West Bromwich Albion takeover – major development

WEST Bromwich Albion could be under new ownership by the end of the month, the football club has confirmed.

In a statement, the club’s chairman Jeremy Peace said the Premier League club had granted exclusivity to a single party interested in the purchase of West Bromwich Albion Holdings Ltd.

The identity of the bidder has not been disclosed but it is understood it may be an as yet, unnamed Chinese consortium.

The club said the deal had followed discussions with several interested parties in the wake of Peace’s decision earlier this year to consider strategic options for the future development and legacy of the football club.

“This process should be completed by the end of this month and in the meantime, the club wishes to assure supporters preparations for the new season will remain unaffected,” said a statement on the club’s Facebook page.

“The chairman, head coach Tony Pulis, chief executive Mark Jenkins and Richard Garlick, the director of football administration, have met to discuss and progress future transfer targets.

“They remain in constant dialogue over the re-shaping of the first-team squad for the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League campaign.”

A clue to the origins of the bidder may have come from the new kit deal, announced by the club just days ago.

It has signed a deal with Asian betting company TLCBET, which will be the club’s principal partner for the 2015-16 Premier League season.

TLCBET is a leading Asian gaming operator offering online sports betting and casino games. The brand has enjoyed a strong following in China and is widely commended for being innovative in adopting “out of the box” marketing strategies in their customer engagement.

Apart from the bilingual shirt branding, the deal extends to a wide range of activities and rights, all aimed strategically to propel the awareness of TLCBET and Albion in key markets.

Adrian Wright, Albion’s sales and marketing director, said: “We welcome TLCBET to the partner family. Our quest to secure the right partner to align with the club’s aspirations for global brand recognition was very important; it was clear from the outset of our talks that TLCBET experience and reach in Asia will assist the club in being able to deliver these objectives.”

Mike Chong, brand director of TLCBET said: “Following our success in the Far East, this deal amplifies our ambitions to put the TLCBET brand onto the global stage.  This collaboration will be mutually beneficial and we are confident that we can help promote West Bromwich Albion to our customers in China.”

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