Funding of Investors 15:46 - Jan 25 with 8780 views | scooby | Been thinking about this, the majority of money that investors have / get is rarely theirs. A lot comes from overseas. What are peoples thoughts on accepting an investor with funding from overseas? funding that need ultimately needs repaying... Is there such a thing as a good investor? the large majority of investors want a return, i just cant see how RAFC would provide that. Plus, it isn't just an injection, this club needs regular "injections", possibly annually. I'm struggling to see how this would be an inviting opportunity for an external... There is always the chance for the Trust to seek funding... unlikely and unappealing I know, unless it can achieve a majority shareholding! | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 16:26 - Jan 25 with 4531 views | TomRAFC | I'm struggling to see what a good investor could look like, although surely some clubs must have them. We're used to the club being run by fans. One of the red flags about the training ground/director of football promises made by Altman was that it was to be paid for by him giving us 0% interest loans. Theoretically, he could have loaned us the money, done his experiment, sold his shares, and demanded we pay him back for the pleasure. The only risk for him would be that he left us with so much debt that we folded before we could pay it back. As I've said before, I don't foresee anyone pumping millions into Dale without having control of the club. At that point, we will have no real influence on what they choose to do, regardless of how many fans have shares. The board members could simply choose to sell their personal shares to someone who passes the EFL's tests (and does it by the book this time). | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 16:45 - Jan 25 with 4464 views | 49thseason | Im no accountant but I think a company could buy the club and following the acquisition, offset the clubs losses against the purchasing company's profits and therefore taxes. I dont think it applies to existing losses, just ones after acquisition. No one " invests" in football with expectation of making a return unless you take the example of the Glaziers and buy an already profitable club and make it more profitable. Essentially football clubs are huge holes to throw money into, never to see it again. In our case, we are barely hanging on by our fingernails and if the last 100 years have proved anything, the Rochdale public will not support its team enough to be self sufficient. Its the Boards duty to find non-football ways to support the club or bring in someone with money to spare who can. As we have recently proved, the fans will support a one-off appeal, but not an annual fund raise, there just isn't enough spare money around. We may end up not being entirely fan-owned but as fans we have the ability to help to make the required changes, we just need the opportunity and leadership to create and enact a new vision. | ![](/images/avatars/1190.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 17:23 - Jan 25 with 4346 views | TalkingSutty |
Funding of Investors on 16:45 - Jan 25 by 49thseason | Im no accountant but I think a company could buy the club and following the acquisition, offset the clubs losses against the purchasing company's profits and therefore taxes. I dont think it applies to existing losses, just ones after acquisition. No one " invests" in football with expectation of making a return unless you take the example of the Glaziers and buy an already profitable club and make it more profitable. Essentially football clubs are huge holes to throw money into, never to see it again. In our case, we are barely hanging on by our fingernails and if the last 100 years have proved anything, the Rochdale public will not support its team enough to be self sufficient. Its the Boards duty to find non-football ways to support the club or bring in someone with money to spare who can. As we have recently proved, the fans will support a one-off appeal, but not an annual fund raise, there just isn't enough spare money around. We may end up not being entirely fan-owned but as fans we have the ability to help to make the required changes, we just need the opportunity and leadership to create and enact a new vision. |
I think we are quickly reaching the point where as a club and shareholders/ fans there might be some really big decisions to make. If we are losing about £1million/ year at the moment as a EFL club then if we fast forward 5 years what could we be losing then? I know we might have the odd good year in-between but that's getting tougher to achieve. I'm assuming we have assets in the stadium etc but if we have to start remortgaging then pretty soon we will be left with nothing but debt, massive debt. As unappetising as it is to all of us could it be a time to put two fingers up to the EFL and the sharks that circle, cut our losses while we still have our stadium and money in it and look at starting again further down the pyramid, at a different location in the Town, using any money we have from the sale of the COA to fund it? That could be a fan owned and a fan run venture, similar to what Bury AFC have done. As it is now outside investors would want to control the club and I'm not sure I could stomach that after what we've been through over the last couple of years. A club resigning from the EFL due to not being able to make ends meet financially would probably be the straw that breaks the camels back for football in this country. A Club that acted responsibly rather than piling up debt and ripping off local businesses etc. If we are going to put together a volunteer army then let's not do it to flog a dead horse so 'investors' can reap the benefits. Is anybody actually enjoying this anymore because i'm not, this thing with Brierley has just put the top hat on things. Fans digging deep to follow the team and we're sending first team players out on trial rather than playing them. I think it's time the Chairman and Directors put their cards on the table also, what do they really want for the club, the fact they are looking for investors suggests they aren't in it for the long run. No matter what, they have to be reimbursed for their financial outlay, that's a priority. As a shareholder I'm not happy how this u-turn from a fan owned club to one that is now up for sale waa suddenly decided and announced to the media with no consultation with shareholders or the fan base first. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 17:35]
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Funding of Investors on 17:32 - Jan 25 with 4292 views | 442Dale | Some interesting points throughout this thread. What still doesn’t quite make sense is when exactly the decision was made to seek outside investment. The board have to accept that they’re not only confusing supporters, they’re also being unfair if they expect backing without filling in the gaps in our knowledge. We don’t want to hear about the EFL, Bottomley, Morton House or blame games, we need to know specifics about how outside investment will work and why it’s better than being ‘fan owned’ Is there an investment brochure going out to interested parties, for example? Presumably there’s something to detail what they’d be buying into? If so, why can’t shareholders/supporters see this? | ![](/images/avatars/1212.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 17:49 - Jan 25 with 4226 views | blackdogblue | I’m depressed enough about things as they are…. Some home truths above already…. | ![](/images/avatars/22716.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 17:55 - Jan 25 with 4213 views | fitzochris | A few people, having read my latest article, think I am opposed to outside investment. I’m not at all. When I first interviewed Simon upon his appointment as chairman, he even intimated back then that it may be a necessary outcome should all else fail. It was very definitely on the table. The upside of it would be that this time any potential investor would be put before the shareholders rather than the board trying to get them to waive that right and agree to a blind sale. The questions my article posed are similar to those put forward by 442Dale and others. It was seeking clarity around the speed of the switch and the sudden reasoning when none such was given at the AGM. Again, these shouldn’t be seen as critical. We’ve all bought into the fan-owned, or at least fan-led, model, so changes to that should be questioned. What’s happening on the pitch is a whole other rant that my sanity won’t allow me to go over again here! | ![](/images/avatars/1214.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 17:56 - Jan 25 with 4209 views | TalkingSutty |
Funding of Investors on 17:32 - Jan 25 by 442Dale | Some interesting points throughout this thread. What still doesn’t quite make sense is when exactly the decision was made to seek outside investment. The board have to accept that they’re not only confusing supporters, they’re also being unfair if they expect backing without filling in the gaps in our knowledge. We don’t want to hear about the EFL, Bottomley, Morton House or blame games, we need to know specifics about how outside investment will work and why it’s better than being ‘fan owned’ Is there an investment brochure going out to interested parties, for example? Presumably there’s something to detail what they’d be buying into? If so, why can’t shareholders/supporters see this? |
Exactly, as fans we've just gone through this over the last few year, those in the Boardroom just paying lip service when it comes to consulting and keeping fans informed. Except it's even worse now because we have a fans representative as a Director and we have the Trust who are one of the major shareholders so the lines of communication are in place. There's no excuse for it, even more so when you have over 500 shareholders financially invested. Let's not forget that the person who has contributed the most financially is not inside the Boardroom, he's on the outside and it's David Clough. The AGM was the perfect platform to discuss all of this but it was kept under wraps. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 17:58]
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Funding of Investors on 18:07 - Jan 25 with 4148 views | 49thseason | I think there ia a lot to be said for a new 5000 or 6000 seat stadium on Kingsway or similar, with training facilities and carparks, and other business opportunities like a lorry stop, hotel, take away, etc. Rather like the new hotel on Sandbrook Park. Selling the COA as a brownfield building plot with planning permission would raise a deposit but ideally the council would need to get involved too. It would be a new start but would need a big sum to get it built., so new money inevitably and difficult given the current economic situation generally I dont think the new Board could have ever foreseen A) the size of the mess they inherited or B) the scandalous take over attempt, either of which could have easily ? seen us off completely. I hope they have some sort of cunning plan, but I fear they are as short of ideas as the rest of us, there really isnt much any of us can do without an influx of hard cash. Could 1000 of us form a super fans club for £1000 each and keep it up year after year I doubt it? We only have 500 or so shareholders.. Maybe as a 5 year bond (loan) with an interest rate of 3 or 4 %? My fingers are crossed for a benevolent investor, I dont really care where the money comes from, but I think we need some good news and quickly. | ![](/images/avatars/1190.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
Funding of Investors on 18:22 - Jan 25 with 4103 views | TalkingSutty |
Funding of Investors on 18:07 - Jan 25 by 49thseason | I think there ia a lot to be said for a new 5000 or 6000 seat stadium on Kingsway or similar, with training facilities and carparks, and other business opportunities like a lorry stop, hotel, take away, etc. Rather like the new hotel on Sandbrook Park. Selling the COA as a brownfield building plot with planning permission would raise a deposit but ideally the council would need to get involved too. It would be a new start but would need a big sum to get it built., so new money inevitably and difficult given the current economic situation generally I dont think the new Board could have ever foreseen A) the size of the mess they inherited or B) the scandalous take over attempt, either of which could have easily ? seen us off completely. I hope they have some sort of cunning plan, but I fear they are as short of ideas as the rest of us, there really isnt much any of us can do without an influx of hard cash. Could 1000 of us form a super fans club for £1000 each and keep it up year after year I doubt it? We only have 500 or so shareholders.. Maybe as a 5 year bond (loan) with an interest rate of 3 or 4 %? My fingers are crossed for a benevolent investor, I dont really care where the money comes from, but I think we need some good news and quickly. |
I've been trying to work out how we can balance the books as a EFL club on home support of 3000 fans. I don't think it's possible. We can super charge the commercial side of things in a very poor Town but the way football finances are going i can't see how we can pay the bills and put a competitive team on the pitch. We could do what bury did and ignore the debts until we crash but we don't want to do that. We have only two realistic choices, embrace investment and everything that brings, or re-invent the club further down the pyramid and as fans row our own boat. These are only my opinions and apologies if I sound a tad defeatist. | ![](/images/avatars/1233.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 18:30 - Jan 25 with 4069 views | 442Dale |
Funding of Investors on 18:22 - Jan 25 by TalkingSutty | I've been trying to work out how we can balance the books as a EFL club on home support of 3000 fans. I don't think it's possible. We can super charge the commercial side of things in a very poor Town but the way football finances are going i can't see how we can pay the bills and put a competitive team on the pitch. We could do what bury did and ignore the debts until we crash but we don't want to do that. We have only two realistic choices, embrace investment and everything that brings, or re-invent the club further down the pyramid and as fans row our own boat. These are only my opinions and apologies if I sound a tad defeatist. |
It’s no defeatist though, TS. It’s looking at realistic options and planing accordingly. It’s where we’ve failed time and again. Warnings weren’t heeded when we were visiting Wembley, winning promotion and selling players. You make hay when the sun shines. To progress when times are good is easy, to do the same when they’re tougher should be achievable too, but in both circumstances it requires self-analysis, humility and a desire to constantly improve by listening. Christ, I even saw mention of the fixture board the other day! | ![](/images/avatars/1212.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 18:52 - Jan 25 with 3994 views | HullDale | I want supporting Dale to feel like Dale again, first & foremost. Its gone from a jokey 'looking forward to Saturday apart from 90 minutes in the middle' to actually feeling like a chore. In the past, even when we were rubbish on the pitch, we were generally kept pretty well informed about off the pitch matters. Even when there were issues being highlighted, and not always fixed, it felt like 'our' club. It now feels like we've gone from a narcissistic ego-maniac playing with the club like a barbie doll to a board in the spotlight, with all the right intentions but no doubt also wrestling with limited footballing knowledge and taking a 'batton down the hatches' approach rather than communicating often... they are visible, but don't feel present or available. The fight of the last 2 years has clearly taken its toll on the club, off the pitch operations, on the pitch operations and, most worryingly of all, the fanbase. My worry is that this is giving the wrong'uns a perfect opportunity to come in via the back door. We've quickly gone from the most united fanbase I can remember to one that is hugely divided. Fans arguing on social media, whispers and rumours flying around non stop, arguments in the terraces about everything related to the club - there were even chants of 'sack the board' on Saturday... a sentiment a vocal minority agreed with, a silent majority ignored, and I know would cause a lot of people to absolutely rage over after the way they saved the club last year. In terms of funding of investors, its quite clear for me. - Clean money, earned legally - Not stockpiling debt on the club, but instead improving the club and taking a % of ongoing profit to recoup investment - Not being in a position where we owe anybody money for longer than is reasonable... I couldn't cope with the idea of us doing a bury and leaving small local businesses up the swanny - I'd want whoever invests to have clear channels of communication... open and honest, direct when needed, with a clear and congruent plan that doesn't change every 2 or 3 months. This board of directors will go down in history as a group of individuals who saved the club... maybe not with the same rosey affection as David Clough, and maybe not immediately with the almost mythical status of Kilpatrick and Morris, but nonetheless they stepped up and did more than their bit. I hope they now take feedback on board, start communicating, and don't tarnish that legacy. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 18:54]
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Funding of Investors on 20:09 - Jan 25 with 3793 views | D_Alien |
Funding of Investors on 18:52 - Jan 25 by HullDale | I want supporting Dale to feel like Dale again, first & foremost. Its gone from a jokey 'looking forward to Saturday apart from 90 minutes in the middle' to actually feeling like a chore. In the past, even when we were rubbish on the pitch, we were generally kept pretty well informed about off the pitch matters. Even when there were issues being highlighted, and not always fixed, it felt like 'our' club. It now feels like we've gone from a narcissistic ego-maniac playing with the club like a barbie doll to a board in the spotlight, with all the right intentions but no doubt also wrestling with limited footballing knowledge and taking a 'batton down the hatches' approach rather than communicating often... they are visible, but don't feel present or available. The fight of the last 2 years has clearly taken its toll on the club, off the pitch operations, on the pitch operations and, most worryingly of all, the fanbase. My worry is that this is giving the wrong'uns a perfect opportunity to come in via the back door. We've quickly gone from the most united fanbase I can remember to one that is hugely divided. Fans arguing on social media, whispers and rumours flying around non stop, arguments in the terraces about everything related to the club - there were even chants of 'sack the board' on Saturday... a sentiment a vocal minority agreed with, a silent majority ignored, and I know would cause a lot of people to absolutely rage over after the way they saved the club last year. In terms of funding of investors, its quite clear for me. - Clean money, earned legally - Not stockpiling debt on the club, but instead improving the club and taking a % of ongoing profit to recoup investment - Not being in a position where we owe anybody money for longer than is reasonable... I couldn't cope with the idea of us doing a bury and leaving small local businesses up the swanny - I'd want whoever invests to have clear channels of communication... open and honest, direct when needed, with a clear and congruent plan that doesn't change every 2 or 3 months. This board of directors will go down in history as a group of individuals who saved the club... maybe not with the same rosey affection as David Clough, and maybe not immediately with the almost mythical status of Kilpatrick and Morris, but nonetheless they stepped up and did more than their bit. I hope they now take feedback on board, start communicating, and don't tarnish that legacy. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 18:54]
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I agree with a lot of that, and most of the salient points made in this thread. It's something we should be doing - putting all options on the table and having as sensible a discussion as possible What i don't want to see - and your point about this board of directors going down in history as saving the club is pertinent to this - is fans slagging them off for not having the experience to manage the circumstances they now find themselves in. Quite simply, they don't deserve that. They can be criticised regarding issues around communication and specific decisions which don't seem to make sense, but generalised venom at the ground or on social media should be - and will be - challenged The situation is far from irretrievable, but the board simply MUST take shareholders and the fanbase along with them | ![](/images/avatars/1219.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 20:19 - Jan 25 with 3760 views | HullDale |
Funding of Investors on 20:09 - Jan 25 by D_Alien | I agree with a lot of that, and most of the salient points made in this thread. It's something we should be doing - putting all options on the table and having as sensible a discussion as possible What i don't want to see - and your point about this board of directors going down in history as saving the club is pertinent to this - is fans slagging them off for not having the experience to manage the circumstances they now find themselves in. Quite simply, they don't deserve that. They can be criticised regarding issues around communication and specific decisions which don't seem to make sense, but generalised venom at the ground or on social media should be - and will be - challenged The situation is far from irretrievable, but the board simply MUST take shareholders and the fanbase along with them |
I agree - they should not be slated for not having experience in the football side of things. Your last sentence sums it up to me, though - we've been in it together for the last 2 years. More than ever, shareholders and supporters need to be re-engaged and included in the journey over the next 12-18 months, whichever way that takes us. Constructive criticism and questions being asked should be welcomed by the club - its an opportunity to engage. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 20:19]
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Funding of Investors on 20:22 - Jan 25 with 3743 views | jonahwhereru |
Funding of Investors on 20:09 - Jan 25 by D_Alien | I agree with a lot of that, and most of the salient points made in this thread. It's something we should be doing - putting all options on the table and having as sensible a discussion as possible What i don't want to see - and your point about this board of directors going down in history as saving the club is pertinent to this - is fans slagging them off for not having the experience to manage the circumstances they now find themselves in. Quite simply, they don't deserve that. They can be criticised regarding issues around communication and specific decisions which don't seem to make sense, but generalised venom at the ground or on social media should be - and will be - challenged The situation is far from irretrievable, but the board simply MUST take shareholders and the fanbase along with them |
Fully endorse that the board wouldn’t deserve that. God knows I admire them for sticking their hands up to join the board in the first place. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 20:36 - Jan 25 with 3695 views | fourfourtwo |
Funding of Investors on 20:09 - Jan 25 by D_Alien | I agree with a lot of that, and most of the salient points made in this thread. It's something we should be doing - putting all options on the table and having as sensible a discussion as possible What i don't want to see - and your point about this board of directors going down in history as saving the club is pertinent to this - is fans slagging them off for not having the experience to manage the circumstances they now find themselves in. Quite simply, they don't deserve that. They can be criticised regarding issues around communication and specific decisions which don't seem to make sense, but generalised venom at the ground or on social media should be - and will be - challenged The situation is far from irretrievable, but the board simply MUST take shareholders and the fanbase along with them |
There is a line fans shouldn’t cross when it comes to criticism and it should never boil over into abuse or violence. But there is an argument that we are too placid & understanding as a fan base. Stockdale was appeased for far too long, which is now a primary reason we are in such a dreadful state. It’s been done to death but he should never have seen last season out. It stunk. There are major issues in terms of football decisions at the club and the directors need to be held to account, now, whilst there is still time to do something. The fat lady hasn’t sang yet. Everything about the club appears to be going backwards. Let’s not make any bones about it things are arguably worse now than ever. I’m telling you now the fans forum will be toxic & to be fair a lot of that toxicity can be directly levelled at the BOD. Communication. Decisions. The squad. The training arrangements or lack of. The board stepped up at a time when we really needed them and for that we will forever be thankful. But they also have a duty to protect the club on, as well as, off the pitch & unfortunately they have failed in that regard quite dramatically. We are in danger of losing our club, again, after we fought tooth and nail to keep it alive. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 20:38]
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Funding of Investors on 20:53 - Jan 25 with 3619 views | 442Dale |
Funding of Investors on 20:36 - Jan 25 by fourfourtwo | There is a line fans shouldn’t cross when it comes to criticism and it should never boil over into abuse or violence. But there is an argument that we are too placid & understanding as a fan base. Stockdale was appeased for far too long, which is now a primary reason we are in such a dreadful state. It’s been done to death but he should never have seen last season out. It stunk. There are major issues in terms of football decisions at the club and the directors need to be held to account, now, whilst there is still time to do something. The fat lady hasn’t sang yet. Everything about the club appears to be going backwards. Let’s not make any bones about it things are arguably worse now than ever. I’m telling you now the fans forum will be toxic & to be fair a lot of that toxicity can be directly levelled at the BOD. Communication. Decisions. The squad. The training arrangements or lack of. The board stepped up at a time when we really needed them and for that we will forever be thankful. But they also have a duty to protect the club on, as well as, off the pitch & unfortunately they have failed in that regard quite dramatically. We are in danger of losing our club, again, after we fought tooth and nail to keep it alive. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 20:38]
