Thetownend.com

Bill Power has backed the Trust's ground redevelopment plans and pledged that if they get the go-ahead, he would not only help fund the start-up but also would not take a profit from it, ploughing the money back into the club instead, and would ensure all future revenues from associated facilities would be ringfenced for the club. It's a pretty amazing offer!

http://www.truststfc.co.uk/news_item.php?id=1021

Makes it all the more important people keep showing their support for the consortium - bring lots of orange on Saturday, chaps!

:shock:

Nice offer!

Nice pics
http://www.truststfc.co.uk/CG/Still-1.jpg
http://www.truststfc.co.uk/CG/Still-2.jpg
http://www.truststfc.co.uk/CG/Still-3.jpg

Hmm, I might have to borrow more Orangey things.

Bill Power is a fucking top top bloke and thats a massive step towards the redevelopment of the CC.

Also looking at those pics from the design (which looks very much like the Clubs plans too :wink: ) i take it the North Stand would stay and we would build the townend & Bank similar to the Southstand but all the way round?

yes, that was the idea.  The Arkells can be developed in the future if ever need be.  The Stratton Bank end could be slightly reduced like Forest's Ground if the height issue ever did cause a problem at planning (it was never taken that far before so a full height stand may well pass).

Yes, although there'd be an outward expansion of footprint of the North Stand to accomodate space needed for extra facilities - may have to leave the ground floor as a walkway in which case the floors above would effectively make a covered walkway.

Also it may be necessary to slope the built-up Stratton Bank (I think Forest have a similar end) so that we don't leave Shrivvy Road in total darkness!

The takeover simply can't not happen - If you see what I mean :?

Do I see executive boxes?

i was thinking we might adobt a similar apprach to NF for the Bank as the residents behind there might not like a full height stand.

i think it would look pretty smart tbh.
And the North Stand has so much potential it just needs a lot of tlc

sounds great but,why would he want to do this for swindon town and not qpr his supported club?
seems a massive commitment to me and the sceptic i am has me wondering

Because it would cost him in excess of about £8m just to get a majority shareholding at QPR, let alone the money needed to find and develop a new ground in London (not much room at Loftus).

I assume an important thing would be to have some hospitality in the new stands, ie some glass boxes because the current C and B facilites ar epretty average, and the old additional income streams are all important these days.

Just seen them at the top of the stands, nice!

i get the impression he has a soft spot for us after the overwhelming support we gave him after the plane crash and after he origionally left the club.

i see it as his was of finishing something he started and repaying us as fans for the support we showed him and his family

Beautiful plans .. Beautiful offer .. I do think the SB end might have some difficulties with local residents but the idea in principle is the right one ... Power IN Diamandis OUT!

Nice video on there as well.

Well done Bill P. This is a major commitment he is making to STFC, the fans and the wider community. I expect the council will also be keen to do business with him.

He has demonstrated his ability and intentions clearly and whilst  the consortium continue to get around the delaying tactics MD puts in the way fans need to continue to show their support for the consortium in increasing numbers.

Without wanting to be a killjoy, is it realistic to suggest putting profits from the redevelopment back into the club?  From my understanding some of the profit would have to be used to pay off SSW, otherwise there would be no real incentive for him to go.  Admittedly I know sweet FA about the negotiations, it's just that was how I thought things would take place?

Still a great offer though, and making sure future profits would go back into the club is a brilliant idea.

Well, thats a very good bit of positive news. I really like the comment about ring fencing any revenues for the good of the football club. Bang-on Mr Power!

I wonder if Smarmes is able or allowed to make a similar or better claim of their own proposal to move the club to fucking Chippenham???

Despite the best efforts of Maverick and others elsewhere  the consortium do seem to be several streets ahead of the board (OK, not too difficult to do, granted).

They may not have the vital shares in the club yet, but they do have a lot going for them;

Swindon MP on side. The Council, local residents and thousands of town fans who dont trust Diamandis, Smarmes, Bowden or Grey.

Given a straight choice between Bill Power, Mike Wilkes, the trust people with their (workable) redevelopment plans, an MP and the council and residents groups all backing them, or>>

Diamandis, Lying Grey, Lying Smarmes, 'more money than you can shake a stick at' Holt, Mike 'I'm a life-long- town-fan-me' Bowden - apparently without the goodwill of an MP, or the council, or the resident groups and with fans actively campaigning to oust them - as well as them threatening to move the club to fucking chippenham if their photocopy of the trusts redevelopment proposal isn't accepted.....:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

I think the chances of a club statement being released ahead of their favoured slot on a friday afternoon just increased. :D

Well done Bill Power!

