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Yallop: Town Couldn't Be in Better Hands If Takeover Goes Through
Saturday, 6th Mar 2021 08:51

Former Town full-back Frank Yallop says he’s excited by the prospect of the owners of Phoenix Rising, where he was head coach and president of soccer operations between 2015 and 2017, potentially taking ownership of the Blues.

Canadian international Yallop, 56, was with Town between 1983 and 1996, making 349 starts and 35 sub appearances, scoring eight times.

He worked alongside Brett Johnson and Berke Bakay, two of the directors of Gamechanger 20 Ltd, the company set up by the consortium which is aiming to buy the Blues in a £30 million deal, during USL side Phoenix Rising’s transition from its previous incarnation as Arizona United.

“Ipswich needs a fresh impetus and a boost, and I think that if we can get someone to take over […] it’ll be wonderful,” Yallop, now the sporting director of another USL club, Monterey Bay, told From The Ashes.

“I think the club couldn’t be in better hands if the rumours are true and it goes through with the group with Brett and Berke, so I’m very excited.”

Yallop, who says he’s “Ipswich through and though”, added: “I think them doing the Phoenix Rising project only bodes well for them.

“If you think what they’ve done in three, four, four-and-a-half years, it’s amazing with Phoenix Rising.

“I’d like to think it’s going to be a bit quicker if they do work out going to Ipswich, and get us up, but sometimes these things do take time to get in and figure it out.”

As reported earlier in the week, Gamechanger 20 has made priority Land Registry searches relating to the purchase of the Blues’ training ground with the takeover having progressed to the EFL for their ratification.


Photo: TWTD



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Suffolkboy added 09:05 - Mar 6
Smoke keeps on rising ! COYB
1

atty added 09:08 - Mar 6
“ Progressed to the EFL for ratification”, first time lve heard that! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
1

CokeIsKey added 09:10 - Mar 6
So if the takeover is being approved by the efl for ratification, if the approval goes through is the takeover complete? Or could there still be some negotiating on the final details?
0

Sparky85 added 09:16 - Mar 6
Oh Frank, you tease!

You've just made this so much worse if it doesn't go through 🤣
2

dirtydingusmagee added 09:17 - Mar 6
is it ,isnt it,will it wont ,will he wont he,? i thought it was a dead duck , perhaps theres still a pulse !
0

stopmoaning added 09:30 - Mar 6
I said it a while back before the takeover stuff came out, but I'd like Yallop back at Town.
2

slade1 added 09:33 - Mar 6
A thumbs up from super Frank about the takeover is something positive and good to hear.
2

Chrisd added 09:51 - Mar 6
‘IF' is the concerning word there.
0

Bluearmy_81 added 10:08 - Mar 6
And couldn't be in worse hands if Evans stays. The last 14 years and in particular the last 3 are evidence of that. This is massive for the future of ITFC.
3

DoseOfReality added 10:17 - Mar 6
So Marcus Evans if you really have clubs best interest at heart you will get the deal done.

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
2

WeWereZombies added 10:26 - Mar 6
@Bluearmy_81 Actually, much as I dislike what the club have become under Marcus Evans, it could be much worse. Think Owen Oysten or Steve Dale...
4

FreddySteady added 10:31 - Mar 6
I think this is positive stuff! Must say, I didn't realise Super Frank played so many games for us though.
0

BeattiesBackPocket added 10:34 - Mar 6
Wewerezombies the club could also be well run like Norwich, Brentford, Bournemouth etc all clubs smaller with less money doing miles better
3

MonkeyAlan added 10:53 - Mar 6
Wewerezombies: Sometimes you have to take a chance. We are going nowhere with Evans. Let's try something different. If it fails it's no worse than what is happening now. Because we are failing under Evans. And it's only going to get worse. May as well try under a new owner, if it goes wrong least we will have tried. Instead of doing nothing and watching the club die as it is now anyway.
4

