Businessman Laurence Bassini hails from the United Kingdom. Until June 2012, he served as Watford FC’s chairman. With an estimated worth of £27 million, it was claimed that Laurence Bassini was considering acquiring Birmingham City FC in November 2021.
In June 2022, the press announced that he had swapped contracts to acquire a 30 percent share in Birmingham City as part of a phased agreement, which had been previously disclosed.
Personal Information
| Name | Laurence Bassini |
| Net Worth | $80 million |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Age | 53 years |
| Height | 1.71m |
| Salary | $10 million |
Early Life
Laurence Bassini is an English businessman. He was the chairman of Watford Football Club from May 2011 to June 2012. In November 2021 it was announced Laurence Bassini was interested in buying Birmingham City for £27m.
Further publications concerning his interest in owning Birmingham City were reported in the news in June 2022, indicating he had exchanged contracts with regards to taking a 30% stake in Birmingham City in a staged purchase.
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Business Career
Laurence Bassini took over Watford Football Club in a £440,000 buyout on 31 May 2011 after the club’s previous parent company Watford Leisure PLC was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange and became Watford Leisure Limited.
Bassini had been made bankrupt in 2007 following the loss of his business The Fox at Ibstone near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire before taking over at Watford. Bassini was bankrupt for almost a year and it was during this period that he changed his name to Bassini to get a “fresh start”.
He had been set to meet with fans at the annual Fans Forum on 8 November 2011 when the chairman of Watford canceled at the last minute citing ill health. He subsequently canceled a further local radio phone-in on 22 November 2011, again at the last minute and again due to ‘ill health.
During his time as Watford owner, Laurence Bassini was dogged by claims of financial misdeeds that culminated in the ‘Safegate’ incident in the months leading up to the club’s sale in June 2012, when Bassini phoned the police when an employee refused to give him the keys to the club safe. When he gave interviews to the local paper, he wore a bright red builder’s helmet.
Bassini sold Watford Football Club to Gino Pozzo, the son of Giampaolo Pozzo and the owner of Udinese and Granada, in June 2012, just 13 months after he had purchased the club.
It was reported in November 2012 that Bassini was highly unlikely to repay the £1.5 million in ‘cash advances’ he owed to Watford Football Club.
Bassini was prohibited from holding any position of power with any Football League club for three years in March 2013 after being found guilty of misconduct and dishonesty by an independent disciplinary committee for financial dealings on behalf of Watford.
Due to his failure to disclose his forward funding arrangements to the Premier League or his fellow Watford board members, he was declared “dishonest in his interactions with the league and with his fellow directors” by the commission.
As soon as Watford lost to Crystal Palace in the 2013 play-off final for the Football League Championship, Bassini began sending gloating texts to the local media, the Watford Observer, to express his glee at the setback. The High Court ordered the liquidation of his company, Watford Leisure Limited, in July 2013.
Bassini’s legal case against the Russo brothers was dismissed by the High Court in March 2014.
It was alleged that Bassini owed almost £3.5 million to the old Watford F.C. directors. He was fined £4,353,000 (£3.5 million, £135,000, plus £568,000 in interest and £150,000 in expenses). When on trial, he was called evasive and accused of making false threats.
Bassini made multiple allegations in court about conspiracies against him without presenting any proof. Some of these include suspicions that the Russos, together with the Pozzo family, still own half of Watford F.C. in secret and are plotting to bring him down.
Bassini, who had been in court for the whole trial, left before the finish after complaining of ‘feeling dizzy’ following ‘a slip’ on the High Court steps.
F.C. Bolton Wanderers, Inc.
On April 17th, 2019, Laurence Bassini agreed to take over Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Championship. It was reported on May 7th that Bassini’s acquisition was “on the edge of collapse” because the English Football League had not received verification of cash from the company.
Bolton Wanderers’ sale to Football Ventures was stopped by a court injunction on August 8th, 2019. Football Ventures concluded the sale of the club on August 28, 2019, despite his best efforts.
Crawley Town Football Club
Reports indicate that in May of 2020, Laurence Bassini will pay £1.2 million to temporarily own Charlton Athletic. On May 27, however, Roland Duchatelet, owner of both The Valley and Charlton’s Training Ground, backed out of the deal.
After agreeing to buy Bolton Wanderers from Ken Anderson, it was revealed that he was the controlling partner in Inner Circle Investments, the company that owned the club at the time. His next move was to take legal action against Bolton in an effort to nullify their purchase and reclaim management of the club.
Birmingham City Football Club
With an estimated worth of £27 million, it was claimed that Laurence Bassini was considering acquiring Birmingham City FC in November 2021. In June 2022, the press stated that he had switched contracts to acquire a 30 percent share in Birmingham City as part of a phased agreement, which had been previously publicized.
Spouse
Laurence Bassini has a wife and a daughter. They are a family of four and his wife is an individual of discretion. Bassini stands at a handsome 1.71 meters tall and maintains a healthy, well-balanced weight that works well with his build.
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What Is Laurence Bassini’s Net Worth?
According to showbizcorner, Bassini has a net worth of $80 million (£4.1 million) in 2022, despite declaring bankruptcy for a second time after his time with Watford.
After serving a 3-year ban from involvement in football and somehow managing to scrape together some funds, Bassini first tried to acquire Bolton Wanderers in 2019.
Unfortunately was unable to give confirmation of funds. In 2020, there was also a failed bid to acquire Charlton Athletic.
His £35 million purchase of Birmingham City is moving closer to completion and could be finalized as soon as next week.
Little is known about Bassini’s family or where he lives because he keeps a low profile. It is assumed that his fortune comes from real estate investments.
There’s no doubt that his rise to power in Birmingham will make headlines frequently.
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