The All New Takeover Thread | Page 2 | Vital Football

The All New Takeover Thread

As to fan consultation group see my previous comment. A private company can have whatever board structure it wants regardless of whether there is a requirement or not. In terms of structure just because we don’t have something doesn’t mean we can’t. A fan board member would not solve everything but it would be a step towards getting some sort of power and influence. If the fan consultation group talks to a director anyway wouldn’t it be better to have its own director? Would you have preferred having a “fan” director in the current situation or not?
 
Hifriedelity I'll take the compliment I don't get many lol and I'm sure JF will as well.

But plenty has been tried over the years and apathy is the wrong word - it's just the loudest shouters won't get off social media to take part and 'supporting' is ingrained and anything that goes against that grain - well JF took abuse from some fans during the VFC days and he wasn't alone.

I know the interweb is a bigger part of life now than ever before, but it's so easy to support an action when your consideration is 20 characters to put your weight behind it. It's a completely different world when people are asked to get off their bum and break with the norm.

Response to protests has always been relatively good in my humble, but never 20-25% of the match going fanbase. I used to turn up then go home back in the VFC days (an hour's travel each way, cost and I don't drive). I was one of 4 who maybe did that from memory.

The vast majority of fans don't read the interweb, don't throw themselves in the way people on this and other sites do to the nonsense like FFP/wage ratios/accounts etc - they turn up, have a pint and something to eat, spend time with mates and commiserate or cheer (or both), then hit the pub - maybe read the Birmingham Mail or the E&S and then they go home and get ready for work the next week.

Building on sirden's point, back in the Plc days we were at least shareholders and had a vote and some power, the SCG has had some good fluffy successes. When Gen K was around we had some good fluffy successes.

But we have no power and presumed power in numbers, when number won't gain traction, means the non fluffy stuff is decided by the Board and fans hope a little voice gets through occasionally.
 
As to fan consultation group see my previous comment. A private company can have whatever board structure it wants regardless of whether there is a requirement or not. In terms of structure just because we don’t have something doesn’t mean we can’t. A fan board member would not solve everything but it would be a step towards getting some sort of power and influence. If the fan consultation group talks to a director anyway wouldn’t it be better to have its own director? Would you have preferred having a “fan” director in the current situation or not?
Yes but, the Board has to be willing. And you can't force a private company to do anything in reality as in modern football whether we like it or not, fans aren't as important at Prem/Champ level as the TV money is, as the sponsors are.

I like the fan on the board motif, even if it's largely tokenism. But in our current situation what could the fan suggest that would be considered? Does that representative have the required background to compute short term cash flow with a HRMC multimillion pound payment to be organised or you're getting wound up and so on.

Sadly there's no quick fix and Supporter Associations have been battling for a route through since their inception, so I'm certainly not daft enough to think I can fix it when better placed than me struggle.

The SCG is more flexible with it's design anyway, each site decides their own route for that meeting with questions. I'd shudder to be the person who tried to get even a small consensus amongst the online community.

It's not poo pooing or accepting, it's just realising where we're at and not getting overly excited about creating change because it sounds good for us.
 
I guess that’s why I advocate a board seat. Like you say we were at one time shareholders when the company was public. Any new owner would have to be willing but it would actually seem to me to be an enlightened decision rather than retrograde step. Like you I’m not trying to suggest something unrealistic but if the fcg could agree an objective of board representation it could at leat be put to anybody coming in
 
If managed right it would certainly be an asset but it would have to be a confined role, in many ways largely advisory to give the thrust of feeling and I'm not sure in my own head how it could best work with everything that would need to be factored in - even down to key knowledge of business at that level and magnitude and then the kind of character who knows how to mould a Boardroom argument.

I'm sure it was raised at an SCG but I honestly can't remember what came of it - obviously nothing but you know what I mean.

If we need an equity injection, I actually think Xia couldn't go far wrong if he made that fan led in some way.
 
I guess that’s why I advocate a board seat. Like you say we were at one time shareholders when the company was public. Any new owner would have to be willing but it would actually seem to me to be an enlightened decision rather than retrograde step. Like you I’m not trying to suggest something unrealistic but if the fcg could agree an objective of board representation it could at leat be put to anybody coming in

How would you go about electing a representative to sit on the board then ? Have an election ?
 
I think that's the system used by Exeter and Millwall have a fan on the board deal as well I believe Den. Restricted Club member vote I think.
 
No, to the best of mine - Millwall is limited to MSC members only and I think Exeter's is limited to their equivalent member scheme/supporters trust. Can't speak for Millwall in terms of member money helping to contribute to club running, but Exeter's goes towards cashflow or transfer funds or paying a players wages.

Been a long time since I read about it so it's something like that.

But there is a physical contribution in order to have your say to the best of my memory. Obviously a lot of difference between Exeter and us, and even Exeter and Millwall though so what works for each of them, is at best a potential guide as a way forward for us.

But would need far more investigation than my addled memory from 3-5 years back when it struck me as novel.
 
Ok. I was thinking with our fan base you could potentially get 100 candidates and presumably they would have to lobby to get voted and then it could get messy etc.
 
Got to be honest, even with our fanbase I'd be amazed if 100 put their name forward. You simplify with a criteria though, which itself is restrictive but necessarily.
 
Of the quality required to do what would be needed of them even 10 might be a stretch I agree. If they were the quality of, they'll have their own time constraints, commitments etc.
 
Think we are ignoring the issues, which are really quite simple.
1) Have we, or can we get, enough short-term cash to cover our outgoings over the next couple of months?
2) Have we, or can we get, a financial structure which will cover our needs over the next season, and beyond?
Everything else (player transfers etc) hinges on those.

If we haven't heard anything then it may be because there is nothing yet to report, i.e. things are on-going.

I don't like it, just like everybody else. But while things are on-going it's unlikely we're going to get anything from the club. Those things aren't the sort of things you can get running commentaries on. If things are on-going the only thing the club can come out with will be the sort of bland statement that will get up everybody's nose.

Dead worrying. If we don't solve 1) then the club will be in administration, and we'll know soon enough. If the club sorts 1) then they may not say anything until they can confirm 2) as well. However, the point at which something has to be said about manager and transfers can't be too far off, so this can't go on for too long.
 
Of the quality required to do what would be needed of them even 10 might be a stretch I agree. If they were the quality of, they'll have their own time constraints, commitments etc.

Yes true. Not against it at all , just wondering on the practicalities/logistics of it all.
 
Regular readers of my drivel may recall me droning on for ages about my perception of the club's financial status and the level of Dr. X's 'wealth'. I even suggested the A word as a solution. Mike, you provided a very cogent (word of the day) response which calmed me down a bit. Any latest ovreview? PS How appropriate that Mr. Organ maybe the next CEO. He'll be following a right line of dicks. And he'll have to pull all the stops out!