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where are the successors



B

BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
Way before Stanley Archer & Bellotti even before Dudley Sizen we had Ian Hart and Pete Kennard bring out Gulls Eye which asked questions of the board, Paul Samrah on counless occassions questioned the finances of the club and even John Baine put in his two pennyworth, whether I agreed or not with their views is immaterial, but where are their successors.

Ian Hart cannot obviously be seen to be doing anything because of his affiliation with the BBC.

Paul Samrahs time now is taken up with his commitment to Falmer for All and as a mouthpiece for Martin Perry. John Baine for all his assertions that he is independant and would speak if he thought something needed saying sits and lets the world drift by. The recent Fanzines could have been written by Martin Perry or Dick Knight as a self appraisal of their work.

A number of people have expressed concern that DK has gone as far as he can go with the club, of which I am one of those people, but nobody has gone to the lengths of finding out exactly why the financial position is as bad as it is except to put everything down entirely to the cost of Falmer. Could there be a case of mismanagement in certain areas? Could there be directors getting rich at our expense? Could it be that the directors haven't put in as much money as we all think? A lot of unanswered questions. Anybody who dares to even mention anything against DK is promptly told that he is God and cannot do wrong.

If only we could find the successors to the above mentioned three who would give us all a clear picture good or bad and to the exact financial state of the club and the reasons for this without us just being fobbed off.

Perhaps I am being too hopeful!!
 




Y

Yorkie

Sussex born and bred
Jul 5, 2003
32,367
dahn sarf
Weren't the accounts up to May 2003 published quite recently?

I believe it was discussed quite openly on here about how we are approx £9 million in debt.
 


M

Marc

New member
Jul 6, 2003
25,267
BensGrandad said:
...but nobody has gone to the lengths of finding out exactly why the financial position is as bad as it is except to put everything down entirely to the cost of Falmer...
Click to expand...

+ Gillingham
+ Withdean

for starters...always loosing money and even though we took Withdean off Ecovert we are still loosing money mainly down the gate receipts.
 


B

BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
Re: Re: where are the successors

CrabtreeBHA said:
+ Gillingham
+ Withdean

for starters...always loosing money and even though we took Withdean off Ecovert we are still loosing money mainly down the gate receipts.
Click to expand...

This is exactly my point Paul SAMRAH went through the accounts with a fine toothcombe, as you would expect an accountant to, he then produced hard facts and figures that simple people like me could read and understand but all that is ever given now is information as you have posted Gillingham + Withdean. How much did Gillingham cost us and how much do we lose each game at Withdean somebody must know exactly. Paul isnt the only accountant that supports Brighton I wouldn't think.
 


Y

Yorkie

Sussex born and bred
Jul 5, 2003
32,367
dahn sarf
Re: Re: Re: where are the successors

BensGrandad said:
This is exactly my point Paul SAMRAH went through the accounts with a fine toothcombe, as you would expect an accountant to, he then produced hard facts and figures that simple people like me could read and understand but all that is ever given now is information as you have posted Gillingham + Withdean. How much did Gillingham cost us and how much do we lose each game at Withdean somebody must know exactly. Paul isnt the only accountant that supports Brighton I wouldn't think.
Click to expand...

I think, but don't quote me on this, that it is in the region of £30,000 a game at Withdean.
Probably less now we run it ourselves without Ecovert.

Hopefully someone will come up with the true figure.
 




L

London Irish

Well-known member
Nov 25, 2003
22,069
Trapped inside the Project for the New American Ce
It's all there in Companies House, BG. The organisation of the Albion is not done through a series of holding companies as in the days of Archer, so really there is no need for the forensic accounting skills of a Samrah these days to figure out our situation.

The balance sheet in Companies House will tell you how much debt we have.

It is simply wrong to accuse our current directors of mismanagement, or even "lining their own pockets", without some kind of prima facie evidence. If you have such evidence, you will get a hearing, but if not, then I suspect you won't.

The issue of whether Dick Knight has the financial wherewithal to carry the club forward always is resolved on the question of what alternatives there exists in terms of investors.

Months ago on NSC you stated that you heard the names of alternative investors on SCR. I challenged you back then to tell us their names so we could take this argument forward a little - with their identities known, people could do research on these people's backgrounds and come to some kind of informed judgement whether they had the calibre or finances to be a better leader of our club than Dick Knight.