Reg will be pleased

deltaincline, great post  :D

POWER TO THE ORANGE REVOLUTION!!

I think the consortiums plan was to buy out the Wills wasn't it? From what Bill Power has said, any revenue from the extra facilities would then go to the club as Wills would be long gone.

Can someone from the consortium confirm that point without giving too much info away?

This may sound sily, and correct me if I am missing something here, but why redevelop the Nationwide stand (as new as it already is) when you could flip this design 180degrees and redevelop the Arkells instead, which should be the heart of the stadium as opposed to the run down bit as it will be (considering its uses - changing rooms, facility rooms, directors areas etc.)

Just an idea thats all.....i'd rather see three new stands and the nationwide than three new stands and the arkells with seats missing and the rest dodgy colours!

Either way, a fabulous offer from Mr Power!

this is brilliant news! what a great way to start my afternoon  :D how can the board say BP and the consortium is not good for the club now?

Has anything been heard from Bowden lately, because it's gone very quiet ?

I think the statment will be out around 4.58pm on Friday, just before the phone in on RS, saying about the massive 'fatal flaw' the Trust plans are and that Bowden is an expert in his field and he knows what he's talking about.  :-))(  :mrgreen:

I dont get it.

I read that piece and it just seems like a bit of spin to me.

The consortium were always going to redeveop the stadium as far as I knew so whats different about this storie?

That BP is going to partly fund it but not take any profit?How does he propose to do this by loaning the money building the stadium then getting that loan money back from what?

Maybe im reading it wrong but its not really exciting news is it?

Well, to some extent that would be subject to negotiation (assuming the board ever allow negotiations to get under way), but Bill's pledge is specific to the Consortium guys taking a profit - it wouldn't preclude (for example) the Wills family being guaranteed a slice of development profits as part of a takeover package or a development partner (e.g. St Modwen) being able to make a legitimate profit - but it does allay any fears people may have had that this is just a "cash-grab" aimed at taking over the club to make a fast buck on a ground redevelopment.

I would guess from the housing/hotel part of the development.  As Paul says though, it allays fears that they could be in it for the quick buck(someone mentioned to me that they were suspicious of his motives at the Walsall game), so whether there is a profit to be made is neither here nor there in a way.

The second part is of more interest to me anyway, as it could potentially stop anyone with impure motives in the future profiting from our club.

Thans for comming back so quick. Apreciated.

Yeovil; Dont be so fucking grumpy! How the fuck can you call Powers statement 'spin'????

Doesn't it at least strike you as ironic that Bill Power can make an offer like this when the current board have never come anywhere near even hinting at something like it in over 5 years at the helm?

I predict you'll witness real 'spin' on the official site later today or tomorrow :soapy tit wank:

  Noooooooo.......its got to be Friday :x

Just saying it as I see it and it doesn't say anything much new as far as I can see.I think theres a danger of any time anything is said by the consortium everyone gets a bit over excited about it.Doesnt mean I dont support the consortium though.

have to agree with yeovil boy on this one i'm afraid.

lets not all go about sucking each other off, so far we have achieved very little.

Repaying a loan isn't profit - he's pledged not to make any profit, not to lose money. There's a difference.


In that not just redev profits, but also future revenues would be ring-fenced for the club, as opposed to say siphoned off to a private company that then may or may not choose to drip-feed the revenues back into the club (which is what happened with Kassam) yes I'd say that's pretty exciting. It's the final piece of the jigsaw in terms of a redevelopment ensuring the club's future.

I like the look of these plans. And support the trust/consortium- just wondered from the pics - what's the gap to the right of the proposed redeveloped town end for? Is something going in there? Also think Sharky asked - what's likely to happen with the Arkells. Is it likely to look a similar ground design to plymouths - with new development all around a really old stand that needs to be demolished (not saying the Arkells needs to be demolished mind!)

The core fabric of the South and North stands could be left largely intact but there'd need to be a bit of rebuild done on both to incorporate the extended footprint, exec boxes, conferencing etc. So to look at, it wouldn't look like one tatty old stand amongst shiny new ones

Oh I dunno,sorry just dont think theres anything paticurly new here.Maybe its take over fatigue
.

