I don't think it's sour grapes so much as explaining the way things are, he is getting a lot of stick from some quarters for letting players leave, he is simply pointing out that some clubs have rich cash cows to support their spending habits. Both Ehmer and RCC were players he wanted to keep, without supporters coming through the gate he just can't afford the wages.
Well said grumpygit Captain Jack, you won't know mate, we've already spoken on here in regards to players, I agree that we need to take all players off the wage bill. Sadly we can't afford them and the clubs existence has to come first. So it's your gain
What I find strange, is how can clubs spend so much money, yet stay within the fair play rules. I know that we spend between 60 and 63% of turnover (exactly what is allowed) on our budget. Our budget tends to be one of the lowest in league 1, so how are these other clubs able to beat the fair play rules.
Especially when you read articles like this... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52071690#:~:text=Rovers made a loss of,by the Al-Qadi family. and this... https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...ws/bristol-rovers-debt-reaches-almost-3990781 but then read stuff like this... https://www.clubcall.com/news/2020/...bstantively-debt-free-after-ownership-change/ So who's pulling the wool over who's eyes here, I wonder?
Fair play rules only apply to money spent on wages. L1 clubs can spend up to 60% (max) of their turnover on wages. That's it. So you could technically spend millions on signing players and signing on fee's and agent fee's etc etc etc as none of that impact on the fair play rules. But how many players can you buy for millions but will accept a low wage so you can remain within your wage budget? Not many of course. But the point is you can spend what you like without effecting the fair play rules as that's just wages only. We have a lot of players who has came through our academy and not on high wages. We have released a fair few players who were very high earners. So we have plenty of wage budget available. I remember our last manager before xmas say publicly that our budget is top 6 in L1. We are expecting another player to leave before the new season starts who is a big earner. He has been told to find a new club. And I wouldn't be surprised if our star player also goes - Jonson Clarke Harris, our highest paid player.
I know you know this already brb as mentioned this earlier but for the benefit of others like grumpygit, our owner has a lot of money. He never likes to discuss his wealth in public but reports in our local rag estimated over £300 million of his own wealth. He wasn't allowed to spend much as other family members were owners too and they were not as committed and had a major say on what the clubs spends money on. After the passing of his father recently (im guessing he got a big chunk of inheritance) because straight after, he bought out the rest of his family and became the sole owner. How much did that cost him? He (as the sole owner) to on the clubs debts that were owed to himself and he wiped those debts clear turning them into shares. A fair few clubs have in the past has done the same. Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown did it. And that debt was over £40 million if I remember correctly. But he is extremely rich (fair play to him) and that is like pocket money to him. No one knows how much our owner has which makes it all hard to believe how he has done what he has done. I get that and understand that. But obviously being a gashead myself, its not that difficult for me to understand. He and his family took over Rovers. They took on the debts at that time. He has his own wealth but couldn't spend what he wanted as family was stopping him. His father died. He then bought out his family becoming sole owner. He clears the debts. We are in a great financial position when others are not. We are taking advantage of that by signing good players now instead of waiting, still within the fair play rules. Happy days. But I do understand your opinions though as you are looking in from the outside. I appreciate that
Captain Jack Just because I have money doesn't mean that I know how to spend it wisely (( a 2 year season ticket at Gillingham tells you all ) When I heard that Emer was leaving, my first thought was; He won't be missed. His ( so-called) best years at Gills have been whilst relying on John Egan, ( at Sheffield Utd ), - doing all the work in defence - before he left us for better things...... We then had 3 season when we struggled to avoid relegation - with a defence that leaked and leaked goals.... Recently, the deficiencies of Emer have been partly hidden by the form of a real central defender, young Jack Tucker (( whom Gas should have targeted )). Emer is one of the least talented and most boring central defenders I have had the misfortune to see on a football pitch --- Gas need to get used to hoofball - when it's not continually being played sideways ---- and that's only if Emer has managed to be in the same postcode as the ball.
