ClydebankJag

Andy Wilkinson, young defender on loan from Stoke. Went into play a few seasons in the EPL but had to give up the game after suffering a head injury

Really?

You’ve just blown your own first point out of the water. Open and engaging communication goes beyond only speaking to those that come running when you set a date and time. Lots of fans nearby weren’t there, simply compare home crowd numbers against those in the room, and don’t forget our fans that don’t live in the west of Scotland.

So from his statement the benefits of this takeover amount to; 1. The chance to work with other clubs under this consortium’s ownership. 2. A new release of energy. Is that all that he can come up with after all this time?

From the Herald ONE of the directors to survive last month’s boardroom cull at Partick Thistle has denied there is “anything sinister” about the club facilitating a takeover attempt by a Chinese-American consortium. Malcolm Cannon says he understands supporters’ “angst and anxiety” regarding plans by the New City Capital group to purchase a majority shareholding in the Championship club. But the Cricket Scotland chief executive, who only joined the Thistle board in April, believes a change of ownership would “give opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist”. Cannon said: “The opportunities for the club with the consortium bid are huge. They shouldn’t be dismissed. “If the bid succeeds I think it will give opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist. It gives the chance to work with other clubs with Barnsley and Nice also under this consortium’s ownership. That will help. It will also give the club a new release of energy. “The consortium is still considering things. There’s no timescale on it. Inevitability something like this will cause supporters angst and anxiety. Change always does. “From a football perspective I can’t offer any expertise but from a business perspective I know a bit about finances and running a business in terms of governance and process. I would say there is little to worry about from that side of things.” Colin Weir, Thistle’s former benefactor, withdrew his financial backing recently due to “uncertainties about potential new ownership”. Cannon said the club would now run on more prudent grounds but revealed the door would always be open for Weir to return. He added: “You can’t run a business on benefactors. You can’t assume that gifts will continue to come in. The core business has to be sustainable and we now have a budget that reflects incomings and outgoing without Colin’s input. “If Colin, at a later juncture, decided he wanted to partner up again that would be hugely welcomed. Hopefully the door is not completely locked to that in future. But at this moment in time we have to run a business that is sustainable with the income from gate receipts and other commercial streams. “There is no debt in the organisation. We’ve got a budget for players that is acceptable. It’s not as good as some in the division but that is always going to be the case when you’re up against sides that have just been relegated.” Cannon admits he is frustrated with the disconnect between some elements of the support and the board. He added: “It’s seen as the board versus the fans and I don’t get it. “It’s almost assumed the board are trying to damage the club in some way. There’s an enmity there. But we are utterly committed to this. We do it as volunteers and are intent on doing what’s right for the club, for its sustainability. “It may look wrong at times. And people may wish more cash was being injected into the club by wealthy individuals. That’s not me. But I’ll give my time, passion and energy, as will the rest of the board. We all care as much as any fan. “So I don’t understand the feeling that there’s anything sinister being done by the board. We’re all on the same page. We just want to optimise the chance of those 11 guys in a Thistle shirt winning on a Saturday. “The fans probably deserve better communication. That’s where we’ve maybe let ourselves down in the past. The best way forward is keeping everyone informed as much as possible.” Cannon admits he was “surprised” to be kept on by new chairman David Beattie when Jacqui Low, Michael Robertson and Duncan Smillie were ousted last month. “I take that as a compliment but also as a challenge as I’m effectively tarred with both brushes. I was a wee bit surprised to be asked to stay on but I don’t come with any baggage. I’m a Jags fan now but I don’t have an emotional attachment to how it was being run before. I can be objective going forward. “The potential new owners might come in and want their own people and I totally get that. But if they asked me to stay on I would.” https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/17844153.partick-thistle-director-insists-nothing-sinister-potential-takeover/

This was last years cash pot At the conclusion of the group stage, fifth-placed teams will receive £17,000, fourth-place teams will receive £19,000 and teams finishing third will take home £21,000. The four worst runners-up, who fail to reach the knockout round, will exit with £25,000 while those knocked out in the last 16 earn £35,000. A quarter-final exit will earn clubs £60,000, losing semi-finalists will get £80,000 and the runner-up takes home £115,000. In addition, each of the 12 clubs involved in a televised group stage match will earn £12,500, finalists will receive £32,000 in TV payments and the remaining six broadcasted games will earn clubs £21,500.

