Lowe and WH Ireland: Why the connection is pivitol for our club

[Johnny Shearer]

What is the timeline for this?

 

Friday....................I mean next friday.

[SP Saint]

Year one is rebuilding and restructuring following Crouch's reign of terror. Bringing in the golden duo, total football and promotion to the promising land.

 

Year two is when Lord Lowe's contacts with the creme of this country, the old money, the landed gentry really come into play. With promotion, not only will this club be ripe for the picking, but Lowe will be able to use his nous and business acumen to guide us to become not merely a plaything, but a bona fide top six club.

 

So if his Supremeness has such brilliant contacts what exactly has been the hold-up in bringing the investment in?

 

After all Lowe has been involved at Saints since 1996.

 

You are spouting ******** in my view scooby.

[GenevaSaint]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/947f2d6a-6d85-11dd-857b-0000779fd18c.html

 

WH Ireland, the Manchester-based stockbroker, slipped into a first-half loss because of sharply reduced turnover in its corporate finance and stockbroking divisions.

 

The group, which also announced it would halve its interim dividend to 1p, said it was "difficult to see an early end to the current malaise in the Anglo-Saxon economies".

 

Like other small and mid-cap stockbrokers, WH Ireland has suffered from a sharp drop-off in new listings on Aim. The group completed 17 transactions in the first half, including seven Aim initial public offerings and eight secondary fundraisings. Its stable of corporate clients shrank slightly to 74 companies, including 71 listed on Aim.

 

Laurie Beevers, chief executive, said: "The disappointment of the first half has been retail stockbroking" - which accounts for 70 per cent of revenue. "We're going with the market. Volumes tend to follow that."

 

In the six months to May 31, the group's pre-tax profit fell from £3.81m to a loss of £685,000, while turnover declined by a quarter from £21.5m to £16.2m.

 

And see the bold section Scooby, they make 70% of their revenue from Stockbroking, that is not an investment bank.

 

Lowe is extensively quoted on other sites, shouldn't he be concentrating on his other loss making business????

[GenevaSaint]

WH Ireland is one of the largest independent regional stockbroking houses in the UK

[benjii]

Oh, absolutely, but he's a common troll, surely? I view Scooby more as an eccentric comedy character, like Basil Fawlty, Prince Phillip or alpine_saint.

 

[Weston Super Saint]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/947f2d6a-6d85-11dd-857b-0000779fd18c.html

 

WH Ireland, the Manchester-based stockbroker, slipped into a first-half loss because of sharply reduced turnover in its corporate finance and stockbroking divisions.

 

The group, which also announced it would halve its interim dividend to 1p, said it was "difficult to see an early end to the current malaise in the Anglo-Saxon economies".

 

Like other small and mid-cap stockbrokers, WH Ireland has suffered from a sharp drop-off in new listings on Aim. The group completed 17 transactions in the first half, including seven Aim initial public offerings and eight secondary fundraisings. Its stable of corporate clients shrank slightly to 74 companies, including 71 listed on Aim.

 

Laurie Beevers, chief executive, said: "The disappointment of the first half has been retail stockbroking" - which accounts for 70 per cent of revenue. "We're going with the market. Volumes tend to follow that."

 

In the six months to May 31, the group's pre-tax profit fell from £3.81m to a loss of £685,000, while turnover declined by a quarter from £21.5m to £16.2m.

 

And see the bold section Scooby, they make 70% of their revenue from Stockbroking, that is not an investment bank.

 

Lowe is extensively quoted on other sites, shouldn't he be concentrating on his other loss making business????

 

How many other dynamic company directors can claim to be in charge of not just one, but two loss making companies??

 

And some people still think he's good for us : roll :

[View From The Top]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/947f2d6a-6d85-11dd-857b-0000779fd18c.html

 

WH Ireland, the Manchester-based stockbroker, slipped into a first-half loss because of sharply reduced turnover in its corporate finance and stockbroking divisions.

 

The group, which also announced it would halve its interim dividend to 1p, said it was "difficult to see an early end to the current malaise in the Anglo-Saxon economies".

