Newcastle Herald
Friday March 25, 2016
Newcastle Jets: Potential buyer Jeff Von Schmauder insists community key to success By James Gardiner
March 25, 2016, 10:33 a.m.
HAWAIIAN businessman Jeff Von Schmauder has no doubts that the Newcastle Jets can be a success.
ALOHA: Hawaiian businessman Jeff Von Schmauder heads an American consortium interested in buying the Newcastle Jets.
ALOHA: Hawaiian businessman Jeff Von Schmauder heads an American consortium interested in buying the Newcastle Jets.
But the land developer insists it is going to take community input rather than someone simply waving a cheque for the club to fulfil its potential.
Von Schmauder is part of an American consortium interested in buying the Jets.
“I want this to be a fresh start and a community-built organisation,” said Von Schmauder, who was born in Germany and raised in Maui. “Coming from the islands of Hawaii, we have a strong sense of community there and that is how our businesses work. It is the same kind of thing here. Newcastle has a culture and community of its own and that needs to be preserved and also recognised. It isn’t about someone coming in from overseas and telling everyone how it is done. We will have local leadership, local business people, local community stakeholders involved in this team. That is how it has to go.”
Von Schmauder splits his time between Maui and Blue Bay on the Central Coast and is the managing director of Terrafirmaworld.com. As well as own the land development company Von Schmauder said he had real estate holdings in Hawaii and “other sporting interests in the US”.
Von Schmauder’s consortium is one of six parties to receive an information memorandum on the Jets sale.
“I am in the due diligence process as we speak,” he said. “The next step for me is to sit down with the management of FFA and [chairman] Steven Lowy. It’s important that there is a strong relationship from the ground up with the FFA as well as the team and the local community. It is really important that all those pieces fit. If those align and they are compatible, I feel confident that things will move forward.”
Von Schmauder, who will be at Hunter Stadium on Saturday for the Jets’ clash with Perth Glory, said he was attracted to the Newcastle area and wanted to “help the community grow”.
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Chinese business Martin Lee met with the FFA this week and is the most advanced of the potential buyers but is understood to have balked at the asking price, which is believed to more than the initial $5 million figure.
The FFA assumed ownership of the Jets in May after revoking the licence of Nathan Tinkler. A new owner appeared imminent in September when a consortium, headed by Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson, agreed to “broad terms of the sale”.
The governing body is set to lose $2.4 million on the Jets this season but said “there’s no time frame set for a conclusion to the sale process.”
hahahaha, here comes the leverage play on Mr Lee.
"hey boss, you'd better get in fast, errrrrrryyyyybody wants a piece of the Jets right now....."
the only thing better is if this Hawaiian gypo is using Tinks' trust fund to support it all.
The fact that 6 prospectus have been doled out should be enough to illicit further interest.
I have zero faith in FFA with regard to offloading this, or any club.
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there is no respectable entity that will buy a losing sports team.
So, which nasty piece of work should we choose? has to be someone who hates fans, football, honesty....lets get the greens in
in Martin's favour he does seem to have something tangible behind him: has interests in Chinese football, sponsors football outside of China, has an established name as a business man who actually produces something, at face value does not seem dodgy, my only caveat is what is his long term vision for the Jets.
Contrast that with a guy who appears to work for a Central Coast property developer and has pictures of himself doing yoga on a beach in Maui as his sideline business, I'm thinking Martin is looking a more suitable fit for what we need (we already have plenty of yoga instructors in Newy)...
Life isn't the same without Con... but it can only improve without Tinks...
http://www.pumper.com/editorial/2014...ef=related_img
shiart, that's not Jeff is it??
Von Schmauder returns to Capital Connection, Doering joins firm
Jeff Von Schmauder, founder and owner of Capital Connection, rejoined the company as president after serving six years in the Air Force as a combat medic. Von Schmauder founded the sanitation and waste management equipment financing company in 1990 and has served on the PSAI board. Jerid Doering also joined the company and is responsible for business development. Headquartered in Washington State, Capital Connection has locations in Boston, Maui and Australia.
Life isn't the same without Con... but it can only improve without Tinks...
Lets hope so. On the face of it his already financial support of Football would indicate a genuine interest in the game.
We cannot possibly go to deep into the off season without this sorted and stuffing preparation for next season.
I can see another significant reduction in membership if we go into next season with a poverty pack squad.
^^^^
This
The fact that he talks of the need for strong local community ownership is enough to take this guy seriously. This club cannot be sustained on just the "deep pockets" of a wealthy businessman, it has failed twice with that type of ownership model in the last 5 years. Only problem is, who is going to pay the $5million plus price tag the greedy c#$nts at FFA are adamant on?
I'd say it's a reason to not take him seriously. Community ownership in this town is a complete ****ing joke. People here either don't have the money or are too tight to part with it.
I mean on top of actual season tickets / memberships what would the chances be of finding say 1000 fans willing to throw $10k each into the pot ? I'd say **** all, and those that did throw that type of money in would basically want to select the team every week and advise on the formation and tactics employed.
**** the community model - it will never work in this town.
Well with that attitude you might as well say give the Newcastle Jets franchise to ****ing Woolongong or Canberra or Sutherland because a one owner "ownership model" does not work in this town. By saying community ownership this also encompasses local businesses not just supporters willing to put in and become shareholders. A local consortium did put forth a proposal a while back but just did not have the required funds, so the interest is there, just need the extra $$$ that an overseas investor can provide.