eppinggas
Administrator
Ian Alexander
Don't care
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 8,053
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Post by eppinggas on Feb 19, 2021 9:04:07 GMT
Since the Al-Qadi family took over Bristol Rovers. Wael Al-Qadi. You have a decision to make about who will manage Bristol Rovers. Employing Tommy Widdrington to the end of the season would appear to be the only sensible, rational option. Don't f*ck it up.
Happy birthday Wael.
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vaughan
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,237
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Post by vaughan on Feb 19, 2021 15:24:15 GMT
You can divide the 5 years into 3 phases.
1. Initial bewilderment that we had been taken over, promotion and keeping DC.
2. The decision not to pursue UWE, some hesitant press conferences ref future stadiums and the loss of DC.
3.The death of his father, the sole taking over of the reins from his brother, the £18 million invested to wipe off the debts, greater clarity in communication, unquestioned support during the Pandemic, the Training Ground.
Without question, he is totally committed to this football club. It's his baby.
Big picture, we have never been in a better state off the pitch in my life time. In this world of social media, there are not enough people prepared to see the bigger picture. The whole situation is not helped by our neighbours having an owner who has invested £150 million in last 10 years to reach mid-table in the Championship. Be careful what you wish for!!!
I think ground development will happen next. It needs to.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2021 20:00:05 GMT
You can divide the 5 years into 3 phases. 1. Initial bewilderment that we had been taken over, promotion and keeping DC. 2. The decision not to pursue UWE, some hesitant press conferences ref future stadiums and the loss of DC. 3.The death of his father, the sole taking over of the reins from his brother, the £18 million invested to wipe off the debts, greater clarity in communication, unquestioned support during the Pandemic, the Training Ground. Without question, he is totally committed to this football club. It's his baby. Big picture, we have never been in a better state off the pitch in my life time. In this world of social media, there are not enough people prepared to see the bigger picture. The whole situation is not helped by our neighbours having an owner who has invested £150 million in last 10 years to reach mid-table in the Championship. Be careful what you wish for!!! I think ground development will happen next. It needs to. Agree with this Vaughan. I too am positive about Waels ownership and recent off field progress, but it doesn’t absolve the footballing side from criticism for the shambles we’re witnessing at the moment.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2021 20:44:15 GMT
Swiss has already run the figures and they didn't come out at £18m.
So far there's zero commitment, that comes when the money spent starts to exceed the realisable value of the assets.
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vaughan
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,237
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Post by vaughan on Feb 19, 2021 21:57:34 GMT
Yes, those chains around the Memorial Gates as it is put up for sale.
The reporting to the EFL that Wael should fail a fit and proper persons test.
The Training Ground bought just for housing.
I declined to mention those...
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2021 22:13:49 GMT
Yes, those chains around the Memorial Gates as it is put up for sale. The reporting to the EFL that Wael should fail a fit and proper person's test. The Training Ground bought just for housing. I declined to mention those... Don't confuse me with the SC hierarchy. I was nothing to do with the loose cannons who were talking about reporting him for not being a Fit & Proper Person. I've never even suggested that.
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Post by swissgas on Feb 20, 2021 0:00:49 GMT
You can divide the 5 years into 3 phases. 1. Initial bewilderment that we had been taken over, promotion and keeping DC. 2. The decision not to pursue UWE, some hesitant press conferences ref future stadiums and the loss of DC. 3.The death of his father, the sole taking over of the reins from his brother, the £18 million invested to wipe off the debts, greater clarity in communication, unquestioned support during the Pandemic, the Training Ground. Without question, he is totally committed to this football club. It's his baby. Big picture, we have never been in a better state off the pitch in my life time. In this world of social media, there are not enough people prepared to see the bigger picture. The whole situation is not helped by our neighbours having an owner who has invested £150 million in last 10 years to reach mid-table in the Championship. Be careful what you wish for!!! I think ground development will happen next. It needs to. You were alive in 2010 when the team finished 11th in League 1, the annual losses were £1.1 million, debts were £2.5 million to the shareholders and £1.6 million to the bank/ brewery but Dwane Colony Ltd was still just a twinkle in its owners eyes. At that time everything seemed hunky-dory to most Gasheads but some of us, including you I think Vaughan, could see that the foundations were very shaky and radical change was needed if Nick Higgs was ever to fulfill his ambition. What happened next was the disintegration of the football side of the business and an uncoordinated leap into the UWE Stadium project which, unsurprisingly, ended in failure and eventually a forced sale. When I look at the bigger picture today I see history repeating itself but this time no one will be able to pay £7.2 million to take over because there is a £10 million charge on the Mem. And who would even want to when the business model is set up to lose £3 or 4 million a year ? I wish I could believe that Wael has the means to put £3 or 4 million into the club every year and the charm to persuade someone to put up £30 or 40 million to build us a new stadium.
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,236
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Post by kingswood Polak on Feb 20, 2021 11:18:00 GMT
You can divide the 5 years into 3 phases. 1. Initial bewilderment that we had been taken over, promotion and keeping DC. 2. The decision not to pursue UWE, some hesitant press conferences ref future stadiums and the loss of DC. 3.The death of his father, the sole taking over of the reins from his brother, the £18 million invested to wipe off the debts, greater clarity in communication, unquestioned support during the Pandemic, the Training Ground. Without question, he is totally committed to this football club. It's his baby. Big picture, we have never been in a better state off the pitch in my life time. In this world of social media, there are not enough people prepared to see the bigger picture. The whole situation is not helped by our neighbours having an owner who has invested £150 million in last 10 years to reach mid-table in the Championship. Be careful what you wish for!!! I think ground development will happen next. It needs to. I hope you are right but that bloody charge being taken off, would make me much more confident
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vaughan
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,237
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Post by vaughan on Feb 20, 2021 12:07:49 GMT
Football is a basket-case of an industry.
It is clearly not sustainable - see Price of Football ref Championship.
It is almost entirely reliant on wealthy benefactors. We have found one, but Lansdown and others can blow him out of the water with their more considerable wealth.
Personally and that means me, I have no birning ambition to go into Championship as it would cripple us financially. City's wage bill in last financial period was £33 million.
Our success will always be relative to City, which is beacuse we are a 2 club football city. Any protestations that people don't care about them are either just not true or naive. So yes, I have to make compromises based on reality and value judgements. Expectation management!!
The idea that we will become a Championship football club by building a new stadium, with all its additional revenue is a myth. My recommendation is build a new East Stand, increase terracing on North to make the ground look more appealing and increase revenue-generating facilties. Yes, who funds this, Wael alone?
You keep talking about Armageddon in the future, but please show some respect for an owner who has written off debts and supported us throughout a Pandemic. Picking over every bit of financial and corporate information maybe a hobby of yours, casting doubt and fostering uncertainty at every turn, but it does not include measures such as the owner's intent to support this football club in the best way he can. Unlike any other Board Director in my life time, he has backed it up with his wallet.
Is there anyone else out there who could do a better job as majority shareholder? Or is your role to impart financial wisdom on this famous Internet Forum in the hope that Wael reads it and improves his financial management? Do you think that after a lifetime in banking, a MBA, he can not read a balance sheet or profit / loss accounts. Sustainability - what's that?
So for me, you judge a man on his intent and his actions. His reputational damage remains our best protection in single ownership model. 5 years is enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. We might even push the boat out and embrace the guy.
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