West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady has revealed that QPR owner Tony Fernandes once made an audacious offer to buy a big stake in one of her club's – for nothing in return.
Brady claims that Fernandes came to her and West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan, offering to run their club in return for 50 per cent ownership, on the premise that his business nous would see profits rocket.
However, with QPR announcing this week that the club lost £65million last year, Brady appeared to poke fun at Fernandes.
In her weekly column for The Sun, Brady wrote: “Whenever I hear the name Tony Fernandes I do have to smile. He once offered David Sullivan and I the chance to go into business with him.
“He offered to buy half our club for nothing, on the basis that it would be worth more with hum running it. We politely declined!”
Despite appearing to be amused to Fernandes’s naivety, Brady described him as “talented” and expressed some sympathy for his financial losses.
“What he didn’t understand is football is not like running a normal business and many talented people have failed to even moderately successful in football,” she wrote.
“Some say that if you want to make a small fortune out of football, start with a large one! Poor Tony.”
