As I understand it the Couhigs are banking on increased central funding in coming seasons which would help offset losses from spending wages beyond what our bread and butter income can cover. There are two words the Trust should have said - "ITV" and "Digital".
I understood from the docco that they are paying a premium because they are in the conference but once they get into the league the costs will even out (or something). That's Wrexham...not our documentary.
He wasn't talking about fans booing club legends, though. If I remember correctly, he threw a bit of a tantrum (not for the first time - remember that Zoom meeting) with fans simply being critical of the club's position relative to ambition.
RC is used to being a big fish in a realtively small pond & not having people question his decisions or judgement; like many an American before him he fails to understand the relationship between fans & club & the sense of ownership that relationship engenders, thus leading to the sort of mildly intemeparate statement he made in anger or frustration. Of course it is unacceptable & probably bad business even if it is perhaps understandable.
I have the feeling that he genuinely is honourable & wants to deliver a successful outcome for his family & the fans, I just think he underestimated the challenges of participating in the stacked casino that is the football league. Very few clubs outside the top 6 make money far less an annual profit.
Perhaps he is pinning his hopes on the currently ongoing talks between the Premier League & the EFL regarding "a fairer" distribution of TV revenues & the removal of parachute payments; which should go some way to reducing the gaps between each league but sadly will do nothing to encourage clubs & owners to cut their cloth to fit...
The accounts are red meat for some, but not exactly brand new information. Neither do they suggest we’re facing some sort of apocalypse. They put us in the same boat as 90% of clubs in the EFL.
Sure it was a joke but It isn't actually true either, I'm sure United have many millions in cash at the bank (haven't heard them struggling to spend) while the billion is both serviceable and can be repaid tomorrow if the owners wanted to just by them saying yes to the "nice" chaps from Ineos or Qatar.
The Wrexham comparison is a bit silly too, their owners genuinely have a shedload of money and are able to attract big sponsors on the back of the publicity they are generating.
Not necessarily an apocalypse but hardly sustainable either.
The big clubs can generate huge amounts of cash from TV, Commercial and tickets and United are also a bit of a trophy asset that people would overpay for anyway. While Fergie was accumulating league trophies they kept expanding OT and hoovering up commercial deals, the fact that has stalled a bit oddly becomes an opportunity.
Unfortunately Rob could offer those adjustable rail seats in a new home end for a tenner with free chips on the chairlift over from the station and we'd still probably struggle to get more than 6-7000 for average games unless we go up again, and with the other teams we are competing against that is in no way guaranteed.
Being a skint club that picks up players unwanted elsewhere and builds them into a team that will work their arses off for each other has worked well for us in the past. Remember when we used to regularly score injury time winners? I honestly think that having money is what killed that spirit. I'm looking forward to it coming back.
Looks like it's good that Rob never opened his checkbook as was being demanded for The Player...although as he would have secured our Championship survival...my God this financial stuff is tricky isn't it?
We seem to have a huge development squad setup now. As I understood it the idea is that this is designed to be a profit making part of the business, with the added bonus that we get some good players in the team for a couple of seasons too. While I love the idea I can’t see how it even comes close to break even if selling Mehmeti only generated circa £1m.
Although crowds have improved a bit and associated revenues (Wanderers TV, sponsorships, pies & pints) will also have improved there is no way we can compete sustainably with clubs getting 3-4x our gates.
Getting into the Championship for a season was great and gave us the cash to have a couple more goes at it. But unless we see a very unexpected turnaround in the next few weeks, it looks like we’ve burnt through that cash and stayed in League One. That roll of the dice was a bit of a controlled gamble and we did come close to going up so it is hard to bee too critical. In hindsight, however, it now it looks like we’re staying in you might argue the smarter decision would have been to put a couple of million into stadium improvements.
Looking ahead, we’re likely going into next season aiming to stay in the division. Our focus should be on maximising the ‘big’ games with promotions aimed at getting bums on seats when ex-PL teams visit. Generate some atmosphere and try to get those people returning. Same goes for the cups - woefully neglected in recent seasons, both major cups give us a chance to boost interest and attract new punters. Plus there’s the chance of a ‘football fortune’ windfall.
