New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[Robinz]

Robert
A good deal is always when there is a willing buyer willing seller situation.

I suspect there are far more current "owners" in this club who will not want their gravey train to stop.

As for a group of purchasers / investors making a serious purchase...!!!

You would have a better chance of stitching a peace deal together in Isreal.

[dogs]

Whilst I remain to be convinced Clem is anything but a chancer, a dreamer at best, however does anyone on here and on the wider social media channels actually have any form of proof he's the devil incarnate? Is there not the possibility people have become so emotionally invested and wedded to the fact that the club is run by crooks and there's a conspiracy to be found at every turn, they themselves have been manipulated and now remain entrenched in their views without a true sense of reason?

[doversparkred]

Also for Bathford, I am not suggesting you should spunk your money just because you have some.  But it doesn't have to be all or nothing, does it?

I don't have any funds to do much beyond a tiny investment myself.   I'd love to offer my services, even if from afar.  I've done quite well for my self in my career, I am good at what I do, but I'm "between opportunities" right now.  I'd more than happily volunteer any time and expertise I could, especially around operating efficiencies - there would be more like me.  The Trust has lost it's way, why not be the person to bring them back and use your skills to drive a new outcome?

Would love to get a group of people together to explore what a community ownership bid would look like. It needs a range of skills:  financial, legal, business, media, marketing, digital, community.  I don’t know enough about the Trust and how it operates but this group could work alongside them. Is community ownership an objective of the Trust?

[Steak supper]

Good evening,

As some of you will know, I have made my feelings clear over the current situation at the club.

I put out feelers with my friends re the possibility of buying the club and I have received guarded advice on this from advisors both from the accountancy and legal fields

These enquires were by their very wording asking for ‘soft’ advise. The answers made it clear that a more formal approach re due diligence was not required at this time.

I had, and still have my concerns.

However, let’s be fair, Clem was asked to act regarding the on field management. He did.

He was asked to take action on player recruitment. He has.

We are only on day 18 of the transfer window. There is time for further changes. He has stated that funds are available, a point reiterated by Gav.

In the interest of fair play, he has to be given the full month to make changes. We all know the last week of any transfer window is the busiest.

To be bluntly honest, snide, antagonistic remarks from uninformed individuals does no one any favours. Sarcastic remarks about his use of the term look is nothing more than pathetic reducing any constructive conversations to a farce.

‘Look’ is a commonly used term in Australia to start a sentence. I’ve found myself using it when talking to them.

Clearly we are all entitled to our own opinion, it’s the very essence of football forums. But is it constructive? I doubt it, does it help solve anything? Nope!

Clem knows full well that he is accountable for his actions on which history will be written.

It is his challenge to prove us all wrong.

If he fails, he is well aware of the consequences,  he isn’t stupid!

G'day! Look, I asked my cat whether I should buy the club. The look they have me suggested it would not be a prudent move .

[Steak supper]

Would love to get a group of people together to explore what a community ownership bid would look like. It needs a range of skills:  financial, legal, business, media, community.  I don’t know enough about the Trust and how it operates but this group could work alongside them. Is community ownership an objective of the Trust?

 I will stick my neck out and say that community ownership will never happen

[RobertT]

Whilst I remain to be convinced Clem is anything but a chancer, a dreamer at best, however does anyone on here and on the wider social media channels actually have any form of proof he's the devil incarnate? Is there not the possibility people have become so emotionally invested and wedded to the fact that the club is run by crooks and there's a conspiracy to be found at every turn, they themselves have been manipulated and now remain entrenched in their views without a true sense of reason?

Which is precisely why I listed actual events, rather than the more emotional stuff about how he may come across in an interview.

For a period of one year (someone can dig out the start and end date), Zav Austin was listed as, and performed the role of, Vice Chairman of STFC.  IN Clem's own words, he was his man on the inside to keep him updated and act on his behalf because he had done such a good job in helping him get the club.  Zav Austin is a convicted criminal - ergo, we have indeed had crooks running the club in some shape or form.

Hart, also a convicted criminal, has been employed (believe via his company providing services rather than as a direct employee) to provide Strength and Conditioning.

I am a believer in rehabilitation, to a point, but there are certain crimes that should rule you out of being involved in certain roles or industries.  Being involved in drugs and money laundering are immediate disqualifiers for me, when it comes to being involved in a football club, in any shape or form.  Whether or not they learned their lesson is neither here nor there, they are free to engage in other pursuits, but not an industry that employs a significant number of younger people, is central to local communities and shrouds itself in a cloak of secrecy in relation to nearly all commercial and personal deals involving money.

[dogs]

Which is precisely why I listed actual events, rather than the more emotional stuff about how he may come across in an interview.

