Mikheil Lomtadze: Wycombe sold to Kazakhstan billionaire
Wycombe Wanderers are taken over by Kazakhstan billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze, whose company buys a 90% stake in the club.
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Kazakhstan billionaire takes over League One Wycombe
- Thread starter Argylegames
- Start date
Wycombe fan here. The guy is actually Georgian, but runs the biggest app in Kazakhstan.
Mixed feelings, to be honest. We have gone from being fan owned to billionaire owned in two steps, and as I see being fan owned as the best form of ownership, it is a bit of a wistful feeling to get so far away from it. We are a small club with a small fan base, so our main strength is the community feeling of connection and dressing room chemistry. The thought of losing some of that to go all Billy big balls is sad. I also don't really see the attraction, much as I love the club - we simply don't have the fanbase to have aspirations beyond perhaps getting promoted back to the Champo once more someday. I don't see the Premier League as something realistic even in the wildest dreams of someone willing to throw untold millions at it, given financial restrictions, and it would be a silly thing to attempt.
On the other hand, I think lower league football is a mess, and as I don't trust the government to sort it out properly with regulators, all I can hope for is to have a club to support. Being fan owned was wonderful but ended up financially unsustainable. That being the case, I would rather be owned by a billionaire than a millionaire.
It is insane how many filthy rich people want a slice of the lower leagues now, though - L1 may end up much like the Champo where you have to swallow some ridiculous losses just to take part. So much I love about the game has gone.
Mixed feelings, to be honest. We have gone from being fan owned to billionaire owned in two steps, and as I see being fan owned as the best form of ownership, it is a bit of a wistful feeling to get so far away from it. We are a small club with a small fan base, so our main strength is the community feeling of connection and dressing room chemistry. The thought of losing some of that to go all Billy big balls is sad. I also don't really see the attraction, much as I love the club - we simply don't have the fanbase to have aspirations beyond perhaps getting promoted back to the Champo once more someday. I don't see the Premier League as something realistic even in the wildest dreams of someone willing to throw untold millions at it, given financial restrictions, and it would be a silly thing to attempt.
On the other hand, I think lower league football is a mess, and as I don't trust the government to sort it out properly with regulators, all I can hope for is to have a club to support. Being fan owned was wonderful but ended up financially unsustainable. That being the case, I would rather be owned by a billionaire than a millionaire.
It is insane how many filthy rich people want a slice of the lower leagues now, though - L1 may end up much like the Champo where you have to swallow some ridiculous losses just to take part. So much I love about the game has gone.
