Any new owner of WWFC faces the same problem, how do we increase the attendance numbers? Back in the day, there was a strong connection between the team and the town. I’m not sure that still exists in the same way. Of course a more successful team would improve that to some extent, but we don’t seem to be benefitting from the general uptick in attendances nationally. Somehow we have to strengthen the club’s identity without losing our soul, on and off the pitch.
Rob was always adamant he would pass the club on to people with good intentions. We can only hope that he stuck to his word. This is really exciting news.
The Dan Rice thing really is quite a coup. Poaching people off Everton who they themselves pinched from under the nose of Newcastle!
I also rather suspect there’s pressure on the new owners to follow through in whatever promises they have given him to get him away from a premier league club.
sure, he’s gone from a youth only role to running all “recruitment, first team, academy, coaching, sport science and analysis” so a promotion in many ways. But I suspect he is used to having a lot of resources at his disposal to get the absolute best results that have made him hot property.
Just to be a Debby Downer (a reference our old owners would understand) but Stoke's owners are worth about twice as much as Lomtadze and that hasn't exactly made the earth move for them.
. Why does a man with so much wealth buy a small time club with average gates of 5000. So actually he can’t splash the cash. Confused but just a little bit excited.
The only way to properly develop AP would be to purchase the industrial estate, relocate the businesses and build restaurants, bars & car parks together with improved road access to the ground and better public transport links.
Not sure what Sands residents would think, but it might be an improvement for them and push their house prices up.
Unless we can get into the Championship and be playing in front of 20000 each home game then I can’t really see these guys being around for too long.
The reality is that the only really acceptable form of ownership - fan ownership - is basically off limits to us, and failing that, it is a case of which rich man's plaything does your club become. I would rather a billionaire than a millionaire simply for the better odds!
Self congratulations apart. I am excited and scared by this announcement.
In the recent Q&A I had a couple of (typically wordy) questions asked. One of them was around who Rob sells the club onto and to make sure we don’t see ourselves in the position Reading found themselves in with an owner that gets bored as I would want my kids (9 & 7) to still have a club to support when they are the wrong side of 40.
I seem to recall I was reasonably happy with his answer at the time. I hope he has sold us onto good, responsible hands and I look forward to open and honest conversations with the new owners as we had with the last. Even if at times I didn’t agree with them.
i don’t expect a raft of expensive signings - profit and sustainability rules don’t allow that. But I do expect off the pitch, infrastructure announcements to come in due course.
That might even mean a new stadium (although, it’s much more likely to be current one to be developed on the basis of a new road going in)
We lost control over that when WWT legacy members voted to agree to the sale of the controlling stake in WWFC.
The Couhigs will ultimately sell to whoever has the readies. Which is entirely their perogative, but supporters can't have their cake and eat it when they voted overwhelmingly for this precise outcome being beyond the control of WWT.
We're in the lap of the gods now whether Lomtadze's involvement will be in the best interests of the club. This could genuinely be a huge step forwards for the club, though we have no real idea how trustworthy our new overlord is.
. Why does a man with so much wealth buy a small time club with average gates of 5000. So actually he can’t splash the cash. Confused but just a little bit excited.
Potential.
I’m sure we have all thought the club could do more around the town to attract more local supporters.
But if you’re really ambitious, the catchment around could reach into London.
Also the World Wide Wanderers thing shows you can attract more overseas fans towards a small league one club.
turn those 200 la media Inglasia Wembley travellers into 2/3/4000 streamers paying £10 a week and you’ve got a decent additional income.
Which all in turn increases club value.
I think what Rob and Pete did - or aimed to do - was basically a proof of concept. ML will aim to build on it all and take it to the next level.
Anybody who can fix the leak in the roof above my seat in the Frank Adams stand will do for me. On a serious note the future could be exciting and fun. Very much a case of ‘ watch this space ‘. Let us hope it does not end in tears.
We lost control over that when WWT legacy members voted to agree to the sale of the controlling stake in WWFC.
The Couhigs will ultimately sell to whoever has the readies. Which is entirely their perogative, but supporters can't have their cake and eat it when they voted overwhelmingly for this precise outcome being beyond the control of WWT.
We're in the lap of the gods now whether Lomtadze's involvement will be in the best interests of the club. This could genuinely be a huge step forwards for the club, though we have no real idea how trustworthy our new overlord is.
I don’t disagree at all. But it’s not a case of throwing the towel in.
We can still critique anything they say and do. Hold them to account. Make sure we don’t act in the way Derby fans did when Mel Morris was splashing the cash.
i think we are in a fairly unique position of learning a lot from the Hayes area and I hope we will use that experience.
Don't forget too that they need us to be sustainable and profitable. It’s us and many more like us that they need to attract to the club and open our wallets to put money into the club.
We lost control over that when WWT legacy members voted to agree to the sale of the controlling stake in WWFC.
The Couhigs will ultimately sell to whoever has the readies. Which is entirely their perogative, but supporters can't have their cake and eat it when they voted overwhelmingly for this precise outcome being beyond the control of WWT.
