Too many consortiums for Mr Fry (and us)?

[Amesbury Saint]

At last Saturday's game, 18 consortiums were at the match. Either in the boardroom, directors box or overflowing into the stands. Madness, the sooner some of these goons get out of the way to let proper serious people through the better. Idiots like Jackson are messing things up and decent people are falling by the wayside. Hope that is intelligible enough for you.

 

I dont know Mark Jackson other than what he posted on here as LLS. How is he messing things up?

[benjii]

At last Saturday's game, 18 consortiums were at the match. Either in the boardroom, directors box or overflowing into the stands. Madness, the sooner some of these goons get out of the way to let proper serious people through the better. Idiots like Jackson are messing things up and decent people are falling by the wayside. Hope that is intelligible enough for you.

 

Ok - thanks for clarifying and sorry if the tone of my last post seemed confrontational.

 

Don't forget that the administrators deal with serious corporate players all the time. They will soon see Jackson etc for the non-entities they are. That said, they have a duty to treat any enquiry as credible ab initio even if it is quickly shown to be otherwise.

 

I'm sure it will settle down soon. Anyone put-off by a few shenanigans on matchday needs to look at the bigger picture.

[benjii]

I dont know Mark Jackson other than what he posted on here as LLS. How is he messing things up?

 

The other bidders feel inferior as they haven't got Barry and Beckham lined up.

[trousers]

I dont know Mark Jackson other than what he posted on here as LLS. How is he messing things up?

If the saints forum database hadn't become "corrupted" ( ) last august we'd have some choice exhibits to refer back to. Mind you, a quick google on 'marc Jackson" + "Bournemouth" will equally suffice.

 

One question... How aware is Fry of Jackson's past 'credentials'??

[hypochondriac]

How are people falling by the wayside? If someone is put off buying the club due to the antics of Jackson then in my book they have no commitment. How hard is it to declare your interest, prove funds and then hope you are the highest bidder? How can you be put off?

[trousers]

 

Don't forget that the administrators deal with serious corporate players all the time. They will soon see Jackson etc for the non-entities they are. That said, they have a duty to treat any enquiry as credible ab initio even if it is quickly shown to be otherwise.

 

 

Weren't Begbies Traynor the administrators for Bournemouth though...? How short are their memories....?

[hypochondriac]

Even IF there is a chance of this whole asset stripping thing (which I doubt) what is the point of this thread? We have precisely zero influence and there is nothing we can do.

[trousers]

BTW....I see Mr Jackson (cherrypip) was logged in last week for the first time in over a year....how long before we get a post? What was the name of that company he set up when pulling together the "Barry the briefcase" consortium in 2007? Might be worth a quick look....

Edited 10 April, 2009 by trousers

[benjii]

Weren't Begbies Traynor the administrators for Bournemouth though...? How short are their memories....?

 

I don't know about Bournemouth.

 

If they were then I presume they're just stringing Jackson along so he doesn't start gobbing-off on the tele again?!

[Micky]

BTW....I see Mr Jackson (cherrypip) was logged in last week for the first time in over a year....how long before we get a post? What was the name of that company he set up when pulling together the Barry the briefcase consortium in 2007? Might be worth a quick look....

 

Don't start - there's enough shyte going on without all that malarky again....

[Micky]

Ok - thanks for clarifying and sorry if the tone of my last post seemed confrontational.

 

Don't forget that the administrators deal with serious corporate players all the time. They will soon see Jackson etc for the non-entities they are. That said, they have a duty to treat any enquiry as credible ab initio even if it is quickly shown to be otherwise.

 

I'm sure it will settle down soon. Anyone put-off by a few shenanigans on matchday needs to look at the bigger picture.

 

What like AFC Bournemouth did, oh good...!!!

[benjii]

What like AFC Bournemouth did, oh good...!!!

 

 

TBF Bournemnouth are a two-bit outfit of no-hopers.

 

We are Premier League in all but league status. :^o

[Professor]

I'm still struggling to understand how someone could possibly make a profit from us without the team doing well.

Thing is Hypo, even if a team is doing well, there is no profit in it. One of the most overused words on this board has been 'invest' when people talk about 'investing in the team'. there is no financial return on that investment, but there may be a return in terms of reputation, celebrity and fame. Only a handful of professional football clubs make a profit, one obvious reason being that the assets are depreciating all the time, so the player bought for £10m is worth £1m five years later, and in the meantime the club pays him another £10m in wages! Business economics do not stand up in football, which possibly Wilde and Crouch did come to understand over the last few years. Lowe did understand the economics, but not many of the fans did, and still don't.

