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Post by swissgas on Nov 11, 2020 16:13:21 GMT
Having been warned about enforced quarantine in Guantanamo Bay for anyone who mentions that the Dwane Sports loan has not been capitalised and therefore BRFC 1883 Ltd is not debt free I wondered if there is also a ban on discussing Wael's latest open letter ?
Club President Wael Al Qadi updates supporters on several topics in his latest open letter...
Dear Gasheads,
I hope you are all keeping safe and well and that your spirits are still up, despite the uncertainty that we all face.
As some time has passed since my previous communication, I wanted to take this opportunity to once again write to you and update you on our continued progress and vision for the club, despite the unprecedented restrictions that the pandemic has placed on us all.
At the start of this outbreak, I said that this pandemic posed the greatest threat to our club in its long history but despite the huge financial pressures that this brings, you have my word that I will continue to do all I can to fund the club through it.
Despite this commitment, the need for financial support in the EFL is clear and I join the other clubs in urging the government and Premier League to take joint responsibility in helping to cover the £250m funding gap that the EFL clubs are suffering at this time.
The English football pyramid is the greatest in world football and I am hopeful that one of the few positives to come out of this pandemic can be a re-think of how the wealth in the game is better distributed, helping to create a more sustainable game for the future where all clubs can thrive.
In the short-term, the financial implications of the virus are huge. With almost all of our income streams wiped out and many of our costs fixed, our losses for this year already look set to increase by at least £2,000,000 and that number will continue to rise. At the time of writing, there is no sign of when we will be able to welcome you all back to the Mem, however, our team have worked hard to ensure that plans are in place so that we can act quickly as and when the regulations change.
In the meantime, I urge all Gasheads who are able to continue to demonstrate their support for the club by making purchases through the club’s online retail store and signing up to watch our games on iFollow. Given the impact on all of our other revenue streams, this income is vital and very much welcome at this time.
It isn’t all bad news however. Work has continued to progress at our new training base in Almondsbury. It was great to see the players train there for the first time last week. This is a real flagship moment for the club and represents a huge step forward in our attempts to improve the club’s infrastructure and to provide the best possible opportunities for us to attract and develop players. Work on the site continues ahead of a proposed completion of phase one of the project early next year. Following feedback from supporters, we have also settled on a new name for the training ground which will from now on be known as ‘The Quarters.’
In my last letter to you all, I set out our six point strategic plan for the club and these areas have continued to be a focus for us through these tough times. Below is a brief update on each of these areas and how we are progressing;
1. Infrastructure improvements - as mentioned previously, the stadium project remains our priority. Unfortunately, the pandemic has halted progress in this area but we are continuing to work tirelessly behind the scenes to achieve this objective. As discussed, the training ground continues to develop and we are excited by the opportunities on this site which will be our new home for decades to come.
2. Sustainability - as a club, we have been working hard to become as efficient and sustainable as possible, however, those efforts have been severely undermined by the virus. That said, we are continuing to work to review costs and generate more income to work towards achieving our goal of becoming sustainable. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our existing sponsors for their continued support during these difficult times and welcome Cadburys to our list of partners. Throughout my time at the club, we have made a real effort to not only work and engage with local businesses but also expand our partnership base to a small number of national and global brands that fit our ethos. I think Cadburys certainly fit into that category!
3. Youth - The average age of our squad now is just 23.2 years of age. It is full of players with considerable potential that we have signed under contract and who we are confident we can develop to contribute to our future success and sustainability.
4. Develop the fanbase - at this time where face to face interaction is prohibited, developing the fanbase is more difficult than ever. However, I am touched by the support that we are getting week in and week out across the globe on iFollow. Our social media content continues to improve and that is an important means for communicating with you all during these difficult times. In addition, we have also launched our Crowdfunding campaign to develop a new area for children on a match day, including a sensory room for those with special needs. We hope this facility will help us support and attract families across Bristol in providing a safe and welcoming match day experience once we return.
