An Exciting Future

I've alluded to this on other posts but I think it warrants an article because it's exciting stuff.

There are huge things happening behind the scenes at LCFC, some of which I've been lucky enough to be privy to. I've got be vague with the details because nothing has been announced and is unlikely to until planning permission is granted, which is proving to be a massive stumbling block. So apologies in advance for not being able to divulge how I know or exactly what I know but I assure you that this isn't bullshit, it's extemely credible and this is where our club are heading.

So that everything I'm about to write will seem more legitimate, perhaps the most important thing would be to start with the fact that we're not aspiring to be like Southampton, Stoke or WBA, who stabilised and stagnated around mid-table/top 10. Although that might seem like the sensible thing to do for a club recently back in the top flight, they're way too ambitious for that and have the money to back up and achieve their goals.

This "should" excite everyone because the clubs they're looking to aspire to are Chelsea and Man City and they're thinking why not us? Both clubs came from nowhere and are now regular top four/title challengers but why and how? Simply ambitious owners with the money to back it up and that's the way they're seeing it. They have the money and ambition to achieve that within the next decade and that is their long term vision for the club.

The stadium extension is 100% happening but it won't be the last extension either. If things go to plan it will be more than double our current capacity in a decade. These articles we're seeing in the media are simply them gauging public opinion but they want it, desperately and would have started building already if they could. Unfortunately they're still some way off completing due diligence for two reasons. The main issue they have with the current stadium, in addition to the limited capacity, are the changing rooms because they're not up to CL spec and that's what they want. They've had a taste of it and want more. When the stadium is extended the changing rooms will shift sides and increase in size.

They're aiming for CL next season and if all goes to plan then the building will start pre season and be reading for the next CL campaign, which leads into transfers. Now I don't know anything anyone else doesn't but knowing what I know about their ambitions, I'm expecting an exciting summer and one that will reflect their ambitions.

For anyone in L block, I think you'll be closer to the away fans next season, in fact right next to them because there will be no seats sectioned off, instead Perspex will be installed like the do in the Allianz and I believe we'll be the first in the country.

The times they are a-changin

 

Don't know why you couldn't wait until it is fact rather than speculation to be fair. All sounds like what every chairman and board would say.

 

Because it won't be announced until planning permission is grated and it took 18 months to get initial approval for the KP to be built so if you'd rather wait until next summer to find out their plans then that's up to you but others might be more interested.

I don't think there's a single set of owners in the league who are looking to emulate City and Chelsea and reach capacity of 72k in a decade, do you??

 

I'm sure the owners are looking to achieve great things, but I think that there is one big obstacle that is against us and one that we can't change, and that is geographical location. The big clubs in England are all situated in large vibrant cities with international airports - London, Manchester and Liverpool. They are the places that tempt the best foreign players (and I'm assuming that we would have to be tapping into that market, although it would be nice to think we could do it with less fashionable home-grown players). I'm not sure Leicester as a city has the same appeal and, apart from one season, the football club has never won anything of note in its entire history. On the other hand, if it all works out, then Leicester would be the dominant club within a 30 mile radius and success could attract a lot of new young fans.

Chelsea and Man City (and likewise Man Utd and Liverpool) have all tempted the best managers, and have then been able to draw the biggest name players. Can Craig Shakespeare do that or would he have to be sacrificed? It's taking a long time to get a decision from the owners on that one. Haven't they invited him over to France for talks? Beats getting the push at a motorway services on a cold, wet night in January! Spurs have (almost) achieved great things over the last 2 seasons in a different way to Chelsea and Man City and might be the model that is more akin to our situation. Pochettino wasn't a big name in management when he went there and they haven't spent that big (relatively speaking) to get to where they are, and they play great football. Backroom staff, coaches, physios and nutritional experts are important and we did have those in the title winning season. Do we still have them?

It's great to know that we have ambitious owners who are willing to put their money where their mouth is, and I really do want us to get those CL night games back, but they have to have a sustainable 5 year plan of constant progress rather than conjure up another one season wonder. Getting all the right pieces in place to get that initial momentum started will be the hardest step, and then getting the team back into the top six and challenging the big London and Manchester clubs. If we can do that, then we will start to look like a credible club that is going places.

