John Ilhan is Crazy about Richmond and the boardroom

[mightytiges]

According to SEN, the Herald-Sun tomorrow (Wednesday) says Crazy John Ilhan wants to put his backing behind Richmond. Apparently wants to be on the board and pump money into the club. According to SEN's report he is impressed by what Eddie has done at Collingwood and wants to do a similar thing at Richmond. They said March is happy to consider the next generation of board directors at the club.

[Ramps]

Crazy Johns is publically known to be looking at expanding in the telco industry and moving away from Telstra...so John Ilhan needs to make some big marketing moves. If we are smart, we can play Crazy Johns of against Telstra and come out with an extra $1 million a year atleast in new sponsorships. Atleast. Steve Wright is a switched on guy...I betcha he does em all over.

[mightytiges]

As long as this isn't another self-promoting stunt. He has this year put some money into signage at Punt Rd and behind a tipping comp on the club website IIRC but in the past he has made noises about Richmond yet we then never hear anything further.

[Ramps]

Considering where this is all at with his company I reckon its probably legit. Even if its not, RFC should be calling Telstra tomorrow and looking for sponsorship talks re: NextGen and the Yellow Pages lol...theres no way we can lose, even if its another stunt, if we move fast enough we'll get heaps out of Telstra lol.

[mightytiges]

Don't Telstra already have exclusive internet rights under their new 5-year $60 million (?) deal with the AFL?

[one-eyed]

Crazy days ahead for Richmond
Michael Warner
Herald-Sun
October 31, 2006 11:00pm

MILLIONAIRE mobile phone magnate "Crazy" John Ilhan wants to be Richmond president.

And the lifelong Tigers fan says he's willing to pour millions of dollars into the club he loves to return it to its premiership glory days.

"I love Richmond, I always have," he said.

"When the time is right, and if they want me, I'd love to lead the club."

Ilhan, 41, topped last year's BRW Young Rich List with an estimated worth of $300 million.

Richmond president Gary March has revealed moves are already under way for the innovative phone king to join the Tigers board, possibly as early as next season, but more likely in 2008 once a new overseas business venture is finalised.

"John is looking more and more to be involved with Richmond. It's his club of choice. And anyone of John's business acumen, obviously we'd be very keen," March said.

"We are constantly looking for the next wave of directors to come through, and John is one of the ones we targeted."

March said Ilhan had all the credentials for Punt Rd's top job.

Ilhan said he had been inspired by close friend Eddie McGuire's reign at Collingwood and the innovative ideas adopted by the Pies' board to make it the AFL's power franchise.

Crazy John's is already one of Richmond's financial backers behind major sponsors Motorola and the Australian Finance Group. But Ilhan said he was ready to give more.

His ideas include luring club legend Kevin Bartlett back to the fold and aligning the Tigers with other codes such as netball and soccer to create a financial super club.

"I don't think the Melbourne-based clubs are really looking outside the square enough, and I think they need to, to survive," Ilhan said.

Richmond is poised to announce a record profit of almost $1 million at its December annual general meeting.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20680048-11088,00.html

[mightytiges]

His ideas include luring club legend Kevin Bartlett back to the fold

His other ideas are worth listening to but the KB wish is just flogging a dead horse. KB ain't coming back and no one else at Richmond now cares anymore if he does or doesn't.

[Ramps]

When Jim Malone was GM I put in a proposal for RFC to stick a side in the then NSL. Richmonds large greek support base- which is aggrieved that South Melbourne isnt in the A League would support a Richmond Tigers team in the A League for sure. Australian sport will follow the route of the European clubs and form superclub outfits with teams in 3 or 4 different sports. Theres no doubt about it and In terms of us we'd get atleast 15,000 to 20,000 a week at soccer games played at the new olympic park venue. With capacity at a max of 25,000...it becomes very profitable especially when you start to link it up with possible Asian Cup exposure and cross sponsorship promotion.

[Gordon Bennett]

As long as this isn't another self-promoting stunt. He has this year put some money into signage at Punt Rd and behind a tipping comp on the club website IIRC but in the past he has made noises about Richmond yet we then never hear anything further.

Exactly, MT. This guy is a notorious attention-seeker and self-promoter with a penchant for promising but never delivering.We could be better off if he does end up ploughing millions into the club, but IMO we'd be dancing with the devil. The cost might be greater than the gain.Anyway, the money he might promise might end up being an illusion rather than anything of real substance.

I say that we should be wary of self-promoting people who say "I'd like to be president". I say "Don't believe, don't trust him, don't lose any sleep waiting for it to happen".

[mjs]

Gordon Bennet spot on.

We need this guy like we needed Alan Bond - if he gets there his tenure will be longer but in my opinion the result will be the same.

The emperor has no clothes.

"Crazy Johns is publically known to be looking at expanding in the telco industry and moving away from Telstra"
...that's one way of looking at it.    Telstra won't be crying over that move and whose idea do we think that is anyway?

[WilliamPowell]

As long as this isn't another self-promoting stunt. He has this year put some money into signage at Punt Rd and behind a tipping comp on the club website IIRC but in the past he has made noises about Richmond yet we then never hear anything further.

Exactly, MT. This guy is a notorious attention-seeker and self-promoter with a penchant for promising but never delivering.We could be better off if he does end up ploughing millions into the club, but IMO we'd be dancing with the devil. The cost might be greater than the gain.Anyway, the money he might promise might end up being an illusion rather than anything of real substance.

I say that we should be wary of self-promoting people who say "I'd like to be president". I say "Don't believe, don't trust him, don't lose any sleep waiting for it to happen".

Spot on Gordon 

Couldn't agree more - Mr Crazy is a "Gonna" and an "I Wanna be" and until it eventuates ..... I just say "whatever"

And call me cynical but he says he wants to do all these things - IMO he shouldn't be telling us about it - he should just go about it queitly and do it - actions speak louder than words (that's what Ma Powell used to say anyway )

[mightytiges]

Just out of curiosity, is he a RFC member?

[Gordon Bennett]

Just out of curiosity, is he a RFC member?

I don't know about his current status, but a couple of years ago it was established that he either hadn't been a member at all in the previous 20 years, or had only been once or twice. To be fair, my recall is hazy, but I'm pretty sure his membership record would be the total opposite to Eddie McGuire's record, to whom he's been compared.

Give me a break
this guy is a flake

[mightytiges]

Just out of curiosity, is he a RFC member?

I don't know about his current status, but a couple of years ago it was established that he either hadn't been a member at all in the previous 20 years, or had only been once or twice. To be fair, my recall is hazy, but I'm pretty sure his membership record would be the total opposite to Eddie McGuire's record, to whom he's been compared.

Give me a break
this guy is a flake

That's why I was asking GB  . My memory of all that off-field turmoil back in 2004 was that it was found out he wasn't a member. A bit hard to want to join the Club's board and become Prez if you aren't a member lol.

[mjs]

Here's an interesting article - nothing to do with football but tells you where Crazy John sits with Telstra.

http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20666191-643,00.html

He's a tough cookie our Mr Ilhan