Norwegians to buy Liverpool?

[Crazy Horse]

Apologies if this is a Romario. Interesting link.

 

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1758931,00.html

 

Norwegian consortium prepares bid for Liverpool

 

Dominic Fifield

Saturday April 22, 2006

The Guardian

 

A consortium of Norwegian businessmen, who include in their number an environmental activist who once chained himself to the gates of Sellafield, are preparing a financial package which they hope will allow them to buy into Liverpool and end the European champions' lengthy search for major new investment.

The group have been put together by Oystein Stray Spetalen, a financial investor worth an estimated £150m, with their principal backer the hotel magnate Petter Stordalen. The 43-year-old Stordalen is something of a celebrity in Norway, having championed the country's tourist industry and tied himself to a footbridge over a drainage pipe at Sellafield in 2002 after claiming radioactive emissions from the nuclear power plant were polluting the Norwegian coast. "It is my policy not to comment on any potential investments," Spetalen told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.

 

Stordalen owns 90% of the Choice Hotels Scandinavia group, Norway's largest hotel chain, and is believed to be attracted by the potential of building a hotel alongside Liverpool's proposed new stadium on Stanley Park, together with a possible casino. The Norwegian pair have already sought advice on English football and Liverpool's future potential from the former Swindon, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Barnsley striker Jan Aage Fjortoft on the scheme. Fjortoft is currently manager at Lillestrom and Spetalen hopes he would play some role at Liverpool should they succeed in buying significantly into the club.

Liverpool opted against commenting last night but are aware of the group's interest, though privately they are sceptical whether the Norwegians value the club at the £200m the current chairman David Moores believes it to be worth. The Norwegians' clout could be increased significantly should the building magnate and long-standing Liverpool suitor Steve Morgan become involved in their bid, as has been mentioned in Norway.

 

Morgan, Liverpool's third largest shareholder with a 5.5% stake in the club, has twice been knocked back by Moores having submitted proposals to increase his holding, the chairman insisting he had undervalued the club. The Garston-born businessman sold shares estimated to be worth around £240m in his Redrow building firm in 2000 and boasts an estimated fortune nearer £370m.

 

Liverpool have been searching for new investment for more than two years having first appointed financial advisers Hawkpoint Partners to attract funds into the club in March 2004. Various schemes have been mooted, with potential deals with Thaksin Shinawatra, the media investment group L4 and the United States based Kraft family coming to nothing. Last month they similarly dismissed an approach from the Spanish businessman Juan Villalonga.

[Nebraska Red]

would we be known as the Vikings of Liverpool?

[Bao]

  Quote

The Norwegian pair have already sought advice on English football and Liverpool's future potential from the former Swindon, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Barnsley striker Jan Aage Fjortoft on the scheme. Fjortoft is currently manager at Lillestrom and Spetalen hopes he would play some role at Liverpool should they succeed in buying significantly into the club.

Sounds like Rafa would be on his way then.

[fyds]

Not even a fart in a hurricane's chance.

[smithdown]

Jan Aage Fjortoft

 

As if.

[Cisse]

I read a long article about him a few months back. Stordalen is the "business version" of James Bond, seriously.

 

Maybe ths would help our chances of finally getting Carew in a red shirt

[Jezzman]

More tickets to the OOC's then.....

[Rushian]

Also in The Times ...

 

Benítez banks on getting his very own Abramovich

 

By Oliver Kay

 

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, can expect a frosty encounter with José Mourinho this evening after claiming yesterday that Chelsea?s success owed everything to Roman Abramovich. But the Spaniard may soon have a sugar daddy of his own after two Norwegian businessmen emerged last night as a possible answer to the Merseyside club?s long-running investment conundrum.

 

Petter Stordalen, the chief executive of Norway?s largest hotel chain, and Oystein Stray Spetalen are understood to have held talks with the Liverpool board about making a significant investment in the club.

 

A deal is not thought to be imminent because of differences over the club?s valuation, but their approach is being taken seriously by Liverpool, unlike some of the parties who have made proposals over the past two years.

 

The duo have been described as ?flamboyant celebrity investors? in Norway, but Stordalen is the head of Choice Hotels Scandinavia and his personal wealth is estimated at £250 million. While that is a fraction of the billions at Abramovich?s disposal, he is believed to have promised significant backing to the Liverpool board.

 

Intriguingly, they are believed to have links with Steve Morgan, the founder of the Redrow property empire, whose own efforts to invest in his home-town club have met with frustration, and also with Jan Aage Fjortoft, the former Middlesbrough and Swindon Town forward, who is now coach of Lillestrom.

 

Liverpool, who take on Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford this evening, remain extremely cautious about the Norwegian interest, previous high-profile bids from consortiums in Thailand and the United States having failed to come to fruition, but they are eager to secure outside investment as they attempt to allay concerns about the viability of their proposed new 60,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park, in the shadow of Anfield.

 

For Benítez, the prospect of outside investment is likely to appeal. In advance of today?s meeting with the champions-elect, the Liverpool manager hinted at his frustration at being unable to compete with Chelsea in the transfer market, somewhat uncharitably overlooking Mourinho?s achievements and saying that the real ?Special One? at Stamford Bridge is Abramovich.

 

?It?s very simple,? Benítez said when he was asked to appraise Chelsea?s success under the Portuguese. ?They have spent more money than any other club on players. Abramovich has done a fantastic job with this team. They have a lot of good players, so they must be at the top of the table and in finals with those players. It?s normal.?