5. Community - our links with the Community Trust are stronger than ever. Throughout this period, the club and the Trust have really come together and we have been delighted to work with them on a number of projects to help the most vulnerable within the city. We continue to be proud of all of the work they do and they have our unwavering support in achieving all they set out to do.
6. Continual Improvement - for us the bar continues to rise in all areas of the club and despite still operating on skeleton staff, we are continuing to pursue growth in all areas of the club. This is a long term strategic approach and the success of it won’t be measurable until some form of normality resumes, but we continue to be focused on making improvements across the board.
In addition to our progress when it comes to our wider club strategies, we have also been delighted to be recognised by a number of external bodies for some of the work that we have been completing at the club.
Firstly, I was delighted to see our improved performance in the EFL’s Family Excellence programme. As a club we achieved a score of 8.7/10 in the report, which ranked us 4th in League One and 15th overall across the EFL. The 'friendly and welcoming' environment at the Mem was highlighted in the report, alongside the visible commitment to engage with the next generation of supporters. This not only ties in with our strategy but is also a core part of our values as a club. The score this year was our highest since we have been involved with the programme and to sit so highly amongst the clubs in the EFL, particularly given the restrictions that the stadium gives us, is a real achievement.
Secondly, our new-look match day programme picked up two awards, winning the best programme in Sky Bet League One by ‘Premier Progs’ and in the Programme Monthly and Football Collectable awards. In the latter, we received a score of 18/20 - the joint highest of any club in the country. I would like to wholeheartedly thank everyone that contributes, edits, prints and reads the programme.
Following the success that we had last season, we were disappointed to hear that the Grounds Team of the Season Awards this season have been postponed However, we were delighted to hear that our team this year received a mark of four out of five for the pitch which continues to be a surface that we can all be proud of. We are especially pleased to see that this level of craftsmanship has also been extended to our two new pitches at ‘The Quarters.’
Additionally, last month we were honoured to hear that we have been shortlisted in the 'Coronavirus Innovation Award: Compassion' category, ahead of the 2020 Sports Business Awards. The work within this included our partnership with Above and Beyond to support and thank NHS workers, as well as the donation of 1,000 tickets for NHS workers (once spectators can return), working with the Community Trust on the delivery of essentials and visits to those most in need across the City, our communication with supporters through the pandemic and our focus on helping community, friends and family, our suppliers and each other through these difficult times.
On that note, we were delighted to see the brilliant work of the Gasheads Against Food Poverty Team who have worked tirelessly to provide supporters with the means to support our local food banks at this critical time for them. Once again, we are proud of the work that they have been doing and even more so that our brilliant fans have continued to support it during this tough economic climate.
Finally, no update would be complete without me discussing the start to the season that we have made on the pitch. It has been the busiest window that I have been involved with since I joined the club, with a total of fourteen new signings. As stated previously, our strategy is to look to bring in young players that we can develop, as well as playing an attractive style of football. Suffice to say, it’s early days, in a long term project.
I would like to place on record again my sincere thank you to all supporters for your continued support during these difficult times and to our staff that continue to work tirelessly. Together, we can all play our part in helping this club reach its full potential.
I hope you all stay safe and well and I look forward to seeing you all back at the Mem as soon as we are able.
UTG!
Wael
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Post by a more piratey game on Nov 11, 2020 20:15:21 GMT
I was wondering what you'd think of this swiss, so thanks for posting it
Ignoring your concerns about any particular individual's ability to execute things, can I ask you your own question - what do you think of it?
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Post by a more piratey game on Nov 11, 2020 20:19:02 GMT
PS. I thought it decent and relatively uncontroversial, if a bit of a 'first' for Rovers
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simonj
Archie Stevens
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 817
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Post by simonj on Nov 12, 2020 9:00:20 GMT
Its good communication, and that's to be applauded. Picking bones out of it isn't necessary at this point, we know what we want and please please let us have the plan soon. That's to watch live and then to watch live in a new......
