I’ve not renewed and I don’t think I will. My reasoning is it just doesn’t feel like my club anymore, I don’t know why but I’m totally disillusioned with football generally and BFC. We’ve also move further away and my son who’s just turned 17 has totally lost all interest. Last season was demoralising and it may have broken my love for the club completely. It’s really sad I feel like this but I can’t help it.
I'm going to keep banging this drum too. Match day tickets are priced to disincentivise any casual support. I think Neerav referred to us never having reached into Wakefield as a catchment area. Given pay on the day prices it will never happen. Someone in Wakey who has no affiliation to any club but fancies a game. They are certainly not going to invest in a season ticket no matter how cheap. They see a game scheduled for Barnsley that takes their fancy. Then see an entry price of what, £26 is it for the East Stand. They're unlikely to attend or if they do are unlikely to keep coming back at that price. New fans don't just dive in and buy a season ticket unless they have family who already go. They come a few times and maybe buy one the following season if they get hooked. We've got to do everything we can to hook them.
The Articles of Association of BFC Investments Ltd below - should give the answers re: share issues etc. Apologies not been through them myself in that respect.
I've posted very little (if anything !) about PMG/Conway. However, moves over the last year e.g. the $75M SPAV-style fund pushed me down the route that Conway is a concept salesman to moneyed individuals who, importantly, are not close to European "soccer", selling with buzz-words and superficial know-how (e.g. calling one of his vehicles "Geigenpresser"). His expertise/knowledge are more in the business/investor relations area than running football clubs. Recent events with the relegation of Barnsley, Esbjerg etc, fit nicely the phrase "when the tide goes out it shows whose swimming naked". I recall you touched on this a few days back, but life must be getting very complicated for Conway as his various backers see the changes at Barnsley and wonder whether he can deliver whatever he has promised them from the money he has persuaded them to put into his vehicles.
I'll read through in full a bit later.... but noteworthy to see that 75% of the company shareholding have to be in agreement for an external sale of shares to occur.
yeah I’m good thanks. While ever they are involved and let’s face it will still have a lot of power in decision making I’m not interested.
The problem that the owners of our club have are getting people like myself and other's that have found other things to spend money on and to do Saturday afternoon (even if that means sitting down every match day watching dodgy streams of the reds).The damage done is going to be very difficult to repair
So piecing together the little I've read (broken off to frustratingly try and hear something from the board presentation), it seems that there are basic majority rights on voting which allows a new share issue. Upon offer of new shares, they are offered pro rata to the existing shareholders and each shareholder has 10 business days to take up their allotment. If waived, that batch are offered pro rata to all existing share holders until eventually they are all taken. And as mentioned before, 75% of the shareholder make up have to agree to selling the club. The most obvious thing is to test the water with this share issue, see if Conway and Lee can find more money (or other peoples... again) and keep diluting the shares til they are below the 75% threshold. I'll try and read the rest shortly if I get time, but there are some positives in there.... as long as Parekh and the mystery 20%s are competent and their efforts true.
I don't think they can do a lot about that at the moment. I won't be getting a season ticket after not getting one for the last two years. I did not trust those running the club. I've listened to Neerav and I like him a lot more than Conway, but it's going to take a lot more than words to win back my trust. Problem he has at the moment is he can't provide more than words. There are no actions to be made. I'll keep an eye on it. If I approve of his actions I'll start buying match tickets. I don't mean approve of his choice in manager or particular signings. I mean believe he's making decisions in the interest of winning football matches and the long term viability of the club. But he can't prove that to me yet. Hopefully he will in time and I'll come back.
Jv, they're shareholders. Not majority shareholders. They are outvoted and have been kicked off the Board. I'm all for being cautious but for the insinuation that this is just a rearrangement of deckchairs to con fans into thinking things were changing when in fact Lee and Conway are still pulling the strings you'd have to accept that Jean Cryne has enthusiastically joined in that con. I find that extremely hard to believe.
The balance of power has been tipped by one group of shady venture capitalists switching their voting proxy They can just as easily switch it back. Nothing in essence has changed.
I get that it could change again. However, Jean Cryne has put herself forward as part of a new broom. That, to me, indicates that for the moment at least we are in much better hands. With any owners we're a hostage to fortune. The days of Ernest and John Dennis, Gordon Pallister etc are long gone.
I've thought long and hard and it is a no from me. Am having a well-earned week in the sun next week. If interesting things happen, I might be tempted. Especially if they extend the early bird. But the presser seemed very downbeat* and I came away feeling a bit uninspired. I'll probably take in the home opener - I always do. But as others have said ^ there are other things to do with your leisure time in 2022. Nothing at all against those who are renewing. Good luck. *Yes, I get that it was probably Jeans first time in front of the cameras, and I get that Neerav isn't (yet) comfortable doing the media gigs. And Khaled is hardly a natural. But at the end of the day, there was just not a lot in it.
And rather than editing, I would add that Jean showed more b4lls showing up for her first presser than Conway and co showed in their last 18 months 'at the helm'. Well done Jean, duly noted and respected.
But it just is a rearrangement. Chien Lee and Conway are off the board as the venture capitalists have changed their voting proxy and are clearly unhappy with the way things are being run. They can change it back again. The balance of power (pending share issue) remaining unchanged.
I'm not renewing until there is a manager in place simple as that, the measly discount makes no difference I'm not spending over 300 quid without know who the manager is.
MEASLY discount. £65-£85 adults. £40-£45 oap's Circa 20%. I know most wouldn't turn their noses up at that. And not knowing who the new manager will be. Has to be a joke surely. Who you expecting. Klopp. But hey ho fill thi booits.
Well that's your only choices, ether back what is actually in place or not. I'm sure most would all like to see a total sale, but the reality is different.