So if you are a millionaire with a few million pounds to invest, don't put it into football if you want to have a return. But if you love this club and are a lifelong supporter, or want to become a supporter, and will get your pleasure from being in the boardroom mixing in the glamourous world of football, name in the press, etc., then you will spend your money on Saints to get your personal pleasure. But there aren't many people in this category, so we shouldn't hold our breath.... All we fans can do is keep our fingers crossed that someone comes along, not just with a love of the club, but with enough money to spend and a willingness to accept that they won't see much of it back.

[hypochondriac]

Thing is Hypo, even if a team is doing well, there is no profit in it. One of the most overused words on this board has been 'invest' when people talk about 'investing in the team'. there is no financial return on that investment, but there may be a return in terms of reputation, celebrity and fame. Only a handful of professional football clubs make a profit, one obvious reason being that the assets are depreciating all the time, so the player bought for £10m is worth £1m five years later, and in the meantime the club pays him another £10m in wages! Business economics do not stand up in football, which possibly Wilde and Crouch did come to understand over the last few years. Lowe did understand the economics, but not many of the fans did, and still don't.

So if you are a millionaire with a few million pounds to invest, don't put it into football if you want to have a return. But if you love this club and are a lifelong supporter, or want to become a supporter, and will get your pleasure from being in the boardroom mixing in the glamourous world of football, name in the press, etc., then you will spend your money on Saints to get your personal pleasure. But there aren't many people in this category, so we shouldn't hold our breath.... All we fans can do is keep our fingers crossed that someone comes along, not just with a love of the club, but with enough money to spend and a willingness to accept that they won't see much of it back.

 

Good post and I agree. Thing is if you managed to get us to the prem easily you could sell us first season up for a profit and keep the TV money if you were minded to. There is some opportunity for profit albeit quite a small one. If you aren't a fan why else would you buy us other than perhaps the kudos that come with being a saviour.

[Micky]

TBF Bournemnouth are a two-bit outfit of no-hopers.

 

We are Premier League in all but league status. :^o

 

Ahhh so it's true - many fans are in total denial about our current plight...

[ottery st mary]

Thing is Hypo, even if a team is doing well, there is no profit in it. One of the most overused words on this board has been 'invest' when people talk about 'investing in the team'. there is no financial return on that investment, but there may be a return in terms of reputation, celebrity and fame. Only a handful of professional football clubs make a profit, one obvious reason being that the assets are depreciating all the time, so the player bought for £10m is worth £1m five years later, and in the meantime the club pays him another £10m in wages! Business economics do not stand up in football, which possibly Wilde and Crouch did come to understand over the last few years. Lowe did understand the economics, but not many of the fans did, and still don't.

So if you are a millionaire with a few million pounds to invest, don't put it into football if you want to have a return. But if you love this club and are a lifelong supporter, or want to become a supporter, and will get your pleasure from being in the boardroom mixing in the glamourous world of football, name in the press, etc., then you will spend your money on Saints to get your personal pleasure. But there aren't many people in this category, so we shouldn't hold our breath.... All we fans can do is keep our fingers crossed that someone comes along, not just with a love of the club, but with enough money to spend and a willingness to accept that they won't see much of it back.

 

So following your theory...Lowe is not that intelligent or is he..he hasn't made money for the club...No good at finances. AND he is NOT A FAN...He sure does like celebrity.. as in the old days he was always bigging himself up..:cool:..

 

To sum it up he has taken hell of a large wedge over the years without giving much in return....So we the fans and the club are the idiots...We have been suckered not once but twice.....I see your point proff.:mad:

[hypochondriac]

So following your theory...Lowe is not that intelligent or is he..he hasn't made money for the club...No good at finances. AND he is NOT A FAN...He sure does like celebrity.. as in the old days he was always bigging himself up..:cool:..

 

To sum it up he has taken hell of a large wedge over the years without giving much in return....So we the fans and the club are the idiots...We have been suckered not once but twice.....I see your point proff.:mad:

 

Come on Ottery don't turn this into a Lowe argument again. It was a good post from proff.

