General live 'open' Fans forum 17/12/2019

[MJB]

Would love a pre season in Poland. Great booze and loads of lovely ladies, instead it came across that Holland was likely.

Different kinds of poles in Amsterdam (I hear).

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Different kinds of poles in Amsterdam (I hear).

Ah yes, Amsterdam famous for its poledancing clubs, the only city in Europe that they are so openly legal and abundant... ?

 

[uptheus]

I was there tonight, very positive comments by all the board members and Karl.

I am happier now about our club than I have been for quite a long time.

Now to beat the Wanderers on Saturday, tomorrow is a free hit.

If I had a choice of winning against Man City or Wycombe I think I’d go for beating City.


Reason; we’d be in the semi final of a major cup competition in England for the first time in 20+ years, knocking out the current holders/Premiership Champions, with additional revenue. Whereas, there’s plenty of games left in the season to make the automatic promotion positions.

If you asked me if we had to lose one game and win the other of either MK Dons or Wycombe, then I’d definitely say I’d lose the MK Dons game!

 

[DannyW]

That wouldn't happen. Ground share and lose a lot of the support and ruineverything that the club us trying to do? See Coventry City.
The Council are not going to want an empty stadium not bring used when there is a shortage of land for houses

So why is the greyhound stadium not being built on?

 

[LondonRoader]

If I had a choice of winning against Man City or Wycombe I think I’d go for beating City.


Reason; we’d be in the semi final of a major cup competition in England for the first time in 20+ years, knocking out the current holders/Premiership Champions, with additional revenue. Whereas, there’s plenty of games left in the season to make the automatic promotion positions.

If you asked me if we had to lose one game and win the other of either MK Dons or Wycombe, then I’d definitely say I’d lose the MK Dons game!

I agree, taking it to the extreme, winning the cup will earn the club money, promotion will cost the club/investors money.

 

[Malc]

There are some lovely ladies in Holland but you’ve got to pay......so I’m told

Correct! But I've never had to pay

 

[Sarge]

Correct! But I've never had to pay

One of the perks of being yf senior moderator?

 

[Foley]

I agree, taking it to the extreme, winning the cup will earn the club money, promotion will cost the club/investors money.

Goodness why even bother to watch football.
Suddenly a small number of supporters are hoping thay we DONT get promotion as it will cost the owners too much money to do so.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

If we win tonight I’m saying we definitely win on Saturday, with the confidence and happiness which would be surging through the club!

 

[LondonRoader]

Goodness why even bother to watch football.
Suddenly a small number of supporters are hoping thay we DONT get promotion as it will cost the owners too much money to do so.

I wonder why you bother sometimes, I would be extremely happy if ether happened as that's what I want from my football club, can't really see how you could try and twist it any other way.

 

[Osleroad]

Back in the day..I remember 'Magic' by Pilot was the song played if we won...1970s and all that.

 

[MarkG]

Q: How do you plan to get a return on investment?
ZN: Three main pillars of owning/running a club. Football, business and community.
During what will hopefully be a long reign we want to focus on all three. The training gd does that.
When we leave we hope it will be a better organisation with better value, so we would hope there's better equity.
---
I think this is positive. Make the club more attractive to a buyer who will pay for more than just the assets. For all his faults, under Eales he took a L2 club up a division, and made it a club that can attract decent players to drop down a division for the sake of game time.

 

[bazzer9461]

Correct! But I've never had to pay

Ok stud whatever

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Goodness why even bother to watch football.
Suddenly a small number of supporters are hoping thay we DONT get promotion as it will cost the owners too much money to do so.

Promotion would be great but realistically we wouldn't be able to afford to compete with the rest of the teams in that league unless we tripled the wage bill. That money would then be another burden on the club when we already run at a lost in league 1. The other option would be to go up but then just take the added income but not reinvest it in to the playing squad and run the risk of getting hammered each week and come back down but be in a better financial state.

I personally would be more than happy to bob around in league 1 for the next few years, flirt with the play offs, have a couple of good cup runs and enjoying watching us bring through some exciting young players to then sell on for a profit. This would then build a greater foundation to the club to finally progress further down the line.

Why risk the long term financial future of the club for short term success of a season in the championship when fans would only moan about us getting beat every week, games getting changed all the time for TV and no games on international breaks once we are there any way.

Getting our own ground and putting a stop to making a loss each season is a higher priority than promotion IMO.

 

[horseman]

Promotion would be great but realistically we wouldn't be able to afford to compete with the rest of the teams in that league unless we tripled the wage bill. That money would then be another burden on the club when we already run at a lost in league 1. The other option would be to go up but then just take the added income but not reinvest it in to the playing squad and run the risk of getting hammered each week and come back down but be in a better financial state.

I personally would be more than happy to bob around in league 1 for the next few years, flirt with the play offs, have a couple of good cup runs and enjoying watching us bring through some exciting young players to then sell on for a profit. This would then build a greater foundation to the club to finally progress further down the line.

