All these foreign investors worries me

I don't know about anyone else but I am worried about football clubs in this country with all the foreign investment coming in.

I think the heart of all this is Sky TV. Don't get me wrong, I have Sky and I love spending my Sunday afternoons in front of the 2 games nursing a hangover. But, if it wasn't for Sky, I don't think we would have this overseas investment. Look at Germany, with the crowds they get being higher than the Premiership/CCC, they are probably as good a league to invest in as ours. The similarities between the Bundesliga and the Premiership is uncanny, as is the demographic and character of the English/Welsh and German support. Due to the influx of top overseas players, though, the quality of the football over here is higher, and this is reflected in the Champions League.

However, if it wasn't for the Sky money and the greed of the club chairmen (look at Gartside and his plans for a Premiership 2 with no relegation, just as he sees the possibility of his club being relegated. Shocking stuff from the greediest of the greedy), we would possibly have the same standard of competition as Germany, with probably Spain and Italy being the main leagues with the highest quality players there, as it was before the emergence and subsequent dominance of the Premiership. Sky jumped on the bandwagon with football, which had found a renaissance after the 1990 World Cup, unlike other sports such as rugby league and cricket, 2 sports which it has breathed life into and stopped from dying.

But what if these foreigh investors decide that enough is enough and they're not making enough money out of football and decide to move on to other sports? Or investment opportunities, as we probably are to them. These people are not like Jack Walker. Or Jack Hayward. They haven't been born into the clubs they invest in. Jack Walker left a genuine legacy at Blackburn when he passed away. The club is currently run by the Jack Walker Trust, an organisation that genuinely has the club at heart. But what of the other clubs? These people will have no hesitation in taking out everything they have put in (and more) and leaving the clubs decimated by the crippling debts they will incur. It could be the death knell for many of our top clubs. So, who knows, maybe this would be the opportunity City need to get to the top?

As far as I am aware, the investment from the Malaysians in City will not be a full takeover (yet), so maybe we are in a different boat on this score. But some of this has got to be a little worrying as the banks that clubs are in debt to haven't called in these debts yet. Yet. But, if City are subject to a full Malaysian takeover in the future, what is the future for us? And, remember what capacity Ridsdale was brought into the club by Sam. Ridsdale saw that Sam was making a complete balls-up and decided to completely rid the club of him (or at least try). Could the Malaysians, at a future date, do the same with Ridsdale? Certainly the parallels are there.

What do other people think?

Going to have to wait and see.

I have spent time in the Middle East and know the passion for football out there. All the locals supported a British club and were quite knowledgable about them. It came as no surprise to me that these Arabic guys are buying our clubs.

Regarding Asia the support for British football is on a par to the Arab countires. However to us supporters this Dato chap has come from nowhere so we are going to have to wait and see what he comes up with. Basically we are putting our trust in Ridsdale to come up with the right investor/new owner.