Bodin

[Aussie]

Gulli, lets face it, your right in saying that that kind of spending in league 2 would kill a lot of clubs off but Swindon aren`t really a league 2 club, there league 1 and sometimes have a dabble above that. Their gate money alone is league 1 sustanable with wise spending, they have good development of youngsters and get good fees for them, unlike Rovers at the moment they can spend their way out of league 2 but in the right direction!

[Gulliball]

I don't doubt that they have a lot more resources than most (all?) sides that this level, but the manner they are spending it is frivolous and wasteful. You can get out of this division spending a lot less than £500k on transfer fees alone, and there's no way a L2 side needs 6 better strikers than Billy Bodin. If a player like Bodin comes through your own youth setup with the talent he's got then he should definitely be in your plans, not reliant on whether or not the manager can bring in 6 better players and if he can offload Billy. Di Canio doesn't care for the club's long term future, he just wants as much money as possible in his budget so he can buy promotion, but someone at the club should be controlling the money going out. No club in L2 needs SIX strikers ahead of Bodin in their squad, so to let the youth striker go just to spend big money on a replacement is pointless and a waste of £150K up front and then probably £2k every week for the next few years.

[ferrarilover]

These clubs will soon learn, it came to Plymouth, it's come to innumerate clubs in the past, it's even come to Premier League Portsmouth. They will spend like there is no tomorrow and end up hovering over the precipice. To justify that sort of money, they need to be in the Championship (and doing well there too) within three years and that is VERY unlikely to happen. Even if it does, they'll get a reputation as a rich club willing to pay big money and bigger wages and have a book of 30 players. Unless they go on to be a real force in the Championship for a number of years, it will all come crashing down around them.
Don't believe me? Think clubs reach 'critical mass' where they are simply too big to go under? I refer you to our 'friends' in green not 40 miles distant.

The post above is just about as spot on as any post gets. Swindon do not need 7 strikers. Manchester United don't even need 7 strikers. If you have seven of every position, you need a minimum of (obviously) 77 players. Each on an average of £500/week (a low estimate, I'll venture), that's £38,500/week in player wages alone. You're talking over £100,000/week to run the club. That's £5,200,000/year in net profit required just to break even!

Enjoy it while it lasts Swindon, because 6 or 7 years from now, you'll be battling Plymouth and Crawley, and all the other clubs presently being run by idiots, for promotion from the Blue Square South.*

Matt.

*Meanwhile, 'little' Torquay United will be happily plodding along, probably somewhere in the middle of L1, three divisions above these 'giants' of the game and making a small, but neat, profit each year.

[Paolos meatballs]

I don't doubt that they have a lot more resources than most (all?) sides that this level, but the manner they are spending it is frivolous and wasteful. You can get out of this division spending a lot less than £500k on transfer fees alone, and there's no way a L2 side needs 6 better strikers than Billy Bodin. If a player like Bodin comes through your own youth setup with the talent he's got then he should definitely be in your plans, not reliant on whether or not the manager can bring in 6 better players and if he can offload Billy. Di Canio doesn't care for the club's long term future, he just wants as much money as possible in his budget so he can buy promotion, but someone at the club should be controlling the money going out. No club in L2 needs SIX strikers ahead of Bodin in their squad, so to let the youth striker go just to spend big money on a replacement is pointless and a waste of £150K up front and then probably £2k every week for the next few years.

You couldn't be more wrong about our finances.

We are actually one of the best run clubs in the country. After the previous regime, the current lot came in and are getting the club self-sustainable, operating within it's means. I suspect we make more/lose less than you do.

The majority of our players actually came on a free and not on particularly high wages. When we do pay fees for players, they are usually younger players that can be sold on at a profit. Think Austin and Simon Cox, and at some point in the future, Caddis, Ritchie, J smith, Ferry, Rooney, Foderingham etc........ Those lads are going to help us to the Championship and/or net us some big transfer fees.