If we can make that the basis then we might be able to flirt with promotion from this division very occasionally, probably by combining a budget-boosting windfall with some good loan signings and a bit of luck to allow us to punch above our weight temporarily.
Very nicely put, @MorrisItal2. I’ve been on the verge of commenting on that for a week or two but decided now was not the time to reinforce my reputation for being pedantic.
A much longer standing unusual spelling of a particular word is how I identify one regular poster - often commenting on financial and business matters - without looking for the username. Any idea who I’m referring to?
On reflection, my strong-willed refusal for years to be drawn into commenting on the spelling of that commonly used word makes it unfair to expect anyone else to do so !
it has intrigued me for ages though. I’ve come to believe it’s deliberate - a kind of trade mark.
To settle the debate, many moons ago I wrote chequebook and was corrected as Rob was a colonial that it should be checkbook...as a small joke (which obviously only amuses me) I have continued when discussing The Player to use checkbook. I can spell chequebook. If it infuriates I can only suggest a thumbs down on a regular basis to teach me a valuable lesson about the English language! 😉
Getting into the championship then rolling the dice on getting back and in the process putting the club into (paper) insolvency does seem like the thing other clubs do.
Staggering amounts of cash have come into the club in the past three years.
Comments
He either knows something we don’t, or he thinks we are all just stupid.
As I understand it the Couhigs are banking on increased central funding in coming seasons which would help offset losses from spending wages beyond what our bread and butter income can cover. There are two words the Trust should have said - "ITV" and "Digital".
I don’t see that both are mutually exclusive.
He made his feelings quite clear when he called fans 'idiots' recently
He said some fans were idiots and in the case of those who booed Anthony Stewart yesterday he was quite correct.
Yes but his Compensation would have mean much less than what we got from QPR. So we would have made profit from the managerial/staff transactions.
On another tweet down that thread he says Wycombe spent 137k, but highlights in a red box an amount of £157.5k.
Is that a typo? Or what else is going on for the other 20.5k?
I understood from the docco that they are paying a premium because they are in the conference but once they get into the league the costs will even out (or something). That's Wrexham...not our documentary.
Only slight difference is we don't have the capacity to make 100s of million a season or sell out to a billionaire imminently.
He wasn't talking about fans booing club legends, though. If I remember correctly, he threw a bit of a tantrum (not for the first time - remember that Zoom meeting) with fans simply being critical of the club's position relative to ambition.
Surely he meant "subscribers" are idiots!
RC is used to being a big fish in a realtively small pond & not having people question his decisions or judgement; like many an American before him he fails to understand the relationship between fans & club & the sense of ownership that relationship engenders, thus leading to the sort of mildly intemeparate statement he made in anger or frustration. Of course it is unacceptable & probably bad business even if it is perhaps understandable.
I have the feeling that he genuinely is honourable & wants to deliver a successful outcome for his family & the fans, I just think he underestimated the challenges of participating in the stacked casino that is the football league. Very few clubs outside the top 6 make money far less an annual profit.
Perhaps he is pinning his hopes on the currently ongoing talks between the Premier League & the EFL regarding "a fairer" distribution of TV revenues & the removal of parachute payments; which should go some way to reducing the gaps between each league but sadly will do nothing to encourage clubs & owners to cut their cloth to fit...
The accounts are red meat for some, but not exactly brand new information. Neither do they suggest we’re facing some sort of apocalypse. They put us in the same boat as 90% of clubs in the EFL.
Sure it was a joke but It isn't actually true either, I'm sure United have many millions in cash at the bank (haven't heard them struggling to spend) while the billion is both serviceable and can be repaid tomorrow if the owners wanted to just by them saying yes to the "nice" chaps from Ineos or Qatar.
The Wrexham comparison is a bit silly too, their owners genuinely have a shedload of money and are able to attract big sponsors on the back of the publicity they are generating.
Not necessarily an apocalypse but hardly sustainable either.
Yep, debt is an incredibly misunderstood thing.
For Joe Sixpack, it's a disaster, and can lead to all sorts of misery.
For a massive football club it's very little concern, hence, like you say, booting 100s of millions on wages and transfers and no need to sell.
