The Albion NEED £2 million to survive. The board needs YOU to help

[On the Left Wing]

With the amount I am saving on booze ... I will certainly chip in £100 .... or £250 if I can afford it.
If the financial plight is serious .... this club is too important to let it dissolve after everything we have been through in the past 10 years ....

 

[clapham_gull]

Catch 22 though, isn't it. If the club invested nothing at all in the squad during the summer there would have been uproar, escpecially after the experience of two years ago. As much as none of us want to see the club go out of business, we also don't want the team getting dicked every week.

I would hope it's not as simple as that. I would hope that the club is run in a way, that doesn't spend too much on the player budget. I guess this is mostly down to the re-opening of the enquiry - a bit more explanation from the club please.

Anyway - I'll be contributing.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I feel quite shocked by this. It is a bit deflating just as I am starting to galvanise the Steyning Strikers age-group into going to the walk.

I need a bit of time to think about it. I would like to say I have bundles of cash and here you are son, but the season tickets are an extravagance in themselves. It must be desperate to come out at this point.

 

[FG aka FOOTBALL GENIUS]

"the season tickets are an extravagance in themselves" SPOT ON MUM

This is the same chairman that couldn’t be @rsed to give season tick holders and litter patrollers priority over Cardiff final tickets eh? we as fans are being asked to bail the club out!

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The club goes bust at Withdean, thrives at Falmer.

Actually looking at the information released the club would break even at Withdean, with the current level of support from the board. It's the Falmer costs that have tipped us over.

 

[Seagull73]

"the season tickets are an extravagance in themselves" SPOT ON MUM

This is the same chairman that couldn’t be @rsed to give season tick holders and litter patrollers priority over Cardiff final tickets eh? we as fans are being asked to bail the club out!

Then don't do it, nobody's forcing you to. Have you bothered to read the letter? 7.1 Million since '97 by various directors and shareholders, he even asks for investors to come forward now. Get a grip FG, and if you aren't interested in helping then, fine, but take you petulance elsewhere.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

If the situation is really that bad, hasn't the club looked into selling a player or two ? Of course I don't want that to happen, but that's usually the case before the club contacts fans direct.

One very good sign is that the Club are keeping Mark McGhee's playing budget separate from the budget necessary to keep the business on the road.

Most of the Clubs that have gone tits up in recent years have done so because they've allowed their playing budgets to run wildly out of control - and rescue plans have involved emergency sales of players.

The Albion are not in that position. McGhee knows what he's working with. He knows how to work with what he's got. He understands the underlying problems. But he's not whinging about DK.

And DK isn't rushing off to MMcG as first port of call in bringing more money in.

This bodes well for the future. We have the right people in place, doing the right things to ensure that we survive and prosper both on and off the field.

 

[Marc]

dunno about you lot but we need an FA Cup run more than EVER right now, yeah ok we dont start until Jan but if we can get a big gun away and maybe sneak a penalty win on the replay then another big gun in round 4...thats gonna be some much needed cash and would surely help during the re-inquiry.

 

[Sorrel]

One way of looking at this is away games. You could donate the money you would have spent on away games, and then not go. Instead of another club getting the money, B&HA does.

But if you accept that, why shouldn't season ticket holders be asked not to go to a few games, and the club able to sell their tickets to others. Sooner or later, you have to decide if you want to pay to keep the club going, or whether you want to pay to actually see the games.

Things must be pretty desperate to make this appeal. I wonder what those who are happy to pay now would feel if in 6 months time the same appeal is made again. I know the stadium is the key, but the club must have been banking on having a decision this summer - what will happen if it drags on longer than they now expect...?

 

[Rambo]

dunno about you lot but we need an FA Cup run more than EVER right now, yeah ok we dont start until Jan but if we can get a big gun away and maybe sneak a penalty win on the replay then another big gun in round 4...thats gonna be some much needed cash and would surely help during the re-inquiry.

Totally agree Crabbers, however, wasnt the Play-offs exactly that? Where has that money gone?

 

[Rambo]

One way of looking at this is away games. You could donate the money you would have spent on away games, and then not go. Instead of another club getting the money, B&HA does.

But if you accept that, why shouldn't season ticket holders be asked not to go to a few games, and the club able to sell their tickets to others. Sooner or later, you have to decide if you want to pay to keep the club going, or whether you want to pay to actually see the games.

Things must be pretty desperate to make this appeal. I wonder what those who are happy to pay now would feel if in 6 months time the same appeal is made again. I know the stadium is the key, but the club must have been banking on having a decision this summer - what will happen if it drags on longer than they now expect...?

Why should we stop supporting the TEAM. Our fantastic away support was the 12th man at Watford, we must not let the team suffer, or we will be heading for the conference again.

 

[Mr Popkins]

maybe the club should put the whole team up for sale if the financial situation is that bad!

this way ,it would issue a statement to the fans that the club really are strapped for cash.

then if as fans you wanted to save the club you could do so by donating,

who knows you might even be able to buy a player yourself.
you could get them to do odd jobs around your house, therefor getting value for money!

 

[clapham_gull]

One very good sign is that the Club are keeping Mark McGhee's playing budget separate from the budget necessary to keep the business on the road.

Most of the Clubs that have gone tits up in recent years have done so because they've allowed their playing budgets to run wildly out of control - and rescue plans have involved emergency sales of players.

