General The Board & Senior Management

[Northstandboy]

 

[Foley]

Regardless of your thoughts on Charlie, the bit that surprises me is that some people really needed him to point out that we're fucked if Thohir pulls the plug.

Surely that's been pretty obvious for a while now?

Yes there have been many comments on here for years to the extent that without Thohir we are screwed ( huge growing losses). And even more screwed without our own ground
So no surprise ( although the change presumably is that Thohir has maybe struggled to find new investors and tired of having to fund the huge losses).
Frustrating especially with thd new stadium seemingly within touching distance.

 

[Big mac]

Sorry if this has been done already, but we’re Charlie and Stuart Donald ever close to buying the club?

 

[werthersoriginal]

Sorry if this has been done already, but we’re Charlie and Stuart Donald ever close to buying the club?

I remember it being discussed and the experts here being very anti the idea

 

[OnlyOneUnited]

Any new owner would have to go by what ever the lease says. They can’t just make up a new one on top of the existing one.

Is there anything in the lease though that specifically says we can't be charged a rent to use the stadium facilities themselves? I would have thought the lease was specific to the land, rather than what is eventually built on it. Again, if there is a protection there, then great, just trying to understand how at risk we might be in future. I wonder if other football fans are as fearful of this sort of thing as we are? Or if the Kassam situation, and our history, makes use fairly uniquely scared to death of being shat on by our owners at every turn!?

 

[Sarge]

Is there anything in the lease though that specifically says we can't be charged a rent to use the stadium facilities themselves? I would have thought the lease was specific to the land, rather than what is eventually built on it. Again, if there is a protection there, then great, just trying to understand how at risk we might be in future. I wonder if other football fans are as fearful of this sort of thing as we are? Or if the Kassam situation, and our history, makes use fairly uniquely scared to death of being shat on by our owners at every turn!?

OUFC will have to pay maintainance, service and general running costs of the Stadium ( football side of things), however , OUFC 'owning' the stadium would mean any income and revenue generated from most aspects of the Stadium and buildings that are part of the footprint ( Possibly Hotel excepted?) , unlike the current extortionate arrangement with the Breeze Block, would go in the pot to cover-or at least offset-those costs.

I understand the lease has a number of safeguards to ensure the situation that OUFC are currently in ( not owning the Stadium) cannot and will not happen.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

I was 100% with you , until the last line.
Although you said Rochdale, youve described that shitshower from the wrong end of the A420 fortunes in the past 2 or 3 decades, I really wouldnt ever aspire to be the same as them

Sorry@sarge
Just plucked Rochdale out of the blue because I thought they were the team that had stayed I. League 2 for the longest amount of time.
Could be Mansfield or even better Shrewsbury who have that newish stadium, but you get my drift, if they made it to the Championship they would be amazed equally if they dropped to the Conference they would be amazed

 

[Sarge]

Sorry@sarge
Just plucked Rochdale out of the blue because I thought they were the team that had stayed I. League 2 for the longest amount of time.
Could be Mansfield or even better Shrewsbury who have that newish stadium, but you get my drift, if they made it to the Championship they would be amazed equally if they dropped to the Conference they would be amazed

fair enough

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Sorry@sarge
Just plucked Rochdale out of the blue because I thought they were the team that had stayed I. League 2 for the longest amount of time.
Could be Mansfield or even better Shrewsbury who have that newish stadium, but you get my drift, if they made it to the Championship they would be amazed equally if they dropped to the Conference they would be amazed

Shrewsbury's owner isn't that liked by fans but they are a well ran club. They have a fairly decent newish training ground and a stadium that is the right size for them. While it is on the outskirts of the town it is still easy to get to with near by park and rides.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

Shrewsbury's owner isn't that liked by fans but they are a well ran club. They have a fairly decent newish training ground and a stadium that is the right size for them. While it is on the outskirts of the town it is still easy to get to with near by park and rides.

Wish we were in that situation, a well run club I mean with a new stadium

 

[SamLongSlidingTackle]

This thread just goes in circles! God I can't wait until the football starts.

It’s the circle of life

 

[Yellowoptimist]

I think the tone of that is uncalled for and unhelpful.

I don't think anyone is claiming Charlie Methven is the font of all football ownership knowledge, and I don't think anyone is saying he is 100% accurate. Posters like @MarkG have added real insight on here over the years, particularly when discussing club finances.

What I find 'just unbelievable' is that a poster like @Boris mentions that he'd heard liquidation had been discussed and that gains very little traction on here. Does anyone doubt that was discussed at the highest levels within the club? I don't. If it was even discussed as a possibility then that shows how serious a situation we are in.

I think there has been some real fobbing off on here of those with serious concerns about the funding of the new stadium and / or the current embargo situation. Of course it has not been helped by a complete communication void from the club.

I do think a combination of the severe new financial rules, along with the delays in getting the ground signed off are two of the most significant factors that have led to this situation. But they were both known, the club knew the rules were changing (but they still had transfers lined up) and they new FOSB would progress with the JR for as long as possible. It's the unknown I'm concerned about, along with the sudden change of direction (players lined up to sign, a couple of days later an embargo?).

The reason a discussion ref liquidation gains very little traction is because it is totally illogical thing to do, something that has been explained on multiple posts and just reinforces my original message

 

[OUFCGav]

Shrewsbury's owner isn't that liked by fans but they are a well ran club. They have a fairly decent newish training ground and a stadium that is the right size for them. While it is on the outskirts of the town it is still easy to get to with near by park and rides.

According to the EFL embargo list....

