So it looks like the takeover will go through and as such we will need to produce a large trading surplus in order to pay back the current creditors, the new owners and facilitate further borrowing for capital projects (pitch, stand, corner). I cant help but wonder how this will be reflected on the pitch. I've not seen the owners "vision" for the club and the milestones we need to achieve to get there. I'm happy we're not Man City or QPR but would like to see a 5 year commitment to not extract any funds from the club (including repayment of the WFCL loan) and a further 5 million cash injection to fund the balancing of books in the 2011-12 season and provide a small amount of liquidity for transfers as we will not be at full stream with academy output or maybe we will? If in order to live the Watford way we're going to have to sell prime first team assets who form part of the necessary core for performance at this level we the fans have the right to know.
This is the two edged sword where you need to have a team playing well to attract the public, yet selling the very players that people will pay to go and watch. Football has become so demanding of wealthy owners that the likes of Simpson, Russos are unable to throw sufficient money into the deep hole that is WFC. The losses at Loftus Rd. amount to ã35m over two seasons, but even if they get into the premiership the money they earn could disappear in a very short space of time when they pay off their debts, buy a few players to attempt to stay there and face all of the additional running costs. You also have to ask are their owners actually football fans or investors hoping to see a return on their money? The Watford Way could be described as modest, cautious even unambitious, yet for a number of years no knight in shining armour has wanted to buy the club, so to try and run the club in a sustainable way seems to be the only way forward. This does mean taking a risk that people will still pay to come and watch a team that has sold off the best players. There are so many questions surrounding this bid, to my mind it is impossible to see just where it will take us. Will the facilities be taken forward to make the ground more user friendly and possibly attract a greater attendance at games. They say it will be, but then you have to ask where will the money come from. That is a similar question to where will Mr. B get the money from to buy the club in the first place, yet seemingly he has it lodged with a solicitor. All very strange! Certainly they talk of increasing the income from commercial activities, but just what might they be? I cannot see that being enough to pay off the debts. No, I really don't know what road they are proposing to take us down and for that reason would like Mr. B to explain what it is that the fans will be so pleased about. That was what he said in the infamous interview, now he needs to expand on those plans.
I just am at a loss to know where we are going or what is now the Watford Way. Years ago a club could rise up from the 4th Division to be runners up in the 1st without bankrupting itself or even going into really significant debt. Now only super-rich City clubs can compete at the top. Your Wigans, Stokes and Blackpools can have a few good years under good management and be best of the rest types but they will never "win" the Premiership. What could we hope for Watford - I guess it is the latter, keep a good manager, develop young players, sell a few into the true big time to help funds and manage your costs whatever you do. Not as exciting as it once was but for me I will be happy to see us a a friendly well run club which hopefully can occasionally have a short sojourn at the table of the rich.
I worry that the ideas EJ and GT brought to Watford that went away with them and MM has brought back will go away again and never return. The take over may not be stopped but what exactly do the new owners want with the club? It will not make them large money and if they follow the example at Manchester United of transfering the debt to buy the club to the club we will be in trouble as the finances of Watford will not support this level of debt.
I agree with moose , It doesnt look good if we stay in the championship with Baz and co ,agree with Leo about the best we can hope for! Really think Baz will take us into admin inside 3 years after a relegation or two! If we went into admin now at least the rebuild could start quicker!I still dont think the good lord would have let us go into admin!
If Baz had money to back up his mouth then we would know a lot more by now ! The fact we dont IMO speaks volumes!
Well, that is the obvious bit until we have our first statements of clarifications of the various issues and concerns, which had better come very quickly followed final takeover confirmation. Whilst I share many/most of the concerns expressed, I see no point in getting into a lather, not just yet anyway. What is the point of speculating over what might or might not happen. I don't have enough time or energy for all that. Our energies are best channelled into supporting our team and dealing with the "facts" when they are finally known - it is only ever with hindsight that the full story comes out, if ever. At least the people involved (the ones we currently know about anyway) are part of the local community and if anything terribly untoward is going on, they will make their own positions in our local community in which they also live and work untenable ( a small consolation to some perhaps?). One day at a time, and 3 more points at Coventry! I'm only here for the football...
Well expressed NJ - you are probably right - we can't do anything about it so getting into a lather does not help us or anyone
If you knew your offspring was about to make a big mistake, would you "not get in a lather" and let him/her get on with it, or would you at least try to say your piece and offload the benefit of your wisdom!! Fiddling while Rome burns springs to mind ! By the way welcome nj
Yes Norway - but if you knew your next door neighbour's offspring was about to make a big mistake - would you get in a lather? The point is we have all made our comments and unless the Watty Obs and others are deaf dumb AND stupid they know the feeling of supporters. LA and Simpson are entitled to sell and if the money changes hands and no-one else comes in to "rescue" our club then what will be will be - and nj's point is valid - if you can't affect the outcome then there is no point having a hissy fit. We should continue to monitor and express our opinions - for what they are worth which appears to be very little
You are right Leo, not a lot we can ever do about the way our club is taken. Sooner or later Mr. B or Mr. P will reveal their plans for the club. They have stated that they will do ground improvements,without setting a time frame. This could be because they do not intend to, don't know how to fund them, or are looking into costings etc. If players had been sold in the summer or new year, the figures would not have looked so poor, yet the club would still have no means to repay the loans. Something had to happen if LA was digging his toes in and demanding an exit route sooner rather than later. That with many other things we don't know and probably never will.
