Money Spent in the Summer 2024 by the Club

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

That article just makes me even more depressed
So we sell Tiehi, Bramall, Kioso, victor, mcart, Rathbone for 2.5 million and then release 7 others from the wage bill including paying up Eaves, just so we can pay the wages of
JCH, Kelly, McDonald, Rafferty, Powell, McWilliams and Raggett for two years?

I'm sure they didn't mention that when they were giving season tickets the hard sell, talking about promotion and with loads a money burning a hole in his pocket

Tony Stewart used the coming of Steve Evans back to the club last summer 2024, to sell season tickets.
What will Stewart bring out of the magicians hat this summer to sell season tickets.
With all the crocks signed for this season, & the NYS becoming a DWP centre for disabilities, the club could sign a one legged goalkeeper.

[Jocksgloves1]

Is it fair to say that most fans were upbeat about the players that came here in Summer?
It's just not working. Either the players haven't blended together or the tactics are way off. Probably a bit of both.
If the money's gone it's gone.

[mellowmiller]

Is it fair to say that most fans were upbeat about the players that came here in Summer?
It's just not working. Either the players haven't blended together or the tactics are way off. Probably a bit of both.
If the money's gone it's gone.

......and if the season ticket holders have gone, they've gone.

[KerrAvon]

Is it fair to say that most fans were upbeat about the players that came here in Summer?
It's just not working. Either the players haven't blended together or the tactics are way off. Probably a bit of both.
If the money's gone it's gone.

Spot on.

As I mentioned elsewhere, the recruitment last summer appeared to be focused upon signing players who had been successful in teams that were promoted from this league. As strategies go, i can see the value in that if promotion was the target. That's provided that those doing the recruitment remember that it's a team with a plan that wins promotion, not a collection of players.

And some signings just don't work out. Think Tom Pope.

[UlleyMiller]

I don't think SE was brought in for season ticket sales, in all honesty. I think the limited seats in primo positions (and fear of losing out), the fact our tickets are pretty cheap against many clubs and the general cost of other things, and the option to pay by DD etc has made season tickets are largely painless purchase - I doubt we'd see the numbers drop hugely if we went down and SE went (won't happen, but as an example).

The summer signings were reasonable - some gave me hope (the lads from Pompey and the Wendies), some seemed right for L1 (JCH, McWilliams), and others a bit of a gamble (MacDonald, Powell, Holmes (in particular)) - but there was noise even then that it felt like cash was ringfenced from VJ, Kioso and Ollie to give us options at some unspecified future point (summer deadline/Jan).

I've said numerous times that this season is dead in the water, and the 'Tiser article even says "Rotherham might have been tempted to gamble had a promotion push materialised", which is pretty much where I was at. I don't think we're broke, just a bit broken.

Finances will always be a dark art, and nowhere more than football. Anyone working in the sector knows countless ways you can present the same 'facts' to satisfy a different narrative, some of us have to do this for a living. The annual report will offer a few clues about the history, but we'll always be in the dark around individual salary packages, bonuses, inter-company transactions and the like. The apparent softer landing from tier 2 with Sky's enhanced deal covering 20-ish games also seems to be slightly mysterious in value and mechanics.

I don't share the view that some have around needing transparency, because as much as I find the ownership set-up in England to be antiquated and divisive, I'm respectful of the need for businesses to operate on a reasonably level playing field, and that wouldn't work if some clubs started sharing their financial limitations. Enough clubs get exploited now by wealthier clubs, it wouldn't improve if only some clubs showed their hand.

I would, however, like to see a little more transparency - even if just enough was out there for fans to piece it together - around our longer term plans. SE's clubs always feel like they operate on a temporary basis, with shorter contracts and maxing out the loan signings (although weirdly we don't seem to have even done that now, despite having no full back cover). I'd like to see some of the players having longer than the standard two year deal that pretty much every new recruit got - why was nobody given three or more?? I'd chip in a bit myself to get the ground expansion going, and I can't seriously think the training facilities (which became both a perma-excuse last term and were implied to be linked to the injury explosion we had) do anything to help us attract talent. They spend more time there than anywhere, it's sensible to make those facilities as plush as possible so they feel well looked after and ready to go against anyone.

