Players and staff not paid for March

[Gary Baldi]

 

[John Lennon]

Not all staff have been paid, but the majority have, and the money is now in the clubs account to pay everyone. Let's hope there is a statement or at least an email to affected staff, saying how this will be avoided in the future.

Despite Niall McWilliams being a very nice man, his silence during a season of crisis is disappointing. He hasn't protected Karl at crucial times, and actually Robinson has become the club spokesman when the club have needed to say something. With Tiger not around, someone has had to take control. This just hasn't happened, and has created a lot of problems on its own.

I am also surprised DE and his sidekick are not being held accountable for their part in the mess.

 

[bazzer9461]

Not all staff have been paid, but the majority have, and the money is now in the clubs account to pay everyone. Let's hope there is a statement or at least an email to affected staff, saying how this will be avoided in the future.

Despite Niall McWilliams being a very nice man, his silence during a season of crisis is disappointing. He hasn't protected Karl at crucial times, and actually Robinson has become the club spokesman when the club have needed to say something. With Tiger not around, someone has had to take control. This just hasn't happened, and has created a lot of problems on its own.

I am also surprised DE and his sidekick are not being held accountable for their part in the mess.

Can’t really see the club putting out a statement regarding in-house issues as they know they’ve fucked up which is totally unprofessional, I do agree however that tiger should come out and open his gob and explain everything all warts and all, the funding for the club the investment or is he going to sell as there was an article in yesterday’s Sun newspaper saying there were 2 potential investors of putting into Sunderland and who knows SD may make a few bucks and come here. Just speculating ?

 

[OX18]

Can’t really see the club putting out a statement regarding in-house issues as they know they’ve fucked up which is totally unprofessional, I do agree however that tiger should come out and open his gob and explain everything all warts and all, the funding for the club the investment or is he going to sell as there was an article in yesterday’s Sun newspaper saying there were 2 potential investors of putting into Sunderland and who knows SD may make a few bucks and come here. Just speculating ?

Oh for an honourable Oxford fan to own our club.

 

[bazzer9461]

As long as it’s not another bloody 5 year journey

 

[greatunclekip]

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I am also surprised DE and his sidekick are not being held accountable for their part in the mess.

I presume you are joking? I don't rate Robinson as a manager very highly at all, but in what way is this his fault? The whole episode has shown (never mind financial incompetence) that NMcW, the finance director and ST himself aren't men enough to front up and have left it to Robinson.

 

[southcoastyellow]

Unfortunately an oufc fan would fully understand the near impossible situation of dealing with Kassam, and would not touch trying to own the club! (Although still hoping). Can’t believe I’m going to defend KR but do feel he is put in the firing line for all the off field issues!!

 

[Foley]

Not all staff have been paid, but the majority have, and the money is now in the clubs account to pay everyone. Let's hope there is a statement or at least an email to affected staff, saying how this will be avoided in the future.

Despite Niall McWilliams being a very nice man, his silence during a season of crisis is disappointing. He hasn't protected Karl at crucial times, and actually Robinson has become the club spokesman when the club have needed to say something. With Tiger not around, someone has had to take control. This just hasn't happened, and has created a lot of problems on its own.

I am also surprised DE and his sidekick are not being held accountable for their part in the mess.

What has this got to do with DE?

 

[John Lennon]

I presume you are joking? I don't rate Robinson as a manager very highly at all, but in what way is this his fault? The whole episode has shown (never mind financial incompetence) that NMcW, the finance director and ST himself aren't men enough to front up and have left it to Robinson.

DE, not KR.

 

[oxford1985]

if the staff have gone on strike, as some suggested, whats the betting Tiger doc's there pay for today......

 

[John Lennon]

What has this got to do with DE?

He cleared the decks long before he sold up, and that was the start of the slide. He disputed money owed to FK, leaving Tiger to pick up the pieces. The losses announced today show things weren't as good as he wanted us to believe. He also appointed the current MD, and pulled the plug on the deal that would have seen the money spent on Sunderland, be spent on OUFC. In favour of Tiger, which he claimed was in the best interests of the club.

He got rid of many good people, including Mark Ashton. Certain others left because of the cuts being being made to save him money before he sold. (Which he denied and kept saying he didn't want to sell)

Unfortunately, the list goes on.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

DE, not KR.

Sorry - misread your post. But even so, the staff wages are a known quantity, the player wages are a known quantity - none of it comes as a surprise. The only 'surprise' was presumably the money the club now has to pay to Kassam after the 'arbitration' - and that was settled (well, the club gave up!) weeks ago. DE might be culpable - but if ST had done his due diligence properly then that would (or should) have been planned for on a worst case basis. The only reason the club wouldn't have a contingency fund in the bank in this country is because ST doesn't have to money to put in it readily available. Based on STs seeming complete inability to plan properly, I wonder how diligent the due diligence was! My point about the cowardice of senior financial staff in getting Robinson to do their dirty work still stands.

 

[Teddydee1980]

We do hold football clubs to a strange standard.

Of course, I don't think people missing out on wages is, in any way, good or acceptable. That's not my point.

But compare the way we treat and judge clubs by their management, to any other business or entertainment provider and the scrutiny and expectation from fans over this I find a little...much.