[Amesbury Saint]

Thing is Hypo, even if a team is doing well, there is no profit in it. One of the most overused words on this board has been 'invest' when people talk about 'investing in the team'. there is no financial return on that investment, but there may be a return in terms of reputation, celebrity and fame. Only a handful of professional football clubs make a profit, one obvious reason being that the assets are depreciating all the time, so the player bought for £10m is worth £1m five years later, and in the meantime the club pays him another £10m in wages! Business economics do not stand up in football, which possibly Wilde and Crouch did come to understand over the last few years. Lowe did understand the economics, but not many of the fans did, and still don't.

So if you are a millionaire with a few million pounds to invest, don't put it into football if you want to have a return. But if you love this club and are a lifelong supporter, or want to become a supporter, and will get your pleasure from being in the boardroom mixing in the glamourous world of football, name in the press, etc., then you will spend your money on Saints to get your personal pleasure. But there aren't many people in this category, so we shouldn't hold our breath.... All we fans can do is keep our fingers crossed that someone comes along, not just with a love of the club, but with enough money to spend and a willingness to accept that they won't see much of it back.

 

 

Some good points above.

 

The benefit of owning a football club comes not from its financial success but from more intangibles eg the local community loving the club, 25000 happy fans, your picture in the local newspaper, involvement in the FA structure etc.

 

Its like having a very pretty wife but high maintenance.

 

But Lowe did not understand the economics - he tried to run it like a business when he needed to be succesful in bringing him those rich people. His style was inappropriate.

 

He failed because he failed to understand the football "business"

[Bakovnetski]

At last Saturday's game, 18 consortiums were at the match. Either in the boardroom, directors box or overflowing into the stands. Madness, the sooner some of these goons get out of the way to let proper serious people through the better. Idiots like Jackson are messing things up and decent people are falling by the wayside. Hope that is intelligible enough for you.

 

Surely that clown's reputation precedes him? I cant see any serious prospective buyer being put off by an overblown, overweight, oversight.

[ottery st mary]

Come on Ottery don't turn this into a Lowe argument again. It was a good post from proff.

 

Sorry hypo..I am having treatment for my obsession..Getting better all the time...Small relapse..Sorry proff:^o

[Nineteen Canteen]

Consortium B for me everytime. IF the spectulators fail to gain success let them sell to more speculators. Local businessmen who care? No thanks. Wealthy neutrals speculating on SUCCESS? Yes please.

 

I actually agree with you Robbie albeit not quite in the same way as you put it across. 'Global Not Local' is the ideal solution.

[thefuriousb]

At last Saturday's game, 18 consortiums were at the match. Either in the boardroom, directors box or overflowing into the stands. Madness, the sooner some of these goons get out of the way to let proper serious people through the better. Idiots like Jackson are messing things up and decent people are falling by the wayside. Hope that is intelligible enough for you.

 

I still don't see how this is reason enough for a consortium who is meant to be serious to be put off.

 

Afterall, no soon as you rid the club of the obstacle to investment, then 34 consortia declare an interest in saving the club/taking the club forward.

 

As I said previously, may be they don't have the fight, something they seem to share with the players?

 

Push the tyre kickers to the side, slap the wad on the table, ask "how you like them apples?!" and talk business.

Edited 11 April, 2009 by thefuriousb
added sentence

[Viking Warrior]

I always thought the administrator was mean't to keep theire own council

re the process of finding a buyer.

 

IF what FF is alluding re the takeover then I am concerned about due process

and summise that any of the following scenarios apply

 

1.either Mark Fry is being a little lose lipped about potential buyers

 

2. One of the prospective parties has had their nose put out of joint and are causing mischief

 

3. LLS has more influence over saints and the administrator than we give him credit for.

 

4 Any investor will need to do due diligence before making a formal offer

No bun fight is going to put serious bidders off.

 

5. Potential investors would be put off from proceeding if they new any of the administrators team were leaking snippets of information to other [parties or groups of fans

 

6. Was the bunfight anything to do with crouch and richards seeking donations from those in the hospitality lounge last week

 

7 and finally who paid for the buns. I hope the club were not saddled withthe cost

[OldNick]

At last Saturday's game, 18 consortiums were at the match. Either in the boardroom, directors box or overflowing into the stands. Madness, the sooner some of these goons get out of the way to let proper serious people through the better. Idiots like Jackson are messing things up and decent people are falling by the wayside. Hope that is intelligible enough for you.

