eyeing Rover's cash flow.
This guy is not an american, His english, and lancashire born. was everybody saying this when Uncle Jack bought the club, hes going to run it in to debt. Jack did the oppostie.He made us in to a top flight club and Premiership Winners. I'd like to see Rovers win the title again. Response to another quote Rovers are not in Debt the money what comes from the TV income pays for everything. They will also make a profit from the gate in take why do you think there dropping/Freezzing the ticktet prices. If this guy wants to buy it I say let him.He will give us that little bit extra in our transfare fund to fetch in more players. BLACKBURN ROVERS PREMIERSHIP CHAMPIONS 2007/2008
Doesn't matter what or where he is, he is no Jack Walker. Jack had made his fortune and had his own money and wasn't afraid to use it to get his beloved Blackburn to where he wanted them to be. With £500m in the bank and Shearer going for £3.6m he was the original big spender. Now the stakes are higher (Drogba £24m) so you need someone with real financial clout if you really want to progress, not someone who is going to have to penny pinch or as someone pointed out, fund his other investments!

Lee Wilson, thank you very much for me not having to write exactly what you did. Spot on re the economy & exchange rates!

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Joe Bloggs, Blackburn says...
8:52pm Mon 18 Jun 07

John Williams it's time you explained to the season ticket buying loyal Blackburn supporters what's going on.

Are the Walker family intent on selling us down the river?

And does Jack Walker's legacy allow for this to happen?

Until you come out and clear this matter up people are inevitably going to think things like Scam and betrayal.

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S Marsh, 'arrod says...
10:00pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Can only pray this is a genuine offer from a genuine fan with genuine intentions! there is no reason rovers cant be a successful club with the right backing...all seems a bit unlikely though! maybe we should be more concerned about keeping our current squad together and getting things right on the pitch! =rovers to finish top 6 again next year=

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The Truth is not in the media - only propaganda, Planet Earth says...
10:39pm Mon 18 Jun 07

Gerupta Singh wrote:
I say turn ewood into a mosque,at least it will be full to the rafters every week......I am one appy Dingle
Typical racist comment from a dingle illiterate!

The name you purport to be - belongs to a completely different religion to the one you are attempting to discredit with your flames of ignorant hatred.

In SIMPLE terms, its like a Chinese national calling a German an Englishman, just because he's caucasian (that's a white man to you, dingle)!

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steve, somerset says...
12:11am Tue 19 Jun 07

Bring back Dave Whelan- On 8 June 2007, Whelan sold his residual 29% stake in JJB firm for £190 million to Icelandic financial group Exista.



Williams, beg & plead him to invest –he was once turn down from investing in BRFC- Leave Wigan Dave your spiritual home needs you now, Wigan can become our feeder club!



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steve, somerset says...
12:25am Tue 19 Jun 07


Super Matt Derbyshire Didn't he take his chance well he's not a cheat like some on talksport said today check this out he never took is eye of the ball-he didn't have a clue the Serb was on the floor!
http://www.uefa.com/
competitions/Under21
/fixturesresults/rou
nd=2240/match=85184/
index.html

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Robbie, Manchester says...
10:32am Tue 19 Jun 07

steve wrote:
Super Matt Derbyshire Didn't he take his chance well he's not a cheat like some on talksport said today check this out he never took is eye of the ball-he didn't have a clue the Serb was on the floor! http://www.uefa.com/ competitions/Under21 /fixturesresults/rou nd=2240/match=85184/ index.html
Very true.. is the ruleing not.. its the ref's call to stop the game now.. and until he see's it fit to play on? the player was hurt on the touchline and moved in field.. is that not cheating. trying to influance the other team when he could easily got off the pitch..

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ian yardley, manchester says...
11:21am Tue 19 Jun 07

Does anyone understand what a venture capitalist actually is? They are a group of investores who plug money into a firm to gain a return. Even if Mr Williams doesnt have the funds himself venture capitalism is often about mitigating risk and there will be other investors who will want to put capital into it. People need to relax and see what happens. This isnt about asset stripping because the assets arent worth that much, blackburn and ewood park is hardly attractive retail land is it?? You wouldnt recoup £50m from its sale and selling the clubs top players is totally against the ethos of venture capitalism.

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Eddie, Wigan, Wigan says...
3:39pm Wed 20 Jun 07

What I really don't understand is that if he's now claiming that a deal is far from concluded, why did he post this on his website -
"The Spring 2007 acquisition of Blackburn Rovers for over $100,000,000 marks both DJW's highest profile and also most significant investment.
DJW ownership 36%"
What kind of businessman writes that on his own website and then denies it. So is he a liar? Has he bought it or hasn't he? It's fairly black and white. I'd be fairly worried about being owned by a man that can't make his mind up.....

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ronnie chester, darwen says...
5:12pm Thu 11 Oct 07

If we signed Rooney and old Walter thought he would get a few bob from the deal he'd sell him for a million.He's a crafty old goat is Walter just ask Benny Silver

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P.B. Smith, MD, kelpkelp says...
2:47pm Thu 21 Feb 08

iamarover, above, has it exactly right. I know Williams from the Philadelphia area, USA and he is a sham. He has made some very very modest private investments in companies, many of which have fared poorly. Seen in the kindest light, I think he has gotten way ahead of himself on BR, and simply doesn't have any idea what to say now. I keep wondering when people will figure this bunko-steerer out. To be avoided without doubt. "Tycoon"?!?! I think not.

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