For example....to use, say, Car manufacturers as an example. They may move operations, sack staff, make people redundant, have issues with the union etc. As a customer (or "fan") of that car, you aren't nearly as concerned as a member of staff at the company would be. You just buy the car and drive it. The people who work for the company can reasonable hold the management to account. It's their wages and livelihoods at the end of the day.
But as a customer, I wouldn't expect to see financial disclosures and information to support future plans to stop it happening again.

Tiger is likely to be, quite rightly, cagey about the information he releases, it has far wider impacts on investment, transfers, contract negotiations, sponsorship....the entire commerciality of the club. And that works if the club is skint or the club has big financial backing. It's just not something sensible to share

All I do is wait for facts. So far we've had 3/4 (or is it 5) Winding up orders, an admission of late payment of staff and the club facilities closing down for a day. No court appearances, judgements, administration, sackings, strikes etc.

Of course, the lateness and weird money moving practices need far more careful management (especially for someone who HAS previously owned another football club in this country and has been "running" this one for a year now) and I expect we'll get something more along those lines later this week, by way of an excuse.

It does have to be better.

I just fail to see what is achieved by reacting to anything other than facts. Everyone seems really keen to get the pitchforks out and get all pissy about business matters and the way the club is being run, when I'm not entirely sure what purpose it serves and what the expectation is.

I'll be eating my words in a few days when we go into administration. I won't start eating them til it's a fact though.

 

[Foley]

He cleared the decks long before he sold up, and that was the start of the slide. He disputed money owed to FK, leaving Tiger to pick up the pieces. The losses announced today show things weren't as good as he wanted us to believe. He also appointment the current MD, and pulled the plug on the deal that would have seen the money spent on Sunderland, be spent on OUFC. In favour of Tiger, which he claimed was in the best interests of the club.

He got rid of many good people, including Mark Ashton. Certain others left because of the cuts being being made to save him money before he sold. (Which he denied and kept saying he didn't want to sell)

Unfortunately, the list goes on.

Mark Ashton left 3 years ago! He was with the club relatively briefly.
People selling Companies often cut costs before they go.
Tiger would have done due diligence and would have had a very good idea of what he was walking into.
The lack of cash for the months wages has nothing to do with DE or Ashton going over 3 years ago

 

[Deleted member 142]

You're right. It is a business and he has every right to run it as such.

Of course, he won't be using emotional blackmail and calls for 'loyalty' to try and get his business backed by its customers despite the substandard product and environment he has created. No, of course he won't.

You want facts? Come summer and the Season Ticket renewal campaign, he'll want it both ways. "Leave me alone, it's a business and I can do with it what I please" and "No, don't leave me alone, I need you and you should be loyal despite the chaos and poor product"

 

[Essexyellows]

@Teddydee1980 .... difference is there is one consistent in the football club equation - us supporters.

Using the car comparison we all have/had our favourites (especially us old folk!) but the customer accepts they don`t last for ever. Unlike ones allegiance to a football club...

 

[John Lennon]

Sorry - misread your post. But even so, the staff wages are a known quantity, the player wages are a known quantity - none of it comes as a surprise. The only 'surprise' was presumably the money the club now has to pay to Kassam after the 'arbitration' - and that was settled (well, the club gave up!) weeks ago. DE might be culpable - but if ST had done his due diligence properly then that would (or should) have been planned for on a worst case basis. The only reason the club wouldn't have a contingency fund in the bank in this country is because ST doesn't have to money to put in it readily available. Based on STs seeming complete inability to plan properly, I wonder how diligent the due diligence was! My point about the cowardice of senior financial staff in getting Robinson to do their dirty work still stands.

Completely agree with you.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

You can't compare a football club to a car manufacturer. The reason people scrutinise their football club more than other companies they deal with is because they have an emotional investment in it and because the future of their club absolutely depends on what the current owner does whilst he is in charge. If a car manufacturer goes bust then you might have to buy another make of car. If you are a football supporter and your club goes bust, you can't just get a different one.

I'm sure that this wasn't supposed to 'get out' (I think Robinson alluded to that in his interview on Saturday and who knows what else has successfully been kept under wraps) - but once it did, there needed to be some sort of statement.
Why? Well apart from anything else, we are about to start attracting players for next season. Given the choice between two clubs, any player is going to take into account the way the club is being run. When you have multiple winding up orders (or petitions or whatever they are) and staff not being paid, that is - to say the least - an indication that all might not be well. We don't want to know the financial minutiae - we want to feel that the club is being well run. At the moment it isn't.

 

[John Lennon]

Mark Ashton left 3 years ago! He was with the club relatively briefly.
People selling Companies often cut costs before they go.
Tiger would have done due diligence and would have had a very good idea of what he was walking into.
The lack of cash for the months wages has nothing to do with DE or Ashton going over 3 years ago

Considering the extra amount Tiger is having to stump up due to the fight DE picked with FK, knowing full well he would never win and the money that saved him, I do think it is relevant.

All the hard work put in by Ashton, Appleton, and to be fair DE too, was shot to bits when Ashton was shown the door. DE didn't know how to run a football club, and didn't like anything or anyone disagreeing with him. All that brilliant work done, ruined, and now we are seeing things go from bad to worse.

Why did DE think Tiger was better for OUFC, than Donald Methven Satori? DE can sell to who he wants, but he said it was in the best interests of the club. Does anyone believe that?

Without Ashton and Appleton, Eales didn't do a great job. I do feel that although DE's time has gone, events now are linked and are part of the fall out.