Leeds Weigh £60m Ezra Bid

Feb 05, 2004

LEEDS United Football Club yesterday confirmed they were in contact with Ugandan tycoon Michael Ezra over the latter’s bid to buy the English Premiership club.

BY VISION REPORTER
LEEDS United Football Club yesterday confirmed they were in contact with Ugandan tycoon Michael Ezra over the latter’s bid to buy the English Premiership club.
Sunday Vision exclusively revealed last week that the businessman was interested in buying the club currently at the bottom of the English Premiership table.
When The New Vision called Leeds United last night for an official comment, the Financial Director of the club, Neil Robson, said they (Leeds) were corresponding with Ezra (picture right).
“I know Michael Ezra and we are in correspondence with him over his interest in buying Leeds United. There are a few things we want him to tell us but unfortunately he has not gotten back to us,” Neil said.
“We are investigating his interest in the club. We are still trying to find out a few things about Ezra” Neil said.
He could not however confirm if the figure Ezra had placed was 60 million pounds sterling (sh208bn) as earlier reported.
Leeds need over £100m to settle debts. “All I can say now is Leeds is in correspondence with Ezra. That’s as far as I can say now,” Neil retorted.
Neil was however very inquisitive as well: “But is there any information you can give me about Ezra because we are trying to find out a few things?”
“By the way, have you spoken to Ezra himself?”
A source last week told Sunday Vision that Ezra was among several bidders who want to rescue the financially troubled Leeds FC.
They also risk relegation to the first division as they are seated at the bottom of the table. A Sheikh Abdulrahaman bin Mubarak al-Khalifa and a Yorkshire consortium are some of the other bidders for the debt-ridden side.
The latter’s credentials have recently been questioned while the Yorkshire group are said to be willing to take over Leeds at £20m.
The owners were due to sell the club on January 31 but they extended the sale to February 6 as they look for money to run the club until the end of the season.
Businessman Ezra came onto the sports scene last year by sponsoring the national junior athletics team to the World cross country championships in Lausanne in Switzerland. He formed a track team and moved to sponsoring boxing and USPA.
Ends

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