From UK Guardian . They don seem too impressed with the Profitable Group.
Despite withdrawing its bid to take over Newcastle United yesterday, Profitable Group, a Singapore-based investment firm, has another plan to break into English football. Its scheme, Project Hero, is looking to invest in the development of footballers and "would look to sell to interested clubs and keep a significant share in the player by way of a percentage of the sell-on fee".
That manifesto has attracted the attention of the very similarly named Hero Global Football Fund, which has been attempting to establish itself on very similar terms. Working behind the Hero fund is the former Liverpool captain Alan Hansen. Working behind Project Hero is the former Liverpool captain Steve McMahon.
Some of Project Hero's other financial backers do not have an enviable business record. In 2007 three of the directors of Profitable Group – Tim Goldring, Nigel Blanchard and Neil Osborn – were behind the Profitable Plot Company that was the subject of a winding-up petition from the Department of Trade and Industry which was avoided when the company went into voluntary liquidation.
One of the Profitable Group's core businesses in Singapore is Profitable Plots, which purchases UK land and sells shares in it on the promise of enhanced value once planning permission is achieved. After repeated planning-application failures the validity of the scheme has been questioned, upsetting investors in Asia and Canada. Its Canadian client-services manager, Dan Strumos, insists there is nothing untoward since, he says, the Singapore government puts to death anyone guilty of "corporate shenanigans" (although Nick Leeson seems to have survived).
Meanwhile, the Hero Global Football Fund is consulting lawyers over Profitable's Project Hero plans.
Added on August 29, 2009, 1:32 pmThis is a piece from the
London Hounslow Chronicle on "Concorde Village" which Profitable were advertising on Channel News Asia September and October 2008. Profitable Group were advertising
potential gains of 250% in 3 years. I wonder what they say now?
Is 'Concorde Village' a real opportunity?It is a story that links a former feltham gravel pit with investors in Brunei, Singapore and Canada and an audacious bid to
buy Newcastle United. Ed Saunt investigates what is going on at lower Feltham Lakes.
TO A Far Eastern investor 'Concorde Village' might sound like the perfect business opportunity. Backers could pick up a plot just two miles from Heathrow for just £8,000 with the promise of a 250 per cent return within three years.
Singapore-based landowners Profitable Group said the Lower Feltham Lakes site was ripe for a housing project comprising 1,000 homes and a recent entry on its website boasts that development proposals have already been submitted.
However, following an investigation by the Chronicle into concerns from investors and neighbours of the site, Hounslow Council has confirmed no such application has been received, while Profitable's UK communications consultants, Chelgate,
admitted this week that the claims were untrue.Mike Hardware, executive vice-president of Chelgate, said:
"We know that's not true. I don't know why that's there because the council has not received an application and we are not intending to submit one in the near future."Chelgate is leading a consultation into proposed development of the former Feltham gravel pits off Chertsey Road but Mr Hardware admitted it would be at least four years before a planning application is even lodged with Hounslow Council.
Profitable Group - which last month put in a bid to buy Newcastle United - bought the land from housebuilder Taylor Wimpey for £3.15m in 2006 but the group's predictions of 250 per cent growth for investors would value the land at more than £100m.
The council has been inundated with queries from investors who fear they might not see any return on their money.
A man from Brunei wrote: "They (Profitable Group) have been marketing very heavily here and have been trying to persuade my family to buy some plots on their scheme. Have you any news regarding them? I fear they may be one of the many scams that are mushrooming around the world. With their marketing and information it is hard to believe that such ventures can be so profitable."
Another
potential investor from Singapore, on the verge of buying 47 plots for £253,125
(S$700,000!), said he was told planning permission was likely to be granted in 2010 or 2011.
Read the follow on stories here
Scam fears over homes feltham: profit promise to investors despite planning risk
Developers press on despite public outcryAnd a public response from Hounslow Council here
Development of this site remains highly unlikely Sky Sports reported
here that Profitable Group could not provide proof of funds in their purchase of Newcastle United
Added on December 25, 2009, 1:59 pmFrom TKL blogUK land sold by Land Banking firms has about a 1% chance of receiving planning permission over the next 20+ years.
That means you have a 99%+ chance of owning a piece of land that is almost completely worthless.(the land is typically marked up by 1500% when you buy it and resale on the open market without planning permission is almost impossible)
In roulette if you put all your money on a single roulette number you have a 2.7% chance of winning .
If you lose you will also find out immediately that you have lost all your money and should learn very quickly not to gamble.
If you win Roulette will give 35 times payout, not the two to three times offered by the land banking companies. Also immediately no waiting for 20 years.
If I were to sell an amazing investment opportunity of investing in a single roulette number with a 3 to 1 payout for winning in 20 years time I am sure I would be shut down and probably put in Jail.
Can anyone explain why are Land Banking companies not subject to the same scrutiny ?
This post has been edited by mcorp: Dec 25 2009, 01:59 PM