Today's Guardian Article About Plymouth's Very Dire Financial Position

[cjd]

No grudge but I stand by my view that Conn cleverly moved the debate away from the essence of the story (the rights and wrongs of the stadium) and into a fringe area, created by Baker, where he could leave a nasty smell. As you say, Baker made allegations against the minister, which Conn chose to give an airing to in his story about the stadium - the point here is that any allegation against Baker is also an allegation against others and it makes me weep when innocent men are tarred with a journalist's brush.

But you are completely correct - it is pretty late in the day for us to be debating this. I apologise for allowing Mr Conn to stick in my craw.

I'm with Lincoln Imp......thought the article was a poorly disguised attempt to dis-credit the Albions aims and intentions......particularly towards Derek chapman. Water under the bridge...but Conn can go hang himself for all I care. He is far from being unbiased.

 

[Dandyman]

I am sorry, but David Conn is also an arsehole. He wrote one of the nastiest polemics ever about the Falmer campaign, spinning some sort of right-on yarn to suggest it was all about rich men making money out of environmental destruction. Lewes LibDems have probably still got the cutting on their bathroom ceilings. As warped propaganda went it was right up there. No respect whatsoever.

And I thought his Argyle story was muddled and lacking impact when you consider the material he had to work with. Why on earth didn't they ask Paul Hayward to write it?[/QUOT

Just read the link to Conn's Falmer story and I fail to see in what way it is a nasty polemic. It seems a sympathetic and balanced piece to me.

 

[clapham_gull]

I've done a search for the article you refer to and can't find anything. Could you provide a link?

Link above, but here it is:

Football: Brighton torn between old England and new Albion | Society | The Guardian

 

[fosters headband]

Reading this story, published today, can one of you financial boys tell me if Argyle could be liquidated today?

THE future of Plymouth Argyle was in fresh doubt this morning, with the club facing a mystery High Court hearing.

 

[Easy 10]

One of the potential bidders looks like an interesting character:

GEOVANNI DI STEFANO: High-profile Italian businessman and lawyer who has represented Saddam Hussein, Gary Glitter, Charles Manson, Ian Brady and Ronnie Biggs. Owned clubs in Italy and Serbia before trying to take over Norwich City ten years ago, eventually ending up on the board at Dundee.

 

[Simster]

One of the potential bidders looks like an interesting character:

GEOVANNI DI STEFANO: High-profile Italian businessman and lawyer who has represented Saddam Hussein, Gary Glitter, Charles Manson, Ian Brady and Ronnie Biggs. Owned clubs in Italy and Serbia before trying to take over Norwich City ten years ago, eventually ending up on the board at Dundee.

I remember him. Class act. He was an adviser to Slobodan Milosevic, and a friend of Saddam Hussein. Flair.

When he rocked up at Dundee, he was going to compete with the Old Firm, so he brought in Ravanelli and Craig Burley, which nearly bankrupted the club and meant they had to let 15 senior players go.

They will love him at Plymouth as he seems just the type of character they need in the board room.

 

[somerset]

Having just read that I think we can kiss fookin goodbye to 6 points,.......... there is no chance of a rescue with that much debt,.... no chance.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Is it only me that feels a little bit uneasy when Albion fans come over all preachy about the financial circumstances of some clubs.

Don't get me wrong there are some obvious cases of incredible mis-management and/or fraud that deserve little sympathy but is this one, Plymouth, one of those? From the little I've read it sounds as though the directors have tried to keep the club ticking along but have been swimming against the tide somewhat. We've lived beyond our means for some time but, like Plymouth, we've been bailed out by directors and the like which has helped keep the club alive, and we now have our very own knight in shining armour who, from what we can tell, has set the Albion up for a very prosperous future.

I'm sure Plymouth could have been managed better - the key issue here seems that they didn't have a "what if we are relegated from the Championship?" Plan B to put into action - but this seems a long way from Pompey's £100m+ debts and all the very shady stuff that goes along with that.

That clubs falling out of the Premiership faced uncertain futures has been a story for many years now. It doesn't seem right that the financial gulf between Championship and League One should open up so that clubs falling out of the Championship also face battles for survival.

Albion had a "Plan B" once upon a time.. Mark Beeney...

 

[fosters headband]

Obviously it would be very upsetting to see such a great club fold and I really feel for the fans, also upsetting for me would mean that the bloody Saints would be the real winner and would be right back in the title race.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Dosn't sound too good, does it?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The Argyle story warns us how precarious it can be to be funding today's activities out of future income. Once next year's season ticket money has been spent, there's not much left.

"Just about the only income is the relatively thin gate receipts from non-season-ticket holders".

 

[fosters headband]

I would seriosly hope they will ring fence the money they are getting now for the next seasons running costs, or yes you are correct, we could be also in the sh*t.

 

[somerset]

Once next year's season ticket money has been spent, there's not much left.".

So the Albion by spreading the income over 12 months ( well for the majority of STH's anyway)... we are again showing the way,.... I wonder if many other clubs do this?!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

So the Albion by spreading the income over 12 months ( well for the majority of STH's anyway)... we are again showing the way,.... I wonder if many other clubs do this?!

There's no substitute for living within your income. The dangers arise when you use future guaranteed income as security for loans to pay off debts already accumulated.

There is no guarantee that a club with a payment scheme like the Albion's would resist the temptation to over-extend itself.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It is one thing that Leeds did when they were "living the dream".

 

[fosters headband]

So I repeat my question for the financial guys, could they be liquidated today?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Nigel Adkins must be praying for bad news on Argyle's future.

 

[Easy 10]

That really would suck the BIG one wouldn't it.

Maybe Tony could sneakily lend them a few quid via someone else (to circumnavigate the 'not allowed an interest in 2 clubs' rule) just to see them through. They've only got 13 games left this season FFS.

 

[Acker79]

Having just read that I think we can kiss fookin goodbye to 6 points,.......... there is no chance of a rescue with that much debt,.... no chance.

From a discussion on one of the other threads about this:

Spennymore United - 2005.

The Unibond decided to expunge their results, but the FA reversed the decision, and awarded all teams yet to play Spennymore with 3 points!! Unbelievable, but it happened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/4536727.stm

Though...

Whereas when Chester went pop, their results were expunged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8499219.stm

 

[Rougvie]

I'm pretty sure that DiSteffano has some sort of arrest warrant out for him?

He was alledgedly spotted at a Dundee game a few weeks back and the cops swooped on the wrong guy! Just looked like him.