Owners

[Fryer Tuck]

After seeing the campaign laid out by Newcastle fans (And of course presented by NUFC Tiger ), and then seeing some other thoughts about owners (Including a certain sunglass wearing Russian tycoon and the consortium that is making its own little empire), I figured perhaps we can discuss further about owners; be it how they are running your club, turning it into a cooperate sell-out, ripping out the very soul of the club; or perhaps how they are the best thing to ever happen to your club, giving what they can to make the club succeed, and even giving back to the community where the club resides?

There's also discussion for how clubs should be run, where should the line be drawn in regards in determining if a club is being 'sold out,' and what is considered reasonable duties for an owner, and what perhaps qualifies as 'going beyond' in benefiting the club.

I hope this topic can provide some good discussion, especially how FFP and responsible owning of a club has become a big thing in recent times in the fight of keeping traditions vs selling out to the pound.

 

[SM]

Huge amounts of Hull City supporters are not renewing season tickets despite some buying STs for 50 years or more, because of the price hike the owners are planning.

Added to that the rennovation of Airco Arena, a multi-purpose sporting complex for the community with a 4G pitch for sole use of Hull City in order to boost our Academy's status has also stirred resentment in the community.

Added to this is the renewed bid for the club being rebranded as Hull Tigers, after documentation emerged of the owners saying they didn't view the supporters' as relevant.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I'm running my own club fine, leading us to promotion
#MemberOwned #PunkFootball

 

[Thistle]

Happy with ours

 

[SM]

I think Swansea's model is one to be admired for sure.

 

[Jatz]

Happy with ours

Ditto. Especially after they held firm and kept our manager when everyone was screaming for his head.

 

[Cruyff14]

It'd be nice if ours was run less like a business and more like a football team.

 

[SM]

It'd be nice if ours was run less like a business and more like a football team.

Must suck sitting in second.

 

[Jatz]

It'd be nice if ours was run less like a business and more like a football team.

Bit harsh. They've started spending again now that the stadium money has been paid. Big off season for Arsenal coming up I think.

 

[Cruyff14]

Must suck sitting in second.

League position has nothing to do with ownership last time I checked.

What a silly statement.

Bit harsh. They've started spending again now that the stadium money has been paid. Big off season for Arsenal coming up I think.

It isn't harsh at all. Ask any Arsenal fan.

Club was content with fourth, maximising profits wherever they could and having the highest prices in England.

 

[Jatz]

League position has nothing to do with ownership last time I checked.

What a silly statement.


It isn't harsh at all. Ask any Arsenal fan.

Club was content with fourth, maximising profits wherever they could and having the highest prices in England.

Being the key word. Your statement would have been true a couple of years ago but they've spent decent coin on Ozil and Sanchez in recent years. They need to continue to spend on quality.

 

[Thistle]

Ditto. Especially after they held firm and kept our manager when everyone was screaming for his head.

Well Roman doesn't exactly do that but I've been impressed with the steps taken place over the past few years to make us a more self-sustainable club and not having to rely on his billions moving forward.

 

[Cruyff14]

I did not say being anywhere.

We still try to maximise profits though.

 

[Jatz]

I did not say being anywhere.

We still try to maximise profits though.

I bolded 'was'.

 

[Cruyff14]

Whooops

There is no reason why we should have the highest ticket prices in England when we are not the best club in the country though.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

First off, a negative example. No, I am not doing Newcastle, we all know there’s someone far more qualified than me that can tell you all about it.


Instead, I’m going to do Blackpool and Karl Oyston, one of the richest men in England at 100 million pounds


As we know, they are the first team this season to be relegated, but relegation is just a result of what the heck is going on with this club this season:


First order of business, their pre-season. They actually had no goalkeepers, and just seven (later eight in the article) players left on the books: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/meet-only-8-players-books-3873056 Yeah, as if they didn’t flirt with relegation last season, having only eight players from the previous season stay on with the club, just the thing you need when you’re their first overseas manager, and the third full time manager in two years. As if that wasn’t enough, Jose Riga and Oyston were in a lock between transfers. It’s only been a few days, and already the new manager and owner are in a fight over filling in the basics. Never mind decent transfers to save Blackpool this season, they just needed players to make a squad. It needed the president, Valeri Belokon to demand the owners to not only fund the club for transfers, but for the stadium and training ground (we’ll get to this later.) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...arachute-payment-team.html#i-23c3a36ffb9aabb9 Only then were Blackpool able to sign 14 players in time before the season started.