Monkey_Blue added 10:58 - Mar 6
@Bluearmy_81 yeah, hate it when owners don't put in well over £100m to keep the club stable and then be prepared to walk away from most of that cash. Some absolute drivel talked on here about Evans. As much as I'll be fingers crossed if these yanks do take over I think Frank might be a bit out of touch. US sport doesn't have much regard for tradition, or fans, only cash. Teams up and move states all the time and local cities compete to build new stadiums. What works in the US wouldn't work here.
4

itsonlyme added 10:59 - Mar 6
Isn't it great to hear an ex player say he's Ipswich through and through! We still remember your fantastic goals for us frank. Here's hoping for that takeover but won't hold our breath.
3

Monkey_Blue added 11:03 - Mar 6
MonkeyAlan- it could be a hell of a lot worse or haven't you noticed how badly some of these takeovers turn out? You'd be longing for top half of League One if we were in administration and bottom half of League Two. No takeover ever happens with the participants not promising great things but a lot end up leaving a club battered.
4

Ipswichbusiness added 11:12 - Mar 6
According to LinkedIn:

“Mr. Johnson is a Founder and Partner of Fortuitous Partners (www.fortuitouspartners.com), a diversified opportunity fund platform investing in professional sports anchored multi-asset developments in opportunity zones. Mr. Johnsonis the Co-Chairman of the Phoenix Rising Football Club (www.phxrisingfc.com), a professional soccer [sic] team, based in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2005, Mr. Johnson founded Benevolent Capital (www.benevolentcapital.com), a private equity fund with investments in real estate, manufacturing and consumer brands, including Phoenix Rising FC, Octagon Partners, ArcherDX, Terracycle, and NYC Office Suites.”

Now all we need to do is to find someone capable of turning the phrase “diversified opportunity fund platform investing in professional sports anchored multi-asset developments in opportunity zones” into comprehensible English.
2

Ipswichbusiness added 11:26 - Mar 6
The Fortuitous Partners website writes of real estate and tax breaks.

The Benevolent Capital one, under the heading “Sports Franchises”, says, “whether it's investing in an affiliated corporation, ETF, minor league team or the next round of Packers financing, investing in a sports team could be a fun and unique way to diversify your portfolio.”

No, I haven't got a clue what “Packers financing” is either.
0

Monkey_Blue added 11:28 - Mar 6
What it means is these guys want to make money for investors. Anyone who knows about investment funds knows that they only get sentimental about profits. Anyone who knows anything about English football knows you lose money unless you get to the premiership and stay there. These guys won't stick around for the good of the club if throwing some cash at it doesn't work quickly. Who wants to then buy a league one or championship club with an oversized wage bill? It's easy to see how clubs sold to people who just want a profit spiral down. Can you name all the league one and two clubs who've been in the premiership far more recently than us? There are quite a few.
2

runningout added 11:38 - Mar 6
Some need to calm down and wait. If takeover goes through it goes through. If not so be it. Surely people must realise it's silly to go OTT. We don't require Frank Yallop in all respects, not sure what though process goes on in some places
3

Bert added 11:38 - Mar 6
I would like to think that Frank has a rounded view of our possible new owner and the intentions of investors. As others have said, investors want a return whereas supporters want an emotional investor as well as their money. We have a lot to thank Evans for when compared to many other clubs but it is clear that he will only invest limited funds so on balance, but with some reservations, now is the right time for Evans to sell to a credible buyer.
2

gosblue added 11:42 - Mar 6
It really looks like this is going to happen. I imagine one stumbling block would have been Lambert's lengthy contract. Evans may have taken a hit on that to get things moving. There are rules about how much interested parties are allowed to say publicly during a takeover. No matter what we think of this potential takeover, there has to be a change. We simply can't keep going the way we have. I also think the problems started well before Evans took over.
I think ‘Packers financing' may relate to The Green Bay Packers. I could be wrong.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 11:48 - Mar 6
as Beattiesbackpocket said look at the likes of Norwich, theyve been up down and around the block they look certain to bounce back to prem again, they [like it or not] have owners that DO care, and have pride and passion, ,We used to be like that, The Pride of East Anglia, Norwich were in our shadow,Look how things have changed since Evans took over, and our record against them . They are way ahead of us now in all respects. Its a bitter pill ,but its a fact .
4

midastouch added 11:58 - Mar 6
Crash, Bang, Yallop:
3


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