To this time, you have not given us any clues as to their identities. So what is the purpose of this thread? Have you taken the argument any further on from when you last started a thread on this issue a few months ago?

I can't see that you have. Aren't we going round in circles?
 




C

Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
Gillingham cost a LOT. The Albion paid for the renovations currently underway at Priestfield, as many Gillingham fans will admit.

Probably took at least a million out of the club, if not more.
 




B

BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
LONDON IRISH

I was specifically asked by the individuals that I quoted to not make their names known at the moment and as such I will acceed to their request.

You seem to miss my point. I am not an accountant and do not have the knowledge to read the accounts of companies house in the same manner that an accountant would, that is why I employ one to do my tax returns. I am sure that there are many supporters in exactly the same position as me.

I have never suggested that any director IS lining his own pockets it is just a possibility that could quite easily be shot down by a person with this knowledge.

It is very difficult for a normal person like myself to fully understand why the financial position of the club is as bad as it appears to be.

Why do the club not push forward with ways of making more money i.e extra 2000 seats, catering rights etc. They may all be small drops in the ocean but out of these small drops eventually becomes the ocean.

People like Ernest are continually slagging off DK, and I suppose I could be classed in that catergory, and more and more people seem to be taking his side so why hasn't somebody done what Paul Samrah did some years ago and looked into the financial affairs of the club.

You sem to be an articulate person perhaps you could take on this mantle and show us 'thickies' eaxactly where the money is going and not just blanket it in Withdean or Falmer.
 




attila

attila

1997 Club
Jul 17, 2003
2,248
South Central Southwick
Ben's Grandad, you and I need a little chat over a drink. Firstly, because I want to be absolutely certain that you are not Greg Stanley winding us all up!

I most certainly do not 'sit and let the world drift by'..I want FAR more radical action than is now happening, I am holding back because the majority view among everyone active in the Falmer for All campaign is that it isn't appropriate at the moment.

Personally, I believe that Dick is doing his very best, and that it is the politicians, planners and bureaucrats who are to blame. You dismissed the Seagulls party in a welter of personal insults (which is another reason why I want that drink - if I'm going to be insulted I'd rather you did it to my face than on NSC)

6pm, Saturday, Evening Star?
 




L

London Irish

Well-known member
Nov 25, 2003
22,069
Trapped inside the Project for the New American Ce
OK, BG, I see what you are saying. The thing is, if I smelt any suspicion that there was something untoward happening, I probably would try and get the accounts from Companies House and have a look. But as I have no grounds for any suspicions whatsoever, I am not inclined to put myself out for what I feel would be an academic exercise merely confirming what we already know about our difficult current trading position and the serious but currently managable debt position.

You should press your acquaintances when you see them next to stop being coy. If they are serious alternative investors to Dick Knight, then it is not a promising sign to me that they are hiding their identities from us, the fans.

The two other issues you raise, the catering and the extra seats. There have been good discussions recently on here about both these things.

I actually think you have a point about the poor North Stand food and didn't think you deserved the mickey-taking you got for raising it. Whether it's more profitable to be done on contract or in-house is arguable, but either way we are not talking a lot of money here, not that's going to have any real impact on our trading position.

The issue of the seats is amore serious because that's a lot more revenue. I think the club have had a big setback on this issue and are trying to come up with some positive proposals rather than just depress us with a press release saying it's all gone tits up because of the activities of two groups of NIMBY Tory councillors, the Patcham ward ones and the Withdean ones.

To be honest, BG, I'd be more interested in targeting my anger right now at those councillor creeps rather than Dick Knight and the board.
 
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Y

Yorkie

Sussex born and bred
Jul 5, 2003
32,367
dahn sarf
Wasn't it the Albion who pulled back from a planning application for the Park & Ride? We already have permission for the seats.

My theory (and it is only my opinion) is that if we had those 2000 extra seats it would make Withdean look better at the re-opening of the public inquiry and provide an alternative to Falmer.

Don't get me wrong, I think that Falmer is the answer and have supported it all along even from afar.
 


