When reports emerged in December that West Ham United turned down a £650 million takeover from Red Bull, it divided opinion.
West Ham United owners David Gold and David Sullivan
Initial reaction to reports that the Austrian drinks giant wanted to buy the East London club were extreme to say the least.
Supporters raised concerns on social media after The Telegraph reported Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold had turned down the huge bid.
Fans were worried the marketing machine would come in and rename the club, change the badge, the kit and all but erase Bobby Moore from the history books.
But as the new subsided many fans reflected on their hopes and aspirations and took a more considered look at the company, worth over $8billion, and its wide ranging sporting interests.
What they saw was a firm famous for spending big and wisely to make a success of its ventures.
RB Leipzig celebrate
In Germany, the club Red Bill Leipzig – which was originally fifth division side SSV Markranstädt before being purchased and rebranded – is reviled mainly because the owners have done everything in their power to invest as much as possible to make the team a success.
And they have done just that with the side rocketing up the leagues and finished second place in the Bundesliga behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich last season.
Then there was talk on West Ham forums more recently of an impending bid from a Japanese consortium who wanted to buy Sullivan and Gold out of the club.
The speculation only served to highlight West Ham’s major problem, that Sullivan and Gold lack either the finances or the ambition to provide the kind of investment needed to challenge the top six.
And after all that was their pledge when persuading those who were not sure about leaving their beloved Upton Park for the Olympic Stadium last year.
Gold poses on the London Stadium pitch
Many have speculated that Sullivan and Gold simply wanted to make West Ham a more attractive proposition for prospective buyers by moving them to Stratford.
That was sternly denied by Sullivan two months ago when he branded the rumours ‘utterly false’ – as reported by ITV.
So has the first sign that the duo genuinely plan to stay for the long-term come in the form of a new appointment at the club this week?
Jack Sullivan, the youngest son of co-owner David, has been appointed managing director of the club’s ladies side with a remit to gain promotion to the top league within five years, as revealed by whufc.com.
The future of West Ham? Sullivan watches from the stands with sons Jack (centre) and Dave, in their younger years
While the club has been rather predictably trolled on social media over the appointment, reading between the lines suggests Sullivan senior was not bluffing when he insisted they are here for the long term.
With Jack taking such a senior role at the club at such a young age, he could be groomed to eventually take over the club from his dad alongside elder brother Dave, himself something of an entrepreneur.
Where that leaves West Ham in the future only time will tell.
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