 

Like other small and mid-cap stockbrokers, WH Ireland has suffered from a sharp drop-off in new listings on Aim. The group completed 17 transactions in the first half, including seven Aim initial public offerings and eight secondary fundraisings. Its stable of corporate clients shrank slightly to 74 companies, including 71 listed on Aim.

 

Laurie Beevers, chief executive, said: "The disappointment of the first half has been retail stockbroking" - which accounts for 70 per cent of revenue. "We're going with the market. Volumes tend to follow that."

 

In the six months to May 31, the group's pre-tax profit fell from £3.81m to a loss of £685,000, while turnover declined by a quarter from £21.5m to £16.2m.

 

And see the bold section Scooby, they make 70% of their revenue from Stockbroking, that is not an investment bank.

 

Lowe is extensively quoted on other sites, shouldn't he be concentrating on his other loss making business????

 

LOL.

 

Scooby you are a class 1 mong.

[scooby]

How many other dynamic company directors can claim to be in charge of not just one, but two loss making companies??

 

And some people still think he's good for us : roll :

 

You don't have a clue, so I'll try to put you in the picture:

 

In today's economy, a loss is a given. Now it is about minimising losses, which Lowe is doing brilliantly.

[Weston Super Saint]

You don't have a clue, so I'll try to put you in the picture:

 

In today's economy, a loss is a given. Now it is about minimising losses, which Lowe is doing brilliantly.

 

LOL.

 

My business isn't making a loss.....

 

My company isn't making a loss....

 

In what made up world are these losses 'a given'??

[miserableoldgit]

You don't have a clue, so I'll try to put you in the picture:

 

In today's economy, a loss is a given. Now it is about minimising losses, which Lowe is doing brilliantly.

...and dynamically!

[Wes Tender]

You don't have a clue, so I'll try to put you in the picture:

 

In today's economy, a loss is a given. Now it is about minimising losses, which Lowe is doing brilliantly.

 

If they are a Stockbrokers or an Investment House, it isn't very encouraging to their prospective clientele that they are making a loss, is it? I'd rather have my money with an outfit whose primary aim was to maximise profits, not minimise losses, Scabby, old chap.

[Tamesaint]

Whats the betting that within a couple of months:

 

WH Ireland's best brokers will be off to the like of TD Waterhouse and other stockbrokers.

 

WH Ireland's dealing desks are staffed by young, work experience lads.

 

WH Ireland start to trade later than their rivals and finish early to "save costs."

 

A couple of unknown Dutch wannabees start to run the company.

 

:-) :-0

[ottery st mary]

Whats the betting that within a couple of months:

 

WH Ireland's best brokers will be off to the like of TD Waterhouse and other stockbrokers.

 

WH Ireland's dealing desks are staffed by young, work experience lads.

 

WH Ireland start to trade later than their rivals and finish early to "save costs."

 

A couple of unknown Dutch wannabees start to run the company.

 

:-) :-0

 

Who is this chappie Jonah? Have I got the wrong company or the wrong chap.

Seem to remember he used to help me on this or was it a previous site with my Maths .....(Before you say it, yes I am not working on my English)

Only joking Jonah, I know you are not a trainee/work experience and you don't work for Mr Lowe..

[View From The Top]

You don't have a clue, so I'll try to put you in the picture:

 

In today's economy, a loss is a given. Now it is about minimising losses, which Lowe is doing brilliantly.

 

Strange that, as my business isn't making a loss, in fact, I'm 15% up on last year.

[JohnnyFartPants]

You don't have a clue, so I'll try to put you in the picture:

 

In today's economy, a loss is a given. Now it is about minimising losses, which Lowe is doing brilliantly.

 

This really is complete dinloitus.

[Weston Super Saint]

This really is complete dinloitus.

 

We expect nothing less

[John]

I would like to know if you have any thoughts of your own how the club could move forward other than the RL way.

