English Football League: Clubs 'reliant on owners', says EFL chief

[millertop]

bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48412747

Just how many fans has he just pissed off

[KerrAvon]

How? By telling the truth?

Most clubs are loss making and rely upon funding from their owners. Rotherham United is no exception, despite being run sensibly (in relative terms).

[millertop]

How? By telling the truth?

Most clubs are loss making and rely upon funding from their owners. Rotherham United is no exception, despite being run sensibly (in relative terms).

And there’d be no clubs without fans.

I was thinking of them that have been protesting , do you think some of the owners give a ****e about the clubs? Are those fans over sensitive?

[KerrAvon]

And there’d be no clubs without fans.

I was thinking of them that have been protesting , do you think some of the owners give a ****e about the clubs? Are those fans over sensitive?

It would be entirely possible, if a bit pointless, for a club to operate without supporters. If you look at a club like Bournemouth, the funding it receives from matchday revenues is dwarfed by that it receives from broadcasting rights and in loans (which I would imagine are from its owner). They could brick up the turnstiles with very limited impact upon the revenue at the club.

There are bad owners and good owners. There are also owners who get into club ownership with unrealistic expectations and who then find they have bitten off more than they can chew, but who can't find a buyer in order to get out. I would say that most owners, give a shyte to one degree or another or they wouldn’t get into it. Whether protesting fans are justified in their actions, would depend upon the circumstances of the club in question.

I read the line "Fans not happy about the investment that is going into their club. Trust me, without them [the owners], they wouldn't have a club." and thought of some of the postings on here. Essentially, some posters are unhappy that Tony Stewart is not spending enough of his money to meet their aspirations.

[Brin]

Good evening Kerr. Looking at the points you raise, you do have to question who, in our case, actually stoked the fire of expectations when they tell all the media they had a 6 year plan to be in the Premiership.

Fast forward how recruitment failed for whatever reason this January, and then ask your self why fans actually do contest and protest at none recruitment to stabilise our Championship status and alas, see us relegated yet again.

[KerrAvon]

Good evening Kerr. Looking at the points you raise, you do have to question who, in our case, actually stoked the fire of expectations when they tell all the media they had a 6 year plan to be in the Premiership.

Fast forward how recruitment failed for whatever reason this January, and then ask your self why fans actually do contest and protest at none recruitment to stabilise our Championship status and alas, see us relegated yet again.

I have a life beyond this board, Brin. I also had my tea to eat.

Do you have a link for the 6 year plan comment? I have had a quick look, but can’t find it. I’d be interested to see its exact terms.

I don’t do Tony Stewart’s PR and don’t know who does, but I don’t think it is one of his strong suits. That doesn’t mean that supporters have to suspend all sense of reason and critical thinking though. Take a look at the clubs involved in Championship promotion this season and the resources available to them. The rights to the name ‘Aston Villa’ alone will be worth many times more times than the whole Rotherham United set up, including NYS.

In addition I think a lot of supporters don’t need a much help in developing their expectations.

In respect of January recruitment, we know that the club told supporters that there would be recruitment and it would appear from your unnamed player that the playing staff were told it too. With that being the case, I personally think it fair to assume that more recruitment was, in fact, planned. If it wasn’t what was the point of telling us? I think we all noticed when only Crooks came in (I say ‘only’ in a numerical sense only - I think he looks a decent addition). We don’t know why it didn’t happen. I would simply observe that Rotherham would not have been an easy club to recruit into in January. It isn’t a big name or glamorous club and was in the thick of a relegation battle.

Sure, the club could have ‘done a Blackstock’ in January and thrown money at the problem. It might have worked, or it might not have (it didn’t for Ipswich). As it is, the club has been relegated in good order and I would be disappointed if we are not at least challenging for promotion next season.

Tony Stewart’s money plays a very significant part in keeping the club running. Personally, I think that could receive a greater level of acknowledgement within some of the postings on this site.

[Brin]

Thank you Kerr for your reply. I did post 'You may have had something to deal with so I'll await your reply', I did not want to sound pushy.

Before I go on to your reply, your username of Kerr, does that refer to the yellow bound Kerr Kerr law book?

Your reply as always, is in eloquent form and makes the most absolute sense from every angle. The 6 year plan was freely available in the Rotherham Advertsier for all to see. I cannot, unfortunately, find it but it is widely known about 'Tony' spouting this silly dream.

Nothing wrong with dreaming, but, you state those facts and you live by what you say.

As for the Blackstock scenario, god forbid no one not even Mr Stewart is duped like that again. I firmly believe that the player in question was very open and candid in his thoughts, it isn't every day you meet a player we like who represents our shirt and club openly stated the current 'under feeling' amongst the playing staff. Is this the possibility of a mass exodus and no one likes the nice nice false promise approach anymore?

[millertop]

It would be entirely possible, if a bit pointless, for a club to operate without supporters. If you look at a club like Bournemouth, the funding it receives from matchday revenues is dwarfed by that it receives from broadcasting rights and in loans (which I would imagine are from its owner). They could brick up the turnstiles with very limited impact upon the revenue at the club.

There are bad owners and good owners. There are also owners who get into club ownership with unrealistic expectations and who then find they have bitten off more than they can chew, but who can't find a buyer in order to get out. I would say that most owners, give a shyte to one degree or another or they wouldn’t get into it. Whether protesting fans are justified in their actions, would depend upon the circumstances of the club in question.

I read the line "Fans not happy about the investment that is going into their club. Trust me, without them [the owners], they wouldn't have a club." and thought of some of the postings on here. Essentially, some posters are unhappy that Tony Stewart is not spending enough of his money to meet their aspirations.

I get all that Kerr, the fans that will be unhappy though are them that think their club well owners are not doing the best or are ruining their club, clearly clubs need fans and owners but it was a bit stupid of him to make that statement when some fans have been unhappy and protested about their owners, rightly or wrongly imo

[Pattylallacks2]

I think it would be truer to say there would be very few clubs in the Championship without TV money and one day that little bubble may burst.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Basically it’s a tower block built on sand foundations