Two Bob businessman.

[TopBunk]

Marcus Evans will be trying to deflect criticism from himself and his inadequate support of the club by sacking PL and giving disgruntled fans a shiny new manager, thus giving himself a different shield to hide behind, until he goes we are on a downward spiral.

New management same bullshit......I predict.

 

[Nuggets]

If Evans has demonstrated any consistency during his time here, he hates being the news story and he only sacks managers when he thinks his pockets are going to take a massive hit. So I think Lambert is undoubtedly on borrowed time. If Evans is intending to sack Lambert mid-week - as rumours suggests - then today’s result against Oxford today is meaningless. If that is the case, then we know from the mid-season sackings of Magilton, Keane, Jewell, and Hurst that a replacement is presumably being lined up.

If the poor results and performances aren’t going to finish Lambert, then the low number of season ticket renewals in a month’s time almost certainly will.

The main barriers to Lambert going is if we manage a dramatic improvement in results where Lambert can argue that we’re still in the promotion hunt and a sacking would be destabilising. That would save Evans face, as he has only recently double downed on keeping Lambert and not listening to most supporters’ concerns. If results continue to be poor, and Lambert doesn’t get sacked over the next few weeks, I can only guess Evans isn’t prepared to pay off Lambert’s four remaining years on his contract. If that is the case, then he’d be consigning this club to at least another season in this division.

 

[YorkieLancsHampyLondoner]

If Evans has demonstrated any consistency during his time here, he hates being the news story and he only sacks managers when he thinks his pockets are going to take a massive hit. So I think Lambert is undoubtedly on borrowed time. If Evans is intending to sack Lambert mid-week - as rumours suggests - then today’s result against Oxford today is meaningless. If that is the case, then we know from the mid-season sackings of Magilton, Keane, Jewell, and Hurst that a replacement is presumably being lined up.

If the poor results and performances aren’t going to finish Lambert, then the low number of season ticket renewals in a month’s time almost certainly will.

The main barriers to Lambert going is if we manage a dramatic improvement in results where Lambert can argue that we’re still in the promotion hunt and a sacking would be destabilising. That would save Evans face, as he has only recently double downed on keeping Lambert and not listening to most supporters’ concerns. If results continue to be poor, and Lambert doesn’t get sacked over the next few weeks, I can only guess Evans isn’t prepared to pay off Lambert’s four remaining years on his contract. If that is the case, then he’d be consigning this club to at least another season in this division.

The club is going to have to fork out compensation for this season’s season tickets and next season we are not going to have full stadiums. Balanced against the pay off for Lambert, I doubt season ticket renewals will be a big factor at the moment.

 

[itfcptc]

I hate that Evans lines up another manager with the current one in charge, for me it shows complete disrespect to the current incumbent. Plus how he told Mick was leaving before he actually left, again really not good for the manager at the time. Not only has he ruined our club but there seems to be a real lack of class there as well.

Plus I know it didn't work with Hurst but I prefer the idea of managers applying for the job rather than being sounded out.

I've seen on TWTD that ME has basically already made his mind up and is looking for a replacement. If that's the case just get rid and let someone else take over for a short period of time and then you can openly see who is interested in the job

 

[TopBunk]

I hate that Evans lines up another manager with the current one in charge, for me it shows complete disrespect to the current incumbent. Plus how he told Mick was leaving before he actually left, again really not good for the manager at the time. Not only has he ruined our club but there seems to be a real lack of class there as well.

Plus I know it didn't work with Hurst but I prefer the idea of managers applying for the job rather than being sounded out.

I've seen on TWTD that ME has basically already made his mind up and is looking for a replacement. If that's the case just get rid and let someone else take over for a short period of time and then you can openly see who is interested in the job

Evans has no class....

