Looks like Charlie has got his wish.

[Banbury2018]

You're referring to the wage data used in a computer game?

No the figures quoted in the Peterborough Telegraph. I guess they are ok to quote

 

[The Hawk]

I wish folks would get so hot under the collar about boardroom matters at our club

 

[Scotchegg]

I wish folks would get so hot under the collar about boardroom matters at our club

We're all waiting for your next book to come out!!!

 

[Craig]

Don't understand why you seem so hostile and aggressive in your tone to be honest. But yes, I am talking about next season, when the budget will be reduced from the amount that Pep squandered. And far from saying exactly how I know that, it's evident in the fact that nobody has said the budget is going up. We only hear about a "competitive budget" and shrinking down our existing "embarrassingly large squad". At no point has it even been implied that the budget will be added to or even maintained, so it's definitely going down while still being a decent and acceptable amount. You don't need sources to figure that out on your own.

Now let's look at the other clubs in League One next season:

Sunderland - biggest L1 budget ever, hands down. No secret.

Barnsley - large despite relegation. It'll be right up there, probably double ours.

Bradford - always a very, very decent budget for this division, will be no different this time. No way will we match it.

Charlton - really good budget for this level. Double ours, could even be more if their takeover bears fruit.

Portsmouth - mega bucks. The Eisner money will make itself known this season. Playoffs absolute minimum, but should be pushing for automatic.

Luton - would've had a really solid L1 budget last season let alone next, and they'll now add to it. I would wager that theirs will be marginally higher than ours by a few hundred grand.

Scunthorpe - always very financially competitive despite small crowds. Can't see that changing now.

Fleetwood - really solid financially. Will it be bigger than our budget? Maybe, but if not it'll be really, really similar.

Burton - not tiny. They may have had comfortably the smallest budget in the Championship but they still invested. They'll have planned well for the 'yo-yo' and will definitely be able to compete on some level.

Bristol Rovers - really solid. Not as flush as people perhaps expected with their middle eastern ownership, but they can compete and have a very decent size squad indeed.

So that's about nine or ten clubs right off the bat who are going to be either level with or greater than us financially. Five or six will 100% have more than us to splash around even if we creep above a few, so this "top four or top five" nonsense a certain individual is throwing around up north is categorically untrue. They're just planting seeds because they know it'll get out on here, and that people will raise expectations and subsequently kick off if it's a bit ropey. It's just mischief and nonsense.

Realistically we will probably have a budget around about eighth or so. Somewhere between eight and ten, so top half would be about where we should be based on resources, and a playoff place would be a slight overachievement. And when you consider the size of the club, where it would be in the table attendance wise and all that jazz, that's absolutely fine. We are a top half L1 club and that's exactly where the budget will be placed.

I stopped posting before when I got a load of grief for saying things that turned out to be true, so hopefully we can be a bit more grown up and level headed this time around. If not, fine.

And yes, I worked for the club many years ago, and then went on to cover football for national newspapers as well as doing some light scouting for several football league clubs. So while I'm not the oracle and would never profess to be, I do have an idea of how football works, and I still know people in the game who have more information than most about what's actually going on. And I post under my own name, so I'm hardly looking to cause trouble from the shadows. I'm easy to find.

I always enjoyed your contributions, it's a shame you stopped posting due to abuse in the past. Like you said, hopefully things are a little more civil this time around.

I mostly agree with everything you said, not a faultless method by any means, but I too doubt we'll have a top-top budget next season. I feel we should also remember that we're planning on implementing an U23 squad next season, too. The introduction of the new squad and costs associated with running it will presumably make use of some of the resources that would have otherwise been invested in the first team.

 

[m]

I wish folks would get so hot under the collar about boardroom matters at our club

Doubtless they would were somebody to provide a shred of evidence of wrongdoing.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Don't understand why you seem so hostile and aggressive in your tone to be honest. But yes, I am talking about next season, when the budget will be reduced from the amount that Pep squandered. And far from saying exactly how I know that, it's evident in the fact that nobody has said the budget is going up. We only hear about a "competitive budget" and shrinking down our existing "embarrassingly large squad". At no point has it even been implied that the budget will be added to or even maintained, so it's definitely going down while still being a decent and acceptable amount. You don't need sources to figure that out on your own.

Now let's look at the other clubs in League One next season:

Sunderland - biggest L1 budget ever, hands down. No secret.

Barnsley - large despite relegation. It'll be right up there, probably double ours.

Bradford - always a very, very decent budget for this division, will be no different this time. No way will we match it.