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2020 9:07:18 GMT
PS. I thought it decent and relatively uncontroversial, if a bit of a 'first' for Rovers Very much so. It does appear that Swiss is running out of road in his continuous criticism of the current owner.
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eppinggas
Administrator
Ian Alexander
Don't care
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 8,109
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Post by eppinggas on Nov 12, 2020 9:23:48 GMT
PS. I thought it decent and relatively uncontroversial, if a bit of a 'first' for Rovers Very much so. It does appear that Swiss is running out of road in his continuous criticism of the current owner. Good communication and a welcome update on the six key objectives. Nothing very controversial. The criticism is that the losses are unsustainable. Wael is now looking at pumping circa £5mil into BRFC 2020-2021 financial year just to keep us afloat. On the one hand - we're very lucky to have an owner that is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. Work on the Training Facility is testimony to that. On the other hand, it's just not sustainable. To think it is, is to stick your head in the sand. Wael is benevolent, but he is not a benevolent billionaire. "Our losses for this year already look set to increase by at least £2,000,000 and that number will continue to rise". Yikes.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2020 10:14:41 GMT
Very much so. It does appear that Swiss is running out of road in his continuous criticism of the current owner. Good communication and a welcome update on the six key objectives. Nothing very controversial. The criticism is that the losses are unsustainable. Wael is now looking at pumping circa £5mil into BRFC 2020-2021 financial year just to keep us afloat. On the one hand - we're very lucky to have an owner that is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. Work on the Training Facility is testimony to that. On the other hand, it's just not sustainable. To think it is, is to stick your head in the sand. Wael is benevolent, but he is not a benevolent billionaire. "Our losses for this year already look set to increase by at least £2,000,000 and that number will continue to rise". Yikes. Yes I completely agree Epping. So let's attack that issue, not whether the technical registration at Companies House of a Share Capital restructure has been completed or not? So the question is, Wael mentions sustainability so do we assume that his upfront Asset and Working capital investments are aimed at delivering "Sustainability"? Sure we must assume so, otherwise the only other conclusion is that Wael is a rich kid with a new toy, something I suspect Swiss believes and a view I have heard first hand expressed by others. But, unless we have an alternative strategy, which we don't, then what choice do we have but to let this era unfold and hope that Wael has a plan.
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Post by richmace on Nov 12, 2020 11:25:39 GMT
We also have to take into consideration the effect that Covid-19 has had (and will continue to have) on the financial situation.
The Covid-19 aspect is not within Wael's control, and will have to be figured into the analysis going forward.
Just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK, Wael paid off all the club debts. We must be very grateful for that. We must also be very grateful that Wael is willing to do the following:
1. Continue to cover the losses due to Covid-19. 2. Invest in the playing squad and infrastructure.
The impact of Covid-19 will probably be with our club for a long time, so just bashing Wael because the debt is growing again is not fair in my opinion.
I do agree that costs not attributed to Covid-19 are fair game for analysis and scrutiny.
Like the rest of the country (and world), we have to endure this period and ensure we do our part to ensure that our football club survives. If we can also move forward then this is a bonus.
We are very lucky to be in the situation we are in. It could be a lot, lot worse...
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GasMacc1
Les Bradd
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,423
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Post by GasMacc1 on Nov 12, 2020 11:55:04 GMT
I remember Martyn Starnes saying* that his short-term financial plan was to reduce the losses from £3.4 million (to June 2019) to £1.5million (not sure if he meant the current financial year, or the one ending June 2020). He made that statement just as Covid emerged, so in the next breath accepted that the plan would be swamped by the effects of the abnormal conditions. Sadly, Wael's open letter gives us a measure of the Covid impact.
*I don't immediately recall whether this was on an open letter on the Rovers site, or in a Geoff Twentyman radio interview, or somewhere else. I'll try to locate it.