 

Mind if I step in?...here's a thought:

 

1) Take the company into administration

2) Clear the debts (see above)

3) Take the points penalty on the chin

4) Return the club to Limited company status

5) Tell Lowe to go away (but not that politely)

6) Bring in someone to run the club who isn't called Rupert Lowe (and Lowe changing his name by deed poll doesn't count)

7) Start again

 

I could go on for about five pages...how may better alternatives to Lowe were you asking for?

[scooby]

Mind if I step in?...here's a thought:

 

1) Take the company into administration

 

I'll stop you right there. That would do nothing less than destroy this club; we would freefall into league two in a heartbeat. The so-called 'fans' who call for administration beggar belief.

 

Sickening.

[JohnnyFartPants]

I'll stop you right there. That would do nothing less than destroy this club; we would freefall into league two in a heartbeat. The so-called 'fans' who call for administration beggar belief.

 

Sickening.

 

That aside, how much of a loss should companies be making to fit into the economy on an equal footing?

[Weston Super Saint]

I'll stop you right there. That would do nothing less than destroy this club; we would freefall into league two in a heartbeat. The so-called 'fans' who call for administration beggar belief.

 

Sickening.

 

Will they be abandoning league 1 then

[OldNick]

Will they be abandoning league 1 then

he means we'd plummet very quickly to L2. Scooby does wind some up but he hits the nail on the head.

How anybody comtemplates administration so lightly is seriously soft headed.

[Weston Super Saint]

he means we'd plummet very quickly to L2. Scooby does wind some up but he hits the nail on the head.

How anybody comtemplates administration so lightly is seriously soft headed.

 

It was the in a heartbeat bit that got me....

 

How does he know we won't stabilise in league 1 - like we were supposed to in the Championship???

[Guest Hacienda]

I'll stop you right there. That would do nothing less than destroy this club; we would freefall into league two in a heartbeat. The so-called 'fans' who call for administration beggar belief.

 

Sickening.

 

How much loss should I be making to survive? I wouldn't want to be turning a profit when it should so clearly be a loss.:smt120

[aintforever]

It was the in a heartbeat bit that got me....

 

How does he know we won't stabilise in league 1 - like we were supposed to in the Championship???

 

I expect the 10-15 point deduction would see us in league 2.

[John]

I'll stop you right there. That would do nothing less than destroy this club; we would freefall into league two in a heartbeat. The so-called 'fans' who call for administration beggar belief.

 

Sickening.

 

Apologies for sickening you. I am sure you will recover soon. Perhaps your Mummy can put you to bed with an anti-emetic.

 

It's Lowe that sickens me so I know how you feel. Sad thing is we haven't found a cure for that yet.

 

Cheap jibes aside, administration is not a choice, it is inevitable. Even your esteemed leader has stated that we are losing money faster than a stag party in Vegas and there is no silverware left to sell; which should not really come as a surprise to him as he sold most of it...and at knock-down prices most of the time (Phased payments? do me a favour...that's the idiots guide to negotiating a deal)....and he hasn't got a scooby how to fix it (apologies if everyone else has already used that joke) The £1.3m for Davies is not the answer by the way...it's just another nail in the coffin. It is nowhere near enough to help us financially and loses us one of our best defenders at a time when we can't keep the ball out of the net. The young players will try hard but they will find this league too physical and will run out of legs long before we get to Christmas. The bank will also run out of patience. So get used to the idea...and by the way...my company will see a 30% increase in net profits for the end of this trading year...please at least try to pretend you understand basic economics...I highly recommend reading Begg...he's no the best on inflation control but he does have a terrific grasp of the Phillips Curve (not the one that lost us the points on Saturday Scooby).

[OldNick]

Apologies for sickening you. I am sure you will recover soon. Perhaps your Mummy can put you to bed with an anti-emetic.

 

It's Lowe that sickens me so I know how you feel. Sad thing is we haven't found a cure for that yet.

