Ward sale bonus

Jan 8, 2009 23:43:37 GMT Jon said:

He seemed to mix happily on here, but I seem to recall that you used to attack him on dotnet, Merse, for his cynical take on things back in the days when you were still aggressively pro-Roberts or even pro-Walker.

It seems like you will have to wait for Mr Parsons to come out to play on.net or the HE then doesn't it!

The stance I have ALWAYS taken over OUR football club (or anything else in life for that matter) is that if you don't like the way it is run, attempt to DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELVES!

Being pro or anti someone who has proactively got involved is really neither here nor there.

Tony Boyce tried his level best to involve LOCAL business and the LOCAL authority to join him in being proactive, he tried for a mighty long time but nothing was forthcoming so "we got Webb"

Mike Bateson was regarded as a "Northerner" when he put his money where his mouth was and took over a sinking ship despite the FACT that he had lived most of his adult life in South Devon, his wife was locally born and obviously their daughter. The people he employed lived locally and the business taxes and rates his companies paid went into the local economy.

He maintains, there was NO LOCAL bid worthy of the name at the time he was seeking to offload the Football Club and we got the Roberts fronted Sadler funded takeover.

The question has been asked why should a local authority "Support" it's local professional football club, especially as that club might be run "as a business"?

I would contend that the very fact that it IS a business (rather than "run as"one) is a good reason it should be supported..................it provides a lot of pleasure for a significant sector of the population, a lot of ancillary stimulus to the local economy and untold FREE publicity that benefits the area..................publicity that would run to millions if it had to be paid for on the commercial market.

If you are going to apply the criterium of whether or not the voting majority support the club, then you might well be on sticky ground when talking about the local bus service, toilets or Rock Walk where surely there was NEVER a voting majority of the populace who use them.

ALL sporting and recreational activities should receive the utmost support and cooperation from those elected to represent the people in my opinion, that is one of the very fabrics of society that used to be known as an "asset" that the local politicians are charged with maintaining. If everything was calculated on the "we only wish to pay if we use it" factor, there would be very little of anything.

As a little foot note on councils and football clubs, do you remember those little lottery ticket kiosks the club used to put out around the Bay during the time I worked for the club?

Would you be surprised to learn that despite being as obstructive and negative as it was over the issue of "supporting" the Football Club and being more co-operative towards it in it's efforts to be self supporting; the kiosks had to pay FULL water rates and business rates (or whatever they were called then) if they remained in situ for more than a designated number of days?

Water Rates? I hear you ask...........................based on the surmise that rain water that fell came "into contact" with them before running off an disappearing down the drainage system they argued!

Hmmn, Torbay Council could be quite"creative" in it's thinking when it felt the need!

Oh dear, he's not one of them on that show.
Must brave it one night and have a good look at him.
If he's as dire as the rest, I hope he doesn't mention his quite sensible football allegiance to the world (or the 42 people that watch the program).

Dunno how you reckon he's a "replacement"..................that's like replacing a racehorse with an elephant!

Ward has signed for Sheffield United, on a 3 1/2 year deal, but only for £330,000 not the £400,000 that had seemed likely from Barnsley - something like £60,000 coming our way then

The papers have reported it's £400k, but that's probably not all cash.
Any more news?

Dave, given that we are on-course for being 1000 below the average set last season, that is on course to see us have about 23,000 less supporter going through the turnstiles come the end of the season. That would be worth at least a reduction fo £250k in gate receipts alone.

On top of that, we have funded a youth programme for only a couple off months of a whole season having planned to have full sponsorship for the whole season and in all likelihood, we will be looking for replacement club sponsors come the summer.

I think that if we didn't get to the play-offs or get to the FA Trophy final then we would reasonably expect to have about £500k income than last season.

I think that it would be most unreasonable to expect the club to spend any of this £60k windfall on new signings, which I sure that some people feel we should.
I'm concerned about the wellbeing of the club as it finds its feet after a spell of being run-down. THe nature of the businesses that the consortium have been involved in are bound to be hit very hard over the next couple of years. That said, the signing of Bevan and the extension of Sill's contact is hugely encouraging.

With the Ward deal done and dusted now there is another old TUFC player who finds his way to a Championshipclub.

Mike Williamson was sold to Southampton a couple of seasons ago. He didn't make it at Soton and moved to Wycombe.
Today the Chairboys sold him to Watford for an undisclosed fee.

Are United to receive a fee for him as he was a youth player?