Key Points:
- Mentions progress off the field with the building of the Centenary Pavillion and Howard's restaurant.
- On the playing side he says: "We have reorganised our Academy and scouting philosophies and we are beginning to cast our net far and wide to strengthen our squad. Becchio's an Argentine, Somma and Grella came from the States, and farther down the chain we have youths from Switzerland and Italy. Farther south, we have agreed a potential link with a leading soccer Academy in southern Italy and we now have contacts in Eastern Europe, from Romania to the Balkans."
- Business wise... "We are in good shape. At a time when all around us clubs are collapsing like nine-pins, we're making good progress. We haven't much money, but we don't have any debts. We pay our creditors on time and, for example, we paid for the Centenary Pavilion out of our own resources. Some clubs are surviving by discounting future income (i.e. central payments from the Football League) to solve immediate problems but building up trouble in the future. We do not. If we can't afford it, we don't spend it."
- Players wages and player purchases: "All (other chairmen visiting E.R.) are committed to reducing playing budget because they simply can't afford them..." "Players and their agents, who still live in cloud cuckoo land, are due for an unpleasant shock come May."
- He gives an example of one player in the Championship receiving a new 2-Year deal if he plays one more game (Michael Brown from Pompey I assume) worth £1M a year. He'll apparently languish in the reserves and leave in May... Bates makes it clear it's no one at Leeds.
- East Stand Development. Infill to commence shortly. "Increasing the Executive area and building 20 new Executive Boxes, but just as importantly increasing the size of the concourse and the facilities for fans in the Upper Tier." ... "Better matchday experience and double the Conference & Banqueting capacity."
- New matchday programme - 100 page and "the best in English football".
- Writ issued to Robert Weston, claiming he personally misappropriated £190,400 of Season Ticket holder's money.
- Writ issued to Melvyn Levi who the Club are claiming aided Weston.
- Says we will be somewhere between Blackpool and Man City in our progress, and trusts Simon's judgement on squad improvements.
Many fans will be annoyed at the spending on things off the field such as the Pavilion and Howard's, but it is a long termist view that not many in football tend to take and I for one am pleased. Signings like Andy O'Brien indicate we can still have sufficient power in the transfer market to progress on the pitch at the same time as improving facilities in a bid to increase long term, non-matchday income which can only be of benefit, provided they are commercially successful. Personally - Pavilion yes. Howard's - No. Billy's bar is sufficient and caters to the audience well and although it's received some positive comments I don't think Howard's, attached to an archaic football ground in Beeston is where you'll take your other half for a meal out.
Our success in keeping money in the bank, having no debt, improving the playing squad and still having cash left over to improve facilities may also be attributed to the high ticket prices, which have just seen a hike for next season - which I will cover at some point as well. Unfortunately, with football the way it is today and to run a club of our size with out expectations costs are only going to go up for the club to succeed and for the fan to go and watch.
Fans will also question where FA cup money and Delph money has gone/is going (if received in installments) we'll probably never know, but it certainly didn't buy Thorp Arch back, and is most likely just being ploughed into the expenditures I've talked about above.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment