Sale and leaseback, Ibrox, Murray Park, Albion

You’ll remember in October last year I told you I was in receipt of a Heads of Terms for the sale and leaseback of Ibrox, Murray Park and the Albion Car Park.  The internet has been full of chatter around this subject for the last week but I didn’t have an update on the subject until last night.

At the time I said the deal would not be signed until after the share issue, which took place in December. Charlie is back in town, and I hear the Sale and Leaseback-ball is in play.

According to the Heads’ the buyer will pay £7.285m for all three properties and, in addition, will provide a loan to the tenant of £6.9m at an interest rate of 15% p.a.

Rent will be reviewed every five years, on an upwards only basis, either at RPI or 2% p.a., whichever is greater.  RPI is currently 3.3%

Say Goodbye to Murray Park

The tenant “will take a lease for the stadium and the car park on a 20 year lease at an initial rent of £1.8, per annum”.  Murray Park is offski, gone, no longer available to Rangers International, or any of its successor clubs.

Interest on the loan works out at £985.5k per annum, so rent plus interest would be £2.835m p.a.

Top line figure for both sale and loan is £13.835m, however, the first three years rent (£5.4m) will be held back as no one is prepared to guarantee the rent, so actual cash into the business will be £8.435m.

Murray Park planning permission

If the new owner of the properties attains planning permission for residential properties at Murray Park within three years of the deal being signed, a provision releases the seller from having to repay the outstanding portion of the loan.  If planning permission is achieved after three years, no element of the loan is forgiven.

Potatoes

The buyer can do whatever they like with Murray Park.  Can you suggest a suitable use?  Perhaps they’ll plant potatoes.

Securitisation

“Rents will be guaranteed from ticket receipts and a first charge on the season tickets income will be granted.”

The tenant has the option to buy-back the stadium (only).  If the stadium is bought-back in year one the cost will be £10m.  Thereafter the purchase price will increase by 12% p.a. until year 10.  After year 10 the right to buy-back the stadium will be at “Market Value but no less than £20m”.

Should they buy-back the stadium, the lease will remain in place for Albion Car Park at a rate of £250k p.a. (subject to same rent review arrangements).

So what does this mean?  The cash will be welcome and will enable to club to survive until into next season.  If they spend the money on lottery tickets, there’s a chance they will get lucky and survive well into the season after next.

Suggestions that some people are preparing to squeeze the last penny out of a busted brand are contemptuous.

The next issue of CQN Magazine is being prepared. Let me know if you would like to advertise, or if you would like to submit an article, celticquicknews@gmail.com.
[calameo code=00039017126b6a648d717 lang=en page=128 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]