THE VIC MORGAN COLUMN: What a start to 2013! (From Swindon Advertiser)

Absolutely spot on!!

Mr Black please......

"Statement of Intent"

Let the fans know what your plans are so we can put an end to idle speculation.

Kind regards

One Cheesed Off STFC Fan!!

Agree with every word, the longer the silence continues the more gossip there will be, and it's good for no-one

The truth is that even with a clear and open statement of intent, many many Town fans will hunt for the hidden meaning.. we are either looking for more investors on top of those we have - or instead of those we have - either way the fact is someone is doing the right thing and not looking to leave us cold.

This site and many others thrive on gossip and no statement will stop that. Apparently, there is a hidden statement about the Town in 2013 in the Beatles Abbey Road album cover ?

I am not sure we as impatient fans will get that kind of black or white answer tbh. We knew that the backers would not put more than their budget for the season in. We knew that the club were looking for new investors. We knew that the ground redevelopment was dependent on finding new investment and to share such a risk makes good sense. We knew the plan was reach the championship by end of 2013-14. We knew the club was needing 10k gates to make that viable and we are around 2k short of that. We also know that Black is a private invidual and his interest in the club is at arms length. All we dont know is if Black intends to disinvest and by how much and that my friends is the length of a piece of string and surely his business right now.

This is why the next owners have to love Swindon Town......

And are here for the long term......

Orrrrrrrr

Are so wealthy....they invest in New Stadium, retail park etc.........

That would be truely amazing....

Louis :-))

In the current financial climate new investment in retail etc just seems so unlikely at the moment.....

Also..... pushing for promotion as we are..... with an excellent chance imo just how much would we need to invest in the summer?

ciclosporindorset is spot on. As far as we know, nohing much has changed behind the scenes. Yes JW probably had to go because he allowed Paolo to keeping raiding the jam jar.

If it wasn't for the ex-diplomat's interview replies sounding like something from Yes Minister, then we'd be talking about the amazing events on the pitch almost non stop. Presumably he is doing his job behind the scenes looking for potential investors.

In the meantime another few goals against Carlisle and a gate of over 8,000 won't do our cause any harm.

Bast01 wrote:
The truth is that even with a clear and open statement of intent, many many Town fans will hunt for the hidden meaning.. we are either looking for more investors on top of those we have - or instead of those we have - either way the fact is someone is doing the right thing and not looking to leave us cold.

This site and many others thrive on gossip and no statement will stop that. Apparently, there is a hidden statement about the Town in 2013 in the Beatles Abbey Road album cover ?

I'm not sure that is quite true - "Many many fans..." - a few will regardless of how clear the statement is but only if it is not clear will 'Many fans' hunt for the missing lines.
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Let's see what occurs in the January window in so far as players in and out but we do deserve a statement from the board which clearly outlines their position.
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This site and others thrive on discussion....many love the gossip but the problematic area is that a few love the rumour mill...a natural human reaction for many.

The idea of someone on a whim spending oodles on a brand new stadium/retail/indus
trial property development is just so far fetched it's laughable. It won't happen.

Clubs who built new stadiums owned their own grounds, usually in a central town location. They sold the land, and used the money to build a plastic stadium on the outskirts, shipping fans there in buses.

This country is on its knees financially. The level of Government and private debt is frightening. One in five shops needs to close, maybe more. There's not enough industry or business. Just look at the empty office premises along the M4 if you don't believe me.

Any redevelopment will have to be at the CG. It's going to require an imaginative design, probably sacrificing the car park and shifting the ground along to give the necessary right to light to houses in Shrivenham Road. Maybe then buy land nearby for parking and operate a park and ride. But that will all cost money too.

The best thing any supporter can do is keep going to the games, and encourage others to as well, to get attendances nearer to the psychological 10,000 mark.

I just wanna sing the team up,nothing else as a fan i can do or change.

We're goin up,we're goin up,we're goin up and we're going up!

red white wrote:
I just wanna sing the team up,nothing else as a fan i can do or change.

We're goin up,we're goin up,we're goin up and we're going up!

Good for you but instead of being a solo artist try to recruit one or two others to make up a duo or even, a trio!

