...is a soccer team!
Anyone got $159 million to spare? If so, you could be the new owner of
the Newcastle Magpies, the English soccer team that has recently been
put up for sale by team owner Mike Ashley, according to The Bloomberg
News.
It seems that the current state of the economy and the Magpies' recent
relegation to the Coca-Cola Champions League has left Ashley no choice but to cut his losses and put the team that he bought for 134 million pounds up for sale at a substantial discount.
A quick lesson for you non-soccer fans - yes, I'm talking to you America - to be relegated is to drop from the world's premiere soccer league (hence the name), the English Premier League, to the second-tier Coca Cola Champions League. It is a dishonor given to the three bottom teams in the standings at the end of EPL play, and is a true measure of both bad luck and mediocrity. To put it in perspective for you Yanks, it's like being demoted to the AAA as an entire organization.
Ashley had previously tested his Magpies on the market at 300 million pounds, but failed to find a buyer.
Now I realize, given the economic conditions, it may be difficult to find an interested party, but even in this economy the cheap price seems too good to pass up. Clearly it'll be an uphill climb back into the EPL (and the increased revenue that comes along with it), with players like Michael Owen likely to jump ship following the relegation debacle and the level of competition in the Champions League improving each year. And while It'll probably cost a whole lot more than the actual price tag to get the team back into EPL shape - new uniforms, please! - the team seems like a sound investment that could offer profitable returns given the price tag.
No, those aren't referees. Those are your Newcastle Magpies!In any case, good luck to all potential buyers.
___________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment