Jump to content

Latest from Mark Fry


Delmary

Recommended Posts

I'm still very scared that nothing will happen, and we'll be left with no club. I hope to God this doesn't happen, but as every day goes past, the more worried I get.

 

 

....and breathe.....

 

I'm sure everything will be fine mate. Our league position wasn't a definite known until the FL, in their infinite wisdom, imposed the 10 point deduction. Now we know where we are, pricing the club is more straightforward.

I'm convinced that there is money out there that realises what a potential gold mine this club could be with its pre-exsting infrastructure and fan base. If anything relegation makes it more attractive 'cos it'll be cheaper.

Give it a month, we'll have cleared out all the suckers by then.

 

Keep the faith...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still very scared that nothing will happen, and we'll be left with no club. I hope to God this doesn't happen, but as every day goes past, the more worried I get.

 

Depends how hardball the creditors are playing.

 

Anything over 20 million for a League 1 club is difficult to envisage, yet we need rolling money and there are obviously substantial debts to pay off.

I would have thought that this season's crowd figures would be a serious cold shower on anyone investing real money. Can't help thinking there must be something nasty in the woodshed that makes investors think twice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 going through Due dilligence, interesting, other bidders dropped out as soon as we were relegated.

 

Maybe, or perhaps they were just tyre-kickers and therefore eliminated by Fry as non-starters. There are some upsides to the relegation in that the club will be cheaper to buy and less expenditure required to get us back up to the CCC level we had. Although it is unlikely without a large input of funds, it is still possible to get back to the Premiership in two seasons with the right manager and players in place. Once that is achieved, we would be a decent proposition, with a good stadium, good infrastructure and catchment area. It's arguable as to whether we are a worse or a better proposition a division lower. It depends on who buys us and what their ambitions are, how much they're worth and whether they're in for the short, medium, or long term.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends how hardball the creditors are playing.

 

Anything over 20 million for a League 1 club is difficult to envisage, yet we need rolling money and there are obviously substantial debts to pay off.

I would have thought that this season's crowd figures would be a serious cold shower on anyone investing real money. Can't help thinking there must be something nasty in the woodshed that makes investors think twice.

 

I think you're in cloud cuckoo land if you think anyone is going to pay more than 5-10m for a league one club.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe, or perhaps they were just tyre-kickers and therefore eliminated by Fry as non-starters. There are some upsides to the relegation in that the club will be cheaper to buy and less expenditure required to get us back up to the CCC level we had. Although it is unlikely without a large input of funds, it is still possible to get back to the Premiership in two seasons with the right manager and players in place. Once that is achieved, we would be a decent proposition, with a good stadium, good infrastructure and catchment area. It's arguable as to whether we are a worse or a better proposition a division lower. It depends on who buys us and what their ambitions are, how much they're worth and whether they're in for the short, medium, or long term.

 

Pretty much agree with all of that but am a little concerned about having 4 interested parties. In essence an auction could drive the buying price up, meaning less to spend on the team thereafter. If there was only one party then they could probably dictate the price and move on quickly to rebuid the squad !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the end of the interview, he said within the next MONTH. I didn't think we could function that long without new money coming in?

 

To be fair the 'month' timescale came from the interviewer. He then just used that timescale in his reply.

 

I'm going to be very very worried if we don't here anything in the next week. What am I saying - I'm already very very worried. Maybe 'very very very very worried'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty much agree with all of that but am a little concerned about having 4 interested parties. In essence an auction could drive the buying price up, meaning less to spend on the team thereafter. If there was only one party then they could probably dictate the price and move on quickly to rebuid the squad !!

 

How about the possibility that a couple of the interested consortia / individuals are introduced to each other to combine their bids? It's not inconceivable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you're in cloud cuckoo land if you think anyone is going to pay more than 5-10m for a league one club.

 

Which is about what it would cost to pay off the short term debt, the buyers do not need 20-30 million because they don't need to pay off the stadium out right on day one they just need to come to an agreement with AVIVA to take over the mortgage either on the existing or new mutually beneficial terms.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alternative for creditors isn't nothing though, is it, alternative is we sell ground, players, furniture, Jackson's, Staplewood, all that equipment up there, and they get paid out of the proceeds.

