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Shepherd Buying Leeds United May Be A Good Deal

September 9th, 2007 by Ed Harrison · 24 Comments

Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd, is apparently considering a bid to buy Leeds United.

Shepherd made more than £37M by selling the Shepherd family’s 28% stake in Newcastle United to new billionaire owner Mike Ashley. It’s been said that Freddy is missing the day to day excitement of running a big club.

Certainly he would seem to have the funds to buy Leeds United, which has a great brand name in English Football.

freddy-shepherd.jpg

Freddy Shepherd - considering a bid to buy Leeds United Football Club

Certainly we think the purchase of Leeds United by Shepherd could be a good deal. Generally in business you look for a good brand name and if it’s in trouble that’s usually a good time to buy. Leeds United has been one of the top clubs in England since Don Revie became manager 40 years or so ago. It is now struggling big time but that’s only indicative of a good time to buy.

We think with Freddy’s experience of being the chairman of Newcastle United over the last 10 years he would have a good chance of getting the club back into the Premiership and if he can do that he’ll make a killing on the deal.

Ken Bates, the former Chelsea chairman now owns Leeds United and he has already held some discussions with Freddy and these are reported to be at an advanced stage. Shepherd and Bates were reportedly spotted dining together in Newcastle last week.

There are some complications with the deal. Apparently the old football club company, Leeds United Association Football Club Ltd, will be taken from administration into liquidation, probably by administrators KPMG. The funds received from Bates for the club will then be used to pay off non-football creditors at a reported rate of 11p in the pound. Then the club, under the new name of Leeds United 2007 Ltd, a company in which Bates, Shaun Harvey and Mark Taylor are all directors, will be allowed to re-apply for full membership of the Football Association. Presumably once this is all completed, a bid from Shepherd can be officially lodged.

So it may take a little while but on paper it looks like it may be a good place for Shepherd to put some of his millions, if he can get the club at a decent price. One last thing - you have to wonder if Shepherd was involved in getting Paul Huntington to Leeds United in any - an interesting thought.

Comments welcome.

Tags: Other News










24 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Pete // Sep 9, 2007 at 19:16

    we all hate leeds scum

    durty leeds

  • 2 TheGelderdEnd // Sep 9, 2007 at 19:18

    I wish people would actually bother to do some research before regurgitating tat by the National media hell bent on fuelling unrest at Leeds United. FACT ken bates CANNOT sell my club to anyone until next July at the earliest. This is an “anti embarrasment” clause put in by the KPMG after they sold tmy club back to him. So NO STORY-well at least unti after Christmas?

  • 3 JoshI // Sep 9, 2007 at 19:38

    We all hate Shepherd scum

    dirty Shepherd

  • 4 Hammy // Sep 9, 2007 at 19:50

    Oh dear…….

  • 5 Dirk // Sep 9, 2007 at 20:31

    well im from wakefield which is next to leeds n its a great place!! alan smith is from wake to n as i recall milner is from leeds so f*&k off pete

  • 6 Dirk // Sep 9, 2007 at 20:32

    leeds always get gr8 talent

  • 7 Dirk // Sep 9, 2007 at 20:34

    smith viduka milner lennon woodgate robinson ferdinand kewell bowyer all played for leeds all rated highly

  • 8 Sam // Sep 9, 2007 at 20:44

    Brilliant Business For Leeds, Who Are The Best Team In England

  • 9 Pete // Sep 9, 2007 at 20:47

    whats the premiership, championship and a cordless drill got in common?

    No Leeds

  • 10 Dirk // Sep 9, 2007 at 20:51

    dun mata theyll b back inthe prem in no time n even as low as they r they they can still fart more talent than half the teams in the prem

  • 11 Chris F // Sep 9, 2007 at 21:28

    indeed. thats why they now boast tore andre flo up front. *ahem*

    anyway, ridsdale….bates….shepherd………..it’s like a who’s who of a shit chairmen.

    i’d feel sorry for leeds fans, theyve had to endure some right old shit these past 10 years.

    but then i remember that they’re leeds fans.

    so i just laugh.

  • 12 TheGelderdEnd // Sep 9, 2007 at 21:37

    Dirk, Smith is from Rothwell a suburb of South Leeds not Wakefield.

  • 13 Glenn // Sep 9, 2007 at 21:45

    I really do hope Fat Fred takes over, just so we can laugh at the same high-quality comedy entertainment that the rest of the country has enjoyed for the past 10 years! As for you Leeds fans, haven’t you suffered enough? Oh well if any of you Yorkshiremen are fans of bluff, bluster and b*ll*cks and prefer a big pop-star signing to distract attention from the knee-jerk, shambolic way the club is being run and a total lack of long term strategy you’re in for a fantastic time!!!! Oh well Risdale, Bates & Shepherd, at least you can say you’ve done the sh*t chairman treble.

  • 14 big pea ov the weab // Sep 9, 2007 at 21:47

    thats all they need a big fat twat makeing life even harder than it is for leeds

  • 15 Obafemi Martins // Sep 9, 2007 at 21:51

    Ha! Rose-tinted glasses Ed? Shepherd is a poisonous, meddling, self-obsessed megalomaniac who damn near did the same to Newcastle that Ridsdale did to Leeds. I feel sorry for Leeds fans. Lovely place in the world, a great fans’ club, runied by a greedy twot, repeatedly relegated, put in financial administration several times, sold the whole club to an even greedier, more dodgy old man for a sum of money less than a third that of the value that you got for Rio Ferdinand’s transfer less than three years previously, now facing the prospect of purchase by fat self-serving crook Freddy Shepherd.

    R.I.P. Leeds United Football Club, what did you do to deserve this?

  • 16 WelshWizard // Sep 9, 2007 at 22:19

    @Dirk

    Smith’s from Rothwell, that’s Leeds not Wakefield…
    Milner’s from over towards the airport from Horsforth

  • 17 Rich // Sep 9, 2007 at 23:16

    oh dear, from Ken Bates to Freddy Shep??

    i feel soo sorry for leeds, they dont deserve this sort of treatment!!

    ED - Why have my posts stopped appearing when i post them???

  • 18 michael // Sep 10, 2007 at 0:16

    Kicking a club when they’re down?
    Poor Leeds. I fear they may never again see the top division at this rate.

  • 19 evil dick // Sep 10, 2007 at 5:08

    haha! go freddy! take them to the conference!

  • 20 Lamesley Mag // Sep 10, 2007 at 6:21

    Not sure who’s worse; Ridsdale, Bates or Shepherd?

    Leeds Utd are a PL side and the sooner they’re back the better…….

  • 21 Ed Harrison // Sep 10, 2007 at 7:56

    Rich - I’m not aware they haven’t appeared (???)

  • 22 rich // Sep 10, 2007 at 8:09

    Hey Ed, its strange sometiomes when i post it doesnt appear when i post but an hour or two later and other times its instantly? not sure why?

    ah well, again i feel sorry for Leeds, i think Shep will be an improvement on Bates but still…Leeds deserve to at least have a fighting chance!!

  • 23 Craig Allen // Sep 10, 2007 at 10:47

    Shepherd to buy Leeds? Oh crap … just when you thought low was low enough

  • 24 perry // Sep 11, 2007 at 8:48

    I dont care if Sheppard but what ever club he want. But for me, manage to get rid of Sheppard is the best moment as NUFC fans.










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