As a reds fan for the best part of sixty seven years,Please now show us some intent that the club is not just about making money .We've all gone through hard times strike's and all that.Get Stendall and Pinnock contracts sorted out give us a bit of hope.
It's not just us thought sadly, it's the way of most football clubs above the fan base level is now, clubs don't appear to care where they are in the pyramid just how much money they are making
The owners didn't buy the club for you, or any of us, to feel warm and gooey inside about our football club. They bought it to try and make a bit of money. The club is just another piece of their portfolio. It is a business, nothing more.
It’s not going to be long before the owners find it a bit uncomfortable sitting in the west stand on a sat aft if it carries on like this.
Thing is.... how many football clubs actually generate profit year on year? Do any at all? Is it common for a football club owner to exit the club having spent more or received more? If I wanted to increase my wealth significantly (and could afford to do so), the last thing I'd do is buy a football club.
under normal circumstances you are right. But we are a special case, ripe for the picking in my opinion. we, as a club are centrally placed within the football pyramid as a whole, so we can buy non league players without the fans kicking up much of a fuss, and we play in L1 where we can develop these players much more thoroughly than if we were in the championship (more game time, less pressure etc). Because we are in L1 this also makes our good players valuable and still attractive to championship teams (not too far down the pyramid for their fans to kick up a fuss either). I honestly believe that the owners want us to stay in L1 to buy cheap players without the fans revolting, then sell them to moneybags championship teams for a sizeable profit. The owners do not see us as a club, just a business. They have poached the CEO for their other business in France, they are asset stripping as we speak.
If they were asset stripping us, why have they bought Dougall and Woodrow and improved terms for Mowatt? Nice were in the Champions League and high up in Ligue 1, why wouldn't GG be attracted to that in his native France? as per my other post in another thread, work out the token amounts of profit per sale, consider the large number of directors we now have, consider the structure and other investment in the Hong Kong listed investment company that owns 80% of the club... there really is very little to be had once tax is taken off. They might do better getting an ISA!
According to this... https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/national/football-finance-championship-club-by-club-2015-16 Not many...
The dispiriting thing for believers is that this time (with these owners) it looked different. Same old, same old.
If the "plan" is followed through, they improve mowatts contract and sign Woodrow and Dougall, so we can sell them for even more profit!
Isnt it totally misleading though. back in the day clubs were mostly owned by locals who had done good for themselves or old - money landowners Now probably last 15 + years, clubs are bought by usually incredible wealthly people as a show of wealth ,Toy , in-thing , football fans childhood dream whatever you want to call it. They are not bought to make money and the owners are prepared to throw/lose a large part of there wealth which they have no practical use for into this pursuit
They're not asset stripping us, as such. But don't be fooled, Dougall, Mowatt, Moore, will all be sold on eventually. This is our model. Use our turnover to buy hidden 'gems', and sell for profit. Overall, our actual investment in the squad will never really go up. Perhaps only with inflation. So, as a result, we'll probably float around league one and the lower and of the Championship. If you think that the board are going to start pumping larger sums into the squad, you are living in a fantasy. Recognise our club for what it is: a business. Doesn't mean you have to love it any less.
Totally disagree Yes the business plan is to buy and develop players and sell for a profit if possible but first and foremost the business is to play and compete in football games in as a high a league as possible . Which in turn develops better players and better profits . The very notion that a conglomerate of Billion/ millionaires would settle for the bottom pickings of lower league takings is laughable imo
Some chairman once said the easiest way a billionaire can become a millionaire is to own a football club.