With retail as we know it going the way it has and with the rise in internet shopping it wouldn't surprise me to see the abandonment of any retail emphasis and instead something along the lines of a sporting complex put in its place. People are now more into fitness, gym, aerobics etc more than ever before, and there always seems to be a demand for more facilities as the existing are always seemingly fully booked. I'm also aware of a bigger picture and with planning permission granted for that the club again becomes a much more attractive proposition for people incoming. The fact that talks are still ongoing with SBC reveals all is not lost, in fact far from it. The gravity of that situation is the eventual development as is right now will be at a very high cost and completely change to the whole appearance as we know it. No news is good news, and the fact Black is now looking to stand aside so that people with enough money to come in and finish the job reveals him as hero not villain.
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Very well said Vic. I wouldn't blame Black for wanting to dilute his "investment" or even get out altogether. I don't know whether he has developed a passion for the Town since he's been involved, but he has no natural allegiance to us. There has to be a point where he questions why he should keep injecting his own cash into the club. I am very grateful for what he has done so far.
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He owes us nothing - except, I believe, a statement of how much involvement he intends to have in our club from now on. It's difficult to rest easily with such uncertainty hanging over the club.

terrier, you make some good points but if we sacrifice the car park as you suggest, do we not simply shift the problem with the residents from Shrivenham Road to County Road? I suppose it could work if the club were to buy out the County Road residents, which I presume would be cheaper than buying the Shrivenham Road houses - but at the moment both outcomes seem far from likely.

Yes Den, it's hard to see an easy or even a viable solution. Which is perhaps the conclusion that Black and Arbib have come to.

We could perhaps redevelop the Town End upwards, but the incline would have to be so steep that people would need to be nailed to their seats. which is perhaps a solution some would advocate anyway.

Maybe we should just reduce the size of the pitch and ground and play seven-a-side? It would also reduce the number of players Paolo needs to buy.

Turn the ground round 45 degrees.Back on to the Shrivey go west into the car park/Town end,lot of demolition,but hey, Bournemouth did it.

90 degrees stupid.

90 degrees stupid.

Oi Den! wrote:
Very well said Vic. I wouldn't blame Black for wanting to dilute his "investment" or even get out altogether. I don't know whether he has developed a passion for the Town since he's been involved, but he has no natural allegiance to us. There has to be a point where he questions why he should keep injecting his own cash into the club. I am very grateful for what he has done so far. . He owes us nothing - except, I believe, a statement of how much involvement he intends to have in our club from now on. It's difficult to rest easily with such uncertainty hanging over the club.

Any idea why Black got involved in the first place, presumably the point of questioning the injection of cash should have been at the start not now. Was it Fitton's persuasion to help save the club? Many have said investing in a football club is unlikely to reap rewards.

Huge gratitude to him of course.

Hopefully a reassuring statement along the lines of supporting the club until a new owner can be found will be made in due course, or perhaps the Q & A twitter session he held a few months ago could be repeated?

Oi Den! wrote:
terrier, you make some good points but if we sacrifice the car park as you suggest, do we not simply shift the problem with the residents from Shrivenham Road to County Road? I suppose it could work if the club were to buy out the County Road residents, which I presume would be cheaper than buying the Shrivenham Road houses - but at the moment both outcomes seem far from likely.

Any planning permission would have to involve adequate car parking.

Wilesy wrote:

Oi Den! wrote:
Very well said Vic. I wouldn't blame Black for wanting to dilute his "investment" or even get out altogether. I don't know whether he has developed a passion for the Town since he's been involved, but he has no natural allegiance to us. There has to be a point where he questions why he should keep injecting his own cash into the club. I am very grateful for what he has done so far. . He owes us nothing - except, I believe, a statement of how much involvement he intends to have in our club from now on. It's difficult to rest easily with such uncertainty hanging over the club.

Any idea why Black got involved in the first place, presumably the point of questioning the injection of cash should have been at the start not now. Was it Fitton's persuasion to help save the club? Many have said investing in a football club is unlikely to reap rewards.

Huge gratitude to him of course.

Hopefully a reassuring statement along the lines of supporting the club until a new owner can be found will be made in due course, or perhaps the Q & A twitter session he held a few months ago could be repeated?

I think Fitton must have been the commom denominator - i.e. Wray, Black and Arbib were all contacts of his and he was the instigator because of his local connection. I always thought it was likely that every one of them was part of the consortium because of the possible return from relocation or redevelopment. It is difficult to see any other reason for them wanting to pour money into what is otherwise a bottomless pit.
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Jeremy Wray now has another reason to be involved. He has become a passionate Town fan. As someone suggested (mikek?), if Black is looking to get out it would be good if Wray could front a new consortium. His brother Ed might be a good first recruit! But when all's said and done, we're never going to be an attractive proposition without a realistic prospect of ground redevelopment or relocation (please no!) so maybe we are destined to be little lower division STFC for ever, despite the huge potential.

red white says...
12:23pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Turn the ground round 45 degrees.Back on to the Shrivey go west into the car park/Town end,lot of demolition,but hey, Bournemouth did it.”

