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Betting firm ready to take a punt on Town
AN ONLINE betting company could be about to launch a takeover bid for Basingstoke Town FC.
Ian Davies, a director of London-based company ibetX Limited, made contact with Town chairman and major shareholder Rafi Razzak last week.
No offer was made with Davies, a former chairman of the Basingstoke Town Supporters' Club, only enquiring as to whether Razzak would be interested in selling.
The Town chairman said he was not - but has since admitted that he would consider the right offer.
"While I am not looking to sell, I am a businessman," Razzak told The Gazette. "If the right offer comes in for the club, and the town, I will give it serious consideration."
This development has encouraged Davies, who said: "I welcome this change in position and we will probably make an offer at some point. It certainly puts us in a position to talk about an offer."
However, any offer made by ibetX would be subject to the company gaining access to the club's accounts and being happy with what they find.
The betting exchange that Davies represents is keen to buy a non-league football club in order to raise its profile in the sport.
No detailed plans have been drawn up at the moment but the company would be willing to invest both on and off of the pitch, with the ultimate aim of achieving Football League status.
"What we thought would be really good would be to take a grassroots football club and guide it up the leagues," Davies said. "We think that would win us a lot of kudos in the football world."
Knowing the club well, Davies suggested Basingstoke as an ideal candidate and was given the go-ahead to contact Razzak by ibetX bosses.
"Basingstoke Town is one of the biggest opportunities left in the country," Davies added.
"I cannot think of another town of Basingstoke's size that has such a lowly football club.
"It needs a lot of money but the opportunity to make the club a success does exist."
Davies said there would be a budget, though what this is has not yet been determined. In the short term, investment would be affected by the amount the company would have to pay to purchase the club.
Davies, who has been a high-profile and often controversial figure at the Camrose, does not yet know whether he would take up a position at the club should the deal go through.
Razzak recently announced his intention to carry on as Basingstoke chairman for three years, making the club financially independent before stepping aside. If this goal is not achieved within three years, he has indicated that he would stay on rather than leave the club in financial difficulty.
However, ibetX would not be willing to wait three years and would like to own a club within 18 months, meaning that Razzak would have to quit the club early if he wants to sell to the company.
Razzak is concerned that the takeover talk could unsettle the progress being made at the Camrose but Davies said that this was not the intention when he decided to make ibetX's interest public.
"We wanted to keep everyone informed and to gauge what the sentiment is," he explained. "If the fans hate the idea, it is best that we know about it. We would rather find out now than later."
2:20pm Thursday 28th August 2008
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CommentPosted by: Hantsy, Basingstoke on 9:19am Fri 29 Aug 08
Davies is an attention seeking fantasist who has been disgraced, discredited and totally embarassed so many times over the past couple of years that he can't be taken seriously.
This time last year he was sueing the club because he changed his mind about wanting the season ticket he'd bought (he lost, obviously) and now he's trying yet another way to get power down there. There have been some real horror stories about this guy.
Well done Rafi for giving this bloke the cold shoulder (again!)
BTFC need investment but they don't need people with hidden agendas for short term kicks.
Davies is an attention seeking fantasist who has been disgraced, discredited and totally embarassed so many times over the past couple of years that he can't be taken seriously.
This time last year he was sueing the club because he changed his mind about wanting the season ticket he'd bought (he lost, obviously) and now he's trying yet another way to get power down there. There have been some real horror stories about this guy.
Well done Rafi for giving this bloke the cold shoulder (again!)
BTFC need investment but they don't need people with hidden agendas for short term kicks.
Posted by: Footyfan, Basingstoke on 3:07pm Fri 29 Aug 08
Football is meant to be a family orientated sport, your local football club should be no different. I have had some contact with Basingstoke Town FC and I must say it was a very unpleasant experience, take a look at their forums to make your own mind up and read the post above. I have never come across a football club with so much insular, narrow minded thinking that seems to eminate from a section of supporters that think they own the club. In my mind any take over that moves the club onwards into the present time and dilutes the poison little club atmosphere can only be a good thing FOR THE TOWN.
Football is meant to be a family orientated sport, your local football club should be no different. I have had some contact with Basingstoke Town FC and I must say it was a very unpleasant experience, take a look at their forums to make your own mind up and read the post above. I have never come across a football club with so much insular, narrow minded thinking that seems to eminate from a section of supporters that think they own the club. In my mind any take over that moves the club onwards into the present time and dilutes the poison little club atmosphere can only be a good thing FOR THE TOWN.
Posted by: Bill Matthews, St.Ives on 10:42pm Sat 30 Aug 08
I know Ian Davies has made enemies with several people at the club, but one thing he is, he is a business man and very knowledgeable on business management. IbetX are an up an coming betting exchange, with a large annual turnover. Any good businessman, which Rafi Razaak has proved himself to be, will look past the personalities, seek out possible options for the club and then, if an option such as this potential offer proves to be in the real best interest of BTFC, he will no doubt reccomend its acceptance, if it is not he will say it is not and why he made the decision. Lets all just wait an see what happens.
I know Ian Davies has made enemies with several people at the club, but one thing he is, he is a business man and very knowledgeable on business management. IbetX are an up an coming betting exchange, with a large annual turnover. Any good businessman, which Rafi Razaak has proved himself to be, will look past the personalities, seek out possible options for the club and then, if an option such as this potential offer proves to be in the real best interest of BTFC, he will no doubt reccomend its acceptance, if it is not he will say it is not and why he made the decision. Lets all just wait an see what happens.
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