Look at any other stadium redevelopment done recently and try and find a similar pledge from the owners/developers re redev profits. You won't. That's pretty major. And the second part, to ring-fence revenues for the club, is crucial to avoid a situation like Pox had with Kassam - they had a shiny new three-sided stadium but he took all the cash. This is a major (and pretty amazing) step forward.

Its not private land its council owned  so a Kassam situation couldnt happen.

Of course it could - the revenue streams come from the facilities built in, not who owns the land the stadium sits on. The council could still own the land, XYZ Corp has an extended lease on the stadium/facilities, XYZ Corp charge the club rent to use the stadium and take all the cash from the revenue streams generated by the facilities. You don't need to own the ground - it's ownership of the revenue streams which is vital.

Perhaps some clarification required then.  :D

The Trust's redevelopment proposals (and they have been generated by the Trust - not the consortium, Bill Power, the board of the club or SBC) are a standalone framework for an integrated sports hub for Swindon.

As to who wants to pick this up and run with the suggestions is wide open.

It could be the club and St Modwen, it could be the fans' consortium. It could be Wimpey Homes or Bloor Developments come to that. Whoever it is would have to work in partnership with the council as this is not just about a stadium redevelopment.

What today's statement says is that a Bill Power backed consortium have taken the bull by the horns and are prepared to finance a scheme based on the framework on a philanthropic approach that deliberately avoids any potential asset stripping.

Hey, I think that's an effin' great offer personally and big news.

Most important of all though - if/when we redevelop, can we take all the red seats out f the others stands and put them in the north stand to replace the multi-coloured ones - I think another Trust statement is required to clear up this position before I lend it my full support

We've commisioned a crack squad of Wovers fans to sort out reorganising the seats between the various stands  :D

Thanks Alan that certainly makes it much much less clear.I think it probably me being thick but i really cant get my head around what anyones trying to say.

Look i'll take your word for it that its good news if you like but I cant be the only person in swindon who doesnt get it.

i think the arkells would need improvement big time,its cramped and tired looking.
can we have some leg room please i'm 6'3 and need it

Ok. If you're coming to the Trust Meeting on Saturday I will give you a neck massage.

Wanna lift? I'm taking Gazza.

the difference between these plans now and the old ones is that somebody is prepared to fund or part fund it. SBC have always said we needed someone to be able to do this. funding was a major stumbling block in the last plans and not only are these plans a lot more thought out they have a bit of financial backing as well. its a really good start! well done to everyone at the Trust for bringing this about!

Where's the scoreboard and floodlights!?!

Can someone clarify something?

If the plans were entirely self funding then what's the crack with this? I'm not criticising, but I'm a bit perplexed as to why we need BP's money to finance redevelopment.

This isn't a criticism so no mongoloid answers.

I wasnt going to go im working Saturday night a 11.30 start is a pain in the arse for me.

how else can we finance it though Si? we had St Modwen before and the board are still working with them. we dont have the money as a club and SSW wont finance it himself. St Modwen won't play ball unless the plans are "big enough" for them. thats why they want to move to junction 17

The stadium redevelopment should be self financing (however it will need capital to build the enabling flats etc)

However, as I posted earlier, there is a lot more to these proposals than just the stadium.

Valid question - the point of BP offering to fund the plans is not that he's going to personally shell out every penny of the rebuild, but that he will put the initial funding in to get the project off the ground. After that, as you say, the intention is that the plans would be self-financing

Ok ta I getcha.

I was under the impression before that the whole thing would be done without an investor and things like the flats would in effect pay for the whole thing itself. Just wanted to make sure I hadn't got the wrong end of the stick.

I know the venture would have needed start up capital etc. and maybe loans so I do understand why it's a generous offer.

Alan - can you still give me a lift on saturday?

Yuppers.

Hay Lane roundabout at 10:45 ok?

Fantastic, is there no end to Bill's genorisity ?

And I'm sure the board are still putting stumbling blocks in the way of talking to Bill & Co about looking at the books.

I'm sure this is not something that Bill has thought about overnight the plans have been around a while he must have put serious thought into this and looked at the plans for himself to be happy in his own mind they are workable and he wouldn't merely be throwing money away.

You have to remember people like Architects cost money, there would have to be proper designs for this to go to the council planning commitee but what is already done is 95% of it.