Absolutely spot on. I couldn't agree more. There are some bad owners out there and some really good owners too. The way our local paper talks about Scully makes him look bad but before us signing Ehmer, I didn't know a thing about him. Reading his comments and what a few of you been saying about your own club, sounds like he is trying to be as wise as possible with his money to make your club survive during what has been going on in 2020. Our owner has decided to go the other way. He has in his own way tried to demonstrate his commitment in these uncertain times. Without the benefit of hindsight, we won't know how wise this is from our owner. I have my concerns as nothing good ever happens to Rovers. We are reminded of that every day by our red neighbours. I am expecting something to go tits up but right now, we are in a position to take advantage of the situation. We have made plenty of space available in the wage budget by letting high earners go. Guess its now a case of see what happens As for the damning report of yours on Ehmer, I've heard good things about him previously so I was happy about him signing. We've signed good players before but turned out poor for us. We are due a few poor players to turn good! Hope this is one. Anyway, good luck to your club
Captain Jack. When Mr. Scally took charge at Gills, he spent £ 1 ( one ) of his own money, and he persuaded creditors to take around 15 % of what they were owed ( not that HE paid that himself ! ). In the next 25 years, Mr.Scally has not spent any of his own money, and has failed to find 'substantial' investors for the club - whilst also going on to live in tax exile Dubaii for many years - while counting his £250,000 - 300,000 per year. He has sanctioned the purchase of some truly awful players, and spent several episodes in the High Court - trying to defend several cases where he ''alllegedly'' couldn't demonstrate any Human Resource attribute - or defending ( and losing ), claims of ''alleged'' racisim / racial discrimination by the Club.......... and don't get me started about the appalling contempt he has had for the fans - especially the season ticket holders...... he really has struggled with good old fashioned 'customer relations.' He has attracted so much bad publicity for a club that is deep in my heart....................... but - I have an amount of sympathy for him ! We, at Gillingham, are never going to attract substantial investment. Mr. Scally needs to keep the club alive (( until he decides to turn Priestfield Stadium into a housing complex )). Mr. Scally is exercising extreme caution regarding the offer of contracts to existing players - let alone any new signings - until he is given clarity over the restart date for next season. He is probably afraid that, if the Club go into administration, he'll end up losing a lot of money to pay creditors ( including players contracts ) -- that'e why he's taken to the desperate measure of selling a snooker table from the players lounge...... if he can hold off for a few weeks, we'll have the ''second wave'' of this pandemic - and he could get a good price for the unused toilet rolls ! I know that Gillingham's ( and Mr.Scally's ) position is not unique. I am happy to have a 'Devil' who is trying to ensure we don't become bankrupt - because, when this situation passes, I still want my Club - which I will always support -- and, as for Emer - probably a very nice man - who really can't play good football.
Doesn't sound like a nice man but right now he is doing what he thinks is right and what he thinks is best for the club under the current circumstances we are in. You can't ask for more than that I am not too sure if this is true or not but I keep seeing that 'apparently' our owner wanted to takeover your club but was unsuccessful and then choose my club. Do you know if that is true? Your toilet roll line made me chuckle
Captain Jack I have no idea about your owner wanting to buy out Scally --- He refused £10 Million a few years ago - trying to hold out for £12 Million. I do appreciate his efforts to ensure Gills stay 'afloat.' -- even if it is very much in his interest. My 'Toilet' humour is well known in this forum - even if the comment wasn't necessarily too far from the truth relating to the lack of cash available.
I have been considering buying the club from Scally myself, if I were to offer him £2, that would see him make a 100% profit on his £1. Checking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he was prepared to wave the capital gains tax on Scally's profit. I would look to sign 22 young pro's under 23 years old (all on freebies) they wouldn't get paid a wage, but would get free board and lodging in the new block of flats I build in the town End. With no wages to pay (I'd sack all the backroom staff and make people bring packed lunch, make their own replica shirts) 1,000 supporters paying £1,000 a piece would see me break even. I could keep track of the fortunes of the club on ifollow from my luxury villa in Bermuda.
grumpygit (( I know what you're doing ! )) --- You make it seem that running a football club is a piece of cake ! I am absolutely certain that Mr. Scally endures stress that I am not willing to accept - even for all the money that he obtains from his position -- but, then, I have never been driven by the need for acquiring personal wealth. I am also absolutely certain that you, and ALL others in this forum, have stress of a different kind - and maybe the kind which I, and perhaps Mr. Scally may not assess as 'viable.'......................... so - Mr. Scally is not in a unique position when it comes to having a job that brings stress -- However -- he is in a unique job inasmuch that his job hasn't required him to lay out any of his own money ( other than £1 ), and that it is in his personal and financial interest to keep the cashcow / golden goose alive......... and there's not many businesses where - if it goes 'belly up', the owner can simply go into administration with one business and build a load of houses & flats that will give him a huge return on his £1 investment.
As far as I'm aware this was false information. A lot of rubbish was spouted that a certain owner of our current sponsors offered to buy the club at said amount which I'm lead to believe was false. A certain Mr Jarvis refuted these claims as he himself had tied his money up in a tennis academy on the site of the former Four-Four-Two Club which was owned by former players Andy Hessenthaler & Nicky Southall. He did not have the funds to even contemplating buying Gills out so it was nothing more than rubbish being spouted on social media.
It may have been denied - which is easy to do. I am not going to disclose the source of my information - but I do have personal " Connection " to the source - who is attached to the potential buyer.
According to the boyfriend of the daughter from the co-op, who's mother is a floor walker in M&S, this rumour might, or might not, have been true.
Back to players Gills have resigned Ryan Jackson from Colchester. Mandron has left to join Crewe. That leaves only Hanlan and youngster from the out of contract players to sign as other 3 left. Hopefully Fuller stays aswell as still good enough for another season
Looks as though we'll have a competitive team to compete in the north Kent 5 a side tournament next season.........