For a period of one year (someone can dig out the start and end date), Zav Austin was listed as, and performed the role of, Vice Chairman of STFC.  IN Clem's own words, he was his man on the inside to keep him updated and act on his behalf because he had done such a good job in helping him get the club.  Zav Austin is a convicted criminal - ergo, we have indeed had crooks running the club in some shape or form.

Hart, also a convicted criminal, has been employed (believe via his company providing services rather than as a direct employee) to provide Strength and Conditioning.

I am a believer in rehabilitation, to a point, but there are certain crimes that should rule you out of being involved in certain roles or industries.  Being involved in drugs and money laundering are immediate disqualifiers for me, when it comes to being involved in a football club, in any shape or form.  Whether or not they learned their lesson is neither here nor there, they are free to engage in other pursuits, but not an industry that employs a significant number of younger people, is central to local communities and shrouds itself in a cloak of secrecy in relation to nearly all commercial and personal deals involving money.

Yes, and I thought your post about that was very good and needed.

I can't fathom myself why any owner who has come in off the back of a toxic regime would then also decide to use the services of not only people with criminal histories but also those without any obvious footballing background.

The problem is, what evidence is there they are anything but rehabilitated? Have they done anything since their convictions to prove otherwise? Trust me, I'm not defending who get are, why they are the and whether they have influence or not... but if there's going to be endless speculation, mudslinging, accusations or basic insulations, then there comes a point for these to be presented and justified.

Clem is outright denying anything shady is going on, so it has to be on those who do vehemently believe there is, or have claimed there is to now prove otherwise.

[Robinz]

Dogs...
Interesting your last comment... how would you suggest that people who suspect wrong doings prove that. The only way is to withdrawal your financial support.

[dogs]

Dogs...
Interesting your last comment... how would you suggest that people who suspect wrong doings prove that. The only way is to withdrawal your financial support.

Well yes, you could go down the boycott route, however we know when it comes to hardcore fans, whilst much is said in anger, carrying it out and abandoning is too hard to do. So, we are now at the stage where the owner has been directly confronted and had journalists put these concerns/accusations to him, he's denied them. Now those who have accused need to step up and demonstrably state why he's talking crap and being deceptive. If not, it appears merely to be a vendetta without substance.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

The problem is, what evidence is there they are anything but rehabilitated? Have they done anything since their convictions to prove otherwise? Trust me, I'm not defending who get are, why they are the and whether they have influence or not... but if there's going to be endless speculation, mudslinging, accusations or basic insulations, then there comes a point for these to be presented and justified.

Well obviously neither have done enough to put them back in prison.....but Adam Hart was head of the London branch of MTK Global since being out of prison.

This in itself is a can of worms you'd have to research yourself more but in short, a company headed by Daniel Kinnahan Irish mob boss that has been banned from boxing for illegal activity and currently being investigated for using managing boxers (free of charge) as a means for money laundering.

Serious to a level that a ton of people in boxing with links to MTK Global have been unable to enter the United States for the past few years, including Tyson Fury.

[dogs]

Well obviously neither have done enough to put them back in prison.....but Adam Hart was head of the London branch of MTK Global since being out of prison.

This in itself is a can of worms you'd have to research yourself more but in short, a company headed by Daniel Kinnahan Irish mob boss that has been banned from boxing for illegal activity and currently being investigated for using managing boxers (free of charge) as a means for money laundering.

Serious to a level that a ton of people in boxing with links to MTK Global have been unable to enter the United States for the past few years, including Tyson Fury.

That is the kind of information which should really be highlighted and put to Clem, on record, to see what he makes of it it, whether having people like that is appropriate with a football, and if so, why. It's not enough to just broadly ask questions in interviews about shady characters, as no-one in their right mind would admit that in public.

This kind of stuff should be brought up in the fans forum, face to face.

[Robinz]

Clems answer...
Thanks for pointing that out. Will have my people look into it.
Next...

[RobertT]

I mean, he batted off Zav being involved with his past by suggesting he'd learned from his mistakes when he was younger.  It wasn't a mistake - he was caught with hundreds of thousands of laundered cash in a bag from drug deals.  There is a reason that even the EFL specifically calls out this type of crime as disqualifying for having significant interest in the running of a football club.  Clem had him as Vice Chair and did not alert the EFL initially (there is a theme here, if anyone can spot it).  Then spent a few months suggesting they were seeking legal advice, before saying Zav was just a guest but a good friend.

[RobertT]

Oh, and since then Zav has set-up the Pakistan Visa scheme, and despite Clem's claims, has directly linked that to STFC (who act as sponsor of the scheme to enable scholarships to be given).  The Academy itself uses the STFC name and logo when promoting itself in Pakistan.

[ThreeDrawsMentality]

The wealthy Scandinavian consortium trying to purchase Shrewsbury have exited negotiations. Maybe they realised they were after the wrong STFC