 

Ultimately it's down to money and if we pay the same and we're in the CL, then club name won't mean anything. Players will come if we pay the same and we're up there challenging because that's the intention. It's not like we're going out to sign the likes of Griezmann now, we have to build up to those signings and that's the plan.

Also when you think about it, we don't have a PL team for miles around and we're the best in the Midlands so our potential catchment area is huge. Nothing in Warks, Lincs, Cambs, Ox, Derby or Notts and there's no reason why in the future kids from those areas wont support us. We do have an international airport in the county and it's a pretty desirable place to live, certainly in the countryside and is less than an hour on the train now so I can't see a geographic issue.

 

I'm guessing I obviously wasn't very clear. The long term aim is more us to be City as Chelsea, within 10 years so they're doing it the right way

 

Sorry within 5 years and within 10 they want to have completed their goal including maxing out the stadium. In five years they want 60k so it's over the next five that they want to establish as a CL club but the aim is CL qual next season. Apologies for confusion.

 

My personal take on Shakey is players will like him and he'll be able to deliver our vision for the future. He might not be a well known manager but he is a very well respected coach and it's the coaches who work with the players more than the manager. If we're doing well and we pay the right wages, I don't think it really matters who the manager is. I mean Pearson signed Cambiasso and Ranieri couldn't keep him. I know there are circumstances involved there but just an example even if a bit loose.

The decision is a formality as far as I'm concerned. No need to make announcements because I'm sure he knows. They're going to need to talk about the future, starting with getting it right this summer but also Shakey's backroom staff. I'd love to see Wasi as part of the staff and listening to Shakey, I wouldn't be overly surprised if he did add him in some capacity. Chris Powell coming back would be great too. There's a lot for them to discuss but the fact there's no names being branded about, it's a forgone conclusion that the job is Shakey's and he already knows.

 

From what I was told from the same person who told me the other stuff, CR was sacked in the hotel in Seville after the game and not the way it's been reported in the media.

 

I've heard all that bout the stadium 2 years ago - main stumbling black is that the foundations need to be reinforced for any expansion and that would mean the entire stadium being unable http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/l...ower-stadium/story-26705268-detail/story.html

 

Old news and that's not the case now because the stands have been redesigned from original plans because of that. Main issues are parking and the guy who owns a section of the land adjacent on the old Powergen block and he won't sell. That's what's happening now.

 

But the big news isn't the stadium extension, at least not the initial one because it's common knowledge that they want to extend. The exciting news is the two additional extensions taking capacity to 60k in five years and 72k in 10 and new plans have been drawn to reflect this. The additional capacity up to 72k is due to the redesign of the stands so they're not rebuilding on original foundations, they're entirely freestanding and self supporting so won't affect the current foundations.

So trying to be a smart arse and digging something up from a couple of years ago isn't very smart, just saying. There's a lot you don't know, a hell of a lot because these meetings are staff meetings among people who will be directly affected by the increase in capacity. It's not common knowledge and won't be until planning permission is finally approved.

 

^ the most exciting thing to me is the owners desire to be like City and Chelsea, in the top four and CL and chasing titles. Doesn't that excite anyone else or is it just me?

 

Sure it excites me, I'm just over stories that start 'now I can't divulge my sources but I can tell you that....'. I'm happy to not know and wait for it to happen.

 

I think you might be getting a little carried away with being the bearer of all this insider 'news'. Your style of continuous posting seems like you are regurgitating things you have just heard/read without too much real thought. I may be doing you a disservice, and if so, I apologise.

Obviously, as fans, we want to see our club become successful, but I think you are making it all sound far easier than it will be. There are lots of small businesses with ambitious owners who have big plans for their companies, but few make it into the really big league of the FTSE 100 and many go to the wall along the way. Football is now big business and it will be harder than you give the impression to break into the top 4, which is where we would have to be, and stay there. Our owners are successful in their current duty free business, but they are relatively new to the world of football. Do you think the current top clubs in the Premier League are just going to sit back and let us take the best players? Or is part of the master plan to build from unknown players that the big clubs will overlook?