We're in the lap of the gods now whether Lomtadze's involvement will be in the best interests of the club. This could genuinely be a huge step forwards for the club, though we have no real idea how trustworthy our new overlord is.
By the time WWT Legacy Members had a vote, the horse had already bolted and there was no realistic alternative.
That they saw the wood for the trees is why we’re still here
The reality is that the only really acceptable form of ownership - fan ownership - is basically off limits to us, and failing that, it is a case of which rich man's plaything does your club become. I would rather a billionaire than a millionaire simply for the better odds!
It’s not a reality, it’s a choice, as Exeter City have successfully proved.
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Comments
I hear Mikheil is still keen on RC's aborted cheerleader idea, but has some changes to the costumes.
Any new owner of WWFC faces the same problem, how do we increase the attendance numbers? Back in the day, there was a strong connection between the team and the town. I’m not sure that still exists in the same way. Of course a more successful team would improve that to some extent, but we don’t seem to be benefitting from the general uptick in attendances nationally. Somehow we have to strengthen the club’s identity without losing our soul, on and off the pitch.
Rob was always adamant he would pass the club on to people with good intentions. We can only hope that he stuck to his word. This is really exciting news.
The Dan Rice thing really is quite a coup. Poaching people off Everton who they themselves pinched from under the nose of Newcastle!
Yes I am proper good news hopfully we get a influx of new younger fanbase we really need it .
Fireworks are gonna be f#ck1ng brilliant next season!
Dan couldn't believe the amount of......responsibility......that Lomtadze was offering him.
I also rather suspect there’s pressure on the new owners to follow through in whatever promises they have given him to get him away from a premier league club.
sure, he’s gone from a youth only role to running all “recruitment, first team, academy, coaching, sport science and analysis” so a promotion in many ways. But I suspect he is used to having a lot of resources at his disposal to get the absolute best results that have made him hot property.
If he doesn't perform though he's mullered!
Just to be a Debby Downer (a reference our old owners would understand) but Stoke's owners are worth about twice as much as Lomtadze and that hasn't exactly made the earth move for them.
Hope he’s not a big fan of three at the back.
. Why does a man with so much wealth buy a small time club with average gates of 5000. So actually he can’t splash the cash. Confused but just a little bit excited.
‘What first attracted you to the billionaire Georgian and his new football club?’
The only way to properly develop AP would be to purchase the industrial estate, relocate the businesses and build restaurants, bars & car parks together with improved road access to the ground and better public transport links.
Not sure what Sands residents would think, but it might be an improvement for them and push their house prices up.
Unless we can get into the Championship and be playing in front of 20000 each home game then I can’t really see these guys being around for too long.
Bloody hell, I go to a pub with no Internet for a few hours and the world turns upside down.
I believe in Wrexham they actually call it "romance" now.
Greetings from Georgia, Deadpool.
The reality is that the only really acceptable form of ownership - fan ownership - is basically off limits to us, and failing that, it is a case of which rich man's plaything does your club become. I would rather a billionaire than a millionaire simply for the better odds!
We lost control over that when WWT legacy members voted to agree to the sale of the controlling stake in WWFC.
The Couhigs will ultimately sell to whoever has the readies. Which is entirely their perogative, but supporters can't have their cake and eat it when they voted overwhelmingly for this precise outcome being beyond the control of WWT.
We're in the lap of the gods now whether Lomtadze's involvement will be in the best interests of the club. This could genuinely be a huge step forwards for the club, though we have no real idea how trustworthy our new overlord is.
Potential.
I’m sure we have all thought the club could do more around the town to attract more local supporters.
But if you’re really ambitious, the catchment around could reach into London.
Also the World Wide Wanderers thing shows you can attract more overseas fans towards a small league one club.
turn those 200 la media Inglasia Wembley travellers into 2/3/4000 streamers paying £10 a week and you’ve got a decent additional income.
Which all in turn increases club value.
I think what Rob and Pete did - or aimed to do - was basically a proof of concept. ML will aim to build on it all and take it to the next level.
Just move seats.
God @trevor on the Board 🤦🤦🤦. Oh on board, phew.
Georgia is (according to Wikipedia) a football loving country so it looks like The WorldWide Wycombe Phermones might actually develop a new fanbase.
I don’t disagree at all. But it’s not a case of throwing the towel in.
We can still critique anything they say and do. Hold them to account. Make sure we don’t act in the way Derby fans did when Mel Morris was splashing the cash.
i think we are in a fairly unique position of learning a lot from the Hayes area and I hope we will use that experience.
Don't forget too that they need us to be sustainable and profitable. It’s us and many more like us that they need to attract to the club and open our wallets to put money into the club.
By the time WWT Legacy Members had a vote, the horse had already bolted and there was no realistic alternative.
That they saw the wood for the trees is why we’re still here
It’s not a reality, it’s a choice, as Exeter City have successfully proved.
Just to help clarify a few comments earlier in the thread. League One clubs aren’t subject to Profit & Sustainability rules.
They only apply in the top two divisions.
The bottom two divisions work on a percentage of turnover model with no limit on owner funding to my knowledge.
Something you'd expect from people with chair making in their DNA.
The stewards won’t let him bring a spanner in to achieve that.