Thetownend.com

Open letter to acting chief executive Martyn Starnes
Dear Martyn,

We are concerned to see that, nearly two weeks since the Swindon Advertiser wrote to the club with a list of questions regarding the proposed new investment in the club, none of those questions have been answered.

Clearly the club's silence in this matter only serves to fuel the climate of suspicion and doubt among the club's fans.

While we accept that confidentiality agreements may, as you claim, prevent the club from revealing details of the investors' identity, there are still a number of key questions regarding the club's future which are of great concern to fans and we see no reason why any such agreement should prevent you from answering them.

To end the present cycle of rumour and counter-rumour, we would therefore request prompt answers to the following questions, all of which are of vital concern to fans of the club:-


Will Paul Sturrock remain as manager of the team?
Will he retain full control of all aspects of the football side of the club including team selection, and the buying and selling of players, free from inteference from any third party?
Both the club and Andrew Andronikou have said that this new investment will bring financial stability to the club - aside from paying the CVA in full, can you confirm that the proposed deal would enable the club to meet it's current liabilities, meet the projected shortfall for the next three-four seasons and provide Paul Strurrock with additional funds for the playing squad?
The club have spoken of an eight-week timeframe for due diligence, which coincides with the timeframe Mr Andronikou set out for holding a creditor's meeting. Will this proposed deal then allow the CVA to be paid in full by that time?
If this proposed deal does not come off, is there a back-up plan to meet all of the club's immediate liabilities including the CVA?
If the CVA cannot be paid in full, has the club had any discussion with the Football League regarding the possible extension of the CVA, to find out how they would interpret such an action under their insolvency rules?
Will Swindon Town Football Club Limited still be the holding company of/major shareholder in the football club or will the majority shareholding in the club be vested in another vehicle?
Is this a complete takeover or will the Wills family and their "General Manager" Mike Diamandis remain involved in the running of either the football club or any associated property company after the deal is completed?
Will the club remain at the County Ground, or at least within the conurbation of Swindon?
There has been considerable talk of a split structure, similar to that proposed to Bill Power a year ago, where the new investors would take charge of the football side and Mike Diamandis, along with elements of the current board, would see through the proposed ground redevelopment. This raises the prospect of a similar scenario to that endured at Oxford where the owner effectively built himself a new stadium, the profits and revenues from which benefited him alone, including the money paid out by the football club for the privilege of playing at "their" stadium. Can you reassure fans that the profits and revenues from a ground redevelopment would be put into and be legally under the control of the football club?

As none of the above questions can have any bearing on the identity of the investors, and given your stated eagerness to reassure fans that the club will be in safe hands on an ongoing basis, we look forward to recieving your answers on all the above points at your earliest convenience.

Yours Sincerely,

The Board of TrustSTFC

http://www.truststfc.co.uk/open_letter_30_07_2007.php

That's all well and good, but do you really expect them to answer it?

I'm not holding my breath.

Bob Holt - "What new consortium?"

Chances of a direct response to that?  


Zero

Miserable cunts. Surely this raises the odds for a Statement this week.

Busy bodies, ready your pitchforks  :soapy tit wank:

Is it Friday already?

I don't expect them to answer it, but well done to the Trust anyway for keeping this in the news.  The Oxford United scenario is one I hadn't thought of.  Couldn't happen to us, could it?

Yes it could. Which is why we thought it a good idea to at least ask the question - if we get a straight answer, we'll know where we stand. If (more likely) we don't, the issue's been raised so hopefully we all know to be on our guard against it

My tongue was firmly in my cheek, Paul!  I trust nothing of this lot (or the next lot, for that matter) until I have reason to trust them.  The current board's silence and 'new investor's' preference for anonymity is doing nothing to change this.

There is no CVA

There is no rift between ourselves and Bill Power.

Next it will be there is no Swindon Town.

Ive posted this on L & P and cross post it here


However, we are still here, we wont go away.

OK we have been quiet, but there has been nothing to report in all seriousness. We still talk to Bill and Phil and they are still very much part of this.

The thing is there is so much legalise to wade through, to report something that either is wrong or may be detrimental to the overall strategy, and we end up either stirring up a hornets nest that may harm the club, yes THE CLUB that we all love (that nobody wants as the new season approaches) would be wrong.

So a waiting game whilst from our side we take advice, and to see how the dynamics change (or not) over the forthcoming weeks is, in our opinion the correct thing to do.

The letter today depicts

1. We have not gone away

2. These are questions that our Members require answers to. If we did not follow up the Adver letter, then we would also be negligent in our commitment to the membership.


OK some may say that they are pissed off with the Consortium keeping a "watching brief" all the time, but it is prudent to do so.

I am sure that the next couple of weeks will see the muddy waters clear, not only for us but for the fanbase in general. At that time, and that time alone will see some clearer directive.

Unfortunately, that would be the first time in living memory that Bob Holt was actually correct :(

To think I almost got banned from "this is" for calling them liars & cheats !

I see the expected response has been received



Now I'm very sorry Mr Starnes, that is blatantly unacceptable to me as a fan and a member of an official fans organisation that has raised very valid concerns with the current and future status of our football club.

These confidentiality agreements are a smokescreen for something they know the fanbase won't like, and the longer this drags on, the more suspicious I become. I just don't understand why the identity of the 'Investors' cannot be revealed? It just stinks.

Frankly, I just want the best possible future for STFC. If this investor is the real deal, then tell us NOW what the terms of this investment are, how you are going to secure the Club's future by paying off the CVA QUICKLY (not waiting until May FFS), what plans you have for a ground redevelopment within the borough of Swindon and what funds will be made available to the Manager to invest in the playing squad. ITS NOT FUCKING ROCKET SCIENCE!

Happy camper? No I'm fucking not.

 :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

Where do we go from here?

boooooo. were'd freds post go.


you shisters

haha

wasn't me...is Fred censoring himself or was it Ben?

what did i miss

wasn't me either.

I'm guessing Fred censored it himself. It was probably due to the last but one line, everything else was fine IMO.

Nothing

Bit of mild Elliot bluster,nothing bad.