Peter Ridsdale on Preston North End takeover interest

Lancashire Post

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00:00Has there been any, I know you're always really open about interest in the club,

00:03potential takeovers and things, has there been any change of circumstance with that?

00:08Any talks, any interest?

00:12Yes, funnily enough, two things have happened this summer which have elevated our profile,

00:19which have awoken interest without being able to say there's anything definitive at the moment.

00:26One is the Liverpool match where we got plaudits from around the world

00:31as to how we handled a very, very sad occasion.

00:35And suddenly people were talking to us and talking about Preston North End.

00:40And probably not surprising to you, but surprising maybe to me,

00:44the sponsorship deal with Spud Brothers has also elevated our profile

00:50and people started to ask questions about Preston North End and the way it's run

00:55and who we are, et cetera.

00:57So you could probably ask me on any day of the week, are we talking to people?

01:03And most of the year I'd say, yeah, the last week or two, yes.

01:08If you ask me today, I'd say for the first time there have been people

01:12raising their heads above the parapet who, for once, may well lead to something.

01:19But I'm not going to suggest we're down the line.

01:22All we've done is answer the phone at the moment.

01:23But they sound more credible than in the past.

01:26And as I want to reiterate, Craig and the family made it absolutely clear

01:32that for the right custodians, there's a deal to be done.

01:38It's not about the price for the club.

01:40It's about who, because we're very proud of where we've got to,

01:44despite a lot of people criticising a supposed lack of ambition,

01:48which I think is totally unfair on Craig and the family,

01:51how much they're putting in every year.

01:55But if somebody comes along and suggests and shows that they've got the ability

02:00to inject more cash and take it further forward,

02:03there's a deal to be done just like, you know, with players.

02:06You know, everything's available.

02:09And I think that we will welcome that because it's unforgiving.

02:15You know, I find it, I find the abuse, the criticism,

02:21often without any facts, debilitating.

02:25I mean, it's exhausting.

02:26And it isn't my money.

02:28Can you imagine if that's coming your way and it's your money as well?

02:31You're putting in, you know, 15 million quid a year

02:33and all you're getting is abuse and criticism.

02:34And there comes a time when you say, why are we doing it?

02:40So, look, we will continue to do what we're doing as well as we can.

02:45We will continue to encourage new investment if we can find it.

02:50And let's just say that the quality of phone calls has changed

02:55for two events this summer.

02:57And let's just see where that takes us.

02:59What kind of people have been getting in touch as a result of Spud Bros?

03:04I assume people that were never ringing previously.

03:08Well, look, what Spud Bros has done is to raise our profile.

03:13So, you know, these aren't...

03:15I have actually had conversations with people who represent social media stars

03:21that I'd never heard of.

03:21I've had to look them up and then found out who they are.

03:23But I don't necessarily think that they, in their own right,

03:28are the right investors for the long haul going forward.

03:30But they may well know people who are.

03:32What Spud Bros have done, what the Liverpool game did for us,

03:36is get people talking about Preston North End in a very positive way.

03:40And when that's happening, against a backdrop of some clubs

03:45who have got massive financial problems, you know,

03:48you just compare us and the stability and where we are,

03:52how we can ordinarily compete.

03:55Obviously, the end of last season was disappointing.

03:57But ordinarily, our competition in the Championship has been very good.

04:00And you've got some very big clubs who are going through,

04:03you know, financial ruin at the moment.

04:06And they're not the only ones over recent years.

04:09There have been some very close to home.

04:11So I think if people are interested in the English game,

04:15it's very attractive, particularly, obviously, in the States.

04:18But if you're looking for a club to invest in,

04:22you start off, hopefully, with one that's not a basket case.

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