 

Also, someone needs to explain the "gold mine" that is Saints to me from a business perspective. We never made a profit (except for selling players) in the Prem with the TV money and gate receipts and sponsorships etc that came with it, so someone explain the "goldmine" that is a club starting at -10 pts in League One (have to be more likely to spent 10/11 in League Two than the Championship) with gates likely to be 10,000 or so at lower ticket prices. Our present manager has zero experience of the league, nor do 90% of the squad, the league will contain at least 3 big name teams so promotion by no means guaranteed.........not trying to say it is not worth something, but where is the goldmine? In the best of times when we were in the Prem the return would not merit the investment........

 

I guess we are going to get an owner "looking to get in to the Prem in 5 - 7 years" for their return on investment......so line us up alongside the owners of every Championship club plus Leeds, Bradford, and half the rest of League One.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hasn't there already been some talk of this?

 

I hadn't seen it myself, but will look out for it. IMO this would not be a bad thing provided that we don't get the conflict of egos that we had under the various groupings that we have been associated with before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alternative for creditors isn't nothing though, is it, alternative is we sell ground, players, furniture, Jackson's, Staplewood, all that equipment up there, and they get paid out of the proceeds.

 

Also, someone needs to explain the "gold mine" that is Saints to me from a business perspective. We never made a profit (except for selling players) in the Prem with the TV money and gate receipts and sponsorships etc that came with it, so someone explain the "goldmine" that is a club starting at -10 pts in League One (have to be more likely to spent 10/11 in League Two than the Championship) with gates likely to be 10,000 or so at lower ticket prices. Our present manager has zero experience of the league, nor do 90% of the squad, the league will contain at least 3 big name teams so promotion by no means guaranteed.........not trying to say it is not worth something, but where is the goldmine? In the best of times when we were in the Prem the return would not merit the investment........

 

I guess we are going to get an owner "looking to get in to the Prem in 5 - 7 years" for their return on investment......so line us up alongside the owners of every Championship club plus Leeds, Bradford, and half the rest of League One.

 

You forget we have a modern 32k stadium capable of generating funds beyond football. If the rumours are to be believed this is available for as little as £7-8m.

 

Most Chapionship and league One/Two clubs can only dream of that and would have to pay £40m to build it. This alone makes us very attractive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alternative for creditors isn't nothing though, is it, alternative is we sell ground, players, furniture, Jackson's, Staplewood, all that equipment up there, and they get paid out of the proceeds.

 

Also, someone needs to explain the "gold mine" that is Saints to me from a business perspective. We never made a profit (except for selling players) in the Prem with the TV money and gate receipts and sponsorships etc that came with it, so someone explain the "goldmine" that is a club starting at -10 pts in League One (have to be more likely to spent 10/11 in League Two than the Championship) with gates likely to be 10,000 or so at lower ticket prices. Our present manager has zero experience of the league, nor do 90% of the squad, the league will contain at least 3 big name teams so promotion by no means guaranteed.........not trying to say it is not worth something, but where is the goldmine? In the best of times when we were in the Prem the return would not merit the investment........

 

I guess we are going to get an owner "looking to get in to the Prem in 5 - 7 years" for their return on investment......so line us up alongside the owners of every Championship club plus Leeds, Bradford, and half the rest of League One.

 

 

You just hit the nail on the head with regards to the problems of football finance.

 

There simply is no way to make a profit - other than to buy low and sell high.

 

If you want investors that will be their plan; buy it, grow it, sell it.

 

But long term will it ever pay back it's ultimate owners? NO!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You forget we have a modern 32k stadium capable of generating funds beyond football. If the rumours are to be believed this is available for as little as £7-8m.

 

Most Chapionship and league One/Two clubs can only dream of that and would have to pay £40m to build it. This alone makes us very attractive.

 

Like Darlington with their 25k stadium were it is more of a millstone than a gemstone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You forget we have a modern 32k stadium capable of generating funds beyond football. If the rumours are to be believed this is available for as little as £7-8m.

 

Most Chapionship and league One/Two clubs can only dream of that and would have to pay £40m to build it. This alone makes us very attractive.

 

So we can put the stadium back into it's flat pack box and sell it for £7m to £8m to any other club that can't afford £40m and has red in their kit?

 

Problem solved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, the stadium, yes I remember, that certainly saved us from any financial perils. I mean, when we used to be at the Dell we were in admin every year, but since we got our shiny new 32,000-seater stadium, why the money has just flowed in. No need to sell players since we've been at St. Mary's.