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bloogas
Joined: July 2016
Posts: 1,090
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Post by bloogas on Nov 12, 2020 12:12:05 GMT
[quote source="/post/212097/thread" But, unless we have an alternative strategy, which we don't, then what choice do we have but to let this era unfold and hope that Wael has a plan. Exactly. When a Supporters Trust was mooted it was dismissed. So unless someone's got £xmillion.......
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irishrover
Global Moderator
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 3,372
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Post by irishrover on Nov 12, 2020 13:46:43 GMT
In the current situation I think it's probably about as good as we could expect - which isn't great but at least is not disasterous. There's a realism about this message which I like and has often been entirely absent in communications from both Wael and his predecessors. While it's still obviously a bit of PR fluff there's more of a 'looking fans in the eye' about it than I've seen before which is nice to see. Although whether that tone retains should we run into some real difficulties (either onfield or offield) will remain the acid test.
One of the things that did for fans relationship with Higgs (and to a lesser extent with Geoff Dunford before that) was the feeling that the board weren't levelling with us when things got tough. So that's the real test. Prior to the recent change of direction it felt Wael was going in a simialr direction. So this is at least a postive sign to me but it doesn't mean very much in the grand scheme of things.
I remain convinced that skeptical vigilence or willful ignorance are the only 2 viable options for most fans of lower league football clubs in dealings with their owners in an era when the money/investment levels required appear to have put real tangible fan influence out of sight beyond the pressure that could be excerted as consumers. We consume a product called 'Bristol Rovers' now - we are not part of a club called 'Bristol Rovers'. It's an unusual product because it primarily relies on our emotional attachment and loyalty to sustain it rather than quality and competitive pricing, which perhaps gives us a little more power than normal consumers have, but that's where we sit now re; the club and its ownership. To me skeptical vigilence is less nihilistic than willful ignorance. But what it means is that my attitude will remain hardened regardless of what is or isn't achieved by our owners - ie. 'what have you done for me lately?'
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warehamgas
Predictions League
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,421
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 12, 2020 15:11:38 GMT
As others have said, the communication is good and has gone up a level or two! It gave a lot of info and similar to his last one gave indications as to the plan forward and his broad intentions. Lots of questions come out of it obviously and that’s ok, it’s good to challenge and question our owners. By doing that it improves their performance and ensures they deal in the realities of the situation. I’m sure others will correct me but I’m not sure I’ve seen more detailed intentions setting out the short and medium term plans from any chairman in the past. It looks like the semblance of a plan and he appears to be surrounding himself with people who will work to achieve it. By that I mean Gorringe, Starnes and Widdrington seem to be on top of their particular responsibilities. That this is happening at a time of such financial uncertainty is good to hear and perhaps as much as can be expected in these times.
I also think that along with many other lower league clubs it was Wael’s way of saying to the PL, EFL and FA “come on, pull your fingers out we need some financial help asap.” With the latest news about up to 10 clubs may have problems paying players this month, the need for a resolution to what has been discussed is more important than ever.
But well done Wael, I feel a lot happier and feel more secure for our future with him than I would if he was not there in the current circumstances. Credit where credit is due.
But swiss, I’m just a fan with a very limited grasp on company finances. I’ve dealt with budgets around £1.5m in a non-company setting and HAD to balance it, no choice, which sometimes made the decisions more straightforward. What do you think about the letter with your background?
UTG!
