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The 500 Club

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  • Did one fan pay £1,310 extra, or did everyone decide to pay £167 instead of £150?

  • I paid earlier today online. Shame you don't get an automated receipt to check everything went through. Suppose I will have to wait for my credit card bill for confirmation.

  • @Chris said:
    That would be third party ownership, and is most definitely not allowed.

    As long as Bristol Rovers don't find out , I'm sure it would be fine.

  • @mooneyman you should have got an email to confirm your donation. Thank you anyway!

  • @DJWYC14
    Did you have a chance to see if the Trust was sending out emails before homes games this season as you described? I have the one this week but not seen very many at all this season. I think a quick update before each home game would be enough.

    Not managed to get a tax refund to join the 500 Club yet. HMRC aren't being that cooperative.

  • Trust emails are sent out when we have something to tell you. We try not to repeat what goes out weekly from the club on their email newsletter.
    Hope you soon get your tax refund - is that from the Share Scheme that gives 30% back to you?

  • @AlanCecil Maybe you can answer two questions for me on this.

    1. From a Trust point of view where would you prefer me to invest money? I see the tax break on the Share Scheme that is not available in the 500 Club. In that I get signed picture and the promise of non committed prize draws. Why are two schemes in place?

    2. I'd be interested in knowing if the same people are investing in both or if the 500 club is truelly bringing in new money. Great if it is but a bit of a duplication of admin if it's the same giving money to both?

  • @Right_in_the_Middle - As an example I have joined the 500 club but not the share scheme. My main reason is that I know exactly where my money is going. I was at the beginning going to put a lump sum in the share scheme until AH's aggressive behaviour to a supporters simple question at a Trust meeting. My original decision has been subsequently reinforced by the level of secrecy, lack of information and transparency of the Trust Board.

  • Here here.

  • Alan's regular attempts to keep fans updated on club and trust matters here and on Facebook is great, but obviously his hands are tied on some matters, which increases the sense that fans are being kept in the dark too much.

    I'm quite keen to contribute to the 500 Club scheme, but would genuinely like to know first what's happening with the Ibe sell-on - or if we're even getting one. if that come across as cynical and negative I don't mean it to be, but I thinks fans should be able to ask questions when they're being asked to put their hands in their pockets again.

  • @mooneyman said:
    As an example I have joined the 500 club but not the share scheme. My main reason is that I know exactly where my money is going. I was at the beginning going to put a lump sum in the share scheme until AH's aggressive behaviour to a supporters simple question at a Trust meeting. My original decision has been subsequently reinforced by the level of secrecy, lack of information and transparency of the Trust Board.

    On the other hand, I've joined the share scheme but am not interested in Club 500. The share scheme seems to me an attempt to make a long term improvement to the club's position, which I think is more worthwhile than a gamble on a January signing.

    Worst case scenario, just imagine if the signing was an absolute tosser of a man and useless to boot - it'd turn ugly pretty quickly. Of course, if the signing worked? Well that'd be joyful for the funders especially.

    Nothing wrong with either scheme though - whatever floats your boat. Both are an attempt to improve matters and that can't be a bad thing. No-one is forced to participate.

  • Very much with you on the relative merits of the two schemes @arnos_grove.

  • @Right_in_the_Middle I would not tell anyone where or how to invest in the club. We have come with up with various ways at different levels in the hope of finding something that might suit every fan. With the Share Scheme , you can get back 30% of your investment by way of tax relief/refund and with the hope (if not expectation) that one day the shares could be redeemed. Investment in the Share Scheme leaves it up to the Trust Board to decide how and when the money is used.
    For some time we were getting feedback that some fans wanted to invest in something more specific and therefore researched the idea of a Player Fund to make some funds available for the January transfer window.
    Then there are the badges which provide extra useful money at each home match for a small outlay.
    At the same time, we try to encourage fans to make AP their point of spending for the day, if they can to boost the spend per head for food and drink. Also programmes and 50/50 tickets sold provide useful income
    Nobody has to do everything - nice as it would be if they did - but the choice is there.

    @StrongestTeam - thanks for the feedback. I happen to be good at admin whereas others deal with marketing, communications, legal, etc

    @MindlessDrugHoover On the Ibe deal this is the Trust statement "We realise members are eager for an update on the financial implications of Jordon’s sale for our Club. Unfortunately, we are still bound by the confidentiality clauses in the original contract with Liverpool which are very detailed and stringent. Further information will be released when possible, but in the meantime the requirements of the contract must be respected.
    Please be assured that the Club Board has this situation completely in hand – the only issue is that the details cannot be communicated "

  • May have missed this but is there any confirmation that this money will not be spent on wages to sign a loan player?

  • @fromtheside - from the Terms and Conditions:
    "3 All monies that come in to the 500 Club will be paid to the Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Group Ltd, (the “Trust”) and passed onto the Club by the Trust on the understanding that they are applied towards the cost of buying or employing new or loan players as an increase to the playing budget adopted at the start of the new financial year/ 2016/17 season

    1. Monies will be treated as an unconditional gift to the Club. The Club agrees to apply the funds towards the player budget as it sees fit and will not consult with fans who have donated, although they will be kept advised with the progress of the fund. "

    That does not rule out wages for a loan player. The decision rests with the Team Management who have to work within the budget given to them, which will include funds from the 500 Club.

