Congratulations Clive | Page 3 | Vital Football

Congratulations Clive

Thanks again to Bob, congratulations to Clive and Roger, good appointments both.

Trust Clive and his associates will carry on 'gambling' on the stock market (ie investing in businesses and jobs) and 'investing' in the Imps (ie burning money, but getting one hell of a ride out of it). UTI!
 
domski10 said:
How much cash has Clive really injected?He invested a reasonable amount of money at a time we appointed the Cowley's. Was he behind the appointment?Given recent financial disclosure re leage one and two is he going to invest enough long term given we are now using income earned at the moment? The finances via how much does football cost are startling. Now I will contradict myself!Do we want a south African who made his money from gambling on the stock market and adding no value to society as our investor. Does anyone know his true values? Happy he has joined but feel very ambivalent in the short term. I am hoping he is going to spend a lot of money but some of the praise is premature until we see his investment over the next three years?
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I have a lot of sympathy with this. I am no fan of hedge fund investors who often asset strip and leave plenty of blood on the carpet. However, Clive does come across as a genuine guy with sound principles (some of which I might oppose) and he is genuinely interested in building us as a club (please no premiershite) and we have Roger who is local to keep us all grounded.
 
NottyImp said:
Nates and Bates!

Interesting choice. I know Clive spends a lot of time over here, but he will in effect be a non-resident Chair. Not a biggy in my opinion, but unusual, perhaps.
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Maybe one for the large Brexit voting fraternity in Lincolnshire?
 
impede said:
I have a lot of sympathy with this. I am no fan of hedge fund investors who often asset strip and leave plenty of blood on the carpet. However, Clive does come across as a genuine guy with sound principles (some of which I might oppose) and he is genuinely interested in building us as a club (please no premiershite) and we have Roger who is local to keep us all grounded.
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I am fairly sure the role of chairman in this instance doesn't have the power to do whatever he wanted to do if things ever went that way (not that I ever see this as being the case). I think the board are all there to oversee the growth of the club and I doubt any one person could easily derail that if it wasn't in the clubs best interests.

On a side issue I met Clive at one of those fan days when you get to go in with the directors and sit near the posh seats whilst watching a game. Clive came across as a very genuine, down to earth and approachable guy. I really have no qualm about him being more involved at our club and with Roger alongside him along with the other board members I fully expect we will see a longer period of growth on and off the pitch.
 
mikeosullivan said:
"Do we want a south African who made his money from gambling on the stock market and adding no value to society as our investor. "

Please tell us what nationalities would be suitable for you as chairman, and what career path of that person would also be acceptable?

In over five years of reading this board, your post was just about the most objectionable I have ever read, even going back to the Michael Foley days.
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Hmmm didnt see that post as highly objectionable at all. It was a fair enough question. Hedge fund bods are generally not the nicest of people and often out and out leeches.
So i can understand some people having misgivings.
HOWEVER! In Clive's case, he has proved himself totally genuine and a thoroughly nice guy. He frequently sits with us fans and always readily chats to one and all.
His investment WAS the key catalyst in turning the club around and he was totally instrumental (with Bob) in getting the Cowleys to join us.
Roger Bates also deserves much praise.
He has sustained our youth academy all through the barren years and is city through and through.

So hopefully most (or all) of us are looking foward to much more success with Nates & Bates!
 
First, can I say I was a bit surprised that Clive wanted the Chairman job, thinking he was a bit remote for it (being based in SA) and maybe even wanted to be on the Board, but not Chairman. Got that one very wrong and have to say I am absolutely delighted he has taken on the role. Well done Clive. Second, he has been here some two years and I can't believe some people are potentially questioning his integrity, motivation, call it what you will. In the two years I think he has more than proved himself, his love for and dedication to the club, the fans and the city. I think the word people are searching for, in terms of what he has brought to the club, is "professionalism". The club is being run better than it has been for many many years. To have a Director/Chairman who stands on the terraces and happily chats with fans is brilliant. To have a Director/Chairman that comes onto this forum occasionally is quite frankly amazing - how many clubs does that happen at? People talk about openness and accountability. Clive has come on here occasionally and commented on issues that we have speculated about and given us information that wouldn't normally be forthcoming from a Board. That may change slightly with his elevation to Chairman, but we'll see. In the meantime congratulations to Clive and to Roger for their appointments, and to Bob for his magnificent contribution over the last few years which ensured Clive and the Board, (& Danny & Nicky) were in a position to recognise the potential here and to have even had a club to grab by the throat and drive forward to success. The journey continues. UTI.
 
