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London Irish

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Category: League Rugby - www.leaguerugby.co.uk
Forum Name: The Championship
Forum Description: Discuss the 12 clubs forming the English Championship.
URL: http://www.leaguerugby.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=20250
Printed Date: 01 Nov 2024 at 00:20
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Topic: London Irish
Posted By: Camquin
Subject: London Irish
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 08:32
There are rumours in the Telegraph that a backer has emerged wanting to buy London Irish.

Daniel Loitz appears to have come out of the German music industry, and now runs a VC company in London with an office in Dubai.

They are already principal Sponsor of Halifax Town FC - a women's lower league Soccer side.

They claim to invest in Women's Soccer in Canada, but there are no links to them from the Canadian sites.

Aside from that, they have inestments in three PR and marketing companies registered in London, but operating in the music industry in Germany. However, these companies have not filed full accounts.






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Sweeney Delenda Est



Replies:
Posted By: Kimbo
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 08:40
Sounds legit...

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Our City,
Our Club


Posted By: Richard Lowther
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 10:22
You would think that someone with multiple concerns in Women's football would have a digital footprint for them but all I can find is the same press release about Halifax FC Women with the telling phrase that the purchase price wasn't divulged. 

Halifax FC Women are looking for another ground since Liversedge can not stand up to the wear and tear of both men's and women's football each week. They ended up there after leaving Brighouse for similar reasons. 

Halifax men's team and the Rugby League club play at the Shay, which Calderdale Council are looking to sell and which a separate investor has expressed interest in buying - he said that the Women could play there but there is concern that the pitch couldn't live up to three teams a week playing on it. 




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Remember Wakefield RFC


Posted By: Paul10
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 10:47
A cynic might say "Nice PR putting this out on St P's day."




Posted By: Breakdown
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 12:09
Originally posted by Paul10 Paul10 wrote:

A cynic might say "Nice PR putting this out on St P's day."



Alternatively, you might say he was two weeks early for April 1st. 


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Broken down. Beyond repair.


Posted By: FHLH
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 15:37

Susana Havran is a director of Hokulani, as is Loitz. (share capital £1,000,000) which owns Halifax Women’s football team. 

Susana Havran is Spanish.

Company is registered at a Co-worker / Virtual Office

Hokulani is the name of a superyacht chartering in West Mediterranean - this is how unconnected rumours are started!!


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"My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones, if you put a sword through their hearts."


Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 16:08
Havran not Havana


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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: Paul10
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2024 at 16:19
https://www.borkenerzeitung.de/lokales/kreisborken/Bocholter-Sponsor-irritiert-die-Sportwelt-303417.html%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.borkenerzeitung.de/lokales/kreisborken/Bocholter-Sponsor-irritiert-die-Sportwelt-303417.html

If you can read German or have a translator in your browser that's an interesting article.

I assume it's the same Daniel Loitz (not a common name in Germany).

Previously sponsor of a woman's football team in Germany. The story us about when he pulled that sponsorship.

I can't find anything in German press about his business.


Posted By: Richard Lowther
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 10:49
Originally posted by Paul10 Paul10 wrote:

https://www.borkenerzeitung.de/lokales/kreisborken/Bocholter-Sponsor-irritiert-die-Sportwelt-303417.html%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.borkenerzeitung.de/lokales/kreisborken/Bocholter-Sponsor-irritiert-die-Sportwelt-303417.html

If you can read German or have a translator in your browser that's an interesting article.

I assume it's the same Daniel Loitz (not a common name in Germany).

Previously sponsor of a woman's football team in Germany. The story us about when he pulled that sponsorship.

I can't find anything in German press about his business.

It's behind a paywall for me.  This is a translation of what I can see. 

Borussia Bocholt and their former sponsor Daniel Loitz are at loggerheads. The reason: The entrepreneur Loitz wants to sue the sports club for disclosing confidential information. Loitz said he supported Borussia Bocholt with 42,000 euros in the 2018/2019 season.

