According to Alan Brazil, we've run out of money.

[Tyrone Biggums]

HE is TALKING about the 1983 FA Cup Final and the MONEY Bloom got FROM selling WITHDEAN to the COUNSEL

Or does he mean the money Dick Tight stole from the til at Dick's bar?

 

[MJsGhost]

According to MJsGhost, Alan Brazil ran out of sensible things to say in about 1981

 

[RexCathedra]

Dear Mr. Brazil:

Look, there aren't many teams that haven't fallen out of the leagues absolutely that know better what 'run out of money' actually means.
We've seen it. Lived it.
We had 'SKINT' on our bloody shirts.
We passed the bloody hat on here to buy someone's kit.
It's a salary-cap world a-coming and the adjustment is going to be less-than-perfect.

Get stuffed.

 

[Simon Morgan]

Hardly front page news. OK there's no denying that Barber has been fairly open in recent months about reining in our deficit but doesn't mean we are skint, just having to be very prudent. Talksport are only too happy to peddle gossip and half truths. I take most of what is said on there with a huge pinch of salt.

Of course it's no coincidence that throw away comments like that happen to suit the agenda of a certain ex-Albion manager. Brazil is still keen to talk up his Ipswich connections so who knows he might have had a chat with Tanno or maybe just put a bit of spin on bar room tittle tattle?

Pity he didn't acknowledge that we have been reasonably active in the transfer market and only just signed two players in Andrews and Ward who were allegedly on big money elsewhere, so we can't be that skint. The trouble is Clubs trying to be prudent under FFP are a soft target for cheap comments, just because we aren't spraying money around for fun like in the Prem or Championship clubs with parachute money. I hope Alan Brazil asks searching questions about the Clubs like Forest who are spraying money around, in spite of FFP.

Of course in some ways it may not do too much harm for such stories to play down our financial position so when we go looking for signings other Clubs don't think we are minted, but then I don't think they are that easily fooled either.

Good post.

 

[Guinness Boy]

"Don't shoot the messenger"

"Who is the messenger"

"A fat clueless Scottish alcoholic"

<pause>

<fetches gun>

 

[Doc Lynam]

We have a 110m stadium, a new 30m training facility and academy being built for our future. No shit Sherlock, we don't have much cash for the team the difference is TB and others wont risk the club future, its called running a sensible business something football has long forgotten.

 

[byf1]

Look at you lot getting all defensive, quite hilarious!!

If the guy has heard a whisper we've got naff all it certainly would show with the fact that no marque signings have been made. The fact that many here find it ok to then go and slate him again is quite pathetic. Does it seem that inconceivable that we are broke??

Liven up Albion fans, the truth hurts!

 

[brightn'ove]

The club have been hit hard financially by not getting into the premiership. By all the cost cutting that is going on I would say that money is tight but this is only to be expected. The club has to be run on a tight budget and the days of running up huge debts are over. We are going to have to rely on loans, free transfers and developing players for the future or find an extremely rich benefactor.

Sorry, but isn't that exactly what we have been doing for the past 3 seasons?

 

[kevtherev]

How can we be skint now and not last season. It's the same side, same budget, same palyers. With one or two gone who have been replaced, wages wise probably like for like...........i.e, same budget, same spend on outgoings and my bet is we haven't finished yet.

 

[Hungry Joe]

At least we're being talked about............oh, hang on...........

 

[Pavilionaire]

Leaving aside the fact Brazil is a bit of a joke character, the facts are as follows:

1. We've been losing £8-£9 million per season for the last 3 years.
2. Barber has been increasing prices and cutting expenses like a man possessed.
3. We haven't spent any cash this summer - all our deals have been frees or loans.

Clearly, if we were completely skint and in the shit then we'd have sold Bridcutt instantly. However, I have my doubts about our finances - the accounts make it clear that the business itself is reliant upon the continued funding from Tony Bloom to cover systemic losses.

We might have a great squad and great infrastructure but cash-wise I can see the well being fairly dry. I'm expecting any sizeable transfer fees on new players - if there are any - to be funded by sales of outgoing players.

 

[Bladders]

Barber has already stated that the playing budget is a bit bigger than last years.

Think I'll take his word over Alan Brazil's.

 

[Bladders]

How can we be skint now and not last season. It's the same side, same budget, same palyers. With one or two gone who have been replaced, wages wise probably like for like...........i.e, same budget, same spend on outgoings and my bet is we haven't finished yet.

I reckon two more at least.