I don’t think anyone flounced off, did they?

They did it recently with Barnsley http://barnsleyfc.org.uk/threads/borrowing-mortgaged-on-club-assets.281138/

It’s clear that CW wanted any money he gave to go to PTFC and not into the pockets of shareholders. He donated money to the youth setup with no expectation of us paying him back. He bought shares in the club and gifted them to the fans, the money from his shares clearing the debt. He put in place plans for a training ground, with a significant planned cash outlay. What he didn’t do is what Beattie and co want from the consortium, he didn’t give them cash and allow them to walk away from the club. So the benefactor gave without expectation whilst the investors had an eye on their profit/loss.

The Jags Trust point is an interesting one when you consider that the people they aligned with had consistently refused to engage with them or honour their place on the board at the time they were in charge.

Sorry but you clearly don’t understand the concept of forecasting budgets based on variable income. A budget based on an average crowd of 2500 will look quite different from one based on an average crowd of 3500. Both budgets will balance but the respective parties will likely disagree on whether there is a potential deficit/underspend. This isn’t an exact science so personal interpretation comes into play.

Projected crowds and associated matchday income makes up the biggest part of the budget so even if both project early cup exits their budgets could be very different.

This is all smoke and mirrors. A budget is set in relation to forecast of income. It’s very easy for two very different budgets both to be projected to be balanced at the year end so the suggestion by the new board that the old board were playing fast and loose with the money is spurious. What we have now is a conservative board that won’t spend any cash not guaranteed to come into the club. That could mean forecasting for first round cup exits, low crowds, minimal hospitality and sponsor income etc. Restricting player purchases will likely lead to a poorer season so their self fulfilling prophecy will probably come true.

You don’t know that, you’re simply interpreting what was said to suit your preferred stance.

Wanna buy a timeshare? What about London Bridge?

So the manager was given the expectation by the board that he could spend Y amount on players but when the board changed he was told he could spend X amount instead, having already committed all of X on his recruitment to date. X = current squad (incomplete in managers eyes) Y = X plus 4 more players (what the manager had been planning for) Is that correct?

The ‘penalty’ wasn’t anywhere near to a penalty.

You’re leading the charge.

As long as they sell us onto Jags fans with a strong business pedigree eh?

Interesting that that actions of Beattie in championing a takeover in which he gets his money back is considered more virtuous by some than a man ‘who picked six numbers’ gifting a load of money to the club and a wedge of shares to the fans with no expectation of getting anything back.

And some people will lap up anything without applying any critical assessment to the merit of the change. Most of us though sit in the middle and would like some information about the intent of the investors and the short/medium/long term future of the club we have supported for a lifetime.

It is. It is also in his interests to at least recoup his money. At both other clubs he has taken out a loan to the value of his investment and that money has left the club. Effectively the club pays the debt he incurred buying them. If he sees opportunity to make more money he may continue to invest his own cash, if not the club will need to be self financing and will need to generate extra money to pay the loan. For evidence of how a club can stagnate when the owner loses interest watch the Sunderland documentary on Netflix or read up on the recent history of Blackpool FC. For evidence of how this can destroy a team look at how easily the Steadmans separated Clydebank from their ground and took all the cash. This takeover brings opportunity, it also brings a level of risk that wasn’t there with Colin Weir as our main investor.

The benefit for us this time is that as an unseeded team we can still get a good home tie. I felt cheated a few years ago when as a seeded team we got Dundee Utd away and some second placed teams got better draws. In reality I think all seeds should benefit from a home tie.

Haha

Not advocating for any of them to return to Firhill. Press reports yesterday linked 3 ex-Jags with moves down south; Callum Booth to Bury Ryan Edwards to Burton James Craigan to AFC Fylde