Which team would you buy (and why)?

Pretend you are a billionaire in search of a place to lose lots of money and have fun doing it. What better way than an English football team?!

Lets assume Fulham and the big 4 are not for sale.

What team would you buy if you could afford one? Why would you choose that one? Do they have great fans, a large ground, strong history, a cool name? Would you like to take a lower division team from bottom to top ala Wigan Athletic? Or rescue a historic power from recent destruction ala Leeds United. Newcastle has great fans, a stadium that holds and sells out 49,000 seats, and can be had for @$100m...interested?

Who would you buy and why?

 

I'll bite, and funny you'd mention Newcastle, because that's the club I'd be inclined to choose at this moment (despite the criticism most assuredly to head my way from my compatriots), however, business sense would tell me to buy a London-based club (easier for recruiting purposes than the northeast - or England in general).

I'd buy Crystal Palace and turn them into the Manchester United of the south...

Or, rescue Southampton...

 

I would shop around at Leeds United and Cardiff City. Leeds is the third largest city in England so it really should be able to support a top club, especially with no one else of note in the neighborhood. I also used to live there and like the area, the ale, and the peeps. I would enjoy seeing the club return to its former prominence.

I would also consider Cardiff because I would love hanging around in that part of Wales and trying to get Cardiff to be the only non-English side in the EPL. It would annoy the English and that would be fun. They currently have a good manager and the fans showed a sense of humor and some spirit with the way they treated EJ.

However, I simply couldnt buy any team other than Fulham. My heart wouldnt be in it. So I would buy the Yorkshire Cricket Club and make them the best in the world again.

Damn you RobG4, I never had any ambition to be a billionaire and now look what you've done.

 

Forest Green Rovers

Why not take a team up from pretty much the bottom of the Blue Square up to the prem? Their home colors are a plus as well.

 

Well, you knew it was coming -- for the love of all that is holy, Nev, you've had too much eggnog and rum this holiday season, you are now cut off.


Know what? I'll take Ipswich. Some great history, all of it old, a loyal, reasonably well behaved fan base, a great derby with Norwich, and aspirations of getting to the Prem, even this year as their league position and results are starting to improve. Thy have some financial issues, as about 99 percent of all teams do, so it will prove the adage that the best way to make a small fortune in football is to start with a large one.

Oh, and I'd keep Keane.

 

Aylesbury United, currently 3 levels below the Football Conference (i.e., Div 2). In financial trouble and trying to get a stadium in Aylesbury.

http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/home/

I've never been to a game, but it is my home town. I plan to go to a game my next trip over (now that I know they exist).

 

I would buy Aston Villa for the simple fact that everything is in place and all O'Neill needs is money to build a permanent top 4 team. That's if I wanted an easy job.


If I wanted a challenge, I'd buy Nottingham Forest to being them back to their glory years. I'd splash the cash, hire a top manager that can handle criticism from the top, talk all kinds of shit as we were climbing the tables and buy players that would be like the 80's Miami football team. Fines would be handed down to players and I'd happily pay those fines off as we dance our way the the premier league title.

 

I'd buy Plymouth Argyle. I've always had a soft spot for them.

They have the #1 fans (I think that is an official ranking too), a great stadium, and it's one of just two league clubs in Devon (although it's practically in Cornwall) so no real local competition.

Provided you work with the locals, you could do whatever you want without the crazed media attention.

 

Domestically I'd buy any MLS team and move them to San Antonio.

In England, I'd look for a larger club toiling in the lower levels. Bradford City, Darlington or Leeds would be interesting.

Although since you said the aim was to lose money, I'd be very tempted to buy Newcastle or WestHam, sell off everything I could and get them demoted to the Football Conference in record time. Too bad you said Chelsea wasn't for sale. :twisted:

 

Sheffield Wednesday in England. Lots of history. Decent size club with Premier League staying material. Club would be cheap to buy today, especially next year if they fall in to League One.

I would also look at Everton after Sheffield Wednesday.

If was really unemotional about it, I'd buy the max share I could buy in Hertha Berlin and wait for there to be European Super League, where the teams in the largest of cities would have the most appeal.

I'd also think about investing in 1. FC Köln which was the first European club I started to follow. They're a club with a lot of history and have a large fan base in a cool part of Germany.

Investing in Italy I'd choose Roma (for Super League potential). Otherwise I'd go with maybe Torino FC.