Thursday gossip

[Handsome_Devil]

Foley from St Mirren us apprantly a done deal to the end of the season.

And interestingly: @MGrantScotland says
SFA and Scottish Government agree terms for emergency loans to Premiership clubs. Zero interest, 20-year repayment term and nothing to pay until next year.

If that's the case we should be taking as much as possible and sinking it into the training ground.

[Wellup4it]

SFA and Scottish Government agree terms for emergency loans to Premiership clubs. Zero interest, 20-year repayment term and nothing to pay until next year.

If that's the case we should be taking as much as possible and sinking it into the training ground.

I thought that this had been agreed weeks ago. Wouldn't touch these loans with a bargepole unless we have serious cashflow problems. We've just become debt free and don't want to go down this route again. Hearts and Dundee have received a much better deal with £500K grants.

[Handsome_Devil]

An interest-free loan over that length of time is effectively a grant - it's literally free money. If you take 1.5m, stick it in a savings account at 0.5% - and we could no doubt find a better long-term deal if we wanted - you would have 1.65m sitting there in 21 years while youdthave paid back only the original amount.

Being in debt to invest in the bricks and mortar future of the club is not something to be scared of, it's a million miles away from the 90s madness of everyone borrowing to spend on first team wages. The club say we urgently need new facilities - and we've no reason to doubt them - and it will be impossible to ever get a better helping start than this. If the details suggested online are true ofc.

[Handsome_Devil]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c...rest-9skgvdvpv

At least six sides interested in "highly attractive terms" says Michael G.

[Wellup4it]

I would be in favour of us applying for it providing that it was put into a bank account or investment for 20 years and not touched. But only for that reason. There are clubs however who will splash the cash from it for short term gain ie boosting their transfer kitty in the summer.

[Handsome_Devil]

Do you think it's realistic that we never borrow to fund structural projects and only ever make major, though required, upgrades, when we've saved millions? I can't imagine any other business would operate in such a manner.

[sieb1886]

I would be in favour of us applying for it providing that it was put into a bank account or investment for 20 years and not touched. But only for that reason. There are clubs however who will splash the cash from it for short term gain ie boosting their transfer kitty in the summer.

Does that not seem rather non-sensical? I'd imagine there'll be caveats in place meaning any club taking a loan needs to produce evidence it's being used for ongoing business needs / projects. What Government in their right mind would allow a football club to shove £1.5M into a bank (or other account), and reap the rewards 20 years later?

[Wellup4it]

Does that not seem rather non-sensical? I'd imagine there'll be caveats in place meaning any club taking a loan needs to produce evidence it's being used for ongoing business needs / projects. What Government in their right mind would allow a football club to shove £1.5M into a bank (or other account), and reap the rewards 20 years later?

Its quite sensible, if allowed. Broadly speaking that would yield circa £32K annually. If there are caveats in place, then either work around them or if that can't be done, don't take up the loan.