I agree it’s good to see a Journalist putting it out there, but He should be honest and admit/acknowledge that the material for his article owes more to trawling message boards like this, than any ‘investigative journalism’
I wouldn't call it a great article. It's run of the mill telling us everything we already know, not giving much of his own opinion on matters and missing out the two biggest matters of the 750k and court case.
I don't think you'd hear him claim this article to be investigative journalism, or even news. It's just an opinion piece.
Who is going to be willing to buy the club if it's in such a bad way as you describe? People buy clubs to make themselves a few bob, and these owners are no different.
The article is for The Yorkshire Post so not just for BFC fans. If I was a Huddy or Bradford fan I'd be interested to find those things out it refers to.
Personally, I've asked for the club to admit the true nature of the transaction, which would contradict Paul Conway's version of events (being that the installments to the Crynes are contractual debts of the football club, which is entirely contradictory to what the accounts state). I've also have an expectation that the investment company should reimburse the club for the debt that was written off, albeit I use 'expectation' in the loosest sense of the word as this would imply that I expected it to happen. It's semantics if people are phrasing it as a simplified where's it gone, but the fact is that there's a £750k shortfall in the club's working capital until such time as the funds are reimbursed, and the write-off of the debt owed by the investment company is cancelled. There's also a relevant ongoing question too as, if the ownership maintain the existing stance that they've adopted over this matter then, should the dispute with the Cryne family be ultimately resolved in the Cryne's favour (which would seem likely, as there looks to be little justification for the payments to them having been withheld), the logical conclusion is that a further £2.75m would be paid out of BFC funds to cover the remaining unpaid installments to them. The £750k is simply the first part of a much bigger sum owed.
People don't buy football clubs to earn money, that is nonsense. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't choose a football club to try and make a return on their investment.
Good article, but I'd like to see more focus on the most bonkers moment of all - our CEO leaving with seemingly no notice period! As if he's a player with a contract expiry date! A CEO should have a 6 month notice period. They would do anywhere else. We were left with no CEO at the time where the manager and backroom staff were all leaving. Bonkers. Shows what a shambles the club is.
I agree. People buy clubs for three reasons in my eyes: Vanity projects. Fans with cash to splash. Fans forced into buying due to a threat that their club could go under. I can't imagine there are many club owners who have registered much more than a negligible personal profit. This begs the question; why did our owners purchase* us? * "Purchase" is a debatable term as I believe they still haven't fully purchased us...
As most have suggested, doesn’t tell us as fans, anything we don’t already know. Might chime with some who may be on the fence. I think it’s probably not intended for Barnsley fans directly.
"Missing" in the sense that it isn't where it ought to be. I thought it sounded better than "underhandedly withdrawn from the clubs accounts by a set of charlatans, despite assurances to the contrary."
Sammy - hope you enjoyed the sunshine! Frankly, if we've got fans who can't see through and past the present ownership, then they are part of the problem.