Aye lads and lasses, earlier today (June 22nd 2022 at the time of recording) the club released the following statement:

"Sunderland AFC today announces that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has increased his ownership stake in the Club to 51%.

In parallel, Juan Sartori has increased his stake to 30%.

Governance remains unchanged.

The shares have been acquired through the purchase of shares held by Charlie Methven, who has sold all of his shares, and Stewart Donald, who has sold down his stake to 19%."

Followed shortly by this statement from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus himself, alongside Juan Sartori:

“Today marks an important step as we continue to rebuild Sunderland AFC. Following the 2021-22 season, it was the intention of Juan and I to ensure the ongoing speculation relating to the Club’s shareholding was addressed as soon as possible. Our ownership group has been consolidated and there will be no further sale of shares to a third-party buyer. We remain committed to our strategy of delivering long-term success and sustainability and together, alongside our dedicated staff and loyal supporters, I believe we can now move forward as one unified football club.”

So our Rich, Gav and Chris sat down to: discuss what all this means - speculate on what went on behind the scenes to get this deal sorted - wonder at the motivations of all parties - ponder Charlie Methven's legacy at the club and whether he'll actually let SAFC fans get the final word - revel in the increasingly silent aspect of former owner Stewart Donald's silent partnership and decreased shareholding - look at the lowering of risk, dependence and liability for the ownership group - generally share their feelings on the past few weeks/months/years of uncertainty, and look forward to Sunderland's immediate and long-term future without further ownership distraction.

We'll be back soon with actual footy chat! Honest...

Hawaaaaaaay the lads!

#SAFC #EFLChampionship #KLD #EFL

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.