We Want Falmer review - A view from the left

[Dandyman]

It's just typical TU thinking - owners/bosses and 'corporate' is bad. 'Change the club for good' = let the workers (ie the supporters) have more power to decide what the club should do. Didn't a conference team try that once? What happened to them?

Or you could pick on those minnows of Spanish (Catalan ?) football - Barcelona, still owned by their supporters.

 

[Soul Finger]

Some interesting points.

American Express is one of Brighton and Hove's largest employers and they are giving back to the community - through the naming rights and their work with AITC - by investing in the club.

 

[The Large One]

I suppose that one difference between then and now is that Bloom is unlikely to want to sell the land that the stadium is built on for a retail park, given that he spent so much building it in the first place.

Not that he can sell it.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

There was an awful lot of comment at the time. Questions were asked about Tony Bloom's ambitions in relation to being a majority shareholder.

He answered them fully, but there was also an acknowledgement from fans that, while it was - and for some may still be - a concern that one person had a 70% shareholding, there wasn't a great deal the fans could do about it.

Some people do comment on this change of emphasis in 'We Want Falmer'.

To me, it all brings into focus all that we are is everything Portsmouth is not.

Indeed.

Is it arrogant of me to quote what I have to say in 'We Want Falmer'? [With a bit added on from Paul Hodson's transcript of the conversation we had] ...

... Dick never had the money. The circumstances were such that the financial crisis, the international banking crisis, made things very difficult and Tony Bloom had the money. Nobody saw that coming. Where did Tony Bloom get his money from? I don’t know. He doesn’t get it playing cards does he?

Tony Bloom’s money became available and you’d be stupid to go any other route so, once it was there, it was the obvious right business decision to make for the club, use Tony Bloom’s money. Dick, I suspect, is a bit concerned about the dangers of one man controlling a football club, for reasons which we will all understand, and you just have to look at other football clubs and see that there are very sound reasons not to be entirely comfortable with that, but it’s the only way in which this thing is going to be built, and Tony Bloom’s a nice bloke.



But, of course, we will wait and see. Nothing has happened since to cause me any concerns. Like Attila, I'm just enjoying the football.

 

[Soul Finger]

Dick, I suspect, is a bit concerned about the dangers of one man controlling a football club, for reasons which we will all understand, and you just have to look at other football clubs and see that there are very sound reasons not to be entirely comfortable with that, but it’s the only way in which this thing is going to be built, and Tony Bloom’s a nice bloke.

The key bit: 'Tony's a nice bloke'.

He's one of us, with a mountain of cash, which he put into the club he loves.

As long as the longstanding and strong relationship between club and fans remains, we have nothing to fear.

It's nice just watching the football...

 

[Southy]

But if he ever needs to sell his share in the club, then we could be in a very different situation? Which might be out of his hands one day, money can disappear or he may need to get back the money he has in the club. However at the moment everything seems focused on getting us into the Premiership and staying there, so as you say lets enjoy the ride.

 

[Soul Finger]

But if he ever needs to sell his share in the club, then we could be in a very different situation? Which might be out of his hands one day, money can disappear or he may need to get back the money he has in the club. However at the moment everything seems focused on getting us into the Premiership and staying there, so as you say lets enjoy the ride.

True, but it's a significant 'if'.

I'm strapped in for the ride!

 

[The Oldman]

I suppose that one difference between then and now is that Bloom is unlikely to want to sell the land that the stadium is built on for a retail park, given that he spent so much building it in the first place.

)

Can he sell the land? i thought the landowner was and is Brighton City council who have leased it to the Club for a period of years.
(125?)

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Can he sell the land? i thought the landowner was and is Brighton City council who have leased it to the Club for a period of years.
(125?)

The land is owned by B&HCC and leased to the club.

 

[attila]

If there is going to be a problem, it's hopefully going to be such a long time in the future that the generation of activists needed to sort things out won't even have been born yet
In the short, medium and long enough as I can forsee term, things appear to be bloody brilliant ......