  • I hope to see a Trust email when they have something to ask us, rather than something to tell us.

  • @AlanCecil - thanks for that; hope things are in hand. My worry was/is that if the sell-on still hasn't been sorted there is some issue with it - either some loophole in the contract, or Liverpool's lawyers trying to stitch us up. I appreciate you can't give us any more info at this stage, but I'll feel uneasy until I hear we've got the money.

  • i have contributed to both schemes . the share scheme with the thought that it is a gift that I can afford to give without thinking of ever getting my money back . I accept that quite happily for my football club . the 500 club I again looked and thought I can afford to lose £150 with the hope of a player being brought into the club that helps us to succeed but that is in the lap of the gods as even the big boys get that wrong . so if you accept that you will never get a return but feel that is it worthwile then I say go for it as I must admit it does help our football club even in a very small way

  • Maybe I'm being naive, but say, hypothetically, Liverpool were trying to wriggle out of paying us what they owe (and there's no evidence to suggest this is the case) surely they would be well aware of what a massive PR disaster that would be for them?

    A wealthy PL club ripping off a skint, fan-owned L2 side? The majority of teams in this division may hate us, but the rest of football would be appalled on our behalf. Even their own fans would go nuts over that, as would we if WW ever did that to another club.

  • @Jonny_King There is nothing in any statement from the Trust which indicates that Liverpool are trying to wriggle out of paying us what they owe. It has been reported in the Press that Bournemouth and Liverpool did have both a buy back and sell on clause in the Ibe deal. I assume this has created a problem for WWFC, probably in the payoff arrangements, which are obviously not going to be upfront, as we now have a 500 club.

  • As the fall out from the Leeds debacle showed even with the money sloshing around Premier League (and Championship) it does not mean that the funds are being well managed. A £15million transfer fee will not involve a cheque for that sum being sent to anyone. Image rights, agents fees, deferred payments, staged payments, off-set payments etc etc will all form part of the deal and sh1t rolls downhill.
    As for @Jonny_King suggesting that any dirty play by Liverpool would be a PR disaster I don't think so. Big boys have always p1ssed on us with total impunity. I recall a case of Spurs totally stiffing Posh in the transfers of Davies and Etherington. Who cared outside of Peterborough United?
    We will be given our money by the (once) mighty Liverpool when they are good and ready. And then we will be expected to say thank-you for the crumbs.

  • Or indeed us with the transfer of Martin and Torres where we looked to minimise the amount due to Basingstoke.

  • @Chris, i cant remember he exact detail of that deal now, but as martin went onto the premier league and playing tor his country , and Torres straight back down the leagues, is it hat unreasonable that martin's part ot the package was a fair bit higher? Or is that pure hindsight, and they were rated equals at the Time?

  • Hindsight I think - there weren't many Wycombe fans who rated Martin higher than Torres at the moment the transfer happened. Though I'm sure there are plenty who would now claim to have done so.

  • A little of the detail is on Chairboys on the Net:

    TORRES FEE REVEALED
    (Monday 14th July 2008)
    The Club revealed on Monday afternoon the fee received from Peterborough United for Sergio Torres and Russell Martin. An article on the Wanderers official website said, "A combined fee of £200k has been agreed for the sale of Sergio and Russ Martin, with the price reflecting each player's valuation at £100k". Meanwhile, over on the Posh official website, their claim in a quote read, "Posh will pay a fee in the region of £150,000 for the 27-year-old, although a fee has been included in that figure for Russell Martin. Club MD Steve Hayes added on the Wanderers official website "We knew of interest in (Torres) and we felt that by securing him on a contract we would get some money for him. When a player comes to us and says he wants to leave we can't stand in his way." Wanderers will pay Basingstoke around £16,600 as a sell on fee for Torres, while Hayes as started that Manager Peter Taylor will get money to add to his squad.

    http://www.chairboys.co.uk/onthenet/news0809/july2008.htm

  • We do get walked over in transfer fees don't we.....

  • I see the club are readvertising the 500 Club today on the web.

    I see the same monthly DD terms are included in the article but with two months to go now is the £12.50 per month still correct? How does this work with having a £75k fund on New Years Day?

    Anyone know the answer?

  • Plainly Righty, if you wish to contribute and you wish to pay by monthly instalments, not all of your contribution will be in by Jan 31st. But then as this fund (to the extent that it is separate monies) will be used to pay both transfer fee (if any) and salaries of any incoming player, not all the cost will be incurred by January either.

  • Plainly to you maybe but I'm not so sure. Maybe someone else might be able to help. Not having the actual cash does rather dictate the way the money is spent doesn't it. An up front transfer fee is much harder to give if a good proportion of the money is still being waited for.

    The terms and conditions talk alot about the 2016/17 season but don't actually have an end date to the entry of the scheme. Maybe it will just be an ongoing thing.

    Seems to have flat lined a bit but hopefully there will be a bit of a boost much nearer the transfer window. I'm still waiting for my lottery win to contribute.

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