The big clubs can generate huge amounts of cash from TV, Commercial and tickets and United are also a bit of a trophy asset that people would overpay for anyway. While Fergie was accumulating league trophies they kept expanding OT and hoovering up commercial deals, the fact that has stalled a bit oddly becomes an opportunity.
Unfortunately Rob could offer those adjustable rail seats in a new home end for a tenner with free chips on the chairlift over from the station and we'd still probably struggle to get more than 6-7000 for average games unless we go up again, and with the other teams we are competing against that is in no way guaranteed.
I really don't take any comfort in the fact most other clubs bleed as much, or more, than we do.
Being a skint club that picks up players unwanted elsewhere and builds them into a team that will work their arses off for each other has worked well for us in the past. Remember when we used to regularly score injury time winners? I honestly think that having money is what killed that spirit. I'm looking forward to it coming back.
Yes being ‘little Wycombe’ was / is / could be an asset but not everyone can be expected to ‘get’ that cultural perspective.
More ‘we are the old Bucks boys’ than ‘Up the Wyc’
Looks like it's good that Rob never opened his checkbook as was being demanded for The Player...although as he would have secured our Championship survival...my God this financial stuff is tricky isn't it?
Not surprised by the numbers posted above.
We seem to have a huge development squad setup now. As I understood it the idea is that this is designed to be a profit making part of the business, with the added bonus that we get some good players in the team for a couple of seasons too. While I love the idea I can’t see how it even comes close to break even if selling Mehmeti only generated circa £1m.
Although crowds have improved a bit and associated revenues (Wanderers TV, sponsorships, pies & pints) will also have improved there is no way we can compete sustainably with clubs getting 3-4x our gates.
Getting into the Championship for a season was great and gave us the cash to have a couple more goes at it. But unless we see a very unexpected turnaround in the next few weeks, it looks like we’ve burnt through that cash and stayed in League One. That roll of the dice was a bit of a controlled gamble and we did come close to going up so it is hard to bee too critical. In hindsight, however, it now it looks like we’re staying in you might argue the smarter decision would have been to put a couple of million into stadium improvements.
Looking ahead, we’re likely going into next season aiming to stay in the division. Our focus should be on maximising the ‘big’ games with promotions aimed at getting bums on seats when ex-PL teams visit. Generate some atmosphere and try to get those people returning. Same goes for the cups - woefully neglected in recent seasons, both major cups give us a chance to boost interest and attract new punters. Plus there’s the chance of a ‘football fortune’ windfall.
If we can make that the basis then we might be able to flirt with promotion from this division very occasionally, probably by combining a budget-boosting windfall with some good loan signings and a bit of luck to allow us to punch above our weight temporarily.
Even the PIzza Cup gives us a few bob doesn't it...one man and his dog attendances or not.
Would his checkbook become a chequebook if he used it here.
He may even pay cash straight from his billfold @MorrisItal2
I would imagine it’s generated a few bob for Bolton and Plymouth given there were 80,000 at Wembley yesterday.
Very nicely put, @MorrisItal2. I’ve been on the verge of commenting on that for a week or two but decided now was not the time to reinforce my reputation for being pedantic.
A much longer standing unusual spelling of a particular word is how I identify one regular poster - often commenting on financial and business matters - without looking for the username. Any idea who I’m referring to?
On reflection, my strong-willed refusal for years to be drawn into commenting on the spelling of that commonly used word makes it unfair to expect anyone else to do so !
it has intrigued me for ages though. I’ve come to believe it’s deliberate - a kind of trade mark.
Me neither, but that’s the game. Responsible financial management gets you nowhere.
To settle the debate, many moons ago I wrote chequebook and was corrected as Rob was a colonial that it should be checkbook...as a small joke (which obviously only amuses me) I have continued when discussing The Player to use checkbook. I can spell chequebook. If it infuriates I can only suggest a thumbs down on a regular basis to teach me a valuable lesson about the English language! 😉
Getting into the championship then rolling the dice on getting back and in the process putting the club into (paper) insolvency does seem like the thing other clubs do.
Staggering amounts of cash have come into the club in the past three years.
Old and forgetful now. What, pray, does one do with a chequebook? Is it in some way connected to Fax (or should it be Facs) machines?