We've fluffed this season, and now we start a countdown to not only next season, but 9 months further on to the end of another huge wave of contracts at the end of the (utter BS) centenary season - at which point I think Nombe and Hugill will be the only ones from this crop left here. Temporary, short term, and the reality is that we should see ourselves as a bigger L2 team who are doing reasonably well to be in L1 for a bit, and forget the excitement of the yo-yo era.

[HensonsPRman]

Ulley great post that really captures where we are. We have been over achieving and through bad management have not used some of the rewards of over achieving to get our infrastructure in order both at our training base and in the backroom structure. Without the correct foundations we will not thrive.

My concern is that as TS is getting older his son gets more influential in running the family business and he clearly has no interest in football. As well as ASD lighting the family business is diversifying into property developing, the land at Bawtry Road, once ear marked for a training ground, now has a planning application in for circa 160 houses, the hotel development on the Guest and Chrimes site is another example of the direction of travel. Now all these sites are owned by RUFC Estates as is the New York stadium, but that is a company separate to Rotherham United Football Club.

The question I would like to ask TS is what are the succession plans for Rotherham United, is Richard going to take control, is the plan to sell the whole business including RUFC estates, or will the Stewart family take the proceeds from the developments and sell Rotherham United as a separate business without the stadium.

So will we be back where we started when TS took over a football club with no assets and no ground?

Forget the transfer window, there is a much bigger concern than that for those that open their eyes.

[Derbymiller]

Ulley great post that really captures where we are. We have been over achieving and through bad management have not used some of the rewards of over achieving to get our infrastructure in order both at our training base and in the backroom structure. Without the correct foundations we will not thrive.

My concern is that as TS is getting older his son gets more influential in running the family business and he clearly has no interest in football. As well as ASD lighting the family business is diversifying into property developing, the land at Bawtry Road, once ear marked for a training ground, now has a planning application in for circa 160 houses, the hotel development on the Guest and Chrimes site is another example of the direction of travel. Now all these sites are owned by RUFC Estates as is the New York stadium, but that is a company separate to Rotherham United Football Club.

The question I would like to ask TS is what are the succession plans for Rotherham United, is Richard going to take control, is the plan to sell the whole business including RUFC estates, or will the Stewart family take the proceeds from the developments and sell Rotherham United as a separate business without the stadium.

So will we be back where we started when TS took over a football club with no assets and no ground?

Forget the transfer window, there is a much bigger concern than that for those that open their eyes.

I agree there are bigger issues and I agree it would be very nice for us to understand the succession plans. Just because RUFC Estates owns multiple assets, doesn't mean those assets can't be sold or developed separately, so the club could still be sold with the stadium and that will come down to the goals and ambitions of the owners as well as the buyers. There will be multiple parties involved in a sales transaction and the sellers might not get everything they want in any deal. I do think your comment about his son could be an important one, and perhaps the club might be better protected if TS was still around, but we don't know.
At the moment I hope that TS gives the Advertiser or the media an interview and shares some of his thoughts on this season and the plans for the next season, that would at least give us some insight into where his mind is regarding the club.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Wouldn't be better if the club had said look we spent our reserves of money in bringing players in during the summer 2024, sorry to say things have not worked out on the playing field.
Be it now we can not fund any major in-coming transfers during the January 2025 windows, but the club can look into a few loans, after off loafing existing loan players.

[Eternal Optimist]

Unfortunately, TS stating the truth won't sell many season tickets.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Unfortunately, TS stating the truth won't sell many season tickets.

Being honest to the fan base would be the right way.
Knowing telling lies will be found out, then a fan base will drop accordingly.