Watching brief can we trust Bloom and the board

[Ernest]

Bloom is just in it for the PROFIT, won't be too long before ASDA open up in Dicks

 

[Justice]

TB has given my club a home, I can see all mates from years gone by bringing the their kids to the Amex the next generation of the Albion faithful. Are people really that desperate for PL league football? just enjoy what we have instead of worrying what we could have.

 

[grubbyhands]

Despite the fact that we don't even know what TB does - REALLY does - for a living to earn such apparently-bottomless riches that he can 'pump in £200 of his own cash', reckon he's earned the trust of most fans, including myself. Seems a genuinely genuine guy. He goes to away games on the train, no airs and graces, and I've seen him up the racecourse deriving tremendous genuine satisfaction from one of his horses picking up a modest winner's prize of a race that he and his family have sponsored (the Harry Bloom Memorial Handicap last Summer). Reassuring to know that he comes from a long lineage of true Albion people and I would imagine that it would bring great shame on his family if he were to ever sell the Albion down the river. Which I don't suspect for one moment that he would ever do. He just isn't that kind of bloke.

£200 you say? I could just about match that if he's looking for a bit of financial backing.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Tony has pumped in £200m of his own cash. The club is losing around £1m per month. Other than getting in the premier league there is no way he is going to get any of his money back.

With the best will in the world the club is worth £30m.

If he is looking to make a quick profit this has to be the worst plan ever.

Is it his own cash though? I've always wondered if it is all his.

 

[El Presidente]

Is it his own cash though? I've always wondered if it is all his.

*cough* Cup Final Cash 1983

*Taps Nose*

 

[WATFORD zero]

Is it his own cash though? I've always wondered if it is all his.

Well if it isn't, it must be someone very trusting. Yeah sure Tone, take my money, give it as an interest free loan to your football team, and then if it's not paid back, convert it into shares in your name

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

£200 you say? I could just about match that if he's looking for a bit of financial backing.

Yes. Yes I did say that. My bad keyboardness

 

[KZNSeagull]

Is it his own cash though? I've always wondered if it is all his.

If it isn't, he is paying the interest on it and he is getting the "benefit" of it in the form of shares when he converts loans into equity. Shares that are worth tuppence ha'penny

 

[KZNSeagull]

*cough* Cup Final Cash 1983

*Taps Nose*

That's gone now - it was blown up yesterday in the Bedfordshire countryside.

 

[drew]

600 houses at £350,000 each equals £210 million. Location Lancing.
1 hotel at Falmer equals ??
1 football stadium equals £20 million apparently.
1 football team of mainly loan players equals £3 million ??

Just preparing figures for my spreadsheet to help the club.

You need to deduct the cost of building the homes!

 

[drew]

I've always supported Bloom. However what do we really know? We know from our past and the stories at other football clubs like Blackpool that it doesn't take much for an owner / board to become rotten and destroy a football club. It's the fans and NWCs responsibility to continuously watch and question what is going on.

In favour: Bloom built the stadium and has put in a lot of money. He brought in Poyet and Garcia and created a genuine buzz about the club. The stadium has been improved each year and the new hotel will provide revenue. If it wasn't for Poyet being a prat and a first game loss at Hull, we would have been promoted. Berk and Hyypia were mistakes - now put right. We tried to fit in with FFP in order to safeguard the long term interests of the club.

Against: The board is secret about many things. Do we really know the financial arrangements? Does Bloom know enough about football? Does he intend to stay long term or could he try and turn a quick
profit? Dick Knight, the one person with the track record of being a true Albion hero seems to have fallen out with the board. Is this telling us something? Our approach to contract negotiations and signings has all the hallmarks of the poker player. However, screwing every last penny may work in business, but loses deals in football. Our record of signings and retentions is poor in the past two years. FFP has turned out to be toothless. Have we been at best naive?) We lost two good managers in Poyet and Garcia, because they perceived a lack of ambition and investment.

I guess this summer will be important for the relationship between Bloom and Barber and the fans. I still personally believe that their heart is in the right place, but questions should always be asked...

So, you don't like Bloom. That is apparent as you wouldn't start a thread like this if you were a fan. You lost any credibility when you started on about Blackpool.