 

[The Legend that IS Lawro]

Leaving aside the fact Brazil is a bit of a joke character, the facts are as follows:

1. We've been losing £8-£9 million per season for the last 3 years.
2. Barber has been increasing prices and cutting expenses like a man possessed.
3. We haven't spent any cash this summer - all our deals have been frees or loans.

Clearly, if we were completely skint and in the shit then we'd have sold Bridcutt instantly. However, I have my doubts about our finances - the accounts make it clear that the business itself is reliant upon the continued funding from Tony Bloom to cover systemic losses.

We might have a great squad and great infrastructure but cash-wise I can see the well being fairly dry. I'm expecting any sizeable transfer fees on new players - if there are any - to be funded by sales of outgoing players.

Makes perfect sense, but TB is the sort of businessman that would have made a long-term plan so that none of this can have come as a surprise with regards to costings. Whether or not any assumption about promotion was subconsciously integrated within them is neither here nor there. I feel the club is running a tight ship, the initial honeymoon period over and we are settling down with the need to be an efficiently run club. The superb facilities we enjoy DO come at a cost, and it is evident universally in football that prices have escalated beyond normal wages/inflation etc but, as the saying goes, you pays your money and takes your choice. We do not have to attend, but I feel many MANY will.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I believe that the club is running a tight ship NOW but the accounts show that some of the running costs were much higher than budgeted for, so mistakes have been made.

It's all about player wages, everything else is window-dressing. The Wayne Bridge to Reading on a 1 year deal for £30K a week when he was happy here sums up the reality of the situation.

 

[Zebedee]

I sincerely hope that we've not run out of money. As I recall, it was not so long ago that we were told that the playing budget was on a par with last year; and since we've signed nobody of note there must be lots left in the pot (one assumes?). I hope that Tony Bloom asks the Brazil nut to retract his comment... and quickly.

 

[Sam-]

I don't understand how we could be in a different situation to other clubs, surely we should be better off. How many other championship clubs get 28k fans ? And how much more do our fans pay ? I don't know the ins and outs of it but which other team has such a large company as a sponsor ?

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I believe that the club is running a tight ship NOW but the accounts show that some of the running costs were much higher than budgeted for, so mistakes have been made.

It's all about player wages, everything else is window-dressing. The Wayne Bridge to Reading on a 1 year deal for £30K a week when he was happy here sums up the reality of the situation.

Indeed Wayne Bridge is a good example of our prudence. Last year we managed to get Man C to pay a huge portion of his salary. However we chose not to sign him permanently partly his salary would have been at least 2 or 3 times (maybe even 5 or 6 times) what we are paying others. I suggest we could have afforded him, but chose not to, due to prudence and the need to use our budget across the squad. For example what we are saving on WB's wages is now going towards Andrews and Ward's salaries?

It might have been a different story if we had been promoted and got the Prem ££££s to play with. Therefore Wayne was only likely to go to a Prem or at worst a Championship club with parachute money i.e. Reading.

Not buying Wayne Bridge or negotiating an extension on his loan deal was disappointing, particularly as the recent mini crisis at LB has shown, but does not mean we are skint either.

 

[Giraffe]

Relative to some other clubs in the division we are skint. And clearly we are not spending money on transfers in the way we have done for the last two seasons.

But, the squad that reached the play offs last season is virtually unchanged, other than having Ulloa for the whole season, but not having Bridge.

Therefore there is nothing to suggest we will struggle as a result. So Brazil is kind of right about the money (although badly worded) but not about our prospects.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Indeed Wayne Bridge is a good example of our prudence. Last year we managed to get Man C to pay a huge portion of his salary. However we chose not to sign him permanently partly his salary would have been at least 2 or 3 times (maybe even 5 or 6 times) what we are paying others. I suggest we could have afforded him, but chose not to, due to prudence and the need to use our budget across the squad. For example what we are saving on WB's wages is now going towards Andrews and Ward's salaries?

It might have been a different story if we had been promoted and got the Prem ££££s to play with. Therefore Wayne was only likely to go to a Prem or at worst a Championship club with parachute money i.e. Reading.

Not buying Wayne Bridge or negotiating an extension on his loan deal was disappointing, particularly as the recent mini crisis at LB has shown, but does not mean we are skint either.

It's disappointing, but only in a "I wish I could afford a Ferrari" type way. The deal negotiated last year for his loan was a steal and is the sort of deal that is only going to come up once in a blue moon. We cannot afford players of his calibre, but I agree, it does NOT mean that we have run out of money.