BOCHOLT. Because of passing on these sponsorship contracts, he is now being blackmailed by third parties. The sponsorship contracts break down the extent to which he holds company shares. The BVB club chairman Maximilian Schröer wants to talk to Daniel Loitz because of numerous empty promises...



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Remember Wakefield RFC


Posted By: Richard Lowther
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 12:17
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13097684/reading-german-businessman-daniel-loitz-in-talks-to-take-over-berkshire-club-and-rugby-team-london-irish%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13097684/reading-german-businessman-daniel-loitz-in-talks-to-take-over-berkshire-club-and-rugby-team-london-irish

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Moderator http://www.leaguerugby.co.uk" rel="nofollow - National League Rugby Message Boards



Remember Wakefield RFC


Posted By: WEvans
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 12:41
I believe he is also hoping to achieve World peace and build the first sports stadium on the moon.


Posted By: rugbychris
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 12:50
It all sounds like PR nonsense. London Irish was offered for sale for £1 as long as sufficient funds were available to cover the business as a going concern. With no playing squad, no staff, no community team and no stadium what exactly are they buying? I've got a signed shirt and couple of flags if he wants to make me an offer.




Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 14:32
Funds required t cover a going concern was always the kicker in that sentence.
And did that include repaying the loans from Powerday - or just the third party loans and HMRC.


Of course now it is in the hands of the administrator - and Hazelwood is the only asset of note.

The administrator is not permitted to prefer an ongoing club, if building houses on Hazelwood makes more money, they are required to take that offer - so the taxman sees more of their debt repaid.


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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: Mark W-J
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 14:34
Hazelwood is built on landfill, so redevelopment for housing isn't an option.


Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 14:46
That has not stopped at least one developer from talking to the administrator about the possibility.
It is explicitly mentioned in the progress report.
It may reduce the amount they are prepared to offer, down to a point that sporting use is more profitable.


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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: Mark W-J
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 15:21
Do you have a link to the progress report?  Apologies if I've missed it in this thread.


Posted By: Kimbo
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 15:22
Originally posted by Mark W-J Mark W-J wrote:

Hazelwood is built on landfill, so redevelopment for housing isn't an option.
There are many housing estates built on landfill. However, it's only seen as viable nowadays if the site has been suitably stabilised over a number(?) of years.
No idea what the status of the training ground is right now though.


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Our City,
Our Club


Posted By: Raider999
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 15:54
Originally posted by Richard Lowther Richard Lowther wrote:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13097684/reading-german-businessman-daniel-loitz-in-talks-to-take-over-berkshire-club-and-rugby-team-london-irish%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13097684/reading-german-businessman-daniel-loitz-in-talks-to-take-over-berkshire-club-and-rugby-team-london-irish


Sounds like he is well suited to take over either L Irish, Wasps or Worcester.

Although €42k won't go far in the world of rugby.

Worcester may still have a stadium, none of the 3 have any players.

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RAID ON


Posted By: kingsheathlad
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 16:52
Is London Irish Wild Gease their community side.

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Cauliflower ear.


Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 17:24
it is the 1st team of the Club.


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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: Jester10
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 17:54
Anyone remember Spencer Trethewy? Smile

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Enjoying life!


Posted By: Robb
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 20:02
Originally posted by rugbychris rugbychris wrote:

It all sounds like PR nonsense. London Irish was offered for sale for £1 as long as sufficient funds were available to cover the business as a going concern. With no playing squad, no staff, no community team and no stadium what exactly are they buying? I've got a signed shirt and couple of flags if he wants to make me an offer.



Just like the person who wants to resurrect Wasps, all they'll buy are the trademarks and maybe Hazelwood.


Posted By: Robb
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 20:04
Originally posted by Mark W-J Mark W-J wrote:

Hazelwood is built on landfill, so redevelopment for housing isn't an option.

