Noades To Buy Swans?

If the Vetch move was to go through, it would pit Noades in a stunning head-to-head millionaire Swansea v Cardiff rivalry with his great friend Hammam. Noades - who has roots in the Pontardawe area of Swansea - is trying to sell Brentford. Although in recent weeks he has been keen to distance himself from any talk linking himself from Welsh football. He recently rang Wales on Sunday to help Hammam at Cardiff - but speculation with Swansea has gathered pace since McClure announced he was putting the club up for sale. When we asked McClure directly about Noades, the normally straight-talking Swans chairman would only say: "I'm not commenting on anything. I'm not going to enter into any speculation about names or anything like that." He went on: "The next announcement you will hear from me about the deal is when I actually announce it. "I will tell you 'We've done the deal' and then, and only then, will I divulge the name of the party, or parties, involved. "Anyone else who tells you differently on this issue, or who names , is simply not informed. "I am the person who is conducting negotiations myself. "Thus anyone who wants to buy the club will have to talk to me. "I am the only person they will be talking to, so I am the only person who really knows what is going on." Told that things had a habit of leaking out in football, and pressed again on Noades, McClure reiterated: "I repeat, the next statement you will hear from me on this is when the deal is finalised. "In terms of leaks, some people will say what they like. "But talks are taking place well away from Swansea and they will be held in a confidential fashion, as far as I'm concerned." Noades, however, is exactly the sort of rich, go-ahead chairman that Swans fans would welcome on board. Most soccer chairmen boast about their knowledge of the game. But in Noades's case, he is perhaps the most knowledgeable of the lot. Noades used to play the game at a high level himself and two seasons ago got rid of his manager and took charge of the Brentford team himself - leading them to promotion from Division Three and stabilising the side in Division Two. But Noades believes he has taken Brentford as far as he can and during the summer was linked with a buy-out of Cardiff. That move never materialised, but interestingly his great friend Hammam did become involved. It was Noades who introduced Hammam to football way back in the 1970s. Wimbledon were then a Southern League team and Noades brought Hammam in as his vice-chairman. As Hammam then took over the Dons, Noades bought Crystal Palace and spearheaded the club into the top flight and to an FA Cup Final in 1990. However, there is also a suggestion that Noades, who owns golf clubs in the south-east, would be happy to sell Brentford and look after those, rather than move back into football with another club ? McClure wasn't commenting, one way or the other. Meanwhile, former Swans chairman Steve Hamer also still remains a hot tip for a return to the Vetch in the summer. Hamer, whose sacking as chairman coincided with the team's freefall down the Division Two table, retains a keen interest in the club. Like Noades, Hamer's football knowledge is out of the top drawer. He is thought to be looking to get I a big-money consortium together.

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