So if Exeter can be sustainable on gates half the size of ours, including running a successful academy....
Its the dream. But the bit that wouldn't go well here is the bit by bit part. The level of expectation here (understandable) of competing in the Championship etc means this model is always unlikely unless we end up properly in the doldrums. It also helped they had the same gaffer for a decade if not more, too...
Sustainable without any real ambition to reach the Championship. I'm sure our owners could run us sustainability, you probably wouldn't like it.
Yep the difference is lower your expectation, they've also been quite lucky with the players they've brought threw the academy.
Yep, it says in that article, they are ‘thriving’, but looking at their current league position and 13 goals conceded in their last 3 games, I’m not sure our own fans would agree if it was us. They’re looking over their shoulders a bit aren’t they? Potential relegation scrap at the weekend, away at Cambridge.
it depends doesn’t it ? If like them during the last few years we had built 2 new stands and made other ground Improvements whilst also wiping out 5 million quid in debt people could be persuaded to rethink their priorities. And of course we operate on 3x bigger gates so a higher income stream for looking up the table rather than down it.
There's certainly an element of good fortune. Ollie Watkins from Torquay. Ethan Ampadu from Exeter. Jay Stansfield born in Tiverton, son of a club legend. If they were born around here they'd be targets for both Sheffield clubs, Leeds, Huddersfield, Rotherham, both Manchester clubs even.
Sustainability is one thing but they’re in a relegation battle this season and been average for a couple of years. As much as I have great respect for them, their expectations are nowhere near.
There’s no such thing as luck. You can have statistical anomalies which I guess is what you are hinting at but I’m sure they sold their vision. I mean Plymouth could’ve snapped them all up.
whilst we are overspending and if we are heading out of this division in the next few years I’d assume it would be via relegation not promotion. We have triple their income so I guess even following a sustainable model based on theirs you would expect us to be able to compete at the higher end of L1.
They're fortunate in that they operate in an area with much less competition for young local talent than other clubs, granted they have to make the most of that good fortune, but I'm heading off inevitable comparison with our situation.
The biggest clubs scoop up the best of global talent. They recruit world wide. I’m sure Devon isn’t beyond them.
Not sure about your maths there mate? They average 6500 this season. I wouldn’t take much persuading, because I hate the moneyed route some have taken, and don’t like that we’re losing money as it is, but I’m a bit older and wiser. I can’t speak for the ‘everything yesterday’ generation of fans.
It’s exactly what I’d like BFC to be. But you only need to look at the replies here to know that many wouldn’t swallow it. But I’m sure the current owners know that losing £5,000,000 a year and season by season regression is getting us/them nowhere either.
There's absolutely luck involved. More than anyone cares to admit. The fact that they sold Stansfield before he played a game for them and Birmingham overpaid for him from Fulham because they'd come into loadsa money and wanted to placate their fans/show their intentions is lucky for Exeter. Very lucky. No doubt they're entitled to it and some would say its earned, but the situation is fortunate in the extreme for them.
They have done well in their recent transfered out dealings and sell on clauses Ollie Watkins Ethan Ampadu Jay Stansfield Matt Grimes Sam Nombe Archie Collins Joel Randall Millenic Alli
