Thetownend.com

I know a few people have touched on it in the other thread but thought it was quite important for people to not miss it so here you go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qn-FYTmgoQ

As I said in the other thread:

He does say the right things.

At times he spoke as though he thinks the court case is a formality. Already has scouts scouting for players (he says)

"Would I want to build the stadium?", he asks "Yeah I probably would". (But he'd want it 'ticked off' by the fans - he says)

His company has a turnover of 'a couple of hundred million' a year, according to Clem. I wonder what that would mean in terms of profit.

My thoughts copied from the other thread.

Lots to like, of course at the moment its only lip service but what he said was positive.

Getting fans and Don Rogers on the board sounds good to me.
Tarting up the stadium, can't be bad.
He has a CEO in mind as well as a scouting team so he's clearly done a lot of work behind the scenes to hopefully hit the ground running if he gets to take over.
Has spoken about keeping communications with fans open and transparent. I like the sound of the plans for the stadium but he stated any plans would be cross referenced with supporters, which sounds excellent.
Sounds realistic and ambitious.

Liked everything he had to say, and no Jed roarrr vibes!

Ambitious yet grounded - wasn't promising unrealistic expectations. Also glad that he appears to have sourced key staff and seems to have the groundwork already laid out should he win in September. Feared that if he won the case he may be a bit unprepared, but this video definitely alleviated that worry.

Also like that he seems to have a heavy focus on scouting. With how the game has gone, unearthing diamonds in the rough within a budget has become more and more important.

I honestly can’t see why anyone could possibly be adverse to him taking over. Some might wish for a Bournemouth type billionaire but for right here, right now, he sounds just like what we need.

I don't think anyone is adverse to it.

There's also no harm in fans performing their own form of 'due diligence' though.

Able emerging might put a cat amongst the pigeons but, for many, it's too late.

I have not seen a single person say they are averse to it.

 Neither have I. Just saying I can’t see a reason why anybody would be.

There are some strange fuckers lurking

On that we definitely agree.

Spot on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNf3m7Rd6IA

Good to see, albeit I thought Digby was employed by the club in some manner, if so interesting to see him chipping in...

https://twitter.com/TheFraserDigby/status/1397879682914263040?s=20

It’s all well and good but I didn’t hear one mention of a bar in The Town End.

He did mention a Sports bar, it depends on what the plans are for each individual stand I guess

Not averse to Clem. He said a lot of things I want to hear.  He answered the question on return of his investment saying he didn't need the money. Given our track record of owners, that makes me nervous.

Talks the talk and came across like a decent bloke.

Hope it all goes through and he can walk the walk

Couple of things. I wonder if the individual who put him in touch with Lee Power has any remorse? Was it just me but I couldn’t help thinking that during this interview, which to be fair was somewhat unusual in its timing (due obviously because of the time difference) and the fact he was in his ute on the way to an airport but he didn’t look straight at the camera and or scree and to my mind came across as either distracted or maybe, I dunno, possibly uncomfortable with the questions/interview or something. I really, really want to give him the benefit of the doubt but I am not a 100% he’s the messiah type of fan, sorry but that’s my feeling as it stands.

Don’t need messiah. Competent and not a thieving bastard will do nicely.

Goes without saying.

Bollocks to Clem.

That crossed my mind as well, however, was it a video call for him or just audio on his phone, if it wasn't video he would have no reason to look at the device.

To what extent does he answer why does someone who lives in Australia want to own a loss making football club in Wiltshire?
What’s the end game for him?

He said the word passion several times.

I'm sure that would get some fans' juices flowing.

Sadly he didn't say 'You flaming Galah', that would have got my juices flowing!

Easy. Development of the CG. With the line of business he is in if he does a hood job of developing the GC he’ll make money a number of ways. From the clubs overall turnover, as he rightly mentioned 24/365 income. Selling his stake sometime in the future, developing other stadia on the back of what he does here (all things being equal and it gets done) and player transfers is always a good one.

Or a drongo.

The UK company is not growing, I think that was the outcome of the financial dig someone compiled.  To that end, a stadium build is the next logical step in his companies strategy to break into the big time and move from being a bits and pieces contractor for large sites.  Rather than being known as the gang that put the bog in Wembley's retail additions (or whatever it was they did), he can show a stadium re-build and push the boundaries of his UK business.  I'd imagine the other countries could leverage that business case as well.

If he came out and said this was a primary reason for the interest muddled with a love for the game and being hoodwinked into Swindon by Power but now has grown to see us like a pesky half brother, then I think he'd be a pretty good fit.

As Aud said - Competent and not a thieving bastard will do nicely.

in essence, let’s be fair, if with the trust on board, the goodwill, support from the people of Swindon and surrounding locales, he gives us something like (not necessarily the same) as The Mad Stad and sustainable championship football without being a thieving bastard then fair dinkum sport. We don’t want much do we? One thing not yet mentioned is the role of the council in backing him with planning approval. I’d like to see the cricket ground used along with the CG extension to develop a super stadium complex that makes money like he said 24/365. Where the cricket club go and the building go is another thing.

He did a reasonably good job of memorising key facts from STFC's Wikipedia page.

No matter what he said you'd of had a dig anyway

I have a largely neutral stance on CM.  I don't really know anything about him other than what I have seen on this forum and the info pushed out by the trust. It remains to be seen whether he delivers on the broad statements mapped out in his correspondence.

Rest assured we would have pushed out messaging from LP, Able and anyone else involved with the same gusto if they actually engaged.

Good on him for doing the interview and credit as always to the Trust who are going above and beyond to save our club. I’m slightly surprised that Morfuni didn’t take the opportunity to come with slightly more polished answers, as this was his first real engagement with fans - to really make an impact. It almost seemed like he wasn’t all that serious about the takeover but it was first thing in the morning, he’s a busy guy it would seem, and his actions would suggest he (or whoever he is fronting) is interested. I really don’t know what to make of it all - but, anyone but Lee, etc etc etc.

Do fans necessarily want 'polished' answers though? Clem looks like the most laid back Aussie i've ever seen and to me he just looked like he was being himself. I reckon if he had come out more 'polished' it would have looked fake/suss?

There is absolutely no way of knowing this guys motives, any more than Jed, Power etc. Having an Australian businessman on board is very random so we really do need to keep our guard up. That said he has been involved in the club since 2014 so hasn't just come out of nowhere.

If he did come with 'polished' answers though there is a danger of it looking rehearsed and not genuine.

He can't win can he and that isn't a dig at anyone it is just the situation we are in now and no one will really know what will happen until if/when he takes over

Funnily enough I did read someone say it looked rehearsed (!) which I didn't get at all, but that's the beauty of opinions.

Didn’t sound like polish to me, deffo an Aussie speaking strine.

Yeah me too, pretty certain if it was rehearsed he wouldn't be sat in his car at 6.30am

Maybe it was the fact he said he was a plumber that might have confused matters?

It is possible.

Fucking immigrants coming over here and taking jobs from the Brits.

Didn’t a bunch of diggers come over here and screw the FA building Wembley Stadium?

It's difficult to envisage how anyone could be worse than Power (perhaps Fagan)
He talks the talk, lots of use of the "passion" buzzword, made the video feel like he's in an interview for an insurance job or perhaps a New Labour official position.
For what it's worth, I warmed to the man. I have only been to away games since 2015 and with Clem in charge I would buy season tickets for 2 to 3 seasons and then reassess

We don't need the messiah, just not the very naughty boy.