Duncan how do you know your friends are any better than any others? My experience in life when I have sold anything that is of any real value is that the people coming in gushing saying how wonderful the product/house/car etc is, are the ones who never proceed when the quiet laid back non commital ones are the real deal.

It concerns me that if they are so worried about competition they have little resources to spare if they win the bidding.

I wonder if they had believed that they would wait and get the club at a bargain on the floor price and dont like the thought that perhaps there is more competition than they had bargained for.That would be funny.

We need a sustainable group/Preferably individual who does not baulk because the cost is a couple more million than they had hoped.

I agree the timewasters need to move aside but the stronger the competition will sort out the men from the boys.

The Administrator will be rubbing his hands at this lovely windfall falling into his hands, when the bank could have easily let us trade on.

Somebody had made miscalculation and as a fan Im annoyed.

[SaintRichmond]

Duncan how do you know your friends are any better than any others? My experience in life when I have sold anything that is of any real value is that the people coming in gushing saying how wonderful the product/house/car etc is, are the ones who never proceed when the quiet laid back non commital ones are the real deal.

It concerns me that if they are so worried about competition they have little resources to spare if they win the bidding.

I wonder if they had believed that they would wait and get the club at a bargain on the floor price and dont like the thought that perhaps there is more competition than they had bargained for.That would be funny.

We need a sustainable group/Preferably individual who does not baulk because the cost is a couple more million than they had hoped.

I agree the timewasters need to move aside but the stronger the competition will sort out the men from the boys.

The Administrator will be rubbing his hands at this lovely windfall falling into his hands, when the bank could have easily let us trade on.

Somebody had made miscalculation and as a fan Im annoyed.

 

 

Unfortunately, our (almost certain) Relegation to Div 1 has already put off any GOOD, REAL Investors

 

Only Dross like Lowe will be left to come back in heading up yet another tin pot backstreet buddy buddy concern

[Amesbury Saint]

Unfortunately, our (almost certain) Relegation to Div 1 has already put off any GOOD, REAL Investors

 

Only Dross like Lowe will be left to come back in heading up yet another tin pot backstreet buddy buddy concern

 

Why will relegation put off serious investors. On the pitch not much has changed since Christmas?

 

It will take 5 years to become an established premiership team again.

[OldNick]

Unfortunately, our (almost certain) Relegation to Div 1 has already put off any GOOD, REAL Investors

 

Only Dross like Lowe will be left to come back in heading up yet another tin pot backstreet buddy buddy concern

considering you were baying for admin I think its churlish now for you to complain what we get. You made your bed and all that..

[strummer]

Why will relegation put off serious investors. On the pitch not much has changed since Christmas?

 

It will take 5 years to become an established premiership team again.

 

More like five millenia. If you don't know why being in a worse division is a less attractive proposition, then there's no way anyone will make you understand by answering the question.

[um pahars]

7 and finally who paid for the buns.

 

HOT and CROSS

 

How apt????

 

As for the due process, then I'm willing to give Mry Fry the benefit of the doubt, not least because even though Insolvency Practioners get a bad press, I actually think he will be professional throughout this.

 

I'm hoping that he can quickly sort through the timewasters and bullshtters and then start to work with the interested parties.

 

 

(PS Begbies Traynor also did Bournemouth's administration recently, so fingers crossed Krasner and his team have tipped him off about LongLifeCherry/Saint)

[EastleighSoulBoy]

I still don't see how this is reason enough for a consortium who is meant to be serious to be put off.

 

Afterall, no soon as you rid the club of the obstacle to investment, then 34 consortia declare an interest in saving the club/taking the club forward.

 

As I said previously, may be they don't have the fight, something they seem to share with the players?

 

Push the tyre kickers to the side, slap the wad on the table, ask "how you like them apples?!" and talk business.

 

On the other hand maybe the consortium was so serious about things that it realised the price they were prepared to pay was going to be inflated by the tyre kickers and photocopier salesmen? To a level at which they were not prepared to risk their money? The administrator, until he learns otherwise, has to treat all the interested parties as equal or he could well lose an opportunity. As the thread title suggests, too many consortiums, with some withdrawing for good or, maybe, standing to one side until the melee calms down and the weak have been killed off?

[Give it to Ron]

Duncan how do you know your friends are any better than any others? My experience in life when I have sold anything that is of any real value is that the people coming in gushing saying how wonderful the product/house/car etc is, are the ones who never proceed when the quiet laid back non commital ones are the real deal.

