Why A Chinese-American Investor Brought Moneyball To A Sleepy English Town

I agree - I see myself as a supporter - but what do the club see us as?

What do you feel we should get extra from the club as supporters that a normal business wouldn't provide its customers?

 

I'm a positive guy so choose to believe the best of the new board. However, it's interesting that Mr Lee has shared this article on his twitter feed and he's had several comments from Nice fans none of whom are positive:

- a handful asking if he's no longer interested in nice
- a couple criticising the lack of investment
- someone saying he has no ambition and should sell the club to someone who will take them to the next level

I know nothing about French football but I know he's built them a new stadium and took them to champions league so presumed they'd be pretty happy. Maybe just keyboard warriors but he's obviously not universally loved by the frogs.

 

From reason it won't let me quote you.

As I say, behind closed doors it doesn't matter if the club sees as supporters, customers cash cows or gullible pillocks. It only matters how we see ourselves and this determines our attitude to the club.

I don't think supporters should necessarily get more than customers and I'd be surprised if they do - support it without condition in general whereas custom is not.

 

Dunno about depressing. Anyone that actually suffers with depression will tell you it's a totally different thing to not being happy with your league position.

That aside, like I said the other day, relegation battles have provided us with some of our best memories in this league.

The games v Hull and Huddersfield will always reign long in my memory, as will the wins and Southend and Plymouth.

Back in the 80s when we were regular mid table, playing in front of pretty much half of our current gates, there generally wasn't a great deal to get over excited about really.

 

The stadium was already built when he arrived, he built them a new academy and they got into the Champions League for the first time under his ownership. The Premier League is the golden egg, the Champions League place got him £50 million for Nice, they average just over 20k crowds. Promotion to the Premiership will bring him £200 million plus and probably bigger average crowds than Nice (who had 8,000 turn up for one game in the top flight)

 

Think well have a chinese logo for sponsor on the front of the shirts next season or when the current deal expires, as part of the internationalisation and bringing in some bigger sponsor money?

 

Agree with that Bossmam , exciting times ahead of us they don’t seem to be the types to load the club with debt and dead fish eyed footballers and run.
We have to thank Patrick and the Cryne family for looking out for the club and not getting rid in their sad time to just anyone.

 

50 quid says it will be a Chinese betting company.

 

It is absolutely blindingly obvious why the club and land remain separated. The land purchase is likely as not much more complicated given the covenants and mixed ownership as opposed to that of the clubs and given the fact that the takeover was announced around a month before Mr Cryne passed away, with the transfer window looming it’s pretty obvious Mr Cryne wanted that part sorted.

There are also bigger things at play than the simple ownership of a football club. Mr Lee clearly (and rightly) has identified the club as the towns major asset but indicates it could be a gateway to greater investment in the town itself from further afield. Not to mention the desire of the Chinese People’ Government desire to increase their “soft power” across the globe. Including Barnsley.

 

Why/how is B.F.C. Barnsley's major asset?

 

Because it brings 10-20,000 people into the town on a Saturday who might not go otherwise?

 

There are 20 Premiership clubs and 71 more Football League clubs. I am sure that each one of those clubs are equally important to their towns as Barnsley FC is to ours. What I am driving at is why did this consortium believe that Barnsley stood out above all these others. Why was it a "no brainer" for a group of seemingly unrelated investment companies. Does our club have a large and untapped fan base? Does it have better potential for a profitable return on their investment? Does it have anything that makes it stand out, or are there better opportunities, perhaps further up the football pyramid. I really do not know. I am simply asking some pertinent questions, giving voice to my concerns, raising interesting points for discussion, trying to put myself in other shoes to discover their aims and motivations.

 

I think there is certainly potential for much bigger crowds. With a sustained period in the Premier League we’d get well into the 20 thousands, maybe more.

You talk about a profitable return on their investment as though it’s the only game in town. As I’ve stated there is the potential that opening the door via BFC allows them the chance to invest/re-coup in the wider area not to mention the Chinese Governments wider aims. You cannot ignore these elements.

It was a no-brainer because they could buy a Championship club, one promotion award from huge rewards for less than they could buy a 4th Division Club like Chesterfield. Not to mention a financially solvent Championship club at that.

It seems frighteningly parochial (and maybe worse) to suggest that their motives must be bad because they aren’t from Barnsley

Perhaps they see opportunities to develop and invest in the town. Mr Lee said he likes the town and it’s values. If a place needs a break it sure as **** is Barnsley.

 

Probably not far off the towns largest employer too

 

You'd be surprised. I bet we aren't in the top 50

 

Maybe. But certainly the towns biggest economic vehicle.

 

P

Plus they have a proven track record as their cross channel venture testifies

 

I wouldn't argue with that. It's just in terms of number of employees I bet we haven't got anywhere near 100 anymore

 

It brings 12000 or so to Oakwell, most of whom go nowhere near the town centre, except maybe to park.

The market, for example, will attract far more people over the week, and who generate value for the local economy.

My interest however was in the word "asset".

 

I would say not directly the biggest employer but the offshoot jobs that come with it there’s plenty depends on it