Charlton - really good budget for this level. Double ours, could even be more if their takeover bears fruit.

Portsmouth - mega bucks. The Eisner money will make itself known this season. Playoffs absolute minimum, but should be pushing for automatic.

Luton - would've had a really solid L1 budget last season let alone next, and they'll now add to it. I would wager that theirs will be marginally higher than ours by a few hundred grand.

Scunthorpe - always very financially competitive despite small crowds. Can't see that changing now.

Fleetwood - really solid financially. Will it be bigger than our budget? Maybe, but if not it'll be really, really similar.

Burton - not tiny. They may have had comfortably the smallest budget in the Championship but they still invested. They'll have planned well for the 'yo-yo' and will definitely be able to compete on some level.

Bristol Rovers - really solid. Not as flush as people perhaps expected with their middle eastern ownership, but they can compete and have a very decent size squad indeed.

So that's about nine or ten clubs right off the bat who are going to be either level with or greater than us financially. Five or six will 100% have more than us to splash around even if we creep above a few, so this "top four or top five" nonsense a certain individual is throwing around up north is categorically untrue. They're just planting seeds because they know it'll get out on here, and that people will raise expectations and subsequently kick off if it's a bit ropey. It's just mischief and nonsense.

Realistically we will probably have a budget around about eighth or so. Somewhere between eight and ten, so top half would be about where we should be based on resources, and a playoff place would be a slight overachievement. And when you consider the size of the club, where it would be in the table attendance wise and all that jazz, that's absolutely fine. We are a top half L1 club and that's exactly where the budget will be placed.

I stopped posting before when I got a load of grief for saying things that turned out to be true, so hopefully we can be a bit more grown up and level headed this time around. If not, fine.

And yes, I worked for the club many years ago, and then went on to cover football for national newspapers as well as doing some light scouting for several football league clubs. So while I'm not the oracle and would never profess to be, I do have an idea of how football works, and I still know people in the game who have more information than most about what's actually going on. And I post under my own name, so I'm hardly looking to cause trouble from the shadows. I'm easy to find.

All of the above provides actually plenty of evidence that Sunderland won’t walk the league. They have had two relegations in two years - there is a losing culture there that may take some time to turn round. I wish Stewart well but he chucked millions at Eastleigh and it wasn’t wine and roses was it?

Can’t say you can be that uber precise about budgets either.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

All of the above provides actually plenty of evidence that Sunderland won’t walk the league. They have had two relegations in two years - there is a losing culture there that may take some time to turn round. I wish Stewart well but he chucked millions at Eastleigh and it wasn’t wine and roses was it?

Can’t say you can be that uber precise about budgets either.

I'm exceptionally confident about the budgets.

 

[Banbury2018]

All of the above provides actually plenty of evidence that Sunderland won’t walk the league. They have had two relegations in two years - there is a losing culture there that may take some time to turn round. I wish Stewart well but he chucked millions at Eastleigh and it wasn’t wine and roses was it?

Can’t say you can be that uber precise about budgets either.

Have to agree with this bearing in mind next season is still almost 10 weeks away so many things can change .

 

[Yellow River]

All of the above provides actually plenty of evidence that Sunderland won’t walk the league. They have had two relegations in two years - there is a losing culture there that may take some time to turn round. I wish Stewart well but he chucked millions at Eastleigh and it wasn’t wine and roses was it?

Can’t say you can be that uber precise about budgets either.

Sunderland’s budget will be the highest ever for a League 1 club that puts them at a hugh advantage over every other club in the division. Of course it’s not a given that they will win the league but I will be very surprised if they don’t. Promotion for Sunderland fans is the minimum they should expect anything else is failure.

 

[Scotchegg]

I'm exceptionally confident about the budgets.

I'm, as always, a million miles away from being in the know, but your evaluation of league 1 budgets seems entirely plausible.

But as with the previous post, there are going to be enough teams that going to be competitive and Sunderland will be the one scalp everyone will be wanting. Their confidence will still be shot and a poor August could give a few sleepless nights for Stew and Chas!

I would think that in and around the playoffs will be where we are looking, and we shouldn't dismiss this as a failure if we don't go up next season. As with MApp we need to look at building a project rather than a s**t or bust approach.

Anyway, on the subject matter, I couldn't give a damn about Charlie in all honesty. Fair play if he gets the attention and success he craives but the other 22 teams in league 1 are far more relevant to our future.

 

[Deleted member 222]

I feel we as a fan base are too obsessed with the clubs budget. Shrewsbury spent very little to get to the play off final.