It concerns me that if they are so worried about competition they have little resources to spare if they win the bidding.

I wonder if they had believed that they would wait and get the club at a bargain on the floor price and dont like the thought that perhaps there is more competition than they had bargained for.That would be funny.

We need a sustainable group/Preferably individual who does not baulk because the cost is a couple more million than they had hoped.

I agree the timewasters need to move aside but the stronger the competition will sort out the men from the boys.

The Administrator will be rubbing his hands at this lovely windfall falling into his hands, when the bank could have easily let us trade on.

Somebody had made miscalculation and as a fan Im annoyed.

 

You have said exactly what I wanted to far more eloquently than I could ever do.

If consortium A are that wishy washy they have bailed out now then they are obviously not right for us.

We have years of crap to get over and still more to come as League one will be no pushover so we will need strong leaders not airy fairies who leave at the drop at the sight of handbags at 10 paces.

[hypochondriac]

You have said exactly what I wanted to far more eloquently than I could ever do.

If consortium A are that wishy washy they have bailed out now then they are obviously not right for us.

We have years of crap to get over and still more to come as League one will be no pushover so we will need strong leaders not airy fairies who leave at the drop at the sight of handbags at 10 paces.

 

I agree. No idea how this thread managed to get to five pages. I would be interested on Duncan's thoughts on this issue though.

[benjii]

Oh, by the way, I'm no author but I think the plural of "consortium" is "consortia".

 

[OldNick]

You have said exactly what I wanted to far more eloquently than I could ever do.

If consortium A are that wishy washy they have bailed out now then they are obviously not right for us.

We have years of crap to get over and still more to come as League one will be no pushover so we will need strong leaders not airy fairies who leave at the drop at the sight of handbags at 10 paces.

Thanks Ron but 'eloquently' is not something Im usually accused of. I am very pleased to have that compliment.

It does seem that some parties thought they would get the club for a song and were 'carpet baggers' that plan has been torpedoed and I can hear the stamping of little feet.

(not Duncans) I worry that many fans have been blind to what could turn out to be a disaster.

[sadoldgit]

So following your theory...Lowe is not that intelligent or is he..he hasn't made money for the club...No good at finances. AND he is NOT A FAN...He sure does like celebrity.. as in the old days he was always bigging himself up..:cool:..

 

To sum it up he has taken hell of a large wedge over the years without giving much in return....So we the fans and the club are the idiots...We have been suckered not once but twice.....I see your point proff.:mad:

 

Ottery, this smacks of "What did the Romans ever do for us". Whaterver you think of Lowe we did stay up for a decade (which for us was success). We mostky lived withing our (meagre) means. We got to a cup final and Europe. We got a new stadium and our best very Prem finish. We aloso had some decent players.

 

Running a football club is a very precarious business, as Charlton's fans will tell you. They have seen their club decline quicker than ours. Of course Lowe made mistakes, but no more than people with a more supposed "football" background. Clubs with a more illustrious past than ours find themselves in the same position or lower.

 

This obsession with Lowe is ridiculous. Southampton FC are not immune to the pressures of the business world or the pressures to survive just as the likes of Leeds and Nottingham Forest have been.

 

I am not an accountant and I really can't tell you how good Lowe is with finances, but the fact that we survived in the Prem with a Third Division ground and attendence must take some skill surely?

 

It looks like he was making some headway into stablising the finances after the spending spree by Wilde and to a lesser extent Crouch.

 

He did what he thought was right in order to keep us going and ultimately failed, but it is not as if he deliberatley went out of his way to sink the club is it? You might think differently.

 

You would like to think that all of those who, over the years, have slagged off the Board for having no ambition would finally realsie what was meant by "Not doing a Leeds" but no. Still there seems to be this idea that we should have spent money we didn't have. If Lowe hadn't been so tight with the purse strings who knows, we might have gone down the drain sooner?

 

Anyway, it is all academic now. All we can hope is that the next person (if there is a next person) runs the club prudently. Leeds have shown how difficult it is to get out of this mess. I read earlier that someone thinks it will take 5 years to get back to the Premiership. We may never get back.

[hypochondriac]

FFS SOG save it for another thread. It is very dull.

[benjii]

FFS SOG save it for another thread. It is very dull.

 

Echo that.

[um pahars]

Only two interesting pints in something that almost makes Frank's posts readable.

 

ultimately failed

 

And that should be it with regards Lowe.

