BLACK CATS GOING FREE!
Fed-up owner wants to give Sunderland away
SUNDERLAND owner Ellis Short is so desperate to get rid of the crisis-torn club that he’s willing to give it away for NOTHING.
But he will only do business with a buyer prepared to take on the Black Cats’ debt of more than £130m.
Around half that is owed to the American billionaire himself and it is understood he could even be willing to waive that to encourage fresh bids.
A German consortium held talks with Short nine months ago but the deal collapsed, with the Sunderland owner sceptical about their plans.
Starsport revealed in October that Short was looking to sell for the same price as his luxury London home, valued at £57m.
With the Black Cats bottom of the Championship, despite the arrival of Chris Coleman as boss, the price has fallen and Short just wants it off his hands. After
buying Sunderland from the Irish-based Drumaville Consortium 10 years ago, they have gone through 11 managers and flirted with relegation from the Premier League every season until losing topflight status last season.
Now they face the prospect of League One football for only the second time in the club’s history.
Short lives in Florida and has yet to meet current manager Coleman, who replaced Simon Grayson in December.
In fact, Coleman has revealed that he has not spoken a word to the owner since arriving on Wearside.
“I’ve never spoken to the chairman,” he said. “I think I have been here three months and we’ve never had a conversation.”
Short has left the day-to-day running of the Black Cats to chief executive Martin Bain.
Coleman added: “I’ve no idea about the price he wants to sell and I’ve no idea if there is someone out there interested or if anything is close.”