B

BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
attila said:
Ben's Grandad, you and I need a little chat over a drink. Firstly, because I want to be absolutely certain that you are not Greg Stanley winding us all up!

I most certainly do not 'sit and let the world drift by'..I want FAR more radical action than is now happening, I am holding back because the majority view among everyone active in the Falmer for All campaign is that it isn't appropriate at the moment.

Personally, I believe that Dick is doing his very best, and that it is the politicians, planners and bureaucrats who are to blame. You dismissed the Seagulls party in a welter of personal insults (which is another reason why I want that drink - if I'm going to be insulted I'd rather you did it to my face than on NSC)

6pm, Saturday, Evening Star?
Click to expand...

First and foremost I am not Greg Stanley in disguise.

I didn't consider that my post about a Seagulls party was an insult to you I just thouight that it was a ridiculous idea that would have had no effect on the government whatsoever. I then went on to praise you for your next post which stated your views of the current situation as regards planners etc so where was the insult?

On this thread I haven't insulted you in fact I praised the fact that you dug out the s..t of previous Chairmen etc and was merely asking where your successors are to do the same now. My inference that you sat and watched the world go by was as to your current attitude towards the club and the board. I fully accept that you are 100% behind Falmer and against the beaurocrats. Any slur against you on that score was not intended and I would apologise if it came across in that manner.

I would be more than happy to meet up with you for a drink at The Ship in Southwick, whenever time permitted. By the way are Steve and Dee still the managers there.
 
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Ernest

Ernest

Stupid IDIOT
Nov 8, 2003
42,743
LOONEY BIN
attila said:
Ben's Grandad, you and I need a little chat over a drink. Firstly, because I want to be absolutely certain that you are not Greg Stanley winding us all up!

I most certainly do not 'sit and let the world drift by'..I want FAR more radical action than is now happening, I am holding back because the majority view among everyone active in the Falmer for All campaign is that it isn't appropriate at the moment.

Personally, I believe that Dick is doing his very best, and that it is the politicians, planners and bureaucrats who are to blame. You dismissed the Seagulls party in a welter of personal insults (which is another reason why I want that drink - if I'm going to be insulted I'd rather you did it to my face than on NSC)

6pm, Saturday, Evening Star?
Click to expand...


Thats rich coming from someone who was so far up Greg Stanleys arse he was practically licking his tonsils.
I wonder whose bandwagon you'll be hitching yourself to in 5 years time ?
 


L

London Irish

Well-known member
Nov 25, 2003
22,069
Trapped inside the Project for the New American Ce
It's possible Yorkie, but I think the more obvious explanation is that Albion pulled the proposals because they were advised by council officers there wouldn't be a committee majority for it given the scale of objections orchestrated by the local councillors, Asda, etc. I think that's in keeping with the explanations given at the Supporters Club AGM by Knight/Perry.
 


L

London Irish

Well-known member
Nov 25, 2003
22,069
Trapped inside the Project for the New American Ce
Ernest said:
Thats rich coming from someone who was so far up Greg Stanleys arse he was practically licking his tonsils.
I wonder whose bandwagon you'll be hitching yourself to in 5 years time ?
Click to expand...

I think Ernest feels left out that he hasn't been invited for a beer too.
 


S

Safeway

M0DERAT0R
Jul 5, 2003
14,637
NOT The Amex if we don't have SKY DANCERS
MYOB said:
Gillingham cost a LOT. The Albion paid for the renovations currently underway at Priestfield, as many Gillingham fans will admit.

Probably took at least a million out of the club, if not more.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty certain we signed a deal to play at Priestfield for three seasons, at £300,000 a season. Even though we only stayed there two years, Paul Scally insisted we pay for the full three.

You're right though, BHAFC pretty much paid for the redevelopment of the Rainham end and the main stand.
 






B

BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
Perhaps I am thicker than I thought but what I would like is some knowledgable person to produce the figures which basically show

Our Income at Gillingham the wages paid, the rent paid other general expenses paid and the amount that we lost.

Then do the same for our last trading year at Withdean with a brief run down of our day to day income and expenditure at the moment at Withdean.

This will then show me and many more supporters where the money is going or being lost thus giving us a truer picture of the situation as opposed to being told ' all money is being swallowed up on Falmer'.
 


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