Chairmen - much like managers - are not an exact science. However, if I was going to outline what I I’d be looking for in an ideal chairman, it would be (and in no particular order of importance):

1. Able to invest significant money into the club
2. Able to attract further outside investment/new directors
3. Let the manager get on with his job without interference
4. Engage with the fans on an open and balanced level
5. Be ambitious to grow the football club not just on the pitch but in the wider community
6. Make the right appointments in key positions (manager, chief exec etc) and put structures in place to allow them to do their jobs properly
7. Speak clearly, sensibly and calmly in the media
8. Have the club’s best interests at heart

I honestly think we have all of those things in Clive Nates, and so quite how anyone can be doubting his role or appointment I find absolutely amazing. Now if we wind the clock on 5 years and we’re back in non-League with no ground and Gary Simpson as manager spouting that “we are where we are” and “we’ve got what we’ve got”, then complaints will be valid. But can anyone really see that happening going on the last 2.5 years of Clive Nates being involved in our club?

One of the many qualities of Mr Nates is that we know he takes time out to read (and contribute to) our message boards. Therefore, I’d like to add my congratulations Clive on your new role, and huge thanks for your investment and hard work over the last 2.5 years (you’ve played a key role in giving us wonderful memories to last a lifetime). Let’s hope the journey continues.
 
First and foremost, congratulations to Clive and Roger.

I do remember the slight concern that rang out when Clive was introduced to the club a few years ago. There were suspicions about why a relatively wealthy man from the other side of the world would want to invest in a non-League football club in Lincolnshire. What was in it for him?

Some people talked about conspiracies. “He’ll be chairman before you know it, calling the shots from the other side of the world” and “is he here for the club or is he here to use the club for his own gain”?

I think Clive has done a great job in putting to rest the concerns that some people raised at the time. He’s done everything that he said he would do since he arrived at the club. Without his investment, we’d probably still be languishing in the National League with a journeyman manager and underwhelming crowds.

His vision for the future of Lincoln City FC in terms of investment includes a hope for more local investment. This is important. Whilst we should be grateful for genuine investment, wherever it comes from, the feeling that our club is owned and being run by people and money from the other side of the world could be disconcerting. What attachment would these people really have to little old Lincoln except for the hope of making a return on their investments in whatever way they could?

I think the appointment of Roger and the role that he will play in chairing meetings and standing in for Clive when he is away offers the balance that we need. As we know, Roger would bleed red and white if we cut him in half.

The only way I can see Clive making a worthwhile profit in his investment, or indeed anyone else who invests in any football club, is if that club makes it into the Championship or above from a position similar to ours. Buy cheap and sell high. I hope that the building a club which is sustainable in the upper reaches of our football league structure is the vision here. The carrot is dangling.

At this moment in time, I think that these appointments are the right move. We have a chairman who has a wealth of business experience and a locally based vice chairman who bleeds red and white.

Good luck to them both, good luck to Lincoln City Football Club moving forward and thank you to Bob Dorrian for your efforts through difficult times.
 
GreenNeedle said:
Is South Africa in the EU? What would this have to do with Brexit voters?
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Nothing. I was replying to Nottys post, no need to go all menstrual.
domski10 said:
How much cash has Clive really injected?He invested a reasonable amount of money at a time we appointed the Cowley's. Was he behind the appointment?Given recent financial disclosure re leage one and two is he going to invest enough long term given we are now using income earned at the moment? The finances via how much does football cost are startling. Now I will contradict myself!Do we want a south African who made his money from gambling on the stock market and adding no value to society as our investor. Does anyone know his true values? Happy he has joined but feel very ambivalent in the short term. I am hoping he is going to spend a lot of money but some of the praise is premature until we see his investment over the next three years?
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I’ve thought about this before. If I ever won the lottery I don’t think I’d bother investing in Lincoln, because if I put £1m in some insular fuckwit would complain that I hadn’t put £1m and £1 in.

Good on Clive for investing his money and business skills into the club.
 
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