To attract the world's best players and build a successful team will take more than money. Ten or fifteen years ago offering huge wages would have worked because there were only one or two clubs who could afford to, but now all the big clubs in England and Europe are backed by billionaires and paying huge wages. So now it has become not only about money and winning trophies but playing regularly in the Champions League (example - Kante to Chelsea). Even Man Utd have found it difficult to attract the top players as they weren't in the Champions League - and we're no Man Utd! So we will find it even tougher.

Don't get me wrong, as I said, I want Leicester City to become a top club in the Premier League, but I'm too long in the tooth to start believing something will come true just because someone comes along with a good story and says it will. I look forward to seeing how much progress we make in the transfer market over the summer and where we are at the end of next season.

 

You're doing me a grave disservice and not taking this at all seriously but this is 100% legitimate and I'm not regurgitating plans at all. When have you heard about their plans to emulate Chelsea and City? What about the three extensions? You knew about one but what about the other two? You haven't known about this until now, until I mentioned. Fortunately I'm privy to information that was discussed during a meeting on Wednesday, when their 10 year plan was outlined. You'll be waiting a long time until any of this is announced though because they won't say a word until planning permission is granted.

This isn't old news, this is brand new. They have huge plans for redeveloping the whole area from Aylestone Road down to the river but one building on the Powergen site is owned by someone unwilling to sell but he's been told we'll build around him if he doesn't so he's not going to hold anything up. A new hotel, arena/I've rink, restaurants and shops and a new state of the art training ground in the north of the county are part of their plans and will be happening. Next season Perspex is going to be installed in between the away fans to maximise our current capacity. Did you know that? The changing rooms don't meet CL spec so they're going to be moved to the East Stand and increased in size. Were you aware of that?

You don't seem to grasp that this is a 10 year plan not a chuck a load of money at it now and hope it sticks. Look at what they've achieved in the last five years, they achieved their target. Vichai's wealth has risen to £3.7bn from £1.2bn, he's not a small business owner, he's an extremely successful huge business owner and if you think he won't achieve his goals then I think you're also doing him a disservice as well.

The aim is to qualify for CL next season and if planning permission is approved then all this starts next summer because they want proper spec changing rooms for the start of the campaign. This all rests on the council not their desire. Then it's aiming to qualify again and again and again and continue from now on and the more established we become the easier is to attract players to a 60k stadium, with massive wages and state of the art training ground. It's not going to be difficult to attract players at all, it'll be easy.

 

I seriously do not think anybody is doing anybody a disservice. There are those of us on here who have supported our club for more than 50 years and have the history of our club running through our veins. Our owners are extremely wealthy and obviously have a business plan. However, with our catchment area, a stadium to hold 70k seems pie in the sky and a schoolboys dream - something on football manager. We know from the past that the owners have been buying land around the stadium and want to build a fans village and take advantage of the spending power of home and away supporters. They stated a few years ago that they wanted us to be challenging for top 4 position. So, some of what you have reported is obviously correct - and I know they have had issues with the council. Some is obviously incorrect - you simply cannot put up a different stand without work to the existing foundations. Forgive us if we dont take everything as gospel - but your last statement that attracting players will be easy is quite simply ridiculous.

 

If we extend to 72K, will that mean that I lose my parking space for my bike

 

Its nice to think these are the plans long term, but in the short term we don't even have a manager and clubs like WHU are hot on the transfers already.

I hope all these plans happen, because im sick of not being able to get a ticket as a silver member, would rather buy a season ticket to stop all the hassle.

 

Anyone who thinks we don't have a huge catchment area is blind because we have a whole region without a PL team so that's a lot of fans. Leicestershire alone has 650k and that's double the catchment area for Haringey for example. If we were winning leagues and in the top four, we would be able to get 72k. You're simply not accounting for glory supporters who will absolutely 100% come because they have nobody else to support!

These are the owners plans anyway, not mine but if you don't want to know and would prefer to live in your "we've supported us for blah blah blah bullshit" then fine, I won't share future information!