ASBH's new investors, represented by Andrew Mehrtens and Bob Skinstad, tried to present and convince their plan to buy the club.
Before this Thursday's press conference, which officially announced the takeover of ASBH by an Irish investment fund, everyone was a little skeptical. Since the chaotic episode of the Emirati project, mistrust has been the order of the day. So, when these buyers were announced, the questions multiplied. What will become of the Béziers club? Who are these investors? What are their interests? What is the exact project? Friday, we are still in the dark.
At first glance, the seduction operation was a success. Andrew Mehrtens (51 years old) and Bob Skinstad (48 years old), the two representatives of Strangford Capital, this famous Irish investment fund bringing together a consortium of investors from all sides, were good in their communication. Their “body language” only hinted at enthusiasm. Mehrtens also impressed with his impeccable French and his welcome humor. “Béziers will remain a French club, from Béziers. Ten titles in fourteen years, no one has ever done better. There is no question of bringing in foreigners all the time. Here, everything will happen in the French language”promised the All Black to 70 selections. A good point.
But when it came to scratching a little, to find out what were the real motivations for their presence in Hérault, the vagueness of the project quickly caught up with them. For the moment, here is what we know: Mehrtens and Skinstad, via Strangford Capital, bought the shares that the town hall had in the club, representing approximately three-quarters of SASP Béziers Hérault. What’s next? Nothing is clear.
“We don’t want to reduce the budget (currently 9.2 million euros). We will perhaps increase it in the next three years. We don't want to be too ambitious, to be too confident. We're not here to change everything either. We're going to take the time to analyze everything carefully, to spend wisely.”explique Mehrtens. “We don’t want to do like the last projects, coming up with big disruptive ideas. We want to put our foot down little by little”adds Skinstad.
Merhrtens and Skinskad, teleworking presidents
This absence of communicated figures raises questions. “They gave us all the necessary guarantees. And at a given moment, these are private matters. It is not up to me to say the amounts committed”explains Robert Ménard, mayor of Béziers. Strange, though. “There will be a return if this project succeeds. But not necessarily in terms of finances”Mehrtens simply declares. An unconvincing answer, when we know that the boss of Starling Group, the wealthy Irish businessman Eddie Jordan (former boss of the F1 team, Jordan), knows exactly how he uses his money.
Club management? It looks weird. Mehrtens and Skinstad will serve as co-chairs. But the first lives in Paris and the second in London. Presidents working from home, we ask to see. The organization chart? For the moment, he is not moving. We just know that Johnny Howard, former scrum half of the club, will have a role to play.
The final feeling is perplexing. If we want to be optimistic, perhaps this new operation remains vague to let the season end without disrupting everything, that everything moves forward in a submarine manner. Or not. It is urgent to wait.
