When reports emerged in December that West Ham United turned down a £650 million takeover from Red Bull, there was misplaced relief.
West Ham United owners David Sullivan and David Gold
People don’t like change, it’s a common human trait, but the reaction to reports that the Austrian drinks giant wanted to buy the East London club were extreme to say the least.
Irrational fears were spouted on social media after The Telegraph reported Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold had turned down the huge bid.
Supporters 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.
In reality none of those things would have happened, if there is one thing Red Bull isn’t… it’s stupid.
The company, worth over $8billion, has wide ranging sporting interests across the globe and is famous for spending big and wisely to make a success of its ventures.
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 now sitting pretty in second place in the Bundesliga behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich and are set for next season’s Champions League.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
Two big problems the Hammers have is a lack of the kind of investment needed to challenge the top six from Sullivan and Gold and the new ground.
The oval bowl is not condusive to a generating the kind of intimidating atmosphere which made Upton Park famous with fans not close enough to the pitch.
Had Red Bull taken over it would have surprised nobody had they bought the stadium outright and redeveloped it into a proper football stadium.
It has been a torrid first season at the much-criticised London Stadium
And in terms of branding Red Bull would have been the ideal people to take West Ham to the next level.
As an established, Premier League outfit with a huge stadium, in all likelihood Red Bull would have renamed the stadium the Red Bull Olympic Stadium, which is certainly no worse than the London Stadium, for a large sum of money which in turn would have given West Ham the freedom to compete with the big boys in terms of Financial Fair Play.
Fans feared the club would be selling out or selling it’s soul had Red Bull taken over. In truth that has already happened without any of the success to go with it.
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