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Post by swissgas on Nov 12, 2020 16:19:35 GMT
PS. I thought it decent and relatively uncontroversial, if a bit of a 'first' for Rovers Very much so. It does appear that Swiss is running out of road in his continuous criticism of the current owner. Being accused of continuous criticism puts me in good company though
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Post by swissgas on Nov 12, 2020 16:47:24 GMT
As others have said, the communication is good and has gone up a level or two! It gave a lot of info and similar to his last one gave indications as to the plan forward and his broad intentions. Lots of questions come out of it obviously and that’s ok, it’s good to challenge and question our owners. By doing that it improves their performance and ensures they deal in the realities of the situation. I’m sure others will correct me but I’m not sure I’ve seen more detailed intentions setting out the short and medium term plans from any chairman in the past. It looks like the semblance of a plan and he appears to be surrounding himself with people who will work to achieve it. By that I mean Gorringe, Starnes and Widdrington seem to be on top of their particular responsibilities. That this is happening at a time of such financial uncertainty is good to hear and perhaps as much as can be expected in these times. I also think that along with many other lower league clubs it was Wael’s way of saying to the PL, EFL and FA “come on, pull your fingers out we need some financial help asap.” With the latest news about up to 10 clubs may have problems paying players this month, the need for a resolution to what has been discussed is more important than ever. But well done Wael, I feel a lot happier and feel more secure for our future with him than I would if he was not there in the current circumstances. Credit where credit is due. But swiss, I’m just a fan with a very limited grasp on company finances. I’ve dealt with budgets around £1.5m in a non-company setting and HAD to balance it, no choice, which sometimes made the decisions more straightforward. What do you think about the letter with your background? UTG! I really don't want to get too drawn in because my radical solutions are not welcome when so many Gasheads still pin their faith in Wael. But many fans must also see that there actually is no plan to solve Rovers' horrendous financial problems but they prefer to look on the bright side and hope for the best so I respect that.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2020 16:55:41 GMT
Radical?
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Post by swissgas on Nov 12, 2020 19:01:34 GMT
Yes radical, as previously put forward, like stopping the training ground, conserving the cash saved to run the business, relocating at a facility which will be equally good if not better than the proposed one at Almondsbury and with much lower running costs, seeking outside equity investment and being willing to relinquish a controlling stake, and more !
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warehamgas
Predictions League
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,421
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 12, 2020 19:10:28 GMT
As others have said, the communication is good and has gone up a level or two! It gave a lot of info and similar to his last one gave indications as to the plan forward and his broad intentions. Lots of questions come out of it obviously and that’s ok, it’s good to challenge and question our owners. By doing that it improves their performance and ensures they deal in the realities of the situation. I’m sure others will correct me but I’m not sure I’ve seen more detailed intentions setting out the short and medium term plans from any chairman in the past. It looks like the semblance of a plan and he appears to be surrounding himself with people who will work to achieve it. By that I mean Gorringe, Starnes and Widdrington seem to be on top of their particular responsibilities. That this is happening at a time of such financial uncertainty is good to hear and perhaps as much as can be expected in these times. I also think that along with many other lower league clubs it was Wael’s way of saying to the PL, EFL and FA “come on, pull your fingers out we need some financial help asap.” With the latest news about up to 10 clubs may have problems paying players this month, the need for a resolution to what has been discussed is more important than ever. But well done Wael, I feel a lot happier and feel more secure for our future with him than I would if he was not there in the current circumstances. Credit where credit is due. But swiss, I’m just a fan with a very limited grasp on company finances. I’ve dealt with budgets around £1.5m in a non-company setting and HAD to balance it, no choice, which sometimes made the decisions more straightforward. What do you think about the letter with your background? UTG! I really don't want to get too drawn in because my radical solutions are not welcome when so many Gasheads still pin their faith in Wael. Many fans must see that there actually is no plan to solve Rovers' horrendous financial problems but they prefer to look on the bright side and hope for the best so I respect that. Ok, fair enough I can appreciate that. But I guess that beggars the question why would you not want to “get drawn in” when you started a thread on the very topic? I don’t think I’ve ever criticised you or the opinions you post because what you’ve brought to the debate is good to read and gives an alternative opinion on the sometimes labyrinthine ownership of the club. Of course the fans look on the bright side, I’m not at all sure what else they can be expected to do especially in these extraordinary times. When the owners own 92% of a club it’s very difficult to know what else fans can do. And (this will support what you’ve said), when the owners have made some big investment into the club and have reassured the fans that he will support the club through these dangerous times that has to be a very good thing. UTG! edit: You replied to Shoveler whilst I was writing this post and offered some ideas. So thanks for offering those alternatives.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2020 19:25:14 GMT
Yes radical, as previously put forward, like stopping the training ground, conserving the cash saved to run the business, relocating at a facility which will be equally good if not better than the proposed one at Almondsbury and with much lower running costs, seeking outside equity investment and being willing to relinquish a controlling stake, and more ! That's not radical at all. That's mainstream, a bookkeeping alternative, to the single (albeit wealthy) ownership ambition. Splitting the share capital into a group of wealthy individuals is not exactly a radical solution to sell to the fan base is it. There are multiple ownership models you could quote, but I have not heard or read one, from you or anybody else, that delivers sustainability when aligned to fan ambition. That's the magic formula.