Wouldn't it be fantastic to see a nice sea of Orange on Sat around the ground, really show the board & the greek fella what fan's think, about time there was some chanting around the ground as well about Bill Power, that will really wind the board up.

Yep that's great - cheers!

ill be wearing Orange as ever  :D

Now Power has said he will stump up some cash, has he mentioned any figures. I guess he hasnt publically, but maybe privately

Alot of questions have been asked about the North Stand, the orginal plan was to leave it as it is...mainly (iirc) for cost reasons. With no big bucks backer the plans we're developed to be as cheap as possibly and much less than the boards quoted £50million.

If the amount Bill is willing to put in, is enough....could the plans be potentially re-vamped to include the North Stand redevelopment?

Bill's clearly putting the money in to make the Trust stadium proposals more attractive than the board's very similar ones. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm sure it would have happened anyway.

I'd quite like it if the Arkells to be kept there for a while - well until we need more capacity or something, should that situation arise.

No - for the Trust proposals.

The figures in there are based on a redevelopment financed by the suggested flats and apartments etc.

There would have to be a lot more development (and probably a lot more objections from the residents' groups) to fund it.

But hey - a successful football club in a few year's time might have built up enough capital to do that from the revenue streams from the new facilities...

The fact that BP has put his cards on the table SHOULD give the consortium/trust leverage to induce further outside investment into the consortium/trust and ultimately the club that hopefully will then allow full re-furb or re-build of the arkells at some point in the future surely. I see this statement as a catylist to attract further investment.
One thing i will say though, is that it will be easier to flog the flats/hotel facilities/conferencing etc if the whole thing is done at the same time ie all new from the off. A big ask i know.
Flats built into a football stadium tend to be sold on prestige/location. If part of the old ground remains largely untouched ie arkells, it becomes less attractive. Just a thought, not a critiscm.
 Unless your thinking social housing to get the council on board?

Good work though fella's....fucking well done!
 :tea:

I cant wait for a Greek statement on this :soapy tit wank:

The flats built into the side of the stand would be affordable housing rather than social housing; the posh ones in the infills would not be. Also as I said earlier there would be a fair amount of work done on the Arkells - certainly we'd look to retain the core fabric but there'd have to be a fair bit of work done to accomodate the additional floorspace (from extending the footprint) and the exec boxes/conferencing (from building up). So although we'd look to retain the core fabric of both the South and North stands, they'd both have substantially more than a lick of paint

There is a half page article on this on about page 21 of today's Adver.

It is essentially the press release with one additional paragraph:

"Swindon Town declined to comment on Bill Power's support for the Trust proposals".

 :roll:

Until we get rid of this board- nothing will ever get any better

you mean i'm stuck with this sniffle til diamandis pisses off? and the weather will stay as blustery and miserable? bollocks...

Excellent news Bill is doing all that he can do to help us so its our turn to help him, lets see a sea of Orange no forgetting hats, no orange is a gimpy colour lets get as many of us we can in Orange against Wrexham on Saturday and send a defiant message to Mike D that this is our club not his with Bill at the helm we can become a force once more and I really hope we dont miss this opportunity as I dont think in the years to come we will have another chance like this an investor who is willing to put money in and take nothing back I for one will be once again decked in Orange this Saturday and every Saturday until they get the message  8)

Interesting to note that Maverick has not commented on this thread, has the cat got his tongue or has he had to urgently contact  Martyn Starnes to see what there response is going to be  :?

Not being funny, but do the punctuation keys work on your keyboard?

He managed one comma in there!

For a man with a dorcan education I think it wasn't too bad  :(

I tried reading it out loud and passed out half-way through due to lack of oxygen  :D Agree with the sentiments tho

Three, even!

EDIT: I'm a spaz who can't count either.

Does spelling and punctuation really matter when replying to a post on an internet message board?

Its not a job application and he didnt use text speak so fuck off grammer watchers!

*grammar




 :soapy tit wank:

prick

 :toppost:

What a surprise that no one at stfc was willing to comment

There will be a press statement at approx 4.59pm on Fri and they will then not be available for a radio phone in due to a touch of foot and mouth disease spreading through the boardroom very fast.

The walls are closing in.....how much longer can the current regime hold out ?

 :stupid:

 :roll:
 :twisted:

Still trying to suss out how to post a piccy of the dalek for you yeovil.

