South East Millionaire Favourite To Take Over

[Quintrell Green]

He obviously knows a lot re. hotels but the hospitality industry is not actually 'flying' at the moment with occupancy rates especially outside London taking a knock. The Brent family originate from North Devon. I know well their Cornish hotel the Carlyon Bay Hotel near St Austell, which is 4 Star as is The Saunton Sands Hotel near the beach and golf course of the same name in North Devon.
At this moment, I would have thought Plymouth adequately covered by suitable hotels, so I would not put mega bucks on Mr Brent. Time will tell, though.

That's the BrenD family QG...different gang altogether.

Thanks CW for clearing that up. I suppose it must be the DT's clicking in!

 

[The Doctor]

Perfect fit to the clues. He could easily be the potential buyer introduced to Ridsdale by the City Council. He has bought a business out of Administration. He has a local link.

 

[X Isle]

He got into the banking game very early.....

Never to early to start banking Frank :wink:.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Pinched from myself.

Who is James Brent? Is he the investor reportedly introduced by Plymouth Council to the administrator Brendan Guilfoyle?

Brent lives in North Devon and worked as Chairman on the Plymouth City Development Company.
He has also been the Head of Real Estate at Citibank, a group closely linked with new acting Argyle Chairman Peter Ridsdale.
Citibank, in partnership with Ridsdale, have been linked with take over bids at Hull City, Cardiff City and Charlton.

Brent formed investment business the Akkeron Group in 2008 followed by the launch of Akkeron Hotels a year later with the aim of building a portfolio of 150 top class hotels across the UK.
Akkeron rescued the failing Folio group of hotels in 2009, with Akkeron's latest purchase being the Royal Cambridge Hotel which was bought for £60 million last month.

The Akkeron Group strategy is to combine its corporate finance, financing and real estate expertise with 'best in class' operating teams to drive value from real estate-anchored operating businesses.
Akkeron's key area of activity and redevelopment is in the South West.

Brent is also a member on the governing body for the Drake Foundation, a Plymouth charity that supports community projects through funding and grants.
There's also speculation that he has expressed an interest in the Plymouth Pavilions.

Brent doesn't appear to be an Argyle fan but could be interested in buying the club if a property development scheme is permitted by the Plymouth Council with the Restrictive Convenant already allowing a hotel to be built within the Home Park footprint with the Council possibly giving a concession for a music venue in Central Park to replace the Pavilions.

 

[bandwagon]

Pinched from myself.

Who is James Brent? Is he the investor reportedly introduced by Plymouth Council to the administrator Brendan Guilfoyle?

Brent lives in North Devon and worked as Chairman on the Plymouth City Development Company.
He has also been the Head of Real Estate at Citibank, a group closely linked with new acting Argyle Chairman Peter Ridsdale.
Citibank, in partnership with Ridsdale, have been linked with take over bids at Hull City, Cardiff City and Charlton.

Brent formed investment business the Akkeron Group in 2008 followed by the launch of Akkeron Hotels a year later with the aim of building a portfolio of 150 top class hotels across the UK.
Akkeron rescued the failing Folio group of hotels in 2009, with Akkeron's latest purchase being the Royal Cambridge Hotel which was bought for £60 million last month.

The Akkeron Group strategy is to combine its corporate finance, financing and real estate expertise with 'best in class' operating teams to drive value from real estate-anchored operating businesses.
Akkeron's key area of activity and redevelopment is in the South West.

Brent is also a member on the governing body for the Drake Foundation, a Plymouth charity that supports community projects through funding and grants.
There's also speculation that he has expressed an interest in the Plymouth Pavilions.

Brent doesn't appear to be an Argyle fan but could be interested in buying the club if a property development scheme is permitted by the Plymouth Council with the Restrictive Convenant already allowing a hotel to be built within the Home Park footprint with the Council possibly giving a concession for a music venue in Central Park to replace the Pavilions.

Got to say, that is the most plausible candidate so far!!

 

[PL2 3DQ]

It's looking like JB but someone is looking to return.

 

[pilgrim_pete]

Hmm, I agree PL2.

And I think it'll be Stapleton and the Riddler on the football side, with property developers providing the cash.

 

[Marlin]

It's looking like JB but someone is looking to return.

There is only one of the malignant 7 who has the ego and arrogance to even think about a return. Quite staggering but it says so much about him.

 

[Frank Butcher]

It's looking like JB but someone is looking to return.

Picture here

I know about books and covers and all that, but he certainly looks the calm and considered type.

 

[Tewkesbury Green]

It's looking like JB but someone is looking to return.

Picture here

I know about books and covers and all that, but he certainly looks the calm and considered type.

I believe that's the same James Brent who was involved with the failed City Development Company (CDC) ?

 

[Mark Colling]

It's looking like JB but someone is looking to return.

Picture here

I know about books and covers and all that, but he certainly looks the calm and considered type.

I believe that's the same James Brent who was involved with the failed City Development Company (CDC) ?

Yes, it is

 

[The Doctor]

James Brent is certainly a very interesting potential candidate to take over the club because he ticks so many of the right boxes. The key one he doesn't tick though is any obvious interest in football but I guess that is where Peter Ridsdale would come in. The idea of someone returning is difficult - I would have thought that it is pretty obvious that if any of the immediately previous Board were to be involved again there would be significant negative issues which surely a new purchaser would not want to have to manage. They would only do so if there was significant benefit to gain from doing so and I can't see what significant benefit Paul Stapleton (or for that matter any of the others) would bring to someone like James Brent. Phill Gill is the most interesting past name to ponder I reckon. His background is in real estate, and it was he who had a step-by-step (cheap and in stages) plan to develop the south side of Home Park which was ignored by the others. Whoever buys into Argyle now is, at some point in the future, going to need to develop the rest of the ground and having someone on board who is already spinning ideas on this might be useful.

 

[warney]

It would be good to have at least one "fan" on the board, although if that was PS I think the negatives would outweigh the positives! I'd rather not have the club run entirely by people who have no emotional connection with Argyle, or with the city for that matter. Best scenraio would be if someone like Nic Warren or Phil Gill could be pursuaded to come back on board, but that's unlikely I'd have thought.

 

[ealinggreen]

666 :evil: :evil:

 

[Kevin Ball]

It's looking like JB but someone is looking to return.

It's Todd & Co but I think their expression of interest is all about keeping an eye on the facts 'n figures coming from Brenda, particularly in respect of the Mastpoint/Gardner secured loans.