BBC News: Swindon: Chairman says there is no money for 'big signings'

[Nomoreheroes]

I would be happier, if in future you do a transcription of Patey's interviews along the lines of Paolo's stuff. I like the captain Black analogy...amazingly the recent death of the towering genius that was Gerry Anderson passed off without comment on the TEF.

Page 9 of the Portsmouth match day thread:

Patey interview:
- 12 months ago he was in Afghanistan
- Great atmosphere at Tranmere game. Were hoping for 10-11k there today
- Football is an expensive business. Needed a good Christmas to help make ends meet
- Have done well in 2012. PDC done a great job. Would be amazing if we went up, but there are a lot of people in the mix
- No news on investment. Don't have money to spend on players. Dont expect big name signings
- We have a good squad. Investment in Hollands and Martin paying off
- We'll either get promotion with this squad or not
- Financial reality kicks in now. Owner doesnt have unlimited funds. There are no new investors
- Martin, Hollands and Ward to stay? We'll have to see. Board meeting next week. Manager wants to keep them. May be that we have to move people out to keep them
- Bostock loan up soon. Haven't talked to PDC about this
- New ground. No news on that
- The money situation is extremely tight. No nightmare scenario. Think we'll stay up. Swindon has been through the nightmare before and we need to make sure that the club is sustainable
- Felt we should win against Portsmouth.
- On PDC and hostility & isolation: Had good meeting before Christmas and telecon since. No personal issues between them both. Just a different views and objectives when it comes to money. PDC is a person who needs clarity, but he does understand the situation.

As for Gerry Andersen: Surprised me too.

[Batch]

True. But I've very carefully listened to the interview several times. It would appear that the 'meltdown' has been created by people reacting to what has been written, rather than listening to Patey's words and the questions asked of him.

Its not that, I heard the interview on BBC. I ignore the Adver ineterviewthon, I've been in enough Trust meetings during the troubles to see the words said accurately quoted by the Adver but somewhat completely lose their context.

Its more that its impossible to say if he meant what you said, or whether he was hinting at a long term exit strategy for Black, no further investment, or something different altogether. Pessamists going to be pessamitic, optimists going to optimistic, but only Patey knows. I'm sure he'll clarify over time.

Just getting a bit tired of being accused of "in meltdown" for merely wondering what he meant by his comments. Particularly:

- Football is an expensive business. Needed a good Christmas to help make ends meet
- Financial reality kicks in now. Owner doesnt have unlimited funds. There are no new investors
- The money situation is extremely tight. No nightmare scenario. Think we'll stay up. Swindon has been through the nightmare before and we need to make sure that the club is sustainable. (Dream scenario new owners and investment).

None of the above means Black will walk away. But it would nice to know whether financial reality means self sufficiency, or make do with our current resources, or something inbetween, or something more..

There is of course the opinion fans should just come and watch and not worry about it all. Which is hard to do after being through the ringer with the previous regime. Not that I am suggesting the current setup is anything like that..

[Flashheart]

If it wasn't for the umbungo we would have money being released about now. However, that was bought forward which means it is no longer available now. That's all there is to it. Anybody is free to meltdown as much as they please, of course, so go ahead and meltdown to your heart's content.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

If it wasn't for the umbungo we would have money being released about now. However, that was bought forward which means it is no longer available now. That's all there is to it. Anybody is free to meltdown as much as they please, of course, so go ahead and meltdown to your heart's content.

Spot on.  Surely we haven't spent all of £500k on Martin and Hollands.  So there will be a bit left over plus what paolo gets rid off.

[Ardiles]

Where has all this 'meltdown' talk come from?  Am I missing something?

[Flashheart]

Where has all this 'meltdown' talk come from?  Am I missing something?

Some, albeit just a few, are in meltdow. Here's a prime example

I think tommorows board meeting will be very significant in the push for promotion and the future of Paolo and mr black at this club.

Not exactly rational thoughts. I, and others, are just trying to say there is absolutely no reason to be worried.

[kerry red]

So, just what did Black et al think they would get out of owning STFC that people now reckon they cant?

I'm sure getting to the Championship, in purely footballing terms, wasn't the aim - it must have been the opportunities that come with it.

So unless his personal financial circumstances have changed dramatically, I can't see how we, as a football club, can have done much more.

Maybe he now thinks that even if a new stadium was built we wouldn't fill it sufficiently. 2 years of success still hasn't increased attendances dramatically.

[jayohaitchenn]

Andrew Black in 2009, net worth £185 million

http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/entrepreneurs-my-first-million-andrew-black-betfair-44933

Andrew Black in 2012, net worth £125 million

http://www.therichest.org/celebnetworth/business/gamblers/andrew-black-net-worth/

May have something to do with it.

[london_red]

Andrew Black in 2009, net worth £185 million

http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/entrepreneurs-my-first-million-andrew-black-betfair-44933

Andrew Black in 2012, net worth £125 million

http://www.therichest.org/celebnetworth/business/gamblers/andrew-black-net-worth/

May have something to do with it.

Also he's always been a horse guy more than a football guy. In addition to the Training Stables he owns with Michael Owen he bought a stud farm which only opened a year or so ago. May be that these interests are taking more of his time/resources and so he would be keen to have someone come in to bear some of the load of owning and operating STFC.

That doesn't mean he's going to rush to sell or pull the plug - he has clearly thrown a significant chunk of cash at the club already and no one can question that Di Canio has been backed to the hilt financially up to this point.

It would however be understandable in the wake of Fitton and Wray's departures that he would look to have new investors and board members come in to aid in funding and running Swindon.

[Reg Smeeton]

Where has all this 'meltdown' talk come from?  Am I missing something?

One or two people have interpreted Patey's words as being a bit worrying, so others have gone into meltdown, that all is in fact rosy in the garden...ground redevelopment is on track, Captain Black isn't looking to sell, and Paolo is all loved up by the Avebury vibes.

[Nomoreheroes]

One or two people have interpreted Patey's words as being a bit worrying, so others have gone into meltdown, that all is in fact rosy in the garden...ground redevelopment is on track, Captain Black isn't looking to sell, and Paolo is all loved up by the Avebury vibes.

You need to play Chubby Checker in the background to twist like that ! :-)

[RobertT]

Everything could always be worse, we could be long standing tenants of a ground where we negotiated terms that meant we can't keep any of the revenue and then find out some new joint tenants pop in a offer to the buy the ground withinna few months, prompting fears of a total rebranding to our nearest rivals colours and losing the opportunity to ever buy the thing!

Still, I suppose Oxford may play in a four sided stadium at some point the future if London Welsh do well.