 

Benítez was asked whether he recognised that, in spite of the help from Abramovich, Mourinho has done a good job since arriving from FC Porto in June 2004. ?Yes, but for me the chairman or the owner is the key,? he said. ?(John) Terry, (Frank) Lampard, Mourinho are all important, but they couldn?t have anything like they do without Abramovich. He started the revolution, no??

 

Liverpool, Chelsea?s conquerors in last season?s Champions League semi-finals, could stall that revolution today, but they have concerns over the fitness of Harry Kewell. The Australia forward is believed to have strained an adductor muscle in training.

 

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-2146661,00.html

[Beardsley]

Being norwegian, I'm pretty shure this is just a media stunt.

Good business-men, but they looooooooooooooooooooooove the limelight so I wouldn't worry to much about this.

 

The only norwegian businessman having enough money, and who would be good for the club, is the London-based John Fredriksen. He is one of GB's richest men, and has saved his favorite norwegian team more than once by ushering in some pocketmoney. Don't think he would be interested though (but what the h*ll do I know). If the norwegian consortium could involve him, then I would start to pay attention.

[David Hodgson]

Surely we're not going to turn our noses up at Norwegians ?

 

We've been linked to political pariahs the world over, and finally we get some squeaky clean scandoes, and people still aren't happy.

[Beardsley]

  David Hodgson said:

Surely we're not going to turn our noses up at Norwegians ?

 

We've been linked to political pariahs the world over, and finally we get some squeaky clean scandoes, and people still aren't happy.

 

 

They are clean, alright, except for the hunger of getting attention all the time. I'm 99 % shure this is just a media stunt to get some publicity.

[Guest Barns]

  Bao said:

Sounds like Rafa would be on his way then.

 

 

Fjørtoft is more like a general manager of Lillestrøm. Its Uwe Rösler that is the head coach.

[abuusayd]

Not another Wimbledon

[Guest Barns]

  Cisse said:

I read a long article about him a few months back. Stordalen is the "business version" of James Bond, seriously.

 

Maybe ths would help our chances of finally getting Carew in a red shirt

 

 

Or help John Arne Riise to play in the same team as his little brother Bjørn Helge Riise plays for Lillestrøm now.

[Guest Portly]

Is Anfield a good location for a hotel? I doubt it. It would be busy once or twice a fortnight when there are home games, but who would want to stay there the rest of the time? It would be the same problem as the Marriott South which was built around the old Speke Airport Terminal. Where do the guests go when they want to have a stroll?

 

Bolton Wanderers incorporated an hotel in the Reebok Stadium when it was built, and that hasn't done at all well.

[AnfieldCop]

This is ridiculous. There is no way those Norwegian will succeed in this.

 

But I think it is safe to say that there is lot going on regarding the invesment issue. Wonder what has happend with the big deal Elisha was talking about:

 

  Quote

Mar 18 2006, 13:31 Post #7

 

There is definitely something afoot regarding investment, I heard that a big deal was 3 weeks away ( whatever that mean ), and by big, I mean, massive, something about an Asian business man, maybe this could be him.

[Andy-oh-six]

?flamboyant celebrity investors??

 

Great. Just what we need

[nb]

Beeing Norwegian and knowing the ways of these investors I really hope they fail. I don`t want LFC to be a toy that they can brag about on a night out. Fjørtoft at Liverpool?? Please, no....

[Kite]

  P_Neal said:

They are clean, alright, except for the hunger of getting attention all the time. I'm 99 % shure this is just a media stunt to get some publicity.

You can see why they get on so well with Morgan then. Sounds like a it of a nightmare scenario they way it's being described, if true.

[Beardsley]

  Lenin said:

You can see why they get on so well with Morgan then. Sounds like a it of a nightmare scenario they way it's being described, if true.

 

 

Yes, they would beat the cr*p out of each other to grab some limelight.

 

By the way, just talked to a mate of mine about it. He told me the rumour had done the rounds for quite a while. He also thought there could be people with LOTS of money behind this consortium, people who shy away from the public light (aka the before mentioned John Fredriksen). If true, we will have a great backing.

[chiliking]

As much as I hope this ain't gonna happen, this is way better than THaksin Shinawatra. Only Kraft is better.

These guys don't have the money requiered to keep us competing. Wibledon ll?

[Liverpoolway]

  Lenin said:

You can see why they get on so well with Morgan then. Sounds like a it of a nightmare scenario they way it's being described, if true.

 

If you think Morgan is bad news then you should try look for information on Spetalen.

 

He'll probably want to sell all the players and then merge with Everton. Don't trust him at all.... There's nothing wrong with Stordalen though (except for the fact that he loves the limelight), but he hasn't got the necessary financial clout. As someone else has already said; the only norwegian who's rich enough is John Fredriksen (who's worth around £3.5 billion)

[RedMersey]

Can't see this happening. The former Norwegian owners of Wimbledon have warned this Norwegian consortium that football is about emotions and proximity. They should know.

[Falconhoof]

  Portly said:

Is Anfield a good location for a hotel? I doubt it. It would be busy once or twice a fortnight when there are home games, but who would want to stay there the rest of the time? It would be the same problem as the Marriott South which was built around the old Speke Airport Terminal. Where do the guests go when they want to have a stroll?

Bolton Wanderers incorporated an hotel in the Reebok Stadium when it was built, and that hasn't done at all well.

 

 

Ever stayed there ? Its been very busy whenever I've used it for the airport.

[Guest Portly]

  Cardinal Fang said:

Ever stayed there ? Its been very busy whenever I've used it for the airport.

 

No, I've never stayed there - I'm sure it is a good standard and it's a lot cheaper than the Marriott in the city centre. It depends what your needs are I suppose - it wouldn't be suitable for a tourist who hadn't got their own transport.