Chinese golf plan driven off course
THE Chinese takeover of premium English golf courses hasn’t gone according to plan at the Buckinghamshire.
The purchase by a Chinese consortium of the exclusive complex, which includes the listed Denham Court Mansion as club house, was expected to have been completed on December 15 after the deal was agreed in November.
The same investors own Old Thorns Club in Hampshire and their management team, including ambassador Peter Alliss, were due at the Buckinghamshire, home of the Ladies European Tour, that day to reassure the membership about the takeover.
However, the sale between current owners Asahi Breweries and the Chinese never went through, leaving the membership in limbo.
It is understood there are problems getting money out of China, although Chelsea report no issues with their £52million transfer of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG at the start of this month.
Wentworth, the men’s European tour base, is already under Chinese control. And Old Thorns’ Chinese owners have ambitions of buying a further 16 courses over here. A spokesman for the Buckinghamshire said Asahi could not comment for contractual reasons. CHELSEA,
who have received planning permission for their new stadium, will not know until the end of this year at the earliest when they will be vacating Stamford Bridge while the ground is built. The plans include building a walkway over the District line tube track — a long process involving the railway authorities that will take up most of 2017. And Chelsea want certainty over their own railway timetable before they move out of Stamford Bridge, which might not be until May 2019. One advantage of that schedule would mean the club would not have to share their likely temporary home at Wembley with Spurs, whose own new stadium will be built by then. BBC SPOrT, who normally play it safe with their televised FA Cup picks, will be entering a lion’s den if they choose the East Midlands clash between Derby and Leicester. Derby owner Mel Morris (right) is leading the opposition over the Football League’s £90m-a-year Sky deal, believing it would be worth £300m if more matches are screened or streamed. And he is sure to have a combative view about the Beeb paying £144,000 to broadcast a live game at this stage of the tournament. DIMITRI
PAYET, scandalously agitating for a move from West Ham, has long been represented by French agent Jacques-Olivier Auguste. But Mark McKay, son of notorious Scottish agent Willie McKay, is also claiming to have played a part in bringing the mercenary Payet to West Ham and is believed to still have an involvement with the player.