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Red Bull to buy an English club?


lanky_ffc

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They also have football teams in Brazil and Ghana. A team in a major European league and the Champions League would be a big coup for them though.

I can't say this bothers me too much. Football is massive business these days, and is a drinks company taking over your club really that different to petro-dollars from a rich benefactor? I wouldn't want it at my club, but then again, that's never going to happen.

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Doncaster maybe? Already got what is essentially a white elephant stadium could maybe build on that.

A red bull and a white elephant? What a bunch of animals...

Maybe they should tie up with Hull City Tigers, or the Cardiff City Dragons.

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I can't say this bothers me too much. Football is massive business these days, and is a drinks company taking over your club really that different to petro-dollars from a rich benefactor? I wouldn't want it at my club, but then again, that's never going to happen.

It isn't, both bother me as much, really. It really is just crass to me.

Pharmaceutical companies and car companies own clubs as well (I assume you're meaning Bayer and Wolfsburg? Add PSV in there too) but they're company teams, which stemmed from being an amateur club team that got out of hand, to an extent, rather than a company buying a club, and chucking all of their history in a skip.

Like, I'm not going to get all militant and loopy about it, I just think its a shame.

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Yeah I cant see what the big deal is. Pharmaceutical company and Car Manufacturers etc.. own clubs so whats the difference?

I'm no expert on Austrian Football but I hear (from those that oppose RB at LUFC) that Red Bull attempted to wipe out the old club's history, effectively stating that the clubs history began on their take over date in 2005.

Club name changed, club crest changed, club colours changed, and attempt to delete the clubs history prior to take over & fans wearing old club shirts refused entry from the ground.

As I say I'm no expert on Austrian football and if others can point out that the above is incorrect I'd be interested to read any links they can provide.

http://www.schwatzgelb.de/3735.html

Quite a bit on football in Salzburg from a guy who writes for the square ball fanzine here http://www.thebeatengeneration.co.uk/tbg/index.php/2009/10/hiden-seek-part-2/

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Tbh they have managed to dominate Formula 1 in recent years, which shows they are more than intent on putting the money in, think of the advertising that they could generate with it. I'd actually quite like to see it, cause they're not ruining the clubs they take over, merely adding their name and incorporating their badge to them. As well as not signing players for mental fees, they seem sensible about it.

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Ahh surely not, I thought they just added the name, didn't think they wiped the history. Well that's me learnt something new. Well in that case, I'm out.

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The two German teams were the first that popped into my head, I am sure there are much more. Like you said they are different as they have been there from the beginning. Yes it is very crass and I would hate it to happen to my club but is there really any difference to what is going on at man city for example? Yes they will keep there history but there wasn't that much at Citeh ha but they will use the club to promote their products I am sure.

It;s just the way of the world now, money comes first and will usually win over in the end.

Oh, I know. And like I said, what is going on at City, Chelsea et. al isn't any better at all. You see it at all levels of the game (even in my recent sojourns into the Essex senior league) that money talks, as it always has been. The difference is just that now the gap seems even wider, insurmountable for most clubs. As I said, a few voices against the colossal tide of sky sports wankers makes no difference in the end, ultimately, its just a shame to me that it has gone this way.

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Ahh surely not, I thought they just added the name, didn't think they wiped the history. Well that's me learnt something new. Well in that case, I'm out.

Thats what I thought.

The links I quoted seem to be from fanzines or those that contribute articles to fanzines, the story re wiping of Salzburg's history seems to be reflected on the clubs wiki page but that's far from concrete evidence.

I'd be interested to see any links from main stream media which could put the issue of wiping the clubs history pre 2005 takeover to bed as fact or myth.

According to the wiki entry the Austrian FA objected to Red Bulls plan to re-write history, so it could be that Red Bull wanted to do it but were prevented from doing it by the local FA.

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Their official website (the English language version at least) includes the history and honours from the old club.

http://redbulls.com/soccer/salzburg/en/history.html

Cheers for the link Craigkillie.

The claim from the anti Red Bull mob is that Red Bull did indeed delete refrences relating to the club's pre 2005 existance and declared that the club was founded only when Red Bull took over, that Red Bull only reversed that decision when commanded to by the Austrian FA.

The problem I have in getting to the bottom of this is that there are lots of refrences to this incident online in Football Magazines like When Saturday Comes etc but I've yet to see something on it by the Austrian FA or one of the main news organisations.

The WSC link & quote below are dated 23rd September 2005 so I would imagine published post take over but Pre Austrian FA command.

http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/18-letter-from/1554-austria--red-bull-salzburg

Yet Mateschitz’s brazenness in treating the re-named “Red Bull Salzburg” as a mere marketing instrument for his company has alienated fans. Austria Salzburg’s illustrious history has been airbrushed from the website of the club, which now has a new crest and appears to have been founded in 2005.

Another piece which I assume is post Austrian FA command to Red Bull to recognise the club's history.

http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2010/10/9/red-bull-cloning-your-club-soon.html

The club founded in 1933 has now disposed of nearly all trace of it’s former self. The traditional emblem and violet strip were dropped. Taking the reigns, the new management initially declared on the club website it was established in 2005. Although subsequently ordered to acknowledge its’ previous incarnation by the Austrian FA, its obvious that any previous identity and albeit relatively unsuccessful history the club may have attained over the 82 years prior to the takeover is of little relevance to Red Bull Salzburg
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Do Salzburg fans not hate Red Bull for basically changing the face of the club, essentially destroying its soul?

I'm sure there are some that are quite happy with the changes.

From what I gather those that didn't agree with the changes formed another club

The club branded them a bunch of Hooligans and seemed keen to see the back of them.

http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/923-Europe/1225-a-load-of-old-bull

Red Bull dismissed the pro-violet campaign group Initiative Violett-Weiss as “hooligans” and “complete idiots”, and patronised them with violet-lensed cardboard spectacles. The club’s peace offer amounted to little more than allowing Salzburg’s goalkeeper to wear violet studs. So on September 18, 2005, 1,500 violet-white fans marched out of the home game against Austria Vienna en masse, never to return.

There are also some quotes from Red Bull in the same WSC article which gives you an idea of their position at the time on the club's history.

The acquisition of SV Austria Salzburg by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz in April 2005 reduced the 1994 UEFA Cup finalists to a mere marketing trinket. “There is no tradition, no history, no archive,” stated officials of the renamed “Red Bull Salzburg”, who initially claimed that the three-time national champions had been founded in 2005. The violet-and-white colours in which the team had played since 1933 were jettisoned in favour of the red and blue of the energy drink’s tin cans. “I can’t play with a purple bull if the brand is called Red Bull,” Mateschitz stated bluntly.
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