Recruitment is more important than budgets in this league. Especially for a club our size.

 

[Banbury2018]

I'm, as always, a million miles away from being in the know, but your evaluation of league 1 budgets seems entirely plausible.

But as with the previous post, there are going to be enough teams that going to be competitive and Sunderland will be the one scalp everyone will be wanting. Their confidence will still be shot and a poor August could give a few sleepless nights for Stew and Chas!

I would think that in and around the playoffs will be where we are looking, and we shouldn't dismiss this as a failure if we don't go up next season. As with MApp we need to look at building a project rather than a s**t or bust approach.

Anyway, on the subject matter, I couldn't give a damn about Charlie in all honesty. Fair play if he gets the attention and success he craives but the other 22 teams in league 1 are far more relevant to our future.

Charlie himself who certain people on here used to take as gospel told the Sunderland fanzine in an interview Oxford will have around a top 5 budget . Also a big budget doesn’t always get promotion ask Bury or Milton Keynes or Cobblers fans or for that matter Accrington, remember our time in the conference Sunderland will be everybody’s big game just like we were. A good manager will use a budget wisely and get the right players so hopefully our manager can do well for us. So far so good with him but a long way to go hopefully he will do a job similar to Appleton as I see similarities.

 

[Whingit]

Net spend is also an odd thing some people are obsessed about.

 

[Deleted member 222]

Charlie himself who certain people on here used to take as gospel told the Sunderland fanzine in an interview Oxford will have around a top 5 budget . Also a big budget doesn’t always get promotion ask Bury or Milton Keynes or Cobblers fans or for that matter Accrington, remember our time in the conference Sunderland will be everybody’s big game just like we were. A good manager will use a budget wisely and get the right players so hopefully our manager can do well for us. So far so good with him but a long way to go hopefully he will do a job similar to Appleton as I see similarities.

Sunderland, Bradford, Pomepy, Barnsley, Charlton, Coventry, Scunthorpe and probably Plymouth will have bigger budgets than us but what’s new with Charlie bending the truth?

 

[Essexyellows]

"Around a top 5 budget"..............PR spin and pish then...................... but covers his back if it goes a bit wrong at AFC Failure

 

[Marked Ox]

I'm exceptionally confident about the budgets.

One point, you are confident about Bradford? If their fans are to be believed, they are a bit of a mess, the budget won't be any bigger and apparently wasn't that brilliant this season. Simon Grayson refused to extend his contract after discussions with the chairman so they don't have a manager which will eat into time for recruitment of new players.

Also one other small point, Scunthorpe fans are worried they will lose their top players like Holmes and Adelukan (so?) whilst also not having Toney as they did this season.

Budgets aren't everything but I think we will have a decent one based on KR's comments although maybe not the one Pep squandered.

 

[Scotchegg]

Charlie himself who certain people on here used to take as gospel told the Sunderland fanzine in an interview Oxford will have around a top 5 budget . Also a big budget doesn’t always get promotion ask Bury or Milton Keynes or Cobblers fans or for that matter Accrington, remember our time in the conference Sunderland will be everybody’s big game just like we were. A good manager will use a budget wisely and get the right players so hopefully our manager can do well for us. So far so good with him but a long way to go hopefully he will do a job similar to Appleton as I see similarities.

Charlie himself who certain people on here used to take as gospel told the Sunderland fanzine in an interview Oxford will have around a top 5 budget.

Certain people take it as gospel that the world is flat but that doesn't mean that others need to panic.

Charlie was shown to be wrong on virtually every 'fact' he claimed and this top 5 shite is just the same.

 

[Banbury2018]

Certain people take it as gospel that the world is flat but that doesn't mean that others need to panic.

Charlie was shown to be wrong on virtually every 'fact' he claimed and this top 5 shite is just the same.

Lots of irony in the bit about top 5 budget bearing in mind some people who used to beleive everything he said dont anymore,I questioned things he put on here more than once without ever getting a proper answer. I suspect our budget will be between 5th and 8th although a good manager as i think we have will use it wisely.

 

[Brahma]

I don't know why anyone at another club, particularly people in high level roles, has the right to be talking about other teams budgets& probably breaching confidences...................again. Frankly, it's classless.

 

[outsidethebox]

Certain people take it as gospel that the world is flat but that doesn't mean that others need to panic.

Charlie was shown to be wrong on virtually every 'fact' he claimed and this top 5 shite is just the same.

Deep down you're missing him, aren't you. Go on, admit it ?