The Albion are not in that position. McGhee knows what he's working with. He knows how to work with what he's got. He understands the underlying problems. But he's not whinging about DK.

And DK isn't rushing off to MMcG as first port of call in bringing more money in.

This bodes well for the future. We have the right people in place, doing the right things to ensure that we survive and prosper both on and off the field.

I understand the above points entirely and we obviously havent allowed our playing budget to run out of control (so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make with that)

Anyway, I trust the board and to be honest believe it's a miracle that we're competing at this level at all..

And I trust you simply because of the the great work you have done behind the scenes over the years.

However, after assurances that the finances of the club were "steady" a few weeks ago, I find (like a few others) a plea for up to £250 a bit of a shock.

My question is more about timing rather than anything else. Is it primarily the re-opening of the public enquiry that has tipped the balance here ? Because if it wasn't then maybe we should have known a bit earlier.

Anyway - the answer as posted above is quite obviously an extended FA CUP run........

 

[tinx]

I actually agree with FG in this case, When it was queues as long as your arm for tickets to cardiff giving priority to seaosn ticket holders would have been seen as treating the supporters who pay into the club each year well. As such when they want us to fork out maybe we would think we are actually appreciated.

As it is they didn't now they want hand outs form us for nothing.

Some chance.

When my company was struggling in the wake of 9/11 we didn't go to our customers and ask for a handout to keep it going, we cut costs internally, refined procedures and the way we work and made it through all be it only just and with a load of redundancies but at no point did we ask our customer to bail us out.

Similarly we shouldn't be required to bail out the club as we are their customers. I took a pay cut then to keep my job which meant my standard of life went down a little. So why should it go down any more because another business is struggling and asking me to bail them out as well.

Before anyone chips up I don't give a f*** whether you think I am being disloyal tyo the club or not thats just my opinion like it or not.

 

[Sorrel]

Why should we stop supporting the TEAM. Our fantastic away support was the 12th man at Watford, we must not let the team suffer, or we will be heading for the conference again.

That's my point really. I enjoy going to games (and I only go to a few each year), and I'm not going to stop and just give the club money instead.

I know away games don't give the club any money (except FA Cup ones) but I'm sure we all buy from the club shop, and I know the prices there are not just break even ones.

 

[Mr Popkins]

I actually agree with FG in this case, When it was queues as long as your arm for tickets to cardiff giving priority to seaosn ticket holders would have been seen as treating the supporters who pay into the club each year well. As such when they want us to fork out maybe we would think we are actually appreciated.

As it is they didn't now they want hand outs form us for nothing.

Some chance.

When my company was struggling in the wake of 9/11 we didn't go to our customers and ask for a handout to keep it going, we cut costs internally, refined procedures and the way we work and made it through all be it only just and with a load of redundancies but at no point did we ask our customer to bail us out.

Similarly we shouldn't be required to bail out the club as we are their customers. I took a pay cut then to keep my job which meant my standard of life went down a little. So why should it go down any more because another business is struggling and asking me to bail them out as well.

Before anyone chips up I don't give a f*** whether you think I am being disloyal tyo the club or not thats just my opinion like it or not.

top post ,my thoughts exactly

 

[Scoffers]

One very good sign is that the Club are keeping Mark McGhee's playing budget separate from the budget necessary to keep the business on the road.

Most of the Clubs that have gone tits up in recent years have done so because they've allowed their playing budgets to run wildly out of control - and rescue plans have involved emergency sales of players.

The Albion are not in that position. McGhee knows what he's working with. He knows how to work with what he's got. He understands the underlying problems. But he's not whinging about DK.

And DK isn't rushing off to MMcG as first port of call in bringing more money in.

This bodes well for the future. We have the right people in place, doing the right things to ensure that we survive and prosper both on and off the field.

It's an impossible situation though MR B, despite the more encouraging results recently, I still feel that we'll finish in the bottom 5 this season, but in order to put more pressure on the Government/Council etc, we really need to stay in the Championship. So the pressure to spend a little more to stay up vs saving money for the Falmer battles is a very fine line indeed.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

"the season tickets are an extravagance in themselves" SPOT ON MUM

This is the same chairman that couldn’t be @rsed to give season tick holders and litter patrollers priority over Cardiff final tickets eh? we as fans are being asked to bail the club out!

Push off.

They are an extravagance for me. For others they are essential. For others with more money - they are a piffling matter. I will certainly invest money into the Club. Because an investment is what it is - an investment in my, and yours, and all of our future generations happiness.

 

[Marc]

Totally agree Crabbers, however, wasnt the Play-offs exactly that? Where has that money gone?

presuming entirely but as has been said a few times DK probably never thought or even dreamed that the decision would be delayed again meaning obvious mroe money into the pot for it. I reckon they used the play-off money partly for a small addition to the playing budget and/or to pay off existing debts. Then the bombshell that we need to re-open the inquiry and suddenly the clubs lambasted with another bil for more inquiry purposes.

Thats what I'm thinking but obviously dont know the entire truth, hence my asking of the Fans Forum (October 6th possibly, see Ask the Club forum) so we get the answers to these very questions.

 

[Sorrel]

Anyway - the answer as posted above is quite obviously an extended FA CUP run........

But remember this sort of thinking (along the lines of "all we need is a return/good run in the Premiership") is what brought down Bradford and Leeds.

What we need is to run within our budget, not to plan that we'll get lucky on the pitch.