I am really sick of everyone feeling sorry for themselves on this board... We have signed a player, we are debt free, we are not allowing payers to walk for free over non-signed contracts. You lot are really pessimistic to the point I wonder why I bothered, you might be right but why do you have to make every post so negative, we know Bates is not trust worthy and that the club is in "safe-mode" but its better than most.... Everyone seems keen on "Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd" as they must be better than Bates....? But think about it, were the Glaziers better for Scum? Get real the lot of you.... Our best bet is when Ken's estate is sold after his death in a few months. Otherwise we will have deal with all the extra little surprise's Ken has left, just as he did at Chelsea. Its a business, we need to compete to survive but not by taking on debts like all the other clubs just waiting to fail... We might take a few more years to get back to the Premiership after Ken drops dead but so what!!! With Man City & Chelsea buying everyone we can not challenge for Europe and will be in a relegation fight for years to come.
We signed another player... and now can't sign another for £400k because we have to sell our best players who won't sign new contracts because we're going nowhere. There is a line between positivity and delusion, I made a concious decision not to cross that line.
Really?!?!?!?!? How are the East Stand costs being paid for again? What is the fate of our future season ticket sales? What rate of return is being paid on preferred shares? Having answered those questions, would you like to reconsider your above statement?
The grass isn't always greener, but in this instance, I'd rather run the small-to-medium-sized risk having another **** owner and at least making the change than sticking with the 'devil we know' that is allegedly meant to be something appealing. Life's too short for this conservatism bollocks; roll on the change! And I don't mean to attempt any censorship, but it might be wise, even if other sources online are mentioning names of potential investors, to lay off it here and set an example. A wide-scale leak could end badly.
I pretty much agree with every word you have said there. I'd prefer to take the small risk in the hope that it will be better. Even Pro-Bates fans should recognise it is at a point of no-return for him even if he is doing a good job. The fans have turned and its very hard to change pretty much every fan's opinion on the running of the club. We need something new
The club is not debt free. And even if we were, like last season, we still only were in that situation because of player sales. Bates' projects have started becoming a drain on our resources rather than the boost they were initially touted as by Bates and his loyalists.
Is that meant to be optimistic? Do you have the inside track on bates's impending demise? You sure you are not Old Nick? Am depressed by the undercurrent of pessimistic fatalism in your post
Well I'm not putting an opinion forward on the matter but your response doesn't answer those questions at all really and its more just that he has asked questions that really cannot be answered to imply that the club is in the **** financially which to me it doesn't appear that way. Bates' projects aren't necessarily a good or bad thing but I think the timing is all wrong
I guess many of us were guilty of that type of attitude under the Ridsdale era. I'm glad that I have learnt from that debacle and can try to see past the propaganda that is spouted, see through the smoke and mirrors, get past the secrecy, and determine dispassionately whether the club is in a good position or not. The latest accounts suggest the club is in major problems: - The football side of things has to subsidise the loss making new companies - Had to offer preferential shares to get investment to pay for the East Stand - Had to sell the season tickets for two years to pay for the East Stand Coupling this information - which suggests (note I do not say it is pure evidence) a lack of income or cashflow - with the previous statements that Bates used to budget on a 23000 average attendance (he now no longer tells us what his budget is based on - I would hazard 26000 now) he did not get in enough money last year. Having lost another 3000 season ticket holders (that's 25% this year, on top of having lost 25% the previous year), the income is down by another 10% to 20%. Last accounts showed our costs were some £30m, but we are not going to get anywhere near that amount in income this year. And as we have sold the income from the season ticket sales, and we have no games at the moment to get more money in, and the other businesses all make a loss, I think it is quite easy to deduce: a) there is no cashflow b) there is no income in the bank c) financially, we could very well be in major trouble. It is of no benefit to anyone if you choose to ignore the signs. The Ridsdale era has taught us to question and investigate. If you choose not to question, or you choose to ignore the signs, you have not learnt the lessons - which is not something I can control, but I can counter that with derision
Seriously, are we any better off now than when under Risdale? We had the dream, we lived the dream, we watched European Football, we were pissing ourselves with excitement over the next big name signing, we were filling the ground out and we all believed at that moment in time that something major was about to happen, that it was a matter of time before we lifted the big trophy. Yes it came crashing down but I remember feeling no different the day we were deducted 15 points to how I feel right now at this very moment in time. We were within touching distance of winning something major back then, now it isn't even in sight, I am fearing a relegation fight next season so again I ask are we really any better off? Bates is better off and remember all this talk of saving us, he is the one that took us into receivership and gambled on our future and the 'golden share' being handed back to us.
Okay, I get your view however I just disagree. I need to see facts about this or overwhelming evidence and I just do not see it. Its all people's theories and opinions which i dont hold high regard personally
How about offering counter argument against points actually made? These dismissive genralizations are worthless, may as well not post anything.
and on top of all this doom and gloom Mr Grayson will be back at ER to give you a lesson in football.....Life can be a bitch sometimes..
Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea. Boring, boring Swansea.
BORING, BORING INSECURE SWANSEA. Owned once. Owned twice. Owned thrice. Get some new material, you're almost as boring as your football club. I'm readying myself for another devastatingly **** 'Premier League'/'lower league' jibe in response. That comprises your entire, boring, hackneyed repertoire.
Makes a lot of sense but your argument is likely to come unstuck when some of the accounting wizards on here begin dissecting your post.