 

[Southcoastoldgaffer]

Real class & money are seldom bedfellows. From what we have seen read & heard from Evans, he has none of the character or attributes of a decent good man, whatever his background or class:all of which are spades in the pack that define a football club owner, or any sports club or association:

Knowledge & experience of the game, humility, kindness, empathy, sense of loyalty & community spirit, willingness to be around the club, its community and with fans, to listen, a sense of humour, patience & perseverance, business acumen, drive & energy,

Coupled with desire to understand a club's unique history, specialness, tradtions and its supporters - each club is different and brings something to the table, hence the flurry of articles about the demise of ITFC in national press.

 

[TopBunk]

Rumours of an imminent takeover.........I think it’s just wishful thinking but hopefully Evans is thinking of cutting his losses amid the negative exposure.

 

[YorkieLancsHampyLondoner]

Rumours of an imminent takeover.........I think it’s just wishful thinking but hopefully Evans is thinking of cutting his losses amid the negative exposure.

Source?

 

[TopBunk]

Source?

Just a few comments I’ve seen and chatter.

 

[YorkieLancsHampyLondoner]

TWTD has done a piece on takeover rumours. Seems there might be something in it.

The bizarre thing would be that their strategy to invest funds to increase the value of the club is what Evans could have done all along.

 

[Bigalreigned]

The bizarre thing would be that their strategy to invest funds to increase the value of the club is what Evans could have done all along.

Or rather that’s what he tried to do and failed.

I’m extremely sceptical/cynical about this business model as it shows a basic lack of understanding/respect for what a Football Club is,merely seeing it as an “asset” that can ,possibly, be enhanced and sold on or with our luck stripped and discarded (not that I think we’ve many assets worth stripping!)

Like others on this Forum I have for some time been of the opinion our best (or least worst) option is some form of community/local business based joint ownership scheme.

The overbearing elephant in the room is how the “debt” owed to ME is dealt with in any alternative scenario not involving his continued “stewardship”.

 

[itfcptc]

Has anyone made money out of owning a football club?

You're right BigAl that was exactly ME's strategy when he came in, takeover a team in financial difficulty who need a bit of money to improve the squad and push them over the line into the Premier league. Chucked a load of money at it, realised that didn't work so did the opposite and funnily enough that didn't work either.

I want Evans gone but there are some very shady characters out there buying football clubs

 

[San Diego]

Why does everyone keep going on about the 100m debt, especially on TWTD?

Wasn't it around 35m when he bought it for pennies in the pound? The majority of the debt has been created by Evans himself through poor decision making and being terrible in the transfer market, losing players for free and not developing enough youth to sell on for profit. I can't see him ever being able to recoup that money, even if he took the club to court. He's losing money every year just paying the bare minimum running costs and there's growing disgruntlement among the fan base for a new owner. The debt is just a figure on a spreadsheet that can easily be wiped out, considering he caused most of it himself anyway.

If I was Evans right now and was offered 30m cash to sell the club and wipe out the debt to be free of throwing money away on a football club I'd take it. He'd probably be the type to try and throw in a sell on percentage.

30m cash profit now or lose money every year and have a debt that will never be repaid, I know which choice I'd take!

 

[Spanish]

I thought Evans had said if he sells up, the debt goes with him. I may be wrong but thought that was what he said. If not, i can't see anyone buying the club and he knows that.
I know people are very concerned about this new US investment but tbh....can it really be any worse?

 

[YorkieLancsHampyLondoner]

I thought Evans had said if he sells up, the debt goes with him. I may be wrong but thought that was what he said. If not, i can't see anyone buying the club and he knows that.
I know people are very concerned about this new US investment but tbh....can it really be any worse?

Newcastle United have got a domestic owner in Mike Ashley and he has been a nightmare for them for even longer than Evans has been for us, continuously draining the club of its funds. On the other hand, Leicester City are absolutely living the dream with foreign ownership.

