Jordan Gardner praises Wrexham

[jasper_T]

I wouldn't be surprised if he's more enamoured with clubs that haven't flushed six/seven figures of his cash down the toilet since 2018. His current day job seems to be consulting on football investment so it makes more sense that he'd be talking about Wrexham's current success than Swansea's failure.

I suspect he doesn't recommend investing in Jason Levien to his clients.

 

[Neath_Jack]

The point stands. Gardner is more enamoured with other clubs than the one he has spent money on being linked and publicly linked himself too. Decision maker or not, pretty sure the clubs decision makers would answer his call - he's stated in his article he was in contact with Pearlman at least.

But he doesn't care, he'd rather fawn over a national league club.

Not sure why any Swans fan wouldn't care or at least be interested in this information. Those that aren't need not comment.

Or update us regularly on how they don't care of course.

Lol.

You take things way too seriously. It makes no difference to our club whether he ever mentions our clubs name, or steps foot in Swansea. None. Zero. Zilch.

But it’s something that the most miserable of swans fans can hitch their grizzle wagon onto. Outrage outrage outrage.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

I wouldn't be surprised if he's more enamoured with clubs that haven't flushed six/seven figures of his cash down the toilet since 2018. His current day job seems to be consulting on football investment so it makes more sense that he'd be talking about Wrexham's current success than Swansea's failure.

I suspect he doesn't recommend investing in Jason Levien to his clients.

They haven’t flushed much of his money down the toilet since 2018.

The only money Swansea Football have put in is the £5m convertible loan (now converted) which has generated 5% per annum. Given he will have a small percentage of Swansea Football LLC (he must have less than the c. 7% of the fund that would equate to 5% of the club otherwise he’d be on the board) his ‘share’ of the £5m will not be much. And we were in the championship when he put money in, so value will not have altered greatly.

Don’t disagree with the assessment of Levien’s performance though it doesn’t seem they recognise its faults.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

By the way, further to my earlier point about these people just seeing football as a.n.other money making opportunity, this is what ‘Jordan’ said in an interview:

“ Why football and football clubs are a good investment?

Football clubs are a good investments for a variety of reasons but mostly related to the ability to sell players at a profit, promote lower division clubs to higher divisions (adding operating income and increase the franchise valuations) and capturing the huge media rights revenues in various leagues.”

 

[jasper_T]

They haven’t flushed much of his money down the toilet since 2018.

The only money Swansea Football have put in is the £5m convertible loan (now converted) which has generated 5% per annum. Given he will have a small percentage of Swansea Football LLC (he must have less than the c. 7% of the fund that would equate to 5% of the club otherwise he’d be on the board) his ‘share’ of the £5m will not be much. And we were in the championship when he put money in, so value will not have altered greatly.

Don’t disagree with the assessment of Levien’s performance though it doesn’t seem they recognise its faults.

I had my years mixed up. Buying in after relegation won't have been as massive a blow to the value of his investment, whatever it was.

A group of his own investors bought 51% of Danish third tier FC Helsingor for ~£850k, and sold last year after one promotion. I don't think he's in the same financial league as even Reynolds and Mcelhenney let alone the main men of our ownership group.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

I had my years mixed up. Buying in after relegation won't have been as massive a blow to the value of his investment, whatever it was.

A group of his own investors bought 51% of Danish third tier FC Helsingor for ~£850k, and sold last year after one promotion. I don't think he's in the same financial league as even Reynolds and Mcelhenney let alone the main men of our ownership group.

I don’t think our main men are in the same financial league as Reynolds let alone Gardner…

 

[Chief]

One’s an active investment and the other is a passive investment. It really is completely different.

Swansea Football LLC have many shareholders or investors, each of whom indirectly ‘owns’ a bit of the club. But they leave it to the managing partners (Levien and Kaplan) to run their investment. Anyone with any significant number of shares in Swansea Football LLC (enough that gives them a stake equivalent to 5% in the club) are on the board of the club (there are two from memory in addition to Levien and Kaplan).

Plus Silverstein owns shares outside the Swansea Football LLC vehicle (as does the Trust).

The people who own shares in Swansea Football LLC can take an interest or not. Most seem to take very little interest. Some may not even really be aware of their investment as they may, in turn, have investment managers that have put the money in in the first place.

The whole ownership matter is opaque and there’s no way of knowing who has what (which is an argument I used many times regarding the Trust’s ability to enforce tag rights in a change of control situation at the holding company level). As a general point, American owners tend to swap and change sporting allegiance left, right and centre. It’s just money for them. It’s the way it’s set up.

Lol at the ‘our owners are not quite as famous as Ryan Reynolds’. No sh*t.

This Gardner chap is the one who's proclaimed himself '@swansofficial investor' and has done interviews implying he does have relationships with upper management. But then he pretends to be Manuel "I know naffin" and blocks everyone who mentions anything swans related to him. It's not a good look is it? Especially when he praises a different teams ownership style which is in stark contrast to the one at the club he's attached himself too.....

Don't downplay our Mindy. She's got a fair bit of stardom herself Holmes.

 

[Chief]

Lol.

You take things way too seriously. It makes no difference to our club whether he ever mentions our clubs name, or steps foot in Swansea. None. Zero. Zilch.

But it’s something that the most miserable of swans fans can hitch their grizzle wagon onto. Outrage outrage outrage.