 

Cheap jibes aside, administration is not a choice, it is inevitable. Even your esteemed leader has stated that we are losing money faster than a stag party in Vegas and there is no silverware left to sell; which should not really come as a surprise to him as he sold most of it...and at knock-down prices most of the time (Phased payments? do me a favour...that's the idiots guide to negotiating a deal)....and he hasn't got a scooby how to fix it (apologies if everyone else has already used that joke) The £1.3m for Davies is not the answer by the way...it's just another nail in the coffin. It is nowhere near enough to help us financially and loses us one of our best defenders at a time when we can't keep the ball out of the net. The young players will try hard but they will find this league too physical and will run out of legs long before we get to Christmas. The bank will also run out of patience. So get used to the idea...and by the way...my company will see a 30% increase in net profits for the end of this trading year...please at least try to pretend you understand basic economics...I highly recommend reading Begg...he's no the best on inflation control but he does have a terrific grasp of the Phillips Curve (not the one that lost us the points on Saturday Scooby).

Well as you are in business you I hope never have to make the decision of adminstration or no administration, but if it does I wouldnt mind thinking you'd do your best not to do so.

[SW11_Saint]

There has been some talk on here regarding Lord Lowe and his non-appearance at last night’s game. Although I am well aware this is nothing but a talking point for the chattering classes, I thought I would address it here.

 

The fact that he can’t win in the eyes of the flat-caps is neither here nor there – boo him if he attends, scold him if he doesn’t – there is but one salient point here:

 

WH Ireland.

 

Lowe’s position with one of the most dynamic investment banking companies in the world is key for us as a club, and it may even save us from oblivion. In the 21st Century world of football where its entertainment value is of at least equal value to the sport being played on the pitch, money is everything. Not only do we have a professional back running the club, but we have a man in such demand in the city that we could never afford to pay him if we were to hire him for his services. We are, quite frankly, getting the services of the most progressive chairman in the game, and one of the city’s luminaries, gratis.

 

But it doesn’t end there. Lowe’s growing and burgeoning list of contacts with some of the most powerful movers and shakers in the world can only help us. A favourable interest rate here, a player lent there. It all adds up and, bottom line again, we should be on our knees thanking god that Lowe is back with us doing what he does best:

 

Leading.

 

And they say satire is dead...

[Professor]

Some incredably niaive ideas on here.

John saying administration is the answer, without thinking as to who would buy the assets, and whether the administrator would sell to someone who wanted to preserve the history of the club, or where the money would come from. Actually, he said it was inevitable, but then John must know something that the club's bankers, who are supporting the recovery plan, do not know.

Then there is View From The Top, whose business is up 15% this year, so obviously there is no recession affecting banking or the stock market. Although the rest of the banking and finance sector is affected by recession, WH Ireland should be imune because VFTT's business is.

And lastly there is SP Saint who wants to know what has held up 'investment' in SFC (or SLH) since 1996. Does SP Saint understand that 'investment' in a football club is not done in order to make money, because the returns are often zero! Anyone wanting to 'invest' will do so in commerce or property. What he means is why has Lowe not pursuaded anyone to make gifts of money to the club to spend on players. And just how does anyone do that? How many people has SP Saint pursuaded to donate money to the club? Even people who we are told want to support the club, such as Fulthorpe and Gavin Davies, etc., have never shown any intention of 'investing' in the team, only perhaps in buying shares, which does not give the club any money at all.

The problem is with people who think there are easy, simple answers, but actually the world, including the football world, is more complicated than that.

[alpine_saint]

Actually, he said it was inevitable, but then John must know something that the club's bankers, who are supporting the recovery plan, do not know.

 

Yes he does.

 

As a Saints fan he knows the cupboard is bare at SFC - there is nothing else of value and attractiveness to sell

 

As a Saints fan he knows the current set of players arent up to the job of keeping us up over 9 months and 46 games

 

As a Saints fan he knows that as the fare served up on the pitch starts to deteriorate due to fitness or suspension issues, the fans will stop coming, plummeting the club finances into an even deeper tail-spin out-of-control.

Edited 19 August, 2008 by alpine_saint

[Professor]

Yes he does.

 

He knows the cupboard is bare at SFC - there is nothing else of value and attractiveness to sell

 

He knows the current set of players arent up to the job of keeping us up over 9 months and 46 games

 

He knows that as the fare served up on the pitch starts to deteriorate due to fitness or suspension issues, the fans will stop coming, plummeting the club finances into an even deeper tail-spin out-of-control.

