Offer for Barnsley FC by a local fan consortium.....

I haven't seen or heard of one... a bit surprising that 'cos I reckon there would be a good number of Barnsley folk and companies that would like to take tarn-supporting to the next level....

Kicking some numbers around.... say 10mil would buy the club and give it a 'war chest' to become a regular force in the Championship....

10,000,000 pounds

that is 100 supporters with 100,000 each to buy and invest in the club...

or 1000 supporters with 10,000 quid each .....

Call the consortium the '1912 Club'... The '1912Club' would elect a driving committee which would then nominate a chairman and, say, three directors to run the club (including employing a CEO and staff who could possibly be in place already).

I'm close to retiring and I reckon I would push the boat out for 10k... The Reds have been a lifelong interest for me an me family and lotsa friends... yeah I reckon I would find 10k for 0.1% of the Club. And I know that my money would be gone and used and finished and there would never be a return on investment.

Could there be 1000 barnsley folk who would do this?

I'd be interested to hear any responses on here... or by PM if anybody wants to be serious...

Question: anybody on here consider being a part of something along these lines?

 

it is a really nice and very ronantic idea. however, the old adage about too many chiefs and not enough induans springs to mind. as does organising a drinking session in a brewery. and even without the logistical problems, finding that many people with that much spare cash in a recession would be nigh-on impossible. bearing in mind that if anyone did have ten grand to put into the pot it would have to be far from the only spare cash belonging to that individual, assuming they would not get a return on it. by the way, weren't Port Vale bought out by a fans' consortium a few years back, only to find themselves back in admin quickly afterwards?

 

All of your response is sensible... At this time I'm only being 'nice and ronantic' (eh?).. Too many chiefs would be an early issue to nail... like, say, the 1912Club elects 50 chiefs and they make most decisions and report back. A WMC or golf club scenario. Sure there would be moaning and slandering but that would have to be done away from BFC.

Maybe it is impossible to find that much cash around the supporters. Maybe a similar thing failed at Port Vale... maybe they underestimated the funds reqd.. I don't know... but I put this out there and look forward to seeing the responses...

 

Anyone who supports the club would be crazy to take it over, just look on here after games, quite a few of our fans just don't live in the real world, your just going to spend the rest of your life being moan at, and speculated about, your following a board of people who saved the club and you'll be forever in there shadow. and never good enough, you can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you'll never please some of the Barnsley Fans on this forum,

 

Fair comment....

but if there is one thousand and each one has stumped up a considerable amount of money... then there a broad base of committed people who have pinned their colours to the mast... internal elections will find a chairman who will be good enough and prepared for the flak. Patrick has buffered himself from the Club... even He would have copped abuse had he been closer to the Club. In fact, he did cop some belligerence from some supporters away at Derby or some other southern lot. BFC gave him a serve and scared his young son... he almost walked away. We all know that we have this in our midst... I thought that amongst a thousand others that would stump up serious money a 1912Clubman would only get praise.... Individual 1912Clubmen wouldn't have to get involved in defending the actions and statements of the committee or BFC Board. All of this is just chat right now..

 

I think the problem is you're massively overestimating the level of interest in BFC.

We don't get 8,000 fans at £20 to watch a match, so to think 1/8 of them can find £10,000 and would be willing to give it to BFC for no return is crazy! Even if it's attractive to local businesses, there aren't enough of them to get near the level you suggest.

I'd love to think I might one day be well enough off to do it, but the chances are pretty slim.

 

Portsmouth Supporters Trust ,as many fans as possible have pledged £1000 with 5 high net worth investors putting in over £1.5 million, the HNW's will form the board, im still not sure what part the ordinary fans will have in the new company other than as shareholders who get a vote at the AGM every year.

going forward unless they can achieve promotion or attract investment a fans run club cant have much of a future at any sort of high level.

 

I've said this all along. I'd be interested in getting involved but the interest isn't there.

 

I would, if just to lower matchday prices to £15 and watch some folk combust.

 

I'm taking early retirement next August and I would consider putting £10,000 into the club I've supported since I was 10.

 

You must be loaded or mad, or both. As a mere fan I feel I am already investing in the club with what I spend each season. 10 grand of my money, which will end up in players pockets, does not appeal to me in the slightest.

 

If its run properly (and that's the way the club appears to be run now) there should be a return on investment . Look at all the German teams - all at least 51% owned by fans. Until the ITV Digital debacle, BFC made a profit every season - 10% of the profits could be paid out as a dividend to the shareholders, the rest re-invested on players or facilities. Give them a season ticket for life as well as a vote at the elections and a few might be interested.

 

Not loaded, mad

I wouldn't be able to tell the wife......

 

Aren't you really talking about a share issue of some description? The owners (shareholders) would "elect" a handful of (presumably paid) directors and they would then run the club for a set period of time.

Would you be anticipating a return on this investment? £10m isn't going to last very long IMHO.

 

Well, Brush, maybe we should start wit Brig.

I wanted to float this kind of idea on here and see if there was anything to have a go at.... I didn't think there would be much support and that was about right... Maybe the Club will come up with an initiative...

all the best to you Brush

 

All the best to you mate.