 

All we can hope is that the next person (if there is a next person) runs the club prudently.

 

Am I the only one who thinks this word is used too often. It's a Lowe/beancounters word, which IMHO conjures up everything wrong in our recent history. I'm not one for overstretching ourselves and living within our means, but the concept of hoping we get someone prudent just sends out all the wrong messages and is looking at football from the wrong perspective. Success on the pitch underpins everything, you have to get that right.

 

It should simply be replaced with successfully, as that covers everything (on and off the pirth).

[Weston Saint]

I always thought the administrator was mean't to keep theire own council

re the process of finding a buyer.

 

IF what FF is alluding re the takeover then I am concerned about due process

and summise that any of the following scenarios apply

 

1.either Mark Fry is being a little lose lipped about potential buyers

 

2. One of the prospective parties has had their nose put out of joint and are causing mischief

 

3. LLS has more influence over saints and the administrator than we give him credit for.

 

4 Any investor will need to do due diligence before making a formal offer

No bun fight is going to put serious bidders off.

 

5. Potential investors would be put off from proceeding if they new any of the administrators team were leaking snippets of information to other [parties or groups of fans

 

6. Was the bunfight anything to do with crouch and richards seeking donations from those in the hospitality lounge last week

 

7 and finally who paid for the buns. I hope the club were not saddled withthe cost

 

As FF is not available today I will put up a holding answer.

 

He has no contact with the Administrator who will act professionally and not disclose information in private.

 

One of the prospective parties has not had his nose put out of joint or is making mischief. That person/persons are more honorable that that.

 

LLS has no influence over the Administator. He was seen by um pahars in the vicinity of the directors box. I can tell you the Administrator did not talk to him before/during or after the game last Saturday. How do I know? Someone who was there told me by phone later that day.

 

Due diligence will need to be carried out as you say. That is why the process will take time.

 

No leakage is coming from the Administrator. It is important this point is made. FF will confirm he has no contact with the Administrator or aware of anyone who has received information directly or indirectly from him.

 

Nothing to do with the collections or the bun prices

 

Hope this helps

[um pahars]

As FF is not available today I will put up a holding answer.

 

He has no contact with the Administrator who will act professionally and not disclose information in private.

 

One of the prospective parties has not had his nose put out of joint or is making mischief. That person/persons are more honorable that that.

 

LLS has no influence over the Administator. He was seen by um pahars in the vicinity of the directors box. I can tell you the Administrator did not talk to him before/during or after the game last Saturday. How do I know? Someone who was there told me by phone later that day.

 

Due diligence will need to be carried out as you say. That is why the process will take time.

 

No leakage is coming from the Administrator. It is important this point is made. FF will confirm he has no contact with the Administrator or aware of anyone who has received information directly or indirectly from him.

 

Nothing to do with the collections or the bun prices

 

Hope this helps

 

Did I see him driving into Staplewood on Tuesday monrning around 10:00?????

[dubai_phil]

Did I see him driving into Staplewood on Tuesday monrning around 10:00?????

 

lol

 

I thought you had a real job...

 

Ah ha

 

UP in shock miscalculation that results in leak that he is in fact visiting the club's facilities with a view to mounting a rescue bid....

 

Don't try and deny it. it's all out in the open now..

 

:smt119

[John B]

Some good points above.

 

The benefit of owning a football club comes not from its financial success but from more intangibles eg the local community loving the club, 25000 happy fans, your picture in the local newspaper, involvement in the FA structure etc.

 

Its like having a very pretty wife but high maintenance.

 

But Lowe did not understand the economics - he tried to run it like a business when he needed to be succesful in bringing him those rich people. His style was inappropriate.

 

He failed because he failed to understand the football "business"

 

I dont think Lowe failed in the Premiership as most games had lots of customers there were not that many seats available at most games.

 

 

The problem was that because of our income we could not attract many players on high salaries so team was always going to struggle.

 

 

Also apart from Bridge we were failing to develop outstanding players like MLT Shearer and the Wallace brothers.

 

 

We did develop the Academy and if we had been in the Premiership Bale and Walcott would no doubt have played a fuller part.

[benjii]

I dont think Lowe failed in the Premiership as most games had lots of customers there were not that many seats available at most games.

 

 

The problem was that because of our income we could not attract many players on high salaries so team was always going to struggle.

 

 

Also apart from Bridge we were failing to develop outstanding players like MLT Shearer and the Wallace brothers.

