Club Ownership

[Richinns]

Just a suggestion Rich, for the future, I always send a PM to the post author and ask permission to use content from the post, and I think I'm right in saying, the post should contain a link to the thread as it's another forums/websites property.

Thanks Dave - Link added and I have PM'd him to see if he is happy and will remove if not.

[tomogull]

According to Dave Thomas in today's Herald Express, the period of 'due diligence' for Dean Edwards consortium expires tomorrow night. Presumably that means if they haven't come forward with the money (how ever much it is that is required) by then, their bid is scuppered. Am I understanding that correctly?

[tomogull]

unpleasantries hiding under the rocks??? bit like buying a car. I fancy one of those new shiny cars, yes we have the money to buy one. Look in showroom at one lovely be so nice to own that. Then get home sit down and check cost of tax, insurance, fuel, car parking charges, mot and repair bills over 1 year and ooops, off to bus stop to buy my weekly ticket again. the dream in reality has gone for some reason that's called real life!

Another new poster today, and from Somerset !!!! Er, um - you're not called Geoff by any chance are you ...... ?

[Gullscorer]

According to Dave Thomas in today's Herald Express, the period of 'due diligence' for Dean Edwards consortium expires tomorrow night. Presumably that means if they haven't come forward with the money (how ever much it is that is required) by then, their bid is scuppered. Am I understanding that correctly?

As I understand it, the deal would not be scuppered but it would then also be open to other parties (if any) to negotiate a deal.

[tomogull]

unpleasantries hiding under the rocks??? bit like buying a car. I fancy one of those new shiny cars, yes we have the money to buy one. Look in showroom at one lovely be so nice to own that. Then get home sit down and check cost of tax, insurance, fuel, car parking charges, mot and repair bills over 1 year and ooops, off to bus stop to buy my weekly ticket again. the dream in reality has gone for some reason that's called real life!

Nah - I'm sure they don't think they are buying into a shiny new car and I don't think the insurance and fuel bills would concern them. It's when they lifted the bonnet and saw that the pistons were shot and the big end gone that gave them the shock.

[stefano]

A ridiculous alteration to the link posted by Richins to a relevant post on the BTPR Forum - the link was correct when he posted it as I saw it just after - now been altered which is pretty plain daft. If it wasn't obvious before it now is that there are still loads of people oblivious to the dire straits the club finds itself in. Still I suppose there won't be much point in having any forums then. The promise of the Conference Bond is very nice I am sure. But the problems go deeper than that, and £50,000 + a little bit of income from a few who will attend games won't get the club through the season. Best of luck to TUST in their endeavours of course, but unfortunately there has hardly been a groundswell of support.

Well I'm rambling again now. It's an age thing you know. All I really meant to say was that it is plain daft altering a link to another forum where the most important issue affecting the club for many a year and maybe at any time in it's history, is being seriously discussed with all points of view considered.

[tomogull]

I have always felt that Southampton Gull exaggerated the TUFC failings at Board level but after reading today's Herald Express, especially what Dean Edwards has to say, I'm coming around to thinking that he is spot on. The pigeons are coming home to roost in a big way and Stefano is right when he posts that we should be under no illusion that the club is in dire straits. The next few days are going to be pivotal to the club's future I feel.

[Neal]

Many weeks ago I prepared myself for the worst. God knows what creative accountancy has gone on, but it happens in many businesses these days. I would guess and its only a guess that some of the contracts are expensive. Because if you think about it, that is the main cost to a football club. Probably and Ive been on about this many times there are a few rolling contracts around.

Look, even if we go into Administration, the club is liquidated (which I am prepared for now actually) that wont be the end. What would be left, a ground AND TUST. We would have to do an Aldershot / Newport. There are some who wouldn't be up for it, but I would and many in TUST would too. And you you know, it would be a challenge, and I like challenges and the club would then be in FAN ownership which is to me what I want. Sick and tired of so called wealthy xxxxxxxx in football using at as a play thing.

So for me, the club wont die, because some of us wont let it. But it would be playing at a very low level to start with but it would rise, and if I have anything to do with it it will live within its means.

[PhilGull]

Many weeks ago I prepared myself for the worst. God knows what creative accountancy has gone on, but it happens in many businesses these days. I would guess and its only a guess that some of the contracts are expensive. Because if you think about it, that is the main cost to a football club. Probably and Ive been on about this many times there are a few rolling contracts around.