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

(Sorry Yeovil - but that is fucking funny...)

 :P <--------- nope the tongue is still there stfctownenda!!  8)

i'm in full supprt of the proposals and i am grateful to those who have put in the time.

I know you're walking a lot of tightropes at the minute but i'd lke you to think about just one of the things you said:   something along the lines of "a centre to replace the link and the oasis".

yes the oasis is past its best, athough i'm sorry to see it go, and another location near the town centre would be good news.  However i think it would make sense to to stop talking about closing the link. it has been devoid of meaninful maintainanance for a long time but is still a very important building for people from the original western expansion and is much more welcoming than the grey blocks that build the new west swinon (ie peatmore)

in some ways the design o the building is as innovative as the renault building, although not as spectacular. in all ways it provides a valuable resourse to the residents of west swindon proper.

I think that everybody appreciates this.

The idea was to consider the facilities at the Oasis and the Link as a whole. If the council go with enhancing and expanding the Link (which is a possibility they have considered as part of the Leisure Strategy Review), then some of the Oasis indoor facilities could be moved there.

Is it press statement in t - 30 mins? Or have had one which I Didn't notice.

:tea:

I have come on especially

Is Reg logged in yet ?

Moist with anticipation here.

waiting with baited breath...

Join the club...twenty minutes and counting.....

There are easier ways to get a fishy taste in your mouth.

Thats just sick ben! :P  Im waiting a bit like Reg :tea:
I bet nothing happens!

Is anybody actually checking the official page, or like me are you just waiting for someone else to notice a statement and post it here?

i'm checking

We've got to get out more... :soapy tit wank:

ooooooooh

Nothing there yet

Nowt there yet

Rubbish. The board are cunts.

It was after 5pm last week IIRC

Only a few mins I think

Im bored

Perhaps they are waiting to see what happens on rs sports talk tonite?

what's rs sports talk?

Radio Swindon sports talk

Usually a good listen Benji

what time?

6 or 1/2 6 mate

what it's on twice? and what's special which is happening tonight.

Cant remember which one it is ???

Wiggly cunt

 Brian from Larkhill is almost worth the license fee alone....well he's not actually, rather he makes me want to curl up into a small ball and seek psychiatric help.

6-7pm Benny

and what's on it that would mean the board would delay a statement to see what happens? Is pauld gonna kidnap the radio station?

More likely to be Fred to do that. In fact he's just logged off.

Coincidence? I don't think so. Reckon he's on his way there now.

Cos theres been no club statement, i thought perhaps someone from the club might have issued a statement on the proggy in response to the trust/consortium's ground plans.

Boooooo......no statements.........Booooooooooooo

Shocking Board out.....can't even organise a statement on a Friday evening.

Got a news update from Martyn Starnes though, with a bit of normal CVA talk.

  Smarmes can shove his update where the sun don't shine....I want a full blown statement.

I also have another question. If the plans were accepted and development went ahead, would it mean that STFC would pay the council more rent? This might be a bit of a silly question, but I wonder, especially because I've heard a lot of people that Swindon will be getting unjust help from the council.

Is a bit of a half arsed effort compared to the good old statements

  I suppose we could do a bit of analysis on the meaning of this little snippet, which has all the hallmarks of Orwellesque double speak.

  Off the field, negotiations continue for a rescheduling of the CVA balloon payment due at the end of June.

  Meaning... The Study Centre have bought some ballons, to celebrate the CVA* results of local secondary schools that visit....we're hoping they pay rather than the club.

  It was always envisaged this payment would be made out of a successful development of The County Ground.
 
   Bob Holt always said, if there was no ground development we wouldn't pay the CVA..... and that remains the case

   We remain confident of a positive outcome to the negotiations, which will greatly improve the outlook for the Club's cash flow in the summer

   If the buggers don't agree to hang then we're fucked, so it doesn't matter....if they do its the only way we can pay the  wages and bonuses that Devlin negotiated.

 *  Means Contextual Value Added to educationalists.

No proper Friday statement  :cry:

I'm dissapointed.

   Think I'll have to go back and read some old ones to get my fix....we should have a "porkie of the month contest"

Smarmes 'report' just isn't good enough.

We need something like last week: everyone knows full well Diamond Mike is under investigation by the DTI, but the club down right refuse it.

Bah !!!!

Got bored waiting and went to the pub !