And it only opened 10 years ago after being converted from that golf club.  I can't imagine residents will be happy given how much they objected to it becoming a training centre.

Plus I don't think that London Irish Amateur would approve of that.


Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 21:09
Unfortunately, London Irish Amateur don't own it.

It was owned by the professional club, London Irish Scottish Richmond Ltd. and the amateur club leased it from them.

LISR owes in priority order: Close Leasing £5m, Sport England about £12m and Powerday - i.e. Mr Flynn - about £15m.

It then owes HMRC about £500k.
And a small amount owed to unsecured creditors.

And £23m to London Irish Football Ground Limited.
This was the company that originally owned the Sudbury ground.
Its only remaining asset was this loan, and it has now been liquidated.

The administrators expect only Close will see all their money
And that requires finding a buyer for Hazelwood.



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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: rugbychris
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 21:26
But why bother with the pretence of buying London Irish to resurrect a defunct rugby club when you could just purchase the training ground from the administrators and build houses?. Perhaps some covenant is on the land for specific uses only.


Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 21:58
I actually think Loitz is interested in Women's sport.
I suspect his dreams are larger than his pocket.

But he wants Reading, and if he can get LI as tenants for a song, it might sweat the assets more.
Just as Bristol City use the Bears.
But I doubt LI will get 18k fans turning up.


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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: Mark W-J
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 22:19
Back in January,  the local residents' association posted the following on their website:
"The London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club (LIARFC) and Brentford Football Club Community Sports Trust (Brentford Sports Trust) have submitted a joint letter of Intent to the Administrators of London Irish Holdings (LIH) setting out their intention to purchase the Hazelwood site and place it in a Community Owned Trust for the benefit of future generations. The letter has been received positively by both the Administrator and DCMS (Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) / Sport England, and they are in the process of organising some direct talks with them to progress their bid."


Posted By: Mark W-J
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 22:22
Originally posted by Robb Robb wrote:

Originally posted by Mark W-J Mark W-J wrote:

Hazelwood is built on landfill, so redevelopment for housing isn't an option.

And it only opened 10 years ago after being converted from that golf club.  I can't imagine residents will be happy given how much they objected to it becoming a training centre.
Most of the objections related to the development of the old site in The Avenue rather than the repurposing of the golf club.


Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2024 at 23:32
As you know, the Administrator is tasked with talking to all potential bidders, with the aim to get the best price for the creditors.




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Sweeney Delenda Est


Posted By: Mark W-J
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2024 at 10:11
Yes, was just highlighting that the Amateurs have aspirations to buy the ground, and they have put together what they believe to be a viable plan to do so.


Posted By: islander
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2024 at 10:20
Originally posted by kingsheathlad kingsheathlad wrote:

Is London Irish Wild Gease their community side.

Established as a separate club since 1999 and have been part of league pyramid since then. Currently play in Regional 2 (level 6) - the Jersey Amateur side played them twice this season. JRFC have subsequently won promotion, while Irish are currently ranked 6th with 2 games to go...


Posted By: WEvans
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2024 at 11:21
Originally posted by Jester10 Jester10 wrote:

Anyone remember Spencer Trethewy? Smile

Now known as Spencer Day he has been manager and (I think) involved in the ownership of Farnborough FC in National League South since 2011. The club have had any number of "financial problems" in recent years!


Posted By: Clive Norling
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2024 at 19:17
Originally posted by Raider999 Raider999 wrote:

[QUOTE=Richard Lowther] https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13097684/reading-german-businessman-daniel-loitz-in-talks-to-take-over-berkshire-club-and-rugby-team-london-irish%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13097684/reading-german-businessman-daniel-loitz-in-talks-to-take-over-berkshire-club-and-rugby-team-london-irish




Although €42k won't go far in the world of rugby.



Deluded would be a word that springs to mind .... that is less than Rams spend on maintaining 3 x pitches each season ....



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