Look, even if we go into Administration, the club is liquidated (which I am prepared for now actually) that wont be the end. What would be left, a ground AND TUST. We would have to do an Aldershot / Newport. There are some who wouldn't be up for it, but I would and many in TUST would too. And you you know, it would be a challenge, and I like challenges and the club would then be in FAN ownership which is to me what I want. Sick and tired of so called wealthy xxxxxxxx in football using at as a play thing.

So for me, the club wont die, because some of us wont let it. But it would be playing at a very low level to start with but it would rise, and if I have anything to do with it it will live within its means.

I would agree that the club won't die but what you are suggesting should very much be a last resort. We should make every attempt to keep the club running in it's current form. It's one thing for clubs in large urban areas, 'hotbeds of football' if you will to do phoenix rising plans - I have serious doubts whether a Torquay phoenix club would ever make it out of the Western League.

[A Realist]

Many weeks ago I prepared myself for the worst. God knows what creative accountancy has gone on, but it happens in many businesses these days. I would guess and its only a guess that some of the contracts are expensive. Because if you think about it, that is the main cost to a football club. Probably and Ive been on about this many times there are a few rolling contracts around.

Look, even if we go into Administration, the club is liquidated (which I am prepared for now actually) that wont be the end. What would be left, a ground AND TUST. We would have to do an Aldershot / Newport. There are some who wouldn't be up for it, but I would and many in TUST would too. And you you know, it would be a challenge, and I like challenges and the club would then be in FAN ownership which is to me what I want. Sick and tired of so called wealthy xxxxxxxx in football using at as a play thing.

So for me, the club wont die, because some of us wont let it. But it would be playing at a very low level to start with but it would rise, and if I have anything to do with it it will live within its means.

If the club is liquidated it will be the end. For a start there are not too many assets worth purchasing, not that the trust can afford much anyway (yet). It is also highly unlikely that a new club in a far lower division would be able to afford Plainmoor. Personally I wouldn't want to even contemplate liquidation.

[Admiral]

Very much a last resort! Some of the negativity on here is unbelievable.

If the worst case scenario did happen there would be no reason why we couldn't rise again. Chester (very similar size club) got back in 3 seasons

[Dave]

Spot on Admiral, Chester, FC Halifax, Newport, Aldershot amongst those clubs who went out of business and rose again, doesn't happen for all, but it would be then I'd see a major role for TUST, backed with the will of us fans it can be done. Agree with above sentiment, we are talking about the last resort, and Dean did say yesterday it's 75% the club will survive, ok 25 % it won't is a bit higher than we'd all hope, but I'll focus on the bigger of those two percentages.

[Richinns]

If (and I agree the we should hope and focus on the 75%) but if the club did go under would the asset of the state of the ground (especially Bristow's Bench) but a major plus for us? I know we don't officially own it but surely the Council will not just claim the land and flatten all the cost that went into these developments?
Regardless of where we are currently as a club - we have one of the best set-up's in the Conference and probably the best stand. Surely this counts for something?

[Kit_robin]

If (and I agree the we should hope and focus on the 75%) but if the club did go under would the asset of the state of the ground (especially Bristow's Bench) but a major plus for us? I know we don't officially own it but surely the Council will not just claim the land and flatten all the cost that went into these developments?
Regardless of where we are currently as a club - we have one of the best set-up's in the Conference and probably the best stand. Surely this counts for something?

Think that would depend on how much the public get behind a phoenix club. If they do respond well - and im not talking about maintaining current gates, but only dropping to, say, average 1000 - then ourour stadium and crowds would be an asset, and I would expect us to do very well in something like the southern league (or lower).

However, if all our traditional support goes, and were left with 150 people turning up, the running costs of Plainmoor could be prohibitive.

Personally I don't think it will come to that. But, if it did, a TUST owned and run club I think WOULD see support early on. A couple of promotions would keep that going and we could recover. However, I could easily see support dropping off in the second year if we failed to get out of something like the lower reaches of the southern league.

[tomogull]

I don't think the club is likely to go into administration but we don't know for sure, do we? We just have to sit tight and see what happens in the coming few days. As already posted, going into administration must be a very, very last resort. I hate it when clubs go into administration because it is the small businesses that suffer because they don't get paid what they're owed - elctricians, painters, printers etc.

We're good at adding two and two of course, but I wonder if this is the reason Ian Hayman stepped down from the Board? He was the director who oversaw the finances and maybe he could see the buffers fast approaching. And I wonder which director has been responsible for the financial management since he left?