Quite an informative interview: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Ply...ans-Plymouth/story-20830321-detail/story.html
Like all business people, he tells two things: 1) What he's obliged to by law etc and 2) What it is to his advantage to reveal. Why would anyone say more? You posted that on another thread Notdistant so all I will say is .... I'll believe it when I see it. He didn't keep to his word when he said that "No ex board member" would ever be permitted to come back to Home Park did he ?
Clearly Brent wants to damp down the speculation regarding PAFC's finance, so I think that falls bang in the middle of my point 2) GAT. However, there's information in there that wasn't known before (at least by me): "The Argyle chairman admitted that the club had haemorrhaged money during his first year in charge, but said it would break even in its second year" "Mr Brent said the sell-off was forced on him after his bankers, Lloyds, pulled out of the regional hotels business......He said the restructuring became inevitable as soon as Lloyds sold the debt on to the American fund." "But he was adamant that the restructuring had left his remaining four-star hotels intact, making money and essentially debt-free." "Mr Brent admitted that some aspects of Higher Home Park were initially “over-specified”. “We don’t need white oak doors, stainless steel railings and Emirates-quality seating,” he said."
I would like to believe the Herald article, it seems possible that he is telling us how it is and why things are being held up.....I just hope it isn't a smoke screen of deception.
I would have said "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" Plymborn but I can't be sure about that.....
Need to fill the brown envelopes a bit more it seems!! I for one do not believe the bull **** he spouts... . time will tell..
Time will tell, but I remain convinced that he is doing his best to deliver his proposed development(s). Backed up by a brief chat I had with him a couple of weeks ago, so if it doesn't come to fruition it wont be because of his lack of drive, ambition or desire.
A great big Hhhmmmm! from me on all of that. All sounds plausible but then again what do I know anyway or the vast majority of the supporters. He knows that and therefore could make all of this sound anyway he wants. I simply don't trust him. This is brought about by him not telling the whole truth previously. I know what I was told at the Theatre Royal despite others being sceptical about that. I know he said he would be open and would talk to supporters. That wasn't the whole truth. We have been royally screwed previously so it is quite obvious that we could get even more royally screwed again. I just don't want to have to think about all of this negative stuff and I want to get back to just following the football. Trouble is it keeps nagging at me.
I know absolutely nothing about Brent and his dealings with your club. However the first question that comes to mind is his dealings with the local authority. I noted at the bottom one of the comments about requesting a public enquiry and i agree as an outsider looking in, I would want to know the relationship between Brent and public officials. And why is so much of the public purse even if it be property being trusted to one man and its consequences of doing so, even if it is freeing them of a subsidy. Should public officials even be doing such deals with local businessmen, this can be so fraught with dangers and accusations.
Public officials have to deal with someone if a city is to progress BRB. No doubt there is malpractice here & there across the country but, in addition to a new grandstand, the Home Park development will provide Plymouth with a ice-rink, a cinema, a much needed hotel and leisure/retail outlets all adjacent to the existing international standard Life Centre swimming pool, all set on the edge of the biggest park in the city. It will create a big sports/leisure complex including the football club and other than for the most virulent anti-Brentites, it's hard to see why it's not in the interest of the city to make it happen. In that case, why anyone would think there needed to be corruption I don't know. It'll be a place visiting fans will come to for the day with their families I'd suggest, not just for 90 minutes. Brent is the man in the chair because he bought the football club and its surplus land. Very few other people wanted the club and all of those were property developers too with the same ideas in mind. Yes, Brent will make money out of it but the club is still in the league, which it wouldn't have been without him and the city benefits. In fact, you could say the city is benefiting more than the football club, but isn't that what public officials should be doing? All of the assets being created are of a type better financed & managed by the private sector: we aren't building hospitals & schools here.
What about his plans for the stadium Notdistant, its reported that he will be using space for outlets but the club will not be receiving any financial benefits only Brent ..... the stadium doesn't belong to Brent but the people of Plymouth so why wont we or the club profit from his plans ?
I believe this refers to retail outlets that face outwards not inwards and serve the development generally rather than the club itself. The fact they form part of the grandstand structure is neither here nor there surely? I'm sure I've been to a stadium where there were houses embedded under the stand - the old Leicester City ground? They weren't part of the club were they? The 244,000 people of Plymouth who don't go to Argyle on an average Saturday WILL benefit from the new facilities, as will presumably the 6,000 that do when they take their kids to the cinema or for a swim. The club gave up its land holdings as part of the rescue package, without which there'd be no club. That's the bottom line and the lesson to be learned is don't go into administration.
The city has hotels, ice rink and cinema.. all so plenty of shops.. lots empty!!! this will cause more to be come empty no doubt... He is in it for him and no one else, he took on the club knowing he was going to get all the deals? why else did he take it on?? Must have filled an A$ envelope for that thing penguilty
This will be my last post on the Brent saga for a while as it has got very repetitive and unless someone makes some informed points (e.g like notdistant's) it is a futile discussion as we all have our positions and some seen incapable of putting up a logical argument. I really cannot understand why anyone thinks it is wrong to make money out of taking control of a business in administration. He nor anyone else would get involved unless they had a clear plan and could find a way to make a decent amount of money. As far as the other projects are concerned , it was always the case that one was dependent on the other. i.e the pavilions cant/wont be developed until the facilities (specifically the ice rink) are available at HHP. If you don't like the man, his ethics or the fact he is going (hopefully) to make a large slice of cash out of this then that is of course entirely your choice. Had he (or someone else) not seen a way to make money then the club would have gone into liquidation and ceased to exist with the site eventually developed by someone and I am sure their development wouldn't have included a football club. So whilst some of you may not like him (for unknown and unsubstantiated reasons) I don't know what viable alternative there was. If someone can come up with a proposal that works then I will listen, but ever since the days of admin no one has come up with an alternative plan that could be funded or would work. I will be commenting on football aspects only from now on, or at least until next time you wind me up.
The ground still belongs to the people of Plymouth Notdistant and the outlets whether they are facing inwards or outwards will be being built on land that belongs to us ..... I believe Brent was going to be given the option of buying Home Park sometime in the future ...... I hope the council realise the fight they will have on their hands if they follow through with their plans, I fought to keep the club alive and I'll fight again to stop Brent from buying it ...... Like Sensible, once someone goes back on their word I never ever trust them again !