 

[Carpy]

According to the EFL embargo list....
View attachment 36567

Yeah, but they've not got a full on embargo, so they're better ran than us! Low bar I know.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Yeah, but they've not got a full on embargo, so they're better ran than us! Low bar I know.

Club Statement | Transfer Fee Restriction | Shrewsbury Town FC

www.shrewsburytown.com

We could only dream of a statement like this.

 

[Carpy]

Club Statement | Transfer Fee Restriction | Shrewsbury Town FC

www.shrewsburytown.com

We could only dream of a statement like this.

"The club accepts full responsibility"

Fat chance

 

[OtteryYellow]

Board - "Erik, have you considered liquidating the club and or the stadium companies?"

Erik - "What? And lose every penny of the money I've put in to date? Next Item...."

I've probably missed something in the the thread but if you know the losses are definitely building up in the future and the new stadium probably won't be enough to turn loss into profit for quite some time, then you would consider cutting your losses now.

I mean if he had put in 100k and then thought better of it he would also be much better off than now.

 

[Toucan]

I've probably missed something in the the thread but if you know the losses are definitely building up in the future and the new stadium probably won't be enough to turn loss into profit for quite some time, then you would consider cutting your losses now.

I mean if he had put in 100k and then thought better of it he would also be much better off than now.

Picking the right moment to cut your losses is also a big factor.
Planning permission granted, with all legal challenges exhausted, is far more attractive to a buyer than right now.

 

[Oxymoron]

IIRC, the projected "time to profit" (from the club's documentation) for the stadium was 20 years. These people are not here for the short term and they certainly aren't going to chuck £80m+ down the drain when the stadium will be up and running in a few years.

Even if they want out, they're going to get a much larger chunk of their capital back by selling a going concern rather than dumping a basket case.

 

[Mr Perfect]

Catching up only just watched the Methven podcast - the picture it portrays is very worrying .....

 

[duckyellow]

Oh dont question the righteous one your get moaned at for having a different opinion

 

[Northstandboy]

Picking the right moment to cut your losses is also a big factor.
Planning permission granted, with all legal challenges exhausted, is far more attractive to a buyer than right now.

But is it?

Having to buy OUFC AND fund a £160m+ stadium?

For a L1 club that’s just too much for anyone to take on.

 

[MarkG]

Catching up only just watched the Methven podcast - the picture it portrays is very worrying .....

I’ve watched it as well this evening.

Still fans bury their head in the sand saying he’s got a chip on his shoulder from over a decade ago, or focus on sound bites to pick one argument to dismiss everything CM says.

 

[Scotchegg]

I’ve watched it as well this evening.

Still fans bury their head in the sand saying he’s got a chip on his shoulder from over a decade ago, or focus on sound bites to pick one argument to dismiss everything CM says.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

I’ve watched it as well this evening.

Still fans bury their head in the sand saying he’s got a chip on his shoulder from over a decade ago, or focus on sound bites to pick one argument to dismiss everything CM says.

We may be in trouble, we may get through this, we may have new owners.

Why people should hang onto what a nobody like Charlie Metven thinks is beyond me, or for that matter anybody else because we just don’t know. All he is putting forward is the worst case scenario and for my money he’s got a “ I told you so” attitude about him, like it’s all gone tits up since my offer wasn’t chosen for the club.

So he may be right he may be wrong but he’s got a massive chip on his shoulder for my money.

Do I think the club is in massive trouble, yes I do, so I’m not burying my head in the sand however there are many scenarios that may play out, but I don’t need an a**e like Charle Methven to tell me that

 

[Swaby39]

I wish people were this animated about bullshit when it’s coming out of the club as they are when Charlie puts 50 pence in!

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

I wish people were this animated about bullshit when it’s coming out of the club as they are when Charlie puts 50 pence in!

I am really concerned and worried about what the club puts out , what I can’t understand is why someone who had some contact with the club over 10 years ago thinks he knows anymore about exactly what is going on than anyone else on here.
We all know it’s bad ,we’re all concerned but I don’t need Charlie Methven to tell me

 

[Steve Gilbert]

I’ve watched it as well this evening.

Still fans bury their head in the sand saying he’s got a chip on his shoulder from over a decade ago, or focus on sound bites to pick one argument to dismiss everything CM says.

I’m starting to think Charlie has you tied up in a room somewhere making you type over and over again that we should listen to him.

Blink twice if you are in trouble…

 

[MarkG]

We may be in trouble, we may get through this, we may have new owners.

Why people should hang onto what a nobody like Charlie Metven thinks is beyond me, or for that matter anybody else because we just don’t know. All he is putting forward is the worst case scenario and for my money he’s got a “ I told you so” attitude about him, like it’s all gone tits up since my offer wasn’t chosen for the club.

So he may be right he may be wrong but he’s got a massive chip on his shoulder for my money.

Do I think the club is in massive trouble, yes I do, so I’m not burying my head in the sand however there are many scenarios that may play out, but I don’t need an a**e like Charle Methven to tell me that

Well why don’t you just front up and say your views.

Negating CM is just an excuse. He has the experience of how football clubs work at executive level and knows I hope the financial rules that apply , and the implications of what happens if we don’t comply.

 

[MarkG]

I’m starting to think Charlie has you tied up in a room somewhere making you type over and over again that we should listen to him.

Blink twice if you are in trouble…

Watch the you tube. Apart from nitpicking , are we reliant on Thohir to keep funding?

 

[Billyox]

I’ve watched it as well this evening.

Still fans bury their head in the sand saying he’s got a chip on his shoulder from over a decade ago, or focus on sound bites to pick one argument to dismiss everything CM says.

If someone lies to you do you not start questioning anything else they say