Player hunt on hold

[London Irish]

... as are a lot of clubs... and Rotherham are in administration... but, no doubt, they are so much better off than us, as I am sure LI and TLO will poiint out, backed-up by evidence...

Rotherham do indeed look in the shit but I'm just wondering how their problems mean we are among the top 6 clubs financially in this division?

Big leap of logic there.

It's undoubtedly an interesting discussion about where we stand in terms of financial muscle in League 1.

But for it bear any relation to reality, you know, the real world, not a fantasy messageboard world, someone has got to go and away and do boring stuff, like look and profit and loss accounts and debt on balance sheets.

Any volunteers?

My utterly impressionistic, sloppily researched guesswork would lead me to believe we are neither the best off, nor the worst off in League 1, financial muscle wise.

But whether we are mid-table, upper mid-table or lower mid-table, I haven't a clue. And be honest and admit, you don't have a clue either.

 

[The Large One]

Or DK dicked him about... we don't know which...

No, Coppell messed Dick (and the club) around.

And no, I can't (or rather won't) provide you with evidence or a source.

 

[Les Biehn]

But for it bear any relation to reality, you know, the real world, not a fantasy messageboard world, someone has got to go and away and do boring stuff, like look and profit and loss accounts and debt on balance sheets.

Any volunteers?

My utterly impressionistic, sloppily researched guesswork would lead me to believe we are neither the best off, nor the worst off in League 1, financial muscle wise.

But whether we are mid-table, upper mid-table or lower mid-table, I haven't a clue. And be honest and admit, you don't have a clue either.

Sarcastic comments aside you actually appear to have got what I was saying LI, sometimes we don't have much to work with so I'm quite happily willing to accept your opinion and say I agree with you. I understand as a 'hack' your natural instinct in to scrutinise, but it is only a messageboard.

Going on our attendence in relation to others and the fact that most clubs seem to have some level of debt I would say we are about average in this division. however our ground may mean we are lower-mid table.

 

[London Irish]

My (no, Dick's) point was that we had the money to spend... or are you calling Dick a liar... dodgy ground even for you, LI...

I'll repeat the question.

If you were Dichio, which option looks more attractive?

a) moving to a League 1 club that plays on a converted athletics track

b) moving to a Championship club that plays in a 21,000-seat stadium?

 

[The Large One]

Going on our attendence in relation to others and the fact that most clubs seem to have some level of debt I would say we are about average in this division. however our ground may mean we are lower-mid table.

Unfortunately, our attendance figure is misleading bearing mind the amount of money we have to cough up just to play at home.

We may get, say, 6,500-7,000 at home, but after deductions, it's like taking receipts for an attendance of 3,000.

 

[Les Biehn]

Unfortunately, our attendance figure is misleading bearing mind the amount of money we have to cough up just to play at home.

We may get, say, 6,500-7,000 at home, but after deductions, it's like taking receipts for an attendance of 3,000.

Very true, but once again the evidence is not exact so it is a rough guess based on the best evidence possible. However it also has to be taken into account that our ticket prices are high which acts to compensate this.

 

[London Irish]

Would you say in being dropped for Frencie Kuipers was treated badly?

Worse than being dragged off at half-time for a journeyman like Cartwright?

It's football - managers have the right to make those decisions, players have to shut up and then work hard to get back into favour, endless examples available in the current Albion team, Butters, Gary Hart, Charlie Oatway, Kerry Mayo, etc........

When did it become fashionable on here for players to be lauded for behaving like immature tits rather than mature, hard-working pros?

 

[The Large One]

Very true, but once again the evidence is not exact so it is a rough guess based on the best evidence possible. However it also has to be taken into account that our ticket prices are high which acts to compensate this.

True, but not by much.

Suppose we are about 25% higher than some other clubs, so the equivalent 'compensation' would imply that we get receipts for a gate of 25% more. So, instead of 3,000, it's the equivalent of 3,750. Still not good.

Yes, I know the figures are rough but, you can see that the point I am making is that to compare our attendances with others can be mis-leading.

We may have to all buy three replica shirts instead of one this season.

 

[Les Biehn]

Yes, I know the figures are rough but, you can see that the point I am making is that to compare our attendances with others can be mis-leading.

Which I totally agree with and is why sometimes people just have to give their opinion on here without any real hard evidence. It is guess work, but that is what makes it interesting debating it, without the naunces we wouldn't have much to talk about.

 

[London Irish]

Where is your evidence?