Why risk the long term financial future of the club for short term success of a season in the championship when fans would only moan about us getting beat every week, games getting changed all the time for TV and no games on international breaks once we are there any way.

Getting our own ground and putting a stop to making a loss each season is a higher priority than promotion IMO.

So as fans we stop having dreams, flirt with the play offs? what if we won them we say no we don't want to go up or do we just concede in the paly offs anyway?

you seriously think we can sit and hope to go up when things are better? football does not work like that

if there is no ambition or intent to at least try go up then why would fans bother turning up?

 

[Foley]

Promotion would be great but realistically we wouldn't be able to afford to compete with the rest of the teams in that league unless we tripled the wage bill. That money would then be another burden on the club when we already run at a lost in league 1. The other option would be to go up but then just take the added income but not reinvest it in to the playing squad and run the risk of getting hammered each week and come back down but be in a better financial state.

I personally would be more than happy to bob around in league 1 for the next few years, flirt with the play offs, have a couple of good cup runs and enjoying watching us bring through some exciting young players to then sell on for a profit. This would then build a greater foundation to the club to finally progress further down the line.

Why risk the long term financial future of the club for short term success of a season in the championship when fans would only moan about us getting beat every week, games getting changed all the time for TV and no games on international breaks once we are there any way.

Getting our own ground and putting a stop to making a loss each season is a higher priority than promotion IMO.

I disagree with such a negative view.
Sure it would be tough. But why shouldn't we stay up? We seem to be trusted by some of the PL clubs so a couple of good loanees.
We have a decent recruitment team. Good backroom staff.
In recent years Rotherham and Burton have stayed up in Year 1.
Milwall and Charlton went up via the play offs and gave done well.
If we went up it would be vital that the club didnt jeopardise its future, but there are no definite in football and I can't see with a fair wind why we camg go up and stay up.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

So as fans we stop having dreams, flirt with the play offs? what if we won them we say no we don't want to go up or do we just concede in the paly offs anyway?

you seriously think we can sit and hope to go up when things are better? football does not work like that

if there is no ambition or intent to at least try go up then why would fans bother turning up?

There is nothing wrong with having dreams but it is also sensible to be content with where we are as a club now. I have dreams of owning an Aston Martin. I doubt I ever will but it doesn't stop me from having hopes of one day being able to get one. At the same time as wanting an Aston Martin I also know I need to pay the bills and put food on the table for my wife and 2 kids so need to budget my life accordingly.

 

[tonyw]

Promotion would be great but realistically we wouldn't be able to afford to compete with the rest of the teams in that league unless we tripled the wage bill. That money would then be another burden on the club when we already run at a lost in league 1. The other option would be to go up but then just take the added income but not reinvest it in to the playing squad and run the risk of getting hammered each week and come back down but be in a better financial state.

This is what Luton have basically done.

Luton CEO on 'mad' second-tier finances - BBC Sport

Luton Town chief executive Gary Sweet tells BBC Look East the Championship's finances are "mad" and calls for a salary cap.

www.bbc.co.uk

Although they don't have to any more, they've made a decision to stick to the League One/Two FFP rules.

And yeah, they're not exactly pulling up any trees in the Championship - but they've got a fighting chance to avoid relegation this year.

Personally, I think that would be a fun change of scene for a couple of years (while hopefully Tiger and co. get to work improving the stadium situation, so that at some point in the future, we can actually dream of competing at the Championship level)

 

[Foley]

This is what Luton have basically done.

Luton CEO on 'mad' second-tier finances - BBC Sport

Luton Town chief executive Gary Sweet tells BBC Look East the Championship's finances are "mad" and calls for a salary cap.

www.bbc.co.uk

Although they don't have to any more, they've made a decision to stick to the League One/Two FFP rules.

And yeah, they're not exactly pulling up any trees in the Championship - but they've got a fighting chance to avoid relegation this year.

Personally, I think that would be a fun change of scene for a couple of years (while hopefully Tiger and co. get to work improving the stadium situation, so that at some point in the future, we can actually dream of competing at the Championship level)

Agree Tony.
Dont forget also that Luton lost their manager as well which hardly helped.
I know that it was a totally different time but I remember being told as a youngster that OUFC would never make the top Division.
Jim Smith wouldn't think that we couldn't survive in the Championship.

 

[bazzer9461]

I disagree with such a negative view.
Sure it would be tough. But why shouldn't we stay up? We seem to be trusted by some of the PL clubs so a couple of good loanees.
We have a decent recruitment team. Good backroom staff.
In recent years Rotherham and Burton have stayed up in Year 1.
Milwall and Charlton went up via the play offs and gave done well.
If we went up it would be vital that the club didnt jeopardise its future, but there are no definite in football and I can't see with a fair wind why we camg go up and stay up.

Burton Albion managed 3 seasons