Laurence Bassini gives an astonishing interview with talkSPORT presenters on his hopes of buying Birmingham City ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The prospective Birmingham City owner Laurence Bassini has been described as ‘an odd one’ by talkSPORT host Simon Jordan, after a must-listen interview in which he outlined his plans for the Championship club, which you can see below word or by video.
The Blues’ largest shareholder, Vong Pech, revealed the sale of his 21.64 per cent stake in the Midlands outfit, but hasn’t revealed who to, raising a lot of questions that need answering.
Bassini called talkSPORT saying that he expects his purchase of the Blues to go through in the coming days, and all this comes despite previously having a three-year ban from football, and twice being declared bankrupt.
✅ How he is buying Birmingham
✅ The future of Lee Bowyer
✅ Transfer targets & stadium changes
✅ The make-up of his board
✅ Proving people wrongLaurence Bassini called talkSPORT to discuss his hopes of buying #BCFC.
This interview has to be heard… 😳 pic.twitter.com/hmVdpl3vZ7
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) June 15, 2022
Bassini: People say a lot of things and a lot of things have been said that are untrue. This morning I’ve had a call because I’ve been told that the Birmingham fans, which are very nervous and obviously they read what goes on in the media and they only read, read and only know what they read and what they’re told, and I want to correct that.
Jim White: So what do you want to say to the Birmingham fans? Are you going to be the next owner of Birmingham City?
Bassini: I hope so. We’ve exchanged contracts on Sunday night, so we signed. So hopefully, providing there’s no problem with the stock market in Hong Kong and that there’s an issue with a majority shareholder, so we don’t know what the situation is with him at the moment.
Jim White: Okay, but clear on what you want to say to the Birmingham fans. Lawrence, what do you want to say to the fans?
Bassini: I do. Right. I’d like them. There will be a conference, a Press conference called, where I will be producing all the things that went on in the past at Watford. We produced stuff that went on at Bolton that will show quite clearly all the skullduggery. More so to anything. It is very true that I did serve a three year ban, where I was accused of dishonesty and lying.
Jim White: So to bear that you’re out to clear your name so that the Birmingham fans can accept you as the next rightful owner of the football club.
Bassini: It’s not a case of that, let me tell you. I’ve got builders that have gone in there today and designers to look at the lower tiers with Craig Gardner, who’s the technical director there, and to the changing room’s ground, which is a state. I’m going to try and go back to Cap one. I’m also looking right now a player, Kido Taylor, which is…
Simon Jordan: Laurence, is great. It beggars belief. I don’t know why you want to come on and say these things, but you seem to want to move. I really don’t understand it, but this is your gift. You do what you want. But as far as Birmingham is concerned, why do you want to buy Birmingham? You didn’t have the greatest experience at Watford.
Bassini: I’m only going to comeback to football for three years. Win or lose or go up. I will leave football forever.
Simon Jordan: You will not have that luxury law. As I said, as you well know, you can’t plan your exit on day one.
Bassini: No, what I’m saying is, if I should complete on this club, should it all go through and complete, I will only stay in it for three years. Right. Win or lose or go up. But one thing I can tell you, right, I’ll be better than the regime that are there.
Simon Jordan: “That’s fine. But that’s no bar launch. That’s not much of an encouragement, is it?
Bassini: Hang on a second. Hang on. For five years, that club has been running to the ground. It is in a place of disarray at the moment. I mean, it is absolutely a mess. Right. If that club gets infrastructure and you change the management going in and you change what’s going in in the back room as well and all the things that are going on, that club…
Simon Jordan: Are you going to go on the board? Are you going on the board, Lawrence?
Bassini: No, I won’t go on the board.
Simon Jordan: Okay. Is it Sullivan’s money?
Bassini: Some of it’s Sullivan’s money, some of it’s my money.
Simon Jordan: What’s he securing it against the Stadium and some of the bits and Bobs.
Bassini: The answer to that is you’d have to ask David.
Simon Jordan: No, I’m asking you because you’re the one taking the money. You must know the conditions of it. Who are you going to bring in then, Lawrence? If you’re going to sit back there as the beneficial owner, who are you going to put in to run this football club?
Bassini: Right. There is one of the people. There’s going to be two joint chairman, which are senior football people that have very…
Simon Jordan: Please don’t tell me you’re going to bring Keith Harris in.
Bassini: I’m not saying who I’m bringing in.
Simon Jordan: That would be an interesting announcement.
Bassini: I won’t do that. I will name the board at a Press conference. Right. Where they’ll all be there. There is a woman that will be vice chairman. That’s a highly respected person, very highly respected and has a good knowledge of football. So she would become vice chairman. Obviously, there’ll be two joint chairmen. There will be a CEO with very fast experience.
Simon Jordan: How much funding do you make available for Birmingham to overturn their challenges.
Bassini: After we buy it? For the 35 million. About 30 million. We have a plan. We think the first season will struggle, but we hope to be playing in the top six or the top ten in the first season.
Simon Jordan: Do you think of Lee Bowyer, Lawrence?
Bassini: I don’t think anything of Lee Bowyer because I don’t know Lee.
Another talkSPORT pundit: So who are you bringing as manager then?
Bassini: I can’t answer that. I can’t answer what’s going to be changed there if there is going to be a change.
Another talkSPORT pundit: Are you not in charge, though?
Simon Jordan: Why are you buying it, Lawrence? I don’t understand why you’re buying it.
Bassini: Because I love football.
Simon Jordan: You just told me how miserable, divisive businesses. And we both know that to be true at times. So why do you want to go back into it?
Bassini: Because I love football and I will go into football one last time to prove that I can do what I say I’m going to do.
Simon Jordan: To prove to whom? To yourself?
Bassini: No, to myself. More to myself and also to the people out there that had a lot of things to say about me.
Jim White: It’s mostly funded by Sullivan. You’re going to put in a few million of your own.
Bassini: Er, 10 million.
Jim White: 10 million?
Simon Jordan: On what condition? Lawrence, are you putting that money in? Because you want to come on, you’re going to get asked these questions.
Bassini: I’ll answer that I have shares and what I’m going to do is I’m borrowing 10 million against my shares.
Simon Jordan: You’re going to be the controlling influence over this business, launch, how are you going to get past the fit and proper owners test when you are the controlling influence?
Bassini: I’m going to answer that. Why shouldn’t I have got no criminal convictions right? I will appear with a bank statement with the money to show I’ve got the money.
Jim White: When will the announcement come that you will be the new owner of Birmingham City? When can we expect to see this in print?
Bassini: At the moment they’re working out a completion date, but I would have said within days.
SEE MORE: Birmingham fans amusing chant as X-rated Laurence Bassini video resurfaces
Fans reacted as Bassini gives a rather astonishing interview with talkSPORT on hopes of buying Birmingham…
@luke_bwfc: Why have you given him airtime again
@costahammer: Good grief, I don’t envy Birmingham fans … Yikes!!
@dan_maye2: We are fucked
@NorthBSHA: This is gonna be fun for us
@DecDavis_: There’s genuinely no part of this interview that I listen to and think yeah okay this could work. Simon’s asking him very simple questions and Bassini doesn’t have a clue. Even if he is just a face for Sullivan, this is still a huge risk
@TonyMaddams: Complete car crash of an interview, hope the people behind him are better #KRO
@JHickkkk: So basically he is just gonna be the face for 3 years and then Sullivan and gold will take full control once they they sell West Ham with Brady on board thats my take
@Paddy_Baller: Fucking love Simon Jordan 100% sense and facts 👏🏼
@Jackk_161: Worrying times, sounds like a complete chancer 😶
@oftenpartizan: By the way I generally don’t like Simon Jordan but he’s gone up in my estimation. Some very quick fire questions there and nailed on point. 👏👏👏
@aet060585: Where’s he getting the 30 million for us to spend 🤷🏻♂️😂
@MikeJabBCFC: How have we never been on @netflix or @PrimeVideo?
@rickwhufc: Wow if that man’s gonna be in charge of your club, good luck Birmingham fans! Jeez 🤦🏻♂️ This is a set up for Sullivans out from #WestHam when he can sell for no penalty in 2023, expect Sullivan to be back in charge of Birmingham within 2 years
@_Symmo: The “changing room ground”. Certainly sounds like a man who knows his football 👀
@AJ3point0: This does not sound good for Birmingham City. And I’m here for it 😊
@GPDecorating: That all sounds fair and competent, I’m sure the Blues fans will be happy after hearing that interview that all is going right for them 😄
@Landon1874: Is this a comedian?…….
@cbluetyler: Thanks for digging into this, this is all just a vanity project for this guy! I’ll put £10 million of my own money in to push him out. I’ll go in with Sully myself… (have I got 10 big bags? No. But neither has he I’ll get one of our lads to knock me up a fake bank statement
https://t.co/WE6lqL1YYy trust me it’s worse
— Niall (@Niall_Burke26) June 15, 2022
— Luke Abbiss (@flabbiss) June 15, 2022
Proving people wrong. And planning for his exit in three years time before he’s even taken over. I will never understand why anyone with a lot of money uses this man as a front man. pic.twitter.com/4LSFXShhPv
— Kieren Rees (@kieren_rees) June 15, 2022
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