Not sure what you class as outrage but I wouldn't say this it.... everyone I've spoken to about it just sort of giggles and shakes their head. To be blocked by him on twitter is now a game and a badge of honour.

Just people on a forum and on twitter etc discussing the club.

Can't wait until tomorrow's update for you tell us how much you don't care again. Or to tell us how much you don't care that other people do care.... all whilst not caring.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Not sure what you class as outrage but I wouldn't say this it.... everyone I've spoken to about it just sort of giggles and shakes their head. To be blocked by him on twitter is now a game and a badge of honour.

Just people on a forum and on twitter etc discussing the club.

Can't wait until tomorrow's update for you tell us how much you don't care again. Or to tell us how much you don't care that other people do care.... all whilst not caring.

If I remember, I'll be sure to update you, couldn't guarantee it though.

I will repeat, it won't make a bit of difference whether this bloke ever mentions the clubs name, absolutely nothing. It also makes no difference if he writes about Wrexham, Port Vale or Plough Rangers. A complete and utter nothing story, again.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

This Gardner chap is the one who's proclaimed himself '@swansofficial investor' and has done interviews implying he does have relationships with upper management. But then he pretends to be Manuel "I know naffin" and blocks everyone who mentions anything swans related to him. It's not a good look is it? Especially when he praises a different teams ownership style which is in stark contrast to the one at the club he's attached himself too.....

Don't downplay our Mindy. She's got a fair bit of stardom herself Holmes.

That’s because it’s his job - consultant for European Football investment. Of course he has relationships with Levien and Kaplan. He’s been at our games a few times from memory. But it’s just a small financial investment. Nothing more.

As for the ‘our Mindy’ bit, we will be one of hundreds of investments she has in all sorts of things. She owns about 1% of the club apparently. So worth about £400k at the most recent valuation. She probably made more than that every few episodes she did of the Office.

 

[DJack]

I've got Ryan Reynolds in this years deadpool...



*grabs coat and leaves*

 

[Chief]

If I remember, I'll be sure to update you, couldn't guarantee it though.

I will repeat, it won't make a bit of difference whether this bloke ever mentions the clubs name, absolutely nothing. It also makes no difference if he writes about Wrexham, Port Vale or Plough Rangers. A complete and utter nothing story, again.

I never actually said it would make any difference. His actions are just a pisstake. Writing articles praising a different club for doing things that our fans identify as actions that would be great for the club he is involved in the ownership is rather misguided.

The publicity, exposure opportunities that our other ownership group members are not taking advantage of was a point not aimed at this guy.

But you'll take time out of your day to express and confirm how much you don't care no doubt.

 

[Chief]

That’s because it’s his job - consultant for European Football investment. Of course he has relationships with Levien and Kaplan. He’s been at our games a few times from memory. But it’s just a small financial investment. Nothing more.

As for the ‘our Mindy’ bit, we will be one of hundreds of investments she has in all sorts of things. She owns about 1% of the club apparently. So worth about £400k at the most recent valuation. She probably made more than that every few episodes she did of the Office.

Yet he doesn't seem to want to use his expertise as a consultant to aid his albeit small stake in the club he has. Same for our Mindy.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Yet he doesn't seem to want to use his expertise as a consultant to aid his albeit small stake in the club he has. Same for our Mindy.

I don’t imagine he has much expertise to be honest.

But I suspect that what this really boils down to is that Wrexham have loads of publicity because one of the biggest movie stars in the world owns them and you’re miffed that a B list movie star who has a tiny stake in us via an arms-length investment vehicle doesn’t talk about us all the time. Not that it would have any practical effect but we would be mentioned by a ‘famous person’ which some people seem to get incredibly excited about for reasons unknown.

If Julia Roberts buys us and spends several Saturdays every year sitting in the West Stand wearing a Swans shirt and talking about her love of Low Cost Vans it would be something to get excited about, until then I’m not going to care much about it.

This lot are dreadful owners, not because they don’t throw money at us, but because they are utterly apathetic, have been unable after 5 seasons to get our house in order financially and appear to have absolutely no idea what they are doing, on or off the pitch. Someone in any way connected with them bleating about how much they love us would, to be honest, get me far more annoyed than them never mentioning us.

 

[Mount St Helens]

I don’t imagine he has much expertise to be honest.

But I suspect that what this really boils down to is that Wrexham have loads of publicity because one of the biggest movie stars in the world owns them and you’re miffed that a B list movie star who has a tiny stake in us via an arms-length investment vehicle doesn’t talk about us all the time. Not that it would have any practical effect but we would be mentioned by a ‘famous person’ which some people seem to get incredibly excited about for reasons unknown.

If Julia Roberts buys us and spends several Saturdays every year sitting in the West Stand wearing a Swans shirt and talking about her love of Low Cost Vans it would be something to get excited about, until then I’m not going to care much about it.

This lot are dreadful owners, not because they don’t throw money at us, but because they are utterly apathetic, have been unable after 5 seasons to get our house in order financially and appear to have absolutely no idea what they are doing, on or off the pitch. Someone in any way connected with them bleating about how much they love us would, to be honest, get me far more annoyed than them never mentioning us.

Sadly,it seems we are powerless, as mere fans ,to simply accept the reality and that is they seem disinclined to sell and get out,which most of us want. The greatest concern must be to whom they sell the club.
I would have thought we are a fairly attractive purchasing prospect and it’s worrying that nobody ,it would appear,has appeared on the horizon to take us on.

Frankly I believe we sell ourselves short.