New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[Mooneyraker]

So you have an issue with ambition?

I think you've rather missed the point here Bob. If the new Chairman of Kintbury Rangers said he wanted to win the Premier League with the club, would people think "there's a man of ambition!" or "there's a Walter Mitty fool"?

[Mooneyraker]

And that's before the debate of whether Clem is ambitious, as you put it, or mendacious. Your reading of it is at the more generous end of the supporter spectrum I would suggest.

[Audrey]

Just what level of transparency is acceptable? Do we need to know transfer fees, compo for Lindsey etc.  The moans are always, or nearly always, about where’s the money gone. I’m no financial wizard but do our level of annual accounts go into such details.

[Mooneyraker]

Taylor Swift wants to buy Notts County - turned down.

How about us!

Change our name to Swifton Town. I'm down with that. TAKE THE MONEY!

[RobertT]

Just what level of transparency is acceptable? Do we need to know transfer fees, compo for Lindsey etc.  The moans are always, or nearly always, about where’s the money gone. I’m no financial wizard but do our level of annual accounts go into such details.

I don't need per deal info (although I have shared the Carlisle annual report for reference to show what a club COULD share, if it so desired).  I don't think hoards of cash have been stashed beyond prying eyes either.

I think there is a distinct mismatch between the PR provided and the actual plans to deliver it, let alone the actual delivery.

I have no problem with ambition.

I even think a club down here, without a rich benefactor, can deliver some of the vague stated aims.  We have a very good example in our league - Crewe.  They maintain a Category 2 level Academy, consistently ranked better than some Elite ones as well.  It required significant investment and requires annual operating expenses well over 7 figures.  It, generally, pays for itself - but to start it, you need to a) take a gamble and b) have a plan to finance it to start with.  Exeter have also shown a way a smaller income club can generate higher Revenue through player investment and trading, without reaching the likes of Peterborough.

So, even if Clem is skint, it's possible, with the right planning and preparation before pulling the trigger.

What we have is not that though.  We have some vague aim of getting a Level 2 Academy by way of asking for local fans to help put up some metal bars so someone with a mobile phone can film the kids at play and a rented field that hosts Palates for the locals while we re trying to do press briefings (I'm being disingenuous).

It's as if everyone was surprised that it all takes a bit of effort once we got the reigns.  The fact our transfer policy and wage budgets have been all over the shop for three seasons running shows nothing is well planned.  We are doing a very good job of bringing to life the saying of throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks.

[Audrey]

That’s all true but both Crewe and Exeter are perennial yo-yo clubs - do well when the academies produce, sell then fall back. Rinse and repeat. That’s fine if fans buy into that way if operating but barring a miracle it confines you to forever floundering around the bottom 2 leagues. They only have 4000 or so fans to convince.

I might be a bit happy clappy here, but I think most of our fans at least expect to be capable of challenging for Championship football.

[RobertT]

That’s all true but both Crewe and Exeter are perennial yo-yo clubs - do well when the academies produce, sell then fall back. Rinse and repeat. That’s fine if fans buy into that way if operating but barring a miracle it confines you to forever floundering around the bottom 2 leagues. They only have 4000 or so fans to convince.

I might be a bit happy clappy here, but I think most of our fans at least expect to be capable of challenging for Championship football.

I agree with you, our starting base should be higher than them.  If we did it properly, using them as examples, but with a higher revenue base to begin with, we should be able to support a L1 club with ambitions of at least going between that and the Championship.

I'm just saying even a small income club can do these things - I do not buy the defence of Clem that he is out of cash, has paid down debt, it's all too much to expect etc.  Plus, he's the fucker that put the Goal out there - I'm saying his plans t deliver it need scrutiny, and he sure as hell is not delivering it right now.  This is just one area, I haven't even got onto the Ground.

[Ƭ̵̬̊: The Artist Formerly Known as CWIG]

Taylor Swift wants to buy Notts County - turned down.

How about us!

The amount of shirts we'd sell to her fans would fund us getting to the championship at least on its own.

[RobertT]

To ensure people don't think I am just some anti-Clem, negative whining idiot, I will counter balance with something.

I think Clem did an amazing job in the first 6 months, and that set us up for short term success/benefits.  Namely he tapped into two things - the impact of Covid on the fanbase (a pent up demand to see games lives) and the growing anger towards the existing owner.  Once he found the crafty way to get the club, he used these two to huge effect, building immediate momentum in positive vibes amongst the fanbase, which led to a surge in Season Ticket holder numbers.  Only twice in my time has another owner/CEO achieved such an uptake - once in the Premier League and once when the prices were slashed by Fitton.  A time of unprecedented positivity and a time when big pockets could underwrite the loss.

That is no mean feat.

I think he was utterly bemused by the amount of risk/exposure he then found financially and it has stopped everything else in it's tracks.  It now looks like an attempt to hang on for the Ground to get moving so an exit plan can be formed.

[RobertT]

The amount of shirts we'd sell to her fans would fund us getting to the championship at least on its own.

Can our man in Kansas befriend Travis Kelce maybe?

[STFC_Manc]

1) Brilliant - well done Eadie
2) Brilliant, though we still owe its better internal than external. Assuming none of it is acruing interest via sharegate that is.
3) Have we? Customer facing hasn't changed much as far as I can tell. But I'm not knocking what I can't see
4) Don't care. But as long as its self funding I can see no negatives.
5) True. Though part  of that is offset by rent reductions.

The biggest issue is we are told we will lose 500K-1M minumum this year. How do we solve that if its not one off cost related?

This isn't just at you Batch but all of those achievements don't happen by themselves - Eady trust funded it but the Eady trust, the council, the Trust all had to be happy and is a massive achievement by all parties.

You do have this fixation on the ongoing loss, more or less all clubs at this level are losing money.  What is your point, as long as Clem is covering the loss (unless you know that he isn't?) then stadium development is going to be the biggest way to solve this, which is a long term project.

[RobertT]

I think Batch refers to it because Clem suggested we needed to wash our own face, which can be read to say we need to either raise new revenue quickly or we cut costs from what we are spending right now.  It was indeed delivered in such a way that he would NOT be funding increasing the debt pile.

Of course, he can come out and say "not to worry, I have the funds to continue to underwrite 500k-1m of losses a year while we await the future benefits of ground development, upon which we will reap the benefits of increased revenues and profits to offset this investment".  But he hasn't.

[STFC_Manc]

I think Batch refers to it because Clem suggested we needed to wash our own face, which can be read to say we need to either raise new revenue quickly or we cut costs from what we are spending right now.  It was indeed delivered in such a way that he would NOT be funding increasing the debt pile.

Of course, he can come out and say "not to worry, I have the funds to continue to underwrite 500k-1m of losses a year while we await the future benefits of ground development, upon which we will reap the benefits of increased revenues and profits to offset this investment".  But he hasn't.

You have just answered his question, so hopefully now he can get closure. 

[Legends-Lounge]

Change our name to Swifton Town. I'm down with that. TAKE THE MONEY!

Rockin Robin you’re now redundant. We are The Swifts now.

[Nemo]

Rockin Robin you’re now redundant. We are The Swifts now.

At least we'd sign some players who could play play play

Costanza would no doubt hate hate hate*


* I am joking.