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Would argue we do push for action when required. And it’s normally done the right way, including at forums, via the Trust and by contacting the club directly. Even by posting on here it’s initiated change. We’ve seen that play out on numerous occasions in our history. For example, you raised a reasonable point the other day about whether the Trust should have called an EGM when the club announced moving from being ‘fan owned’ to seeking investment. Did you contact them to see whether this would be possible? | ![](/images/avatars/1212.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 21:01 - Jan 25 with 3572 views | fourfourtwo |
Funding of Investors on 20:53 - Jan 25 by 442Dale | Would argue we do push for action when required. And it’s normally done the right way, including at forums, via the Trust and by contacting the club directly. Even by posting on here it’s initiated change. We’ve seen that play out on numerous occasions in our history. For example, you raised a reasonable point the other day about whether the Trust should have called an EGM when the club announced moving from being ‘fan owned’ to seeking investment. Did you contact them to see whether this would be possible? |
If I had the time to become more involved with the trust or in attempting to deal with the club, trust me I would love to. Unfortunately due to work & family commitments I don’t which is why I like to post what is in my mind on here. As we know, the club are actively monitoring this forum. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 21:05 - Jan 25 with 3529 views | 442Dale |
Funding of Investors on 21:01 - Jan 25 by fourfourtwo | If I had the time to become more involved with the trust or in attempting to deal with the club, trust me I would love to. Unfortunately due to work & family commitments I don’t which is why I like to post what is in my mind on here. As we know, the club are actively monitoring this forum. |
No I meant as a member you could send an email with the concerns you posted on here. They always respond to correspondence and it could be worth contacting them to find out more on this matter. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 21:06]
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Funding of Investors on 21:06 - Jan 25 with 3523 views | D_Alien |
Funding of Investors on 21:01 - Jan 25 by fourfourtwo | If I had the time to become more involved with the trust or in attempting to deal with the club, trust me I would love to. Unfortunately due to work & family commitments I don’t which is why I like to post what is in my mind on here. As we know, the club are actively monitoring this forum. |
A more direct route for questioning the board is via the Trust. if a member, questions can be directed via our Trust board rep, and it's as simple to do as posting on this forum I've made use of that option in the past, with a satisfactory outcome | ![](/images/avatars/1219.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 21:10 - Jan 25 with 3503 views | 442Dale |
Funding of Investors on 21:06 - Jan 25 by D_Alien | A more direct route for questioning the board is via the Trust. if a member, questions can be directed via our Trust board rep, and it's as simple to do as posting on this forum I've made use of that option in the past, with a satisfactory outcome |
One thing learnt over the last couple of years is that insisting on an agreed route for fans to question both the Trust and the club is vital to ensure concerns are addressed. That has meant that action by supporters, individually and collectively, has seen results that have benefitted the club. | ![](/images/avatars/1212.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 21:15 - Jan 25 with 3479 views | TalkingSutty |
Funding of Investors on 20:36 - Jan 25 by fourfourtwo | There is a line fans shouldn’t cross when it comes to criticism and it should never boil over into abuse or violence. But there is an argument that we are too placid & understanding as a fan base. Stockdale was appeased for far too long, which is now a primary reason we are in such a dreadful state. It’s been done to death but he should never have seen last season out. It stunk. There are major issues in terms of football decisions at the club and the directors need to be held to account, now, whilst there is still time to do something. The fat lady hasn’t sang yet. Everything about the club appears to be going backwards. Let’s not make any bones about it things are arguably worse now than ever. I’m telling you now the fans forum will be toxic & to be fair a lot of that toxicity can be directly levelled at the BOD. Communication. Decisions. The squad. The training arrangements or lack of. The board stepped up at a time when we really needed them and for that we will forever be thankful. But they also have a duty to protect the club on, as well as, off the pitch & unfortunately they have failed in that regard quite dramatically. We are in danger of losing our club, again, after we fought tooth and nail to keep it alive. [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 20:38]