Given that you don't know who John is, let alone what information would even enable him to express an opinion, your statements are complete rubbish. These are not his opinions, they are yours, except they are not opinions at all, simply the usual doom-laden statements made with the usual lack of evidence.

No one knows whether the club will do as badly as it did last season, but at least the current management are making more of an effort. Ultimately we will all see whether it has worked, but to keep making such negative statements helps no one but our opponents who must find it very amusing to see saints fans slagging off the club they claim to support.

[alpine_saint]

Given that you don't know who John is, let alone what information would even enable him to express an opinion, your statements are complete rubbish. These are not his opinions, they are yours, except they are not opinions at all, simply the usual doom-laden statements made with the usual lack of evidence.

No one knows whether the club will do as badly as it did last season, but at least the current management are making more of an effort. Ultimately we will all see whether it has worked, but to keep making such negative statements helps no one but our opponents who must find it very amusing to see saints fans slagging off the club they claim to support.

 

Just because you lack a certain degree of self-awareness and therefore find these points anathema, doesnt mean the rest of us in the real world do.........

 

John made similar points in the post you originally objected to - I simply summarised.

[Weston Super Saint]

Then there is View From The Top, whose business is up 15% this year, so obviously there is no recession affecting banking or the stock market. Although the rest of the banking and finance sector is affected by recession, WH Ireland should be imune because VFTT's business is.

 

To be fair, I think his point was more to do with MOST businesses are not running at a loss.

 

Reduced sales, declining profits yes, but running at a loss is not the norm for most businesses as scooby was suggesting...

Edited 19 August, 2008 by Weston Super Saint

[Wes Tender]

Apologies for sickening you. I am sure you will recover soon. Perhaps your Mummy can put you to bed with an anti-emetic.

 

It's Lowe that sickens me so I know how you feel. Sad thing is we haven't found a cure for that yet.

 

Cheap jibes aside, administration is not a choice, it is inevitable. Even your esteemed leader has stated that we are losing money faster than a stag party in Vegas and there is no silverware left to sell; which should not really come as a surprise to him as he sold most of it...and at knock-down prices most of the time (Phased payments? do me a favour...that's the idiots guide to negotiating a deal)....and he hasn't got a scooby how to fix it (apologies if everyone else has already used that joke) The £1.3m for Davies is not the answer by the way...it's just another nail in the coffin. It is nowhere near enough to help us financially and loses us one of our best defenders at a time when we can't keep the ball out of the net. The young players will try hard but they will find this league too physical and will run out of legs long before we get to Christmas. The bank will also run out of patience. So get used to the idea...and by the way...my company will see a 30% increase in net profits for the end of this trading year...please at least try to pretend you understand basic economics...I highly recommend reading Begg...he's no the best on inflation control but he does have a terrific grasp of the Phillips Curve (not the one that lost us the points on Saturday Scooby).

 

I must say that I agree with the general thrust of your arguments that the very steps we are taking to keep the ship afloat are the very ones will which end up sinking it. The measures are merely a delaying tactic, hoping that something will turn up, rather like Mr Micawber. Our expenditure is metaphorically 20/6d against our income of 20 shillings and the result will be misery.

 

Everything is reliant on people in charge of the team who have no experience of football in this country, let alone in this division. It is reliant on mainly youngsters employing a new system of play at a level that they have not previously attained by natural progression through the ranks. It also relies heavily on succeeding to generate income through the turnstiles. If it falters, not only do the youngsters become demotivated and have their confidence knocked, but the attendances will drop further making our solvency even less sustainable. As John rightly says, the end result of this scenario is ultimately administration, especially if it also involves relegation in the process.

 

If we are incredibly lucky with injuries and suspensions, our barebones squad might just pull it off, gain confidence and ability and get us mid table, but the gamble is massive given the hand that has been dealt to us by the people running us these past few seasons.

 

We should not harbour unrealistic hopes of this working out, unless we are thrown a lifebelt by people with real money taking us over.