Exactly how much does an owner need to know about football. He has been watching football for many years and he also employs people to help make decisions. I own a television but could't tell you what everything inside does. I just have to point the remote at it. As for Dick Knight, yes he is a true Albion hero but no more and no less than Bloom. As for negotiating deals, how much involvement do you think Bloom has. Surely he leaves that to his underlings.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

Indeed, to suggest some future scenario that is comparable to what the Oystons have done at Blackpool is crass. Perhaps the OP was not around during our darkest hour?

The OP is very dismissive of Burke's achievements. Yes, the player acquisitions last season were disasterous but let's not forget he oversaw the Academy's elite award of Level 1 status and he must have had some involvement in player appointment during Gus's time, some whom have turned out to be pretty successful for us and their new clubs.

I'm intrigued to learn how the OP thinks Bloom can turn a quick profit from his investment to date. Unless we are promoted to the PL, Bloom is not going to see a return.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Unless we are promoted to the PL, Bloom is not going to see a return.

I'd absolutely LOVE to see TB lead his club out at Wembley. It's the absolute minimum he deserves.

 

[Surf's Up]

I've always supported Bloom. However what do we really know? We know from our past and the stories at other football clubs like Blackpool that it doesn't take much for an owner / board to become rotten and destroy a football club. It's the fans and NWCs responsibility to continuously watch and question what is going on.

In favour: Bloom built the stadium and has put in a lot of money. He brought in Poyet and Garcia and created a genuine buzz about the club. The stadium has been improved each year and the new hotel will provide revenue. If it wasn't for Poyet being a prat and a first game loss at Hull, we would have been promoted. Berk and Hyypia were mistakes - now put right. We tried to fit in with FFP in order to safeguard the long term interests of the club.

Against: The board is secret about many things. Do we really know the financial arrangements? Does Bloom know enough about football? Does he intend to stay long term or could he try and turn a quick
profit? Dick Knight, the one person with the track record of being a true Albion hero seems to have fallen out with the board. Is this telling us something? Our approach to contract negotiations and signings has all the hallmarks of the poker player. However, screwing every last penny may work in business, but loses deals in football. Our record of signings and retentions is poor in the past two years. FFP has turned out to be toothless. Have we been at best naive?) We lost two good managers in Poyet and Garcia, because they perceived a lack of ambition and investment.

I guess this summer will be important for the relationship between Bloom and Barber and the fans. I still personally believe that their heart is in the right place, but questions should always be asked...

I trust Tony Bloom although I have to admit to becoming increasingly frustrated at the way we appear to continually lose out on players to other seemingly more ambitious clubs (eg Bournemouth - what the f**k is that about??, middlesborough etc etc) and I cannot see this changing unless TB goes for broke. The evidence to date suggests this will not happen. Anyone who thinks it's the underlings or the Board that takes the final decisions on expenditure is living in cloud cuckoo land. It's TB - end of.

 

[Cloughie]

I find it hard to believe there are still people questioning the intentions of a lifelong fan paying £200 + Million into what is generally perceived as a financial black hole. Bloom has turned this club into one capable of competing in the higher echelons on English football. Anyone sat at Withdean when we were in the Championship with Hinch in charge, getting battered each week due to our poor facilities and lack of financial clout would've bitten your hand off for what we have now.

 

[RexCathedra]

"Turning a quick profit?"
Turning any kind of profit on a football club requires selling it, and selling it to a greater fool.
Which assumes there's always a greater fool.

Because you certainly don't turn any kind of profit from the revenue stream it generates.
How many of the 92 run in the black? Half a dozen?

 

[Icy Gull]

I trust Bloom implicitly, I am not convinced that his philosophy on building a team isn't open to question though. Anyone who agreed to pay COG 15k a week should be questioned on their football nous IMO.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I trust Bloom implicitly, I am not convinced that his philosophy on building a team isn't open to question though. Anyone who agreed to pay COG 15k a week should be questioned on their football nous IMO.

I would think that the person who recommended that to TB has paid with their job.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well if it isn't, it must be someone very trusting. Yeah sure Tone, take my money, give it as an interest free loan to your football team, and then if it's not paid back, convert it into shares in your name

He might be the front for, or part of, a syndicate. Which involves none of what you suggest.

 

[Mackenzie]

Can't think of a better man to be in charge myself, seems a bit of a daft thread if I'm being honest.