They have been a little more relaxed in regards to their spending policy this season because getting out of this league is an absolute priority. But, in general, we are not 'spending' money. Rather we are 'investing' money.

[Aussie]

I did try to explain earlier that Swindon have resources and are well above league level as an outfit!

[ferrarilover]

"these lads are going to help us into the Championship"

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, yet another club chasing the dream. I hate to be defeatist and I certainly hope that I'm wrong, but I have a funny feeling we'll be meeting again sooner than STFC might like.

Matt.

[JamieE]

But, in general, we are not 'spending' money. Rather we are 'investing' money.

Love that little snippet.

Spending 6 figures on Alan Connell was not a wise investment, you certainly won't be getting a return on that.

[Paolos meatballs]

Love that little snippet.

Spending 6 figures on Alan Connell was not a wise investment, you certainly won't be getting a return on that.

Why was Alan Connell not a wise investment?

Not all of our signings are about making a profit. He's scored some valuable goals for the team and some good performances.

[tufcbrett]

Constable has turned down Swindon, so this could effect any Bodin deal that Ling is confident about

[Paolos meatballs]

"these lads are going to help us into the Championship"

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, yet another club chasing the dream. I hate to be defeatist and I certainly hope that I'm wrong, but I have a funny feeling we'll be meeting again sooner than STFC might like.

Matt.

So you think the likes of Caddis, Ferry, Ritchie, Foderingham and Flint aren't good enough for a promotion push from league 1?

And why would we be meeting again, I don't understand what you are getting at!

[royalgull]

So you think the likes of Caddis, Ferry, Ritchie, Foderingham and Flint aren't good enough for a promotion push from league 1?

And why would we be meeting again, I don't understand what you are getting at!

Not being funny as I don't mind STFC and certainly prefer them to Oxford, but Caddis Ferry and Rithcie were with you last year and you went down.

[Paolos meatballs]

Not being funny as I don't mind STFC and certainly prefer them to Oxford, but Caddis Ferry and Rithcie were with you last year and you went down.

Yes.

They were also in a team that made the playoff final the season before. Ritchie and Caddis played well last season and Ferry hardly played at all 'cos Wilson lost the plot.

You really think they aren't good enough for L1? Really?

[JamieE]

Why was Alan Connell not a wise investment?

Not all of our signings are about making a profit. He's scored some valuable goals for the team and some good performances.

The whole point of your post was about being self-sustainable, well run and able to sell your players on for profit. I was just pointing out that certainly isn't the case with your summer signing, Connell, who I doubt you will see a penny back from in return. Massively overspent there, and there are definitely players that could come off the bench in League 2 and do the job without spending over 100k.

[Paolos meatballs]

The whole point of your post was about being self-sustainable, well run and able to sell your players on for profit. I was just pointing out that certainly isn't the case with your summer signing, Connell, who I doubt you will see a penny back from in return. Massively overspent there, and there are definitely players that could come off the bench in League 2 and do the job without spending over 100k.

We are self sustainable.

We even made a profit last season. The sale of one or two of our star players alone would cover fees paid. We have very wealthy backers that can afford to invest in players that can be sold on later for much higher values. It's not rocket science.

How many quality strikers could we buy for L2 for under 100k? Name one.

[JamieE]

We are self sustainable.

We even made a profit last season. The sale of one or two of our star players alone would cover fees paid. We have very wealthy backers that can afford to invest in players that can be sold on later for much higher values. It's not rocket science.

How many quality strikers could we buy for L2 for under 100k? Name one.

What's not rocket science is the point I'm trying to make regarding one of your players, Alan Connell. His example was all I was saying.

Of course, the idea of getting players cheap and then selling them on is a good one, and one which every club in League 2, bar Crawley, aims to run under. We do it. We now have saleable assets in the shape of O'Kane, Olejnik, maybe even Howe. Other players are a season or two away from being held in the same regard I believe.

I will give you one striker. Southend recently bought him, goes by the name of Elliot Benyon, top class League 2 striker, his old club bought him for £135,000 and then refused to give him a chance. Good business