Steve Lansdown Speaks
About 135 Fans were at last Thursday's Lunch & Steve spoke to us about where he thinks the club is, what progress looked like so let's go through what he said in some detail because it was interesting.
Investment:
Is their serious interest-Yes & that also includes interest in The Sporting Quarter Project which, after years of legal hold ups, Steve expects to start in nine to ten months time.
Is that investment likely to take place soon-No but it is real.
He also confirmed he is selling his remianing shareholding in Hargreaves Lansdown to a consortium of investors albeit even though his names on the building, he's had no direct , day to day interest in HL since 2012
Finance:
The most interesting thing, for me, was when he said that whilst previously he thought we could become sustainable. He no longer believes we can due to the current financial situation that EFL Clubs find themselves in. Now that doesn't mean to say that the largesse he showed during the time Mark Ashton & Lee Johnson were here is returning because, unless we get promoted, it won't be.
The club has no issues under P&S & we can't afford to go back to the point where we might
Progress:
Steve's view is that we finished 11th last season, which by the way was our highest for five seasons & that progress would be "higher than that" now obviously, like the rest of us he'd like City to make the play offs, better still, the top two but that is far from his expectation.
Academy
This is clearly Steve's pride & joy along with the Infrastructure he's funded for both City & Bristol Bears. Anyone who thinks any Head Coach or Manager would be allowed to block or remove that is going right down the wrong track.
That doesn't mean to say that we'll stop bringing in promising young players like Adam Murphy & Josh Stokes who've taken the non-academy route in professional football.
In the same way we signed Cam Pring, Antoinne Semenyo & Alex Scott in the past. Their Pathways were different to Sam Bell & Tommy Conway who joined the club around the age of eight.
It didn't stop three of those players moving onwards for substantial fees.
What he didn't say is that he considers Rugby more important than football (Footballs far more expensive) or that his commitment is wavering, to often circulated urban myths created by "Pub Talk"
Summary
He seems as enthusiastic as ever & when asked if he'd do things differently he said he couldn't bring anything to mind but he did say that when you make decisions you get some right & some wrong. When you get them wrong, you have to make more decisions & hope you get them right.
I enjoyed the chat & IF he does sell he confirmed it will only be to the right people who, he feels have the long term interests of the Club at heart.
About 135 Fans were at last Thursday's Lunch & Steve spoke to us about where he thinks the club is, what progress looked like so let's go through what he said in some detail because it was interesting.
Investment:
Is their serious interest-Yes & that also includes interest in The Sporting Quarter Project which, after years of legal hold ups, Steve expects to start in nine to ten months time.
Is that investment likely to take place soon-No but it is real.
He also confirmed he is selling his remianing shareholding in Hargreaves Lansdown to a consortium of investors albeit even though his names on the building, he's had no direct , day to day interest in HL since 2012
Finance:
The most interesting thing, for me, was when he said that whilst previously he thought we could become sustainable. He no longer believes we can due to the current financial situation that EFL Clubs find themselves in. Now that doesn't mean to say that the largesse he showed during the time Mark Ashton & Lee Johnson were here is returning because, unless we get promoted, it won't be.
The club has no issues under P&S & we can't afford to go back to the point where we might
Progress:
Steve's view is that we finished 11th last season, which by the way was our highest for five seasons & that progress would be "higher than that" now obviously, like the rest of us he'd like City to make the play offs, better still, the top two but that is far from his expectation.
Academy
This is clearly Steve's pride & joy along with the Infrastructure he's funded for both City & Bristol Bears. Anyone who thinks any Head Coach or Manager would be allowed to block or remove that is going right down the wrong track.
That doesn't mean to say that we'll stop bringing in promising young players like Adam Murphy & Josh Stokes who've taken the non-academy route in professional football.
In the same way we signed Cam Pring, Antoinne Semenyo & Alex Scott in the past. Their Pathways were different to Sam Bell & Tommy Conway who joined the club around the age of eight.
It didn't stop three of those players moving onwards for substantial fees.
What he didn't say is that he considers Rugby more important than football (Footballs far more expensive) or that his commitment is wavering, to often circulated urban myths created by "Pub Talk"
Summary
He seems as enthusiastic as ever & when asked if he'd do things differently he said he couldn't bring anything to mind but he did say that when you make decisions you get some right & some wrong. When you get them wrong, you have to make more decisions & hope you get them right.
I enjoyed the chat & IF he does sell he confirmed it will only be to the right people who, he feels have the long term interests of the Club at heart.
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