Couldn't agree more. They are supposedly wealthy, but seem intent on the club simply ticking over, rather than bringing about any improvement in the squad. In fact it seems to have been steadily degraded in the last 2-3 years. Given they have no local connections (Crynes excepted) I can't see what the point is.
There’s not many teams run at break even let alone making a profit in the football league so the same can be said for anyone wanting to invest in a club that have no local connection- unless the aim is to make the Premier League before running out of money. Maybe the reason is deeper than football. Our owners all have other businesses that have had some success - does owing a football club and the contacts / networks both domestically and internationally with all foreign ownership these days help contribute to their other businesses? As a random example, if the owners can collective bring in £20m into their other businesses through contacts made by owning the club, which they wouldn’t have otherwise, then them putting up £8m to cover losses still sees them collectively in profit to the tune of £12m . Just a theory with made up figures.
Saw article other year from America which was about why was so many Americans investing into football in UK/Europe and they said exactly that. It was for the exposure it gave their other businesses and claimed a seemingly loss making exercise can = positive somewhere else. Granted it was written before Boely came along though and not sure how it connects to our owners.
I’ve said the same thing on this forum several times. Been told its because they have a genuine affection for the town and its club. Hmmm…
They are here because they believed the sales pitch of Paul Conway. They were the minority shareholders who bought in to the idea that data would enable BFC to trade young players and make abnormal profit. The debacle of Conway and Lee’s ownership meant they either stepped in or walked away. They chose the former and so far have shown their willingness to invest (over £16m of cash) but a large number of shortfalls in running a football club. I think this season is going to be a reset financially with wages significantly reduced and losses starting to be paired back.
Could we be the American/ Indian answer to the allegedly Turkish barbers usage. Asking for a friend lol
Jean is like many of us on here - born into it. Her club, her town etc. The others? Chuff knows. There are folk on here with no ties to the club but they support it.
Given our chairman sacks head coaches when we're in the play offs, I'm not sure I'd class him as patient or shrewd.
I’m not sure I would class this investment as shrewd business. An initial outlay of £6.2m with a further £5m followed by £16m in equity puts them over £27m in for a football club in the third tier with minimal assets. Patience tends to be a requirement when your asset is non- saleable.
They thought we had John Stones production line and 50 million pound players would keep coming off it and our recruitment team would keep finding players like Hourihane Roberts Mawson etc etc. They expected promotion to the Premier league would mean they could cash in their chips and sell the club for a massive profit. Sadly they were wrong on all three but did nearly fluke the promotion to the PL down to a manager doing things his way not theirs.
I think the overall idea is to make the club self sustainable. They’re clearly willing to invest their money i suspect in the hopes that they can set the club up to be able to develop players and sell them for profits to be sustainable. We can all argue about whether the money they’ve spent has been spent wisely (most would probably agree it’s not been the best) but that’s the overall plan and they’re clearly willing to put in the money to try and get it to that point. Or they have been so far at least, there will be a time when it will either have to pay off and be successful or they’ll have to sell up and cut their losses.
My guess is they bought a small stake with conman and Co for a bit of fun. Then when it became obvious that was smoke and mirrors at best they felt a sense of responsibility and as much as we aren't in a great position it could have been much worse. I've always been of the option they are decent people but they haven't got a clue how to run a professional football club.
I think the time when they could have hoped to make a success of it has probably passed. In some ways, and I really hesitate to say this, I fear that we are becoming a Sheffield Wednesday-type scenario, but on a smaller scale. Obviously hope I’m wrong.
Let's be realistic we're never going to be self sustainable especially not under this lot were spunking 6 million a year is it in losses? To be mediocre in league one. Been self sustainable we would be in non league. I don't think any club this day and age can be self sustainable it's 2025 not 1995 footballs changed massively. And we're a working class mining town with a core of about 10k fans who are getting less and less interested while we're stagnating. there never going to make massive amounts of money owning us.