Now, Karl Oyston… say what you will about Mike Ashley, but at least he spent some money on the stadium… even if it is for that hideous advertising. Ashley’s earned the hate of the Newcastle, Oyston is considered the worst owner in Britain, and has been hated since Blackpool’s relegation in their one season in the Premier League. Ashley may ignore the fans, but Oyston replies to them… and boy how he does…

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-31451475

http://www.thefa.com/news/governance/2015/mar/karl-oyston-charged (Oyston called the fan a ‘massive *’)

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/s...-comment-more-shame-on-blackpool-fc-1-7016260

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30581633

Blackpool fan petition: https://www.change.org/p/karl-oyston-resign-as-chairman-of-blackpool-football-club?just_created=true (Supported by the Blackpool president)


A quoted text message: "So let me get this straight, you think that despite knowing and being friendly with other chairman in the FL and PL, venture capitalists, bankers, entrepeneurs, very successful businessmen, government ministers, MP's and a whole host of notable worthies, that I should single out a fat flaccid painter and decorator/consultant whose crowning achievment is taking his poor family on holiday to Orlando for three torturous weeks a year? really? I suggest you slip discreetly back into whatever foul pond you emerged from. Crack on as I am enjoying myself. you are on toast and are too simple to realise it. In fact you have cheered me up no end and made me realise I am right to completely ignore the influential fans so cheers." Karl Oyston.


Apparently he even made posts on a Blackpool fans forum, just to get into fights. Yeah, that's how low he will go.


Now, stadium and training ground, remember how there was a demand from the president that Oyston should put funds into the pitch?

This was in the match against Nottingham Forest, and yes, this was the actual pitch they played on. Do remember Blackpool is a Championship team, at least for this season. The FA demanded an explanation for the pitch. Oyston's response? He took a three week holiday. http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/blackpool-fc/clark-casts-doubt-of-blackpool-future-1-7133498


As if that wasn’t enough, what happened last week?

Before I forget to mention: Newcastle’s not the only one that is sponsored by Wonga, and considering how this story is going, you know it’s bad news when Wonga sponsors you.


Do you see that? That is Joe Lewis wearing an autographed shirt. Why? According to Andrea Orlandi:


"Before starting the game I noticed Joe Lewis's shirt. It was signed and I thought he was going to do a raffle after the game (something quite common in England).

"It turns out that no, he had not even noticed or knew anything about it and when he tried to get another one he was told there were none left.

"It was funny because he tried to put a plaster over the writing to cover it and it looked even more funny."

Further reports have actually suggested that Blackpool have fired their kitboy. Blackpool as a club is skint. The owner has money, but it's clearly not going into anything at the club.



Perhaps Newcastle have taken note, but Blackpool fans are not amused:

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/n...rests-after-pool-fans-angry-protest-1-7209064

http://www.espnfc.com/blackpool/story/2385056/blackpool-fans-pelt-directors-box-with-eggs-and-flares

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/s...ay-it-all-as-blackpool-run-on-empty-1-7161593


This is clearly an owner that simply doesn't give a toss about his club. Do remember that Blackpool was once a Premier League team, and they still had their last year of parachute payments this season. This isn't a club that's just going to get relegated to League 1, this is a club that will fall further than this, not unless something is done.

They may not be as highly noted as Newcastle, but there is some disturbing actions going on with how some clubs are handled.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Whooops

There is no reason why we should have the highest ticket prices in England when we are not the best club in the country though.

Perhaps you have the most passionate fans in the league who are willing to pay over 700 quid to go to your games?

http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/32310252

 

[Cruyff14]

Or the most idiotic.

 

[Redalert]

Venky's are s**t, almost singlehandidly managed to get the club relegated. Were it not for the running joke that is Blackpool they'd be among the worst in the Football League, although I've always felt they're just incredibly incompetent rather than malicious.

 

[Zidane98]

I'm not a fan of club owners who have the resources to spend unlimited money because it just prices the rest of the club's out of the wage / transfer market

Also not fans of owners like Ashley who do nothing but take from their clubs and run it for their personal benefit.

Ideal owners are ones that manage clubs properly for the benefit of fans and generally run the club off its own revenue.

 

[chef]

Happy with ours

Yep, can't complain. Very, very happy with Roman.

 

[SM]

League position has nothing to do with ownership last time I checked.

What a silly statement.

Pretty sure it reflects that your club is being run as well as any club in England, and as Jatz said, has invested in players over the last two years - Sanchez and Ozil - that have pushed you back into title contention.

 

[Zidane98]

There's a direct correlation between squad value and who wins the title. It is nearly always the most expensive squad.

 

[Jatz]

What a sad state of affairs Blackpool find themselves in.

This is the kind of ownership that requires a Newcastle type protest, not Ashley. For all Mike's fault's (and there are plenty), he looks like a quality owner compared to Oyston!

 

[chef]

Well Roman doesn't exactly do that but I've been impressed with the steps taken place over the past few years to make us a more self-sustainable club and not having to rely on his billions moving forward.

Emenalo and Granovskaia are looking like the two smartest appointments Roman has made in his time with us and are hugely responsible for us now being self sufficient.