I'm usually irritatingly sceptical about the motives of very wealthy men, but I had just about fallen for the Allam's story - "putting something back etc...". It seems that may have been wishful thinking.
As Bryan Robson sadly made clear on last summer's Dispatches programme on club ownership, "football's not a sport, it's a business". That wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't a certain type of business where the dominant model of ownership now appear's to be one based on:
* borrowing to buy and dumping the debt on the club
* charging all your wordly costs to the club
* turning club assets into personal assets
* building a team out of loan players, free transfers and bargains
* selling if a quick killing can be made, bailing out if not
This model is parasitic, short-term and based on exploitation of fans, feeding on their loyalty and good will. If the Barmby/Allam era is soon to end, what can we expect in it's place? Look at Pompey's experience and let's be actively sceptical. I know I will be, in the future.
As Bryan Robson sadly made clear on last summer's Dispatches programme on club ownership, "football's not a sport, it's a business". That wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't a certain type of business where the dominant model of ownership now appear's to be one based on:
* borrowing to buy and dumping the debt on the club
* charging all your wordly costs to the club
* turning club assets into personal assets
* building a team out of loan players, free transfers and bargains
* selling if a quick killing can be made, bailing out if not
This model is parasitic, short-term and based on exploitation of fans, feeding on their loyalty and good will. If the Barmby/Allam era is soon to end, what can we expect in it's place? Look at Pompey's experience and let's be actively sceptical. I know I will be, in the future.
