Press conference

The you and I are in a minority of two. Welcome to Minority Report.

 

I am cautiously optimistic! Cryne has been looking for investors for years. Unfortunately the search has obviously become more urgent, even critical. He seems to have found some folk who say the right things for me. Dampen down expectations of loads of money, stress the idea of a locally run club and keep that local element whilst at the same time reducing their exposure to risk ( the Crynes could easily have unloaded it all to the highest bidder without a thought to the consequences). They are a fan of Hecky’s ( without saying he’s staying by the way!). The deal over the stadium and land is obviously still in place ( the talk was of option to buy Cryne’s 50%). Those that were worried we’d get to be a billionaire’s play thing do not need to worry.
To top it all off we will be getting free Santa hats next year!!

 

I took that as being the Cryne 50%.

 

Mr Conway specifically says at one point that it's the Cryne 50% that they have a 6-month option to buy "and bring back into the club".

No mention whatsoever was made of BMBC or its 50%.

 

That's a good point timber honest[/QUOTE]

The 'BFC model' is what they're interested in. A club they can make a very modest investment into and get excellent returns because its been seen to have been working.

Shame nobody had the balls to ask them what return on their investment they were expecting or wanting.

 

Went to see Orlando FC in the summer. Football was shocking but the pre and after match experience was fantastic. Fan zones outside the ground with street food, music, games, mini soccer, free drinks / promotions etc.. We were there a good 2 hours before the kickoff and spent an hour around the ground after.

Whether that can be done in Barnsley in the rain or snow, I don’t know. But it certainly made going to the match an experience rather than just 90 minutes where you have either a good or bad result.

 

Well they can build a Social Club for a start. Virtually weatherproof! And look at the numbers who turn up to Open Day year after year. If you build it...

 

I have always been a big supporter of Mr Cryne and the way that he has run the club on limited funds. I am always going to support Barnsley FC, whatever happens. My problem with this takeover is not that the new owners have not said that they want promotion. My problem is that the new owners are not in it because they love the club. They are in it because they want to make money from the club, and the only way to do that (in my opinion) is as I have outline above. They are anything but local, hailing from India, China and USA. What possible affinity have they for the "city" of Barnsley. What possible link have they for the sport of football. As I say, they are our new owners because they smell a profit, and as far as I can see, that is it. But as I have said before, I hope I am wrong.

 

But the club will only make money for them if it is successful. The two go hand-in-glove. I hope they make millions because if they do the club will have achieved its objectives too.

 

True, but a social club would only be able to cope with a few hundred drinking fans. A bit like Redfearns Bar. But they need 1000’s to turn up early and not everyone can or wants to be drinking alcohol.

 

Back to square one I think.

 

I can’t get my head round where you are coming from? Realistically what could have happened? Was there another local investor that Cryne has somehow missed out on? If not then given your stance on things we have to be realistic. What these investors have said is that they want to take all the good things at Barnsley and add to it. Although Grace Hung repeated herself I was interested in what she said about the links back to China. Getting Barnsley to be more part of international business could have its benefits couldn’t it? As for affinity and links, are you really saying that Barnsley is a local town for local people?

 

Sell your soul. Buy your dreams. We do it right in Barnsley. Right?

 

No but its a start. The talk is of several small initiatives rather than one Big Thing (!). And if the dads can come for a beer or two and bring the kids along knowing theres a creche/play area/whatever... who knows? The pre and post match rituals are massive in the States, and they seem to have brought some of that to Nice. It must all have started somewhere...great oaks and all that.

 

Re fans/locals - Unfortunately that’s the case with the vast majority of owners in the Football League and the Premier League. Granted there are the likes of Huddersfield and Middlesbrough but these are the exception rather than the rule. I personally can’t think of any local businessmen or fans of the club that have the resources required to sustain a football club at this level so for me this sort of scenario was almost inevitable.

Re link to football - They could all be absolutely huge fans of football and the English game, irrespective of any other reasons for investing. Lee, Hung and Conway are all involved at Nice. Neerav’s monologue spoke of his love of football and Billy Beane who wasn’t present has held a non-executive directorship (I think) at Willem II in the Eredivisie.

 

Ok missed that

 

So did I first time round. Its worth another listen.

 

But a social club would only get used for the 12-15 days a year we have a home game. We’re too out the town for people to drop in any other time.

It would have to be some kind of pop-up facilities. Similar to an open day.

 

So, we get tonked 3 or 4-0 at home on a freezing January day and they expect everyone to hang around for an hour or so afterwards? It’s never going to happen. Different attitudes altogether. This side of the pond it’s the football that is everything. No one is going to shrug their shoulders and say “Hey, never mind let’s have a burger and another soda pop”.
English football grounds will never embrace the Great American Dream style of entertainment

 

No, I am contrasting the new owners to Mr Cryne. He saved the club and continued to invest in it when all logic said forget it. He did so partly because he was born and brought up here and Barnsley FC is in his blood. There was no sound financial reason for doing so. He did it for love.

The new owners are from all around the world. They do not even have sound links to football, never mind Barnsley FC. They have arrived at Oakwell with one single motive. To leave Oakwell richer than before they arrived. Motives may not be important to you, and if Barnsley FC is successful, they will not be important to me either, but whilst we wait for time to sort everything out, and whilst uncertainty fills the air, motives concern me greatly.