Football League AGM

[Junction 9]

And it'll be our problem if either the current owners want the club to be run sustainably (which I believe NC has said is part of the 5-year plan), or they sell and any new owners want the club to be run sustainably, but when we approach players to sign them, they demand more money than we can afford on the basis of "well, you could afford it two years ago, why not now?". Do we then miss out on the player because we're running the club sensibly, or do we cave in and overstretch ourselves, in which case we run the risk of ending up where we were in 2009 all over again...

 

Ignore the short-term benefits of having a rich benefactor, that funding will not be around forever, regardless of how much we'd like it to be. There will come a time when we won't be able to call upon the Liebherr estate to subsidise us, at which point, once again, it does become our problem.

 

So do you think that if this ideology what put in place accross all the leagues, we would end up with a situation where only clubs that create genuine profit would be the ones that achieved the most success? Ticket sales, corporate sales, merchadise etc.

If this was the case I think Saints would be in the top 20 of such a list on a regular basis.

[stevegrant]

So do you think that if this ideology what put in place accross all the leagues, we would end up with a situation where only clubs that create genuine profit would be the ones that achieved the most success? Ticket sales, corporate sales, merchadise etc.

In general, yes. Clubs would be encouraged to grow organically, as they always used to in the past, and of course with good management (on and off the pitch) there's no reason why a team wouldn't be able to consistently punch above its weight.

 

If this was the case I think Saints would be in the top 20 of such a list on a regular basis.

There or there abouts, I'd agree.

[aintforever]

I can't see how the rules are enforceable relating to donations of cash. I can see how you could be punished for debt, obviously.

 

If a major donation is received from the Liebherr estate how is this qualitatively different to a fan throwing £20 into a "Save our Saints" bucket?

 

Surely, the efforts going on at places like Plymouth and Stockport to keep these clubs alive are entirely based on people giving cash freely or buying things at above the normal market rate (Peter Reid's FA Cup runners up medal etc). If Plymouth and Stockport et al could only sell things at market rate - and couldn't accept donations - they'd be doomed. This can't possibly be the intention of the Financial Fair Play rules.

 

One difference this might make to philanthropists/billionaires is that they will have some loss of control. If they have to give money over to their clubs rather than frame them as loans, then they ahve less of a sword of Damacles over the club's board. But that doesn't seem to be a problem at Saints where the Liebherrs have always been very hands off.

 

I can't believe they actually want to stop rich people investing in the game. I expect donations will just be counted as income along with everything else, they just don't want clubs racking up huge debts.

 

There are millions of ways rich owners could get round any rules, stopping people pumping money in would be futile and counter-productive.

[up and away]

And it'll be our problem if either the current owners want the club to be run sustainably (which I believe NC has said is part of the 5-year plan), or they sell and any new owners want the club to be run sustainably, but when we approach players to sign them, they demand more money than we can afford on the basis of "well, you could afford it two years ago, why not now?". Do we then miss out on the player because we're running the club sensibly, or do we cave in and overstretch ourselves, in which case we run the risk of ending up where we were in 2009 all over again...

 

Ignore the short-term benefits of having a rich benefactor, that funding will not be around forever, regardless of how much we'd like it to be. There will come a time when we won't be able to call upon the Liebherr estate to subsidise us, at which point, once again, it does become our problem.

 

 

I believe things were /are far more optimistic than your vision. Cortese wants to grow the club by using Liebherrs funds wisely, until we get to the stage where we can support ourselves at a much greater level and nigh on compete against the big boys on a level footing. Just look at everything that has been planned, acted upon and discussed.

 

The end goal is to produce exceptional talent from the Academy and abroad, eventually increasing the fan base and stadium to accomodate crowds of 40k+. If you look at what Arsenal have achieved over the last 10 years with Wenger, that will be our goal. Just look at what Arsenal have achieved over the last 10+ years, moving to a 60k state of the art stadium, even superior training facilities and all done within a budget Liebherr would not of shirked at.

 

Finding an exceptional talent like Wenger will be very difficult, but it's relatively easy to copy the set up and business plan to have the possibility of making this leap. Maybe the likes of Arsenal and ManU will be out of our reach, but the likes of Liverpool could well come into our sights. If the club starts to snowball with the catchment area we have, big things could happen although being a way off at present. The plan has always been to use Liebherrs money wisely to elevate this club as high up the ladder as possible, then having the infrastructure to self support itself at that newly created level.

 

This is no secret and always been the plan, just look at all Cortese's comments and actions and you will find he has been unwavering to this end.

[Wade Garrett]

I don't really think this will change anything. Clubs will get round it no problem at all.

[Matthew Le God]

Under the new UEFA rules, owners will be allowed to invest £40 million over a three year rolling period as long as it is equity rather than loans. The Football League have yet to set their "level" for this.

 

Investment in stadiums/academies/training grounds are exempt from the Football League break even rules.

[david in sweden]

Any club that wants to participate in an UEFA competition has to break even over a rolling 3 year period. 2011/12 and 2012/13 accounts will be used to determine a club's licence application in the 2013/14 season.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12908466

 

 

Does this mean that a club might (theoretically) win the Premiership title but not be allowed into the Champions League?

If so ..it might mean that you have to drop down to a midtable side before you find one who qualifies " financially speaking ".