It's a fair question

From the club accounts, at June 2005, the indebtedness was:

Bank Overdraft...............................235,423
Payment received on account........1,599,217
Trade Creditors..............................824,195
Owed to BHA Holdings.................4,483,530
Capital Gains Tax...........................365,418
Tax and Social Security..................810,229
Directors Loan Accounts.................564,083
Other Creditors...............................220,771
Other Loans.................................2,681,898
Accruals..........................................100,622

Total Indebtedness.....................11,885,386

(By the way, I'm perfectly willing to accept that Brentford have more debts than the ones I specified to Noades/Barclays Bank, but I think where they really trump us is having an asset in a ground).

 

[Les Biehn]

Bit of a sideline but if you had 100m would you give 12 m of it to the albion to clear their debts? This is open to everyone. I think I would.

 

[The Large One]

Bit of a sideline but if you had 100m would you give 12 m of it to the albion to clear their debts? This is open to everyone. I think I would.

You would and I would. But then, it would be an 'investment of the heart', and DK would call it. If you weren't bothered about never seeing it again, you would plough the money in without a thought.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Fair enough, but even for an opinion, you need some small amount of evidence to back it up. What credible source has suggested that we are missing out on players because of McGhee's alleged reputation? Just name anyone who has suggested or even hinted at such a thing, then we can have a meaningful discussion about whether it's true or not. I think you will struggle, to be honest, to find such a source.

No you need evidenace to back up an argument not an opinion.
As I do not move in professional football circles I do not have the evidence you require. Until that day then I shall have to keep my opions to myself!!!

 

[B.W.]

Rotherham do indeed look in the shit but I'm just wondering how their problems mean we are among the top 6 clubs financially in this division?

Big leap of logic there.

It's undoubtedly an interesting discussion about where we stand in terms of financial muscle in League 1.

But for it bear any relation to reality, you know, the real world, not a fantasy messageboard world, someone has got to go and away and do boring stuff, like look and profit and loss accounts and debt on balance sheets.

Any volunteers?

My utterly impressionistic, sloppily researched guesswork would lead me to believe we are neither the best off, nor the worst off in League 1, financial muscle wise.

But whether we are mid-table, upper mid-table or lower mid-table, I haven't a clue. And be honest and admit, you don't have a clue either.

Ye!s... I agree... my GUESS is we are about mid-table WRT financial clout... so why are we bottom of the league in making signings?... maybe it's MM?... sorry, couldn't resist...

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Bit of a sideline but if you had 100m would you give 12 m of it to the albion to clear their debts? This is open to everyone. I think I would.

Not 'give' exactly, tho would certainly invest that amount in return for proper shares and - here's the big one, the stumbling block for every single major investor waiting in the wings - a cast in stone green light for Falmer.

 

[B.W.]

No, Coppell messed Dick (and the club) around.

And no, I can't (or rather won't) provide you with evidence or a source.

Then I am sorry but I cannot take that as a fact... I hear we went for the cheap option (Tinselhead), but I refuse to name my source (club staff) or provide ANY evidence either...

 

[The Large One]

Then I am sorry but I cannot take that as a fact... I hear we went for the cheap option (Tinselhead), but I refuse to name my source (club staff) or provide ANY evidence either...

I can't take it as a fact either because I wasn't there.

He EVENTUALLY went for the 'cheap option' as you call it, after endeavouring to attain Coppell's services, and the fiasco instigated by that long-haired manager of one the African World Cup 2002 nations whose name escapes me.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Then I am sorry but I cannot take that as a fact... I hear we went for the cheap option (Tinselhead), but I refuse to name my source (club staff) or provide ANY evidence either...

I heard the only reason we chose Hinshelwood is because that German coach who managed Cameroon turned us down at the last minute when Dick was about to meet him at the airport.

 

[B.W.]

I'll repeat the question.

If you were Dichio, which option looks more attractive?

a) moving to a League 1 club that plays on a converted athletics track

b) moving to a Championship club that plays in a 21,000-seat stadium?

or c) avoiding a manager who repeatedly falls out with players?... or d) preferring to warm the bunch in the CCC versus almost guaranteed footie at the Albion?...
or e) completely ignoring the point I was making that we have the money to sign a target man, and instead pursuing a suggestion I wasn't making that Dichio may prefer to play for Brighton over Plymouth... I think you will find that was someone else...

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Hinshelwood was phoned up and told to be a press conference the next day as he was the new Albion manager.