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I think what needs to be taken into consideration is the amount of money that our Directors have stumped up to save our club, they didn't sign up for that when they stepped up to fight off the hostile takeover. None of them will be able to just write that money off and i would imagine they will need to recoup it as one of their priorities, their family will probably demand that also. There is a big difference though between fans questioning footballing decisions, poor communication etc and aiming personal abuse towards the boardroom. The ones who are doing that need to remember that more than anybody, alongside Cloughie, those fellas saved the club. The fact that the Directors had to buy the MH shares back isn't healthy, i've no doubt they want the very best for the club but they also need to get a lot of their money back and nobody could blame them for that. As we have said, communication and honesty is the key to everything, it doesn't seem right that they are all out of pocket. | ![](/images/avatars/1233.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 21:35 - Jan 25 with 3405 views | fourfourtwo |
Funding of Investors on 21:15 - Jan 25 by TalkingSutty | I think what needs to be taken into consideration is the amount of money that our Directors have stumped up to save our club, they didn't sign up for that when they stepped up to fight off the hostile takeover. None of them will be able to just write that money off and i would imagine they will need to recoup it as one of their priorities, their family will probably demand that also. There is a big difference though between fans questioning footballing decisions, poor communication etc and aiming personal abuse towards the boardroom. The ones who are doing that need to remember that more than anybody, alongside Cloughie, those fellas saved the club. The fact that the Directors had to buy the MH shares back isn't healthy, i've no doubt they want the very best for the club but they also need to get a lot of their money back and nobody could blame them for that. As we have said, communication and honesty is the key to everything, it doesn't seem right that they are all out of pocket. |
The big issue is if we are relegated to National League, what realistic chances will the directors have of getting that money back? The other worry is what measures will they then have to go to, to get it back? Immediately we become even less attractive to players, investors etc. The supporting money we get from the EFL and Prem, gone. Away gates will reduce further. It’s a frightening prospect. I agree with everything in your post and hold no ill will against the BOD and don’t support the alleged abuse being dished out on social media. But there are major issues within the club that need dealing with now. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Funding of Investors on 21:43 - Jan 25 with 3379 views | James1980 | As I have said before it is concerning the only deal the previous board thought viable was the secretive one they wanted shareholders to vote through at that AGM/EGM. Fair enough it may have been all due to self interest though. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 21:51 - Jan 25 with 3352 views | judd |
Funding of Investors on 21:35 - Jan 25 by fourfourtwo | The big issue is if we are relegated to National League, what realistic chances will the directors have of getting that money back? The other worry is what measures will they then have to go to, to get it back? Immediately we become even less attractive to players, investors etc. The supporting money we get from the EFL and Prem, gone. Away gates will reduce further. It’s a frightening prospect. I agree with everything in your post and hold no ill will against the BOD and don’t support the alleged abuse being dished out on social media. But there are major issues within the club that need dealing with now. |
Please spell out those major issues "within the club" for all to see. | ![](/images/avatars/1067.gif) |
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Funding of Investors on 22:00 - Jan 25 with 3333 views | fourfourtwo |
Funding of Investors on 21:51 - Jan 25 by judd | Please spell out those major issues "within the club" for all to see. |
24th in League Two. No outfield signings made by 25th January. Major U-Turn by BOD to go against the fan owned model which we’ve been advocating for 18 months, done on a whim with no consultation with fans. A sudden immediate need for investment to plug a massive black hole in the finances when we spent a princely sum on 3 poor players last January. Cloak and dagger AGM where these issues should have been raised but weren’t. Clear issues with attitude amongst the players following numerous strange reactions from players to fans. The whole Ethan Brierley saga which has unfolded today. Complete loss of professionalism on the pitch at Hartlepool last week with two sendings off and players looking like they care less than ever. A non-existant marketing department which has grown in size yet producing less than ever. A complete mismanagement of the summer recruitment policy and wage structure & multiple football failings during the Stockdale era due to a complete lack of football nous/experience. Do you want me to carry on? [Post edited 25 Jan 2023 22:02]
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