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Post by swissgas on Nov 12, 2020 20:23:54 GMT
Yes radical, as previously put forward, like stopping the training ground, conserving the cash saved to run the business, relocating at a facility which will be equally good if not better than the proposed one at Almondsbury and with much lower running costs, seeking outside equity investment and being willing to relinquish a controlling stake, and more ! That's not radical at all. That's mainstream, a bookkeeping alternative, to the single (albeit wealthy) ownership ambition. Splitting the share capital into a group of wealthy individuals is not exactly a radical solution to sell to the fan base is it. There are multiple ownership models you could quote, but I have not heard or read one, from you or anybody else, that delivers sustainability when aligned to fan ambition. That's the magic formula. It is a radical proposal to put to Gasheads who are convinced that Wael knows what he is doing and has a viable plan to secure Rovers future together with the funds to finance it. In addition to the £ 7.2 loaned to Rovers so the club could pay off NH and MSP my guess is close to £ 20 million more has been put in over the past 4 1/2 years and what have we got to show for it ? Wael is commended for putting money in but when Nick Higgs did the same thing we had no hesitation in saying he was only putting it in to pay for his own mistakes. Why is Wael treated differently ? If we want to help Wael and Rovers I think we should stop turning a blind eye to his mistakes and pretending we can't see them. At a time of crisis and uncertainty every sensible business owner knows that you preserve your cash. The last thing you do is throw it at a completely unplanned capital investment which will actually increase your day to day running costs. To do that is foolhardy in the extreme and I was hoping, even though we disagree on many things, that you would back me up when I made that point. Now the open letter tells us that the financial situation is £ 2 million worse than expected, which ironically is about the amount spent on the training ground, and that we need someone to bail us out. You've drawn me in you old b*gger but what I'm saying is that the first step to finding the magic formula is to use our influence to try to make our owners think twice before blundering in and making predictable mistakes.
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womble
Arthur Cartlidge
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 300
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Post by womble on Nov 12, 2020 21:02:02 GMT
That's not radical at all. That's mainstream, a bookkeeping alternative, to the single (albeit wealthy) ownership ambition. Splitting the share capital into a group of wealthy individuals is not exactly a radical solution to sell to the fan base is it. There are multiple ownership models you could quote, but I have not heard or read one, from you or anybody else, that delivers sustainability when aligned to fan ambition. That's the magic formula. At a time of crisis and uncertainty every sensible business owner knows that you preserve your cash. The last thing you do is throw it at a completely unplanned capital investment which will actually increase your day to day running costs. To do that is foolhardy in the extreme and I was hoping, even though we disagree on many things, that you would back me up when I made that point. Now the open letter tells us that the financial situation is £ 2 million worse than expected, which is ironically about the amount spent on the training ground, and that we need someone to bail us out. In what sense are you using the term ‘unplanned’ Swiss? We know that costings had been obtained previously (Hani balked at them) and that more competitive tenders were received this time. Or do you mean that this seems to have been out of the blue, rather than part of an existing plan? There is the possibility that increased public usage (rather like the Fleetwood model), could generate an income stream to ameliorate the costs of running the training ground. However that will take more investment and a new planning permission.
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