 

It's not a goldmine, it's a bottomless pit, so at best we'll get a new owner with dreams of rubbing shoulders with Abramovich and the Yanks, three years in he'll be out a small fortune in cash and will realise there were 25 other dreamers with a more realistic shot at getting to the Prem. At worst, the reality will kick in when they see that as sole owner, it is going to cost at least 300k a month on an ongoing basis to own this thing, and no-one will bid and we'll all be starting FC Southampton in the BSP which personally I would love because I cannot abide the idea of paying money to the likes of BWP et al next season anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SLH's debts are not paid in full. The creditors are given little choice other than to take what the Insolvency Practisioner realises. The IP's duty is to recover what he can and then wind SLH up. We already know the secured creditors want a deal. The total price will be less than half the debts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends how hardball the creditors are playing.

 

Anything over 20 million for a League 1 club is difficult to envisage, yet we need rolling money and there are obviously substantial debts to pay off.

I would have thought that this season's crowd figures would be a serious cold shower on anyone investing real money. Can't help thinking there must be something nasty in the woodshed that makes investors think twice.

 

You forget we have a modern 32k stadium capable of generating funds beyond football. If the rumours are to be believed this is available for as little as £7-8m.

 

Most Chapionship and league One/Two clubs can only dream of that and would have to pay £40m to build it. This alone makes us very attractive.

 

The farm and Staplewood could be sold seperately if this realises the most money. SFC is one part of the SLH. They could all go seperately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With grass now much harder wearing there's no reason why another sport can't be played on the pitch. There's no reason why Southampton couldn't support a premiership Rugby Union club.

 

You are right but unfortunately there do not seem to be any likely candidates

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are right but unfortunately there do not seem to be any likely candidates

 

Then make a club. It's not rocket science as the infrastructure is there. You just need the personel. Both the football club and the rugby could be effectively the same club and could be promoted as one.

 

I'm not sure we could get away with the Rugby club being nicknamed the Saints though. Northampton might have something to say about that!;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then make a club. It's not rocket science as the infrastructure is there. You just need the personel. Both the football club and the rugby could be effectively the same club and could be promoted as one.

 

I'm not sure we could get away with the Rugby club being nicknamed the Saints though. Northampton might have something to say about that!;)

 

You mean get Sir Clive to run it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are right but unfortunately there do not seem to be any likely candidates

 

Not necessarily true. Of the 4 London clubs in the Guinness Premiership, only Harlequins play in London (Wasps - Wycombe, Saracens - Watford and Irish - Reading). May be a deal to get one of the West Country teams (Bath comes to mind) to relocate? Or if Newbury were ever to get promoted, they'd be ideal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about putting an Ice Rink on the pitch when it`s not being used??

icon10.gif

 

Thats a brilliant idea I am sure there could be lots of other usages for the stadium to generate more money. Why dont they get the mormons or whatever they were to hold their gatherings there again like they used to at the Dell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats a brilliant idea I am sure there could be lots of other usages for the stadium to generate more money. Why dont they get the mormons or whatever they were to hold their gatherings there again like they used to at the Dell.

 

This has actually been done in Sweden - big games with big crowds have been moved to football stadiums to get more people in the stands. But then again Icehockey is our nationalsport here....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has actually been done in Sweden - big games with big crowds have been moved to football stadiums to get more people in the stands. But then again Icehockey is our nationalsport here....

 

and it is cold

Edited by John B
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saint Mary's Stadium is an underused asset. Apart from football 19 times a season, it is currently used as the CCTV control room for the council, to provide training facilities and as a conference centre. It is the last of these that I think could probably be built up by an enterprising owner as well as an increase in the number of events on the pitch that could bring in money. Not just concerts (there is a limit to how many the neighbours can be expected to tolerate or that there is an audience for) but exhibitions or other mass events. The Jehovah's Witnesses used to hire the Dell. I'm not religious but I'll take anyone's money if it defrays the stadium costs and keeps the club going.

 

Even in what was probably our worst season ever, our crowds were better than most CCC clubs and sometimes as good as Premiership clubs. We have a huge catchment area and operated at near capacity when we were in the top flight. We have the facilities and infrastructure (stadium, training ground and the academy) and deep roots in the community. I've no doubt that a new owner willing to invest at this point would more than recoup his investment within ten years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...