very mature Valley. go on, indulge me. Interested that's all. I haven't come on here hurling abuse like most of the obsessives that come over to our board.
Would you spend money on something that doesn't belong to you, increasing its value for someone else?
Seems a fair question to me also.
The honest answer is I don't know. Feel free to disregard everything I'm about to add.
This is my understanding based on what someone at the council told me (not reliable though) and the snippets I read in the press. (Anyone who knows better please correct me, I'm sure there are plenty on here who know the details). Here goes;
The council pay a management company to run the Liberty.
This company has revenue streams from us, the Ospreys, Corporate facilities and Rock concerts etc. (not sure about the catering).
The agreement states that the management company takes a percentage of ours and the Ospreys gates (I am sure that their take from us is exceeding expectations of the business plan and the they are losing money on the Ospreys).
The council are unhappy because they are receiving very little money from the management company and a few of the councillors, including the new Labour leader of our council, have been very naughty making politics of this (talking about how much money we make in the Premiership and insinuating that we should pay more now that we are in the Premiership).
What is a fact is that we
must be the only party involved exceeding expectations and are honouring the contract signed.
I would suggest the Ospreys are paying next to nothing, probably losing the management company money, and that the management company are either incompetent regarding maximising the other revenue streams or, more likely, just doing enough so they make what they need and paying the council the minimum they can get away with.
To be expected that a private firm look to maximise profit, perhaps the council should have managed it in house....then again
Regarding your expansion question;
It would seem to me that given the Council's frustration with getting any money out of the management company, our apparent liquidity, and the promise of an even bigger gate for the Council to have a share of....we hold all the cards regarding getting the OK from the Council for our expansion (will most likely involve a different arrangement regarding management) and the Ospreys will have no say whatsoever.
Can any of you Red Dragons explain the situation with your stadium? I should admit that I have some inside info on the arrangement and can promise you that Cardiff Council wouldn't look out of place in Greece