 

 

We did develop the Academy and if we had been in the Premiership Bale and Walcott would no doubt have played a fuller part.

 

We were in the top 20 clubs in Europe in terms of revenue at one point.

[Jimbo]

Apologies for starting a new thread on this but with the number of potential consortiums now said to be in the region of 35 I am concerned at how Mr Fry is going to be able to make the right choice (By right I mean in the best interests of the football club).

 

As far as I am aware his duty is to get the best return for the creditors. The more interest there is the more he can drive the price up. If at the end of the day he has a choice between Consortium A who are offering to cough up £12m to settle all debts and Consortium B who are prepared to go to £18m surely he would have to go for option B?

 

But what if Consortium A are a well-respected group of local successful business men who are genuinely committed to the future of SFC while the B bunch are just a group of wealthy speculators who would not invest in the team while looking to sell on for a quick profit? I assume most on this forum would want Consortium A but I am sure at the end of the day Fry would have to go for option B.

 

Consortium A may then be forced to come back and up their bid but the extra money they submit would then not be available to invest in the team building we will certainly need once the dust from this season has settled.

 

I know the identity of one consortium out there and think they to probably be just "what the doctor ordered" for our club but I am concerned they will be "outbid" by much less scrupulous operators better equiped to meet Fry's and the creditors "rising by the minute" expectations! I hope I am wrong.

 

In any admin istration situation you get dozens of expressions of interest. Very few are serious/credible and able to financially undertake it.

 

I'd be surprised if more than 2 or 3 were realistic and credible buyers

[dubai_phil]

How are people falling by the wayside? If someone is put off buying the club due to the antics of Jackson then in my book they have no commitment. How hard is it to declare your interest, prove funds and then hope you are the highest bidder? How can you be put off?

 

I agree, how can any one bidder be put off by one other bidder. there are 34 people who have supposed to put their interest on the table....

 

It seems far more likely to me from reading this that a bidder has discovered that they may have had a strategy that did not anticipate competition and am actually surprised that he isn't throwing the oh my god it's Rupert line out there - that would have been far more credible than the LLS line

 

In any case right now as far as I can tell, all anyone has to do is to prove funds otherwise Mark Fry won't be taking anyone seriously. Wonder if that is more the case for FF's mate and that this is just a convenient excuse

 

Personally all I worry about is that somebody out those 34 come up with that mysterious piece of paper and actually put a bid on the table, rather than worrying about in-fighting already

[John B]

I would rather 34 interests than zero

 

with that number surely there is going to one to take SFC forward

[ottery st mary]

Put them all in one room with lots of Buttered Buns...Big Bun fight..Let them all slug it out and the last Consortium standing....Thats what this club needs..Lots of Buns and plenty of spirit....Onwards and Upwards..

 

I forgot..COYR

[Weston Saint]

I agree, how can any one bidder be put off by one other bidder. there are 34 people who have supposed to put their interest on the table....

 

It seems far more likely to me from reading this that a bidder has discovered that they may have had a strategy that did not anticipate competition and am actually surprised that he isn't throwing the oh my god it's Rupert line out there - that would have been far more credible than the LLS line

 

In any case right now as far as I can tell, all anyone has to do is to prove funds otherwise Mark Fry won't be taking anyone seriously. Wonder if that is more the case for FF's mate and that this is just a convenient excuse

 

Personally all I worry about is that somebody out those 34 come up with that mysterious piece of paper and actually put a bid on the table, rather than worrying about in-fighting already

Good points.

 

Seems to me there is an unheathy obsession with LLS again at this time. If he introduces a bidder that bidder will have to prove funds. If they can genuinely do that then why would it be bad? I appreciate LLS has a "history" but to suggest he might personally influence anything the Administrator or other bidding parties might do is pure nonsense in my opinion.

[John B]

Good points.

 

Seems to me there is an unheathy obsession with LLS again at this time. If he introduces a bidder that bidder will have to prove funds. If they can genuinely do that then why would it be bad? I appreciate LLS has a "history" but to suggest he might personally influence anything the Administrator or other bidding parties might do is pure nonsense in my opinion.

 

Yes I agree LLS seems to becoming the new Rupert with so much unheathy obsession

[OldNick]

Yes I agree LLS seems to becoming the new Rupert with so much unheathy obsession

I dont care what his past record is if he comes forward with a fantastivc investor.If he is wasting the clubs money then Im not happy.