 

[YorkieLancsHampyLondoner]

We also should get off our high horses with regard to shady characters. Along with all the positives, the Cobbold family were landed gentry who peddled alcohol, were bankers, warlords, imperialists, politicians. It’s very rare that wealth and influence have been obtained by wholly ethical endeavours.

 

[Nuggets]

Why does everyone keep going on about the 100m debt, especially on TWTD?

Wasn't it around 35m when he bought it for pennies in the pound? The majority of the debt has been created by Evans himself through poor decision making and being terrible in the transfer market, losing players for free and not developing enough youth to sell on for profit. I can't see him ever being able to recoup that money, even if he took the club to court. He's losing money every year just paying the bare minimum running costs and there's growing disgruntlement among the fan base for a new owner. The debt is just a figure on a spreadsheet that can easily be wiped out, considering he caused most of it himself anyway.

If I was Evans right now and was offered 30m cash to sell the club and wipe out the debt to be free of throwing money away on a football club I'd take it. He'd probably be the type to try and throw in a sell on percentage.

30m cash profit now or lose money every year and have a debt that will never be repaid, I know which choice I'd take!

I understand the club is about £96 million in 'debt' (as of 2019, so figure may now be higher) to Marcus Evans and his portfolio of companies, as it's confirmed in the company accounts, however it isn't owed to third parties. As San Diego has outlined, the debt is owed to Marcus Evans who can void it when selling the club. He's not going to recoup all that money, barring a highly unlikely double promotion. The bad news is that the figure has reportedly led to breakdowns in previously attempted sales of the club, as Evans wants to recoup as much as that money possible and apparently had been asking for exorbitant amounts, as well as retaining ownership of the training ground.

I agree that it must have got to the point where Evans would take £30 million - £40 million to sell off the club, wipe the debt, and take the loss. His other businesses are not doing well throughout the lockdowns, so the sale would provide a cash injection. Given the way he has run the club, he's not going to make money from it. If he has any business sense, he'd ask for a small stake / percentage of the club, say 5% if possible, so if the new owners do get us to the Premier League over the next half a decade, or whenever, he can make a bit more money by selling that stake.

 

[Nuggets]

I thought Evans had said if he sells up, the debt goes with him. I may be wrong but thought that was what he said. If not, i can't see anyone buying the club and he knows that.
I know people are very concerned about this new US investment but tbh....can it really be any worse?

Admittedly, I am a bit cautious about this US investment model. It's effectively a model where you pump investment in during the first year or so, get the club on an upward curve, and then sell when it is as its most valuable. I believe the owners of Barnsley and Millwall are following this model. The main objective is purely on making the club more profitable in the medium-to-long term future and making a return on your investment. So I'm not sure how much passion these new owners will have for the club and it's unlikely they'll be in it for the long haul.

The big questions for me are around how much they're willing to invest in the playing squad? Will they respect the traditions of our academy and provide it with investment? Will they make more of an effort speaking to supporters and being open? Will they engage with the local communities? Will they take the time and investment to improve our approach to the general running of the club, such as sports science and scouting? Will they actually put a proper structure in place? What type of manager and what type of playing style do they want to see? Given the record of Evans and his shambolic handling on most of those aforementioned issues, the new owners don't really need to do much to improve those aspects of the club. I do hope they're not using a leveraged buy-out or saddling the club with debt to third parties, as that could lead to trouble further down the road.

 

[Bigalreigned]

If the “debt” really isn’t a problem ME should deal with it (whatever that means,write it off whatever) now and hence make the Club a more attractive proposition to incoming investors.It’s very continued existence appears to be off putting.

 

[Nuggets]

Takeover is imminent according to the Athletic - who have consistently been bang on the money with their exclusives.

Highlights include the club being bought for £17.5 million by Brett Johnson and an American consortium. The debt owed to Marcus Evans (totaling around £96 million) has been wiped. The new guys have got Paul Cook lined up to replace Lambert. Bristol City chief executive, Mark Ashton, approached for an executive role, but unclear if he wants to move.