- Nick Watkins mentioned that around 3 years ago. The ground would also move onto part of the cricket pitch. They planned to find an out of town cricket ground which would be full county size, and some athletics would still be accomodated, so satisying the sport only clause.

A hotel/shops could be built at either the same time or a later date. The only minor issue then was lack lack of money! He reckoned serious investors would only come in once they knew a move or re-development had the planning green light.

Another view wrote:
red white says...
12:23pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Turn the ground round 45 degrees.Back on to the Shrivey go west into the car park/Town end,lot of demolition,but hey, Bournemouth did it.”

- Nick Watkins mentioned that around 3 years ago. The ground would also move onto part of the cricket pitch. They planned to find an out of town cricket ground which would be full county size, and some athletics would still be accomodated, so satisying the sport only clause.

A hotel/shops could be built at either the same time or a later date. The only minor issue then was lack lack of money! He reckoned serious investors would only come in once they knew a move or re-development had the planning green light.

Thanks mate,and my question is,what hold does the cricket club have a hold on things FFS?!

Sure we will get the money from some where,but we'll still go up on adrenalin anyway!

Red White, I don't think the cricket club has any hold but there is a charitable covenant from the people who gave the land to the council, saying it should only be used for sporting purposes.

I agree with you, think we'll go up on adrenalin, then tv money will increase. JW said sadly the trend is for the top two leagues to get more and more of tv money, leaving the scraps to the two lower leagues.

I was going to ask what the story is with the cricket ground...

I know that Glocky once played there - but is it the best use of a prime location? Who owns it?

Still, if they continue to turn it into the quagmire it was on New Year's Day with car parking, it will only be left with a couple of possible uses - women's mud wrestling, or re-enactments of the Battle of Paschaendale.

Another view wrote:
red white says...
12:23pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Turn the ground round 45 degrees.Back on to the Shrivey go west into the car park/Town end,lot of demolition,but hey, Bournemouth did it.”

- Nick Watkins mentioned that around 3 years ago. The ground would also move onto part of the cricket pitch. They planned to find an out of town cricket ground which would be full county size, and some athletics would still be accomodated, so satisying the sport only clause.

A hotel/shops could be built at either the same time or a later date. The only minor issue then was lack lack of money! He reckoned serious investors would only come in once they knew a move or re-development had the planning green light.

I have been given to believe that the Cricket Club lease ends next year 2014, and that is the stumbling block, and the fact the Cricket Club must be compensated and found a viable suitable relocation that is agreeable to them.

A whole new stadium can then be built, and CG would be flattened to make way for all the new income resources.

Another view wrote:
red white says...
12:23pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Turn the ground round 45 degrees.Back on to the Shrivey go west into the car park/Town end,lot of demolition,but hey, Bournemouth did it.”

- Nick Watkins mentioned that around 3 years ago. The ground would also move onto part of the cricket pitch. They planned to find an out of town cricket ground which would be full county size, and some athletics would still be accomodated, so satisying the sport only clause.

A hotel/shops could be built at either the same time or a later date. The only minor issue then was lack lack of money! He reckoned serious investors would only come in once they knew a move or re-development had the planning green light.

I have been given to believe that the Cricket Club lease ends next year 2014, and that is the stumbling block, and the fact the Cricket Club must be compensated and found a viable suitable relocation that is agreeable to them.

A whole new stadium can then be built, and CG would be flattened to make way for all the new income resources.

Sue"s coming on board
Don't panic
Onwards inwards outwards backwards

smirg kcab wrote:
Sue"s coming on board
Don't panic
Onwards inwards outwards backwards

Trust her to join a sinking ship Grim!Willo to be loaned out to Supermarine then Grim(cause as we know,another blank against Pompey)or are you giving him another chance??????????

the wizard wrote:

Another view wrote:
red white says...
12:23pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Turn the ground round 45 degrees.Back on to the Shrivey go west into the car park/Town end,lot of demolition,but hey, Bournemouth did it.”

- Nick Watkins mentioned that around 3 years ago. The ground would also move onto part of the cricket pitch. They planned to find an out of town cricket ground which would be full county size, and some athletics would still be accomodated, so satisying the sport only clause.

A hotel/shops could be built at either the same time or a later date. The only minor issue then was lack lack of money! He reckoned serious investors would only come in once they knew a move or re-development had the planning green light.

I have been given to believe that the Cricket Club lease ends next year 2014, and that is the stumbling block, and the fact the Cricket Club must be compensated and found a viable suitable relocation that is agreeable to them.

A whole new stadium can then be built, and CG would be flattened to make way for all the new income resources.

Thanks,how much to f off the cricket club?! They have never done anything ever!