Be careful what you wish for

Like a number of posters my view of John Fenty’s stewardship of the club goes back a long, long way and I’ve been critical of it through all manner of ridiculous managerial appointments. At times I have felt a twinge of gratitude towards him for keeping the club afloat but then I’ve thought “well, the problems are down to him anyway so he reaps what he has sown.”

The snag is that the supporters also reap what he has sown.

His choice of managers on the whole has been abysmal and his long term planning is an object lesson in how not to run a football club.

But - having said all that (again) - we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Just suppose Russell Slade takes notice of all the social media pundits and leaves. Where do the “Slade Out” banner wavers suggest a new manager will come from? A series of Fishy threads will spring up again with useful suggestions like Bring Back Buckley, How About Macca? Conte is leaving Chelsea and all the rest. But where will a good new manager come from? More to the point, will a decent manager come to a job which now must be a joke or have a poisoned chalice reputation throughout football?

That is bad enough. But it could be even worse. What if Fenty packs up too? What if he calls the bluff? Not necessarily leaving town but just packs up as decision making non-chairman. Maybe he leaves his money in the club but resigns from the board and takes off for Gran Canaria for 6 months. Don’t laugh. It is a possible scenario and one that is a lot more likely than Gandalf on a white horse coming to the rescue with a bucketful of magic cash to buy out Fenty and the board.

The banner wavers get what they wanted. The manager is gone, the board is gone, the chief investor is gone. Games coming up. Bills to pay. Then what?

I ask this in all seriousness because I don’t know the answer and I don’t think too many banner wavers are coming up with positive suggestions that make sense.

What if Slade and Fenty go? Haven't a clue but bring it on. Anything would be better than this slow death.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Like a number of posters my view of John Fenty’s stewardship of the club goes back a long, long way and I’ve been critical of it through all manner of ridiculous managerial appointments. At times I have felt a twinge of gratitude towards him for keeping the club afloat but then I’ve thought “well, the problems are down to him anyway so he reaps what he has sown.”

The snag is that the supporters also reap what he has sown.

His choice of managers on the whole has been abysmal and his long term planning is an object lesson in how not to run a football club.

But - having said all that (again) - we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Just suppose Russell Slade takes notice of all the social media pundits and leaves. Where do the “Slade Out” banner wavers suggest a new manager will come from? A series of Fishy threads will spring up again with useful suggestions like Bring Back Buckley, How About Macca? Conte is leaving Chelsea and all the rest. But where will a good new manager come from? More to the point, will a decent manager come to a job which now must be a joke or have a poisoned chalice reputation throughout football?

That is bad enough. But it could be even worse. What if Fenty packs up too? What if he calls the bluff? Not necessarily leaving town but just packs up as decision making non-chairman. Maybe he leaves his money in the club but resigns from the board and takes off for Gran Canaria for 6 months. Don’t laugh. It is a possible scenario and one that is a lot more likely than Gandalf on a white horse coming to the rescue with a bucketful of magic cash to buy out Fenty and the board.

The banner wavers get what they wanted. The manager is gone, the board is gone, the chief investor is gone. Games coming up. Bills to pay. Then what?

I ask this in all seriousness because I don’t know the answer and I don’t think too many banner wavers are coming up with positive suggestions that make sense.

we would find a way

R.R.F.C. much as we are shackled to Fenty,he is shackled to the club this will result in a deadly embrace unless the chains are broken.

What I've got is excrement but I'm clinging onto it because I'm scared it might be worse without my excrement.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Like a number of posters my view of John Fenty’s stewardship of the club goes back a long, long way and I’ve been critical of it through all manner of ridiculous managerial appointments. At times I have felt a twinge of gratitude towards him for keeping the club afloat but then I’ve thought “well, the problems are down to him anyway so he reaps what he has sown.”

The snag is that the supporters also reap what he has sown.

His choice of managers on the whole has been abysmal and his long term planning is an object lesson in how not to run a football club.

But - having said all that (again) - we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Just suppose Russell Slade takes notice of all the social media pundits and leaves. Where do the “Slade Out” banner wavers suggest a new manager will come from? A series of Fishy threads will spring up again with useful suggestions like Bring Back Buckley, How About Macca? Conte is leaving Chelsea and all the rest. But where will a good new manager come from? More to the point, will a decent manager come to a job which now must be a joke or have a poisoned chalice reputation throughout football?

That is bad enough. But it could be even worse. What if Fenty packs up too? What if he calls the bluff? Not necessarily leaving town but just packs up as decision making non-chairman. Maybe he leaves his money in the club but resigns from the board and takes off for Gran Canaria for 6 months. Don’t laugh. It is a possible scenario and one that is a lot more likely than Gandalf on a white horse coming to the rescue with a bucketful of magic cash to buy out Fenty and the board.

The banner wavers get what they wanted. The manager is gone, the board is gone, the chief investor is gone. Games coming up. Bills to pay. Then what?

I ask this in all seriousness because I don’t know the answer and I don’t think too many banner wavers are coming up with positive suggestions that make sense.

Probably not far from the best scenario we can hope for.

JSF, leaves for sunnier climates and doesnt demand his loans or debts are repaid. Utopia from where we are today

Am sure that many would start backing the club through the turnstiles a lot more. Many people, and it's probably not being over dramatic, are NOT going to Renew their season ticket and I'd say that it stands at around 1000 at the moment (a fair whack at any clubs level)

It's a club that's hardly been burning bright (except the odd time) throughout his tenureship, more like the ambers are burning but there's no one to waft them! But, and this is my issue, the powers that be treat the supporters with contempt and a lack of respect.

RRFC we can`t go on a minute longer in this downward spiral.You are right in things may become worse without JF possibly a lot worse but he is the one at fault.The fans have backed the Club at every turn where is his backing of us, why Slade ,and why retain him against the wishes of the fans and the best interests of the Club?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

RRFC we can`t go on a minute longer in this downward spiral.You are right in things may become worse without JF possibly a lot worse but he is the one at fault.The fans have backed the Club at every turn where is his backing of us, why Slade ,and why retain him against the wishes of the fans and the best interests of the Club?

I’m not disagreeing about the state of things at the club but what exactly are you suggesting should happen?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

RRFC we can`t go on a minute longer in this downward spiral.You are right in things may become worse without JF possibly a lot worse but he is the one at fault.The fans have backed the Club at every turn where is his backing of us, why Slade ,and why retain him against the wishes of the fans and the best interests of the Club?

Probably £20k per home match better off and a massive vocal backing for the team, and if Slade went with him a boost in season ticket sales for next season..

It's funny, sometimes when somebody's been in a position for that long that you can't imagine anyone else being there. Just because you don't know who the replacement is yourself, the void left is always filled somehow..

The problem is with this part of the club statement..

The Board reiterated today that the Club remains open to further external investment to work with the current Board.

Alternatively, we invite any interested parties who feel that they have the wherewithal to take over the financial and operational running of the Club without the existing Directors to approach the Club to discuss the process.

Such approach may be by an individual, consortium or appropriate organisation.
The existing Directors’ loans and shareholding would not be a barrier to any interested parties subject to the usual due diligence taking place.


What isn't explained and left open to interpretation is.. Why won't the director's loan and shareholding be a barrier?


Is it because JF values his shares at £0?

Is it because he's prepared to write the loans off in admission of his pecuniary mistakes?

Or is it that he does not think the present book value of his £2.9m stranglehold over the club is a barrier to potential investors?

Or a compromise deal somewhere in between?


Because how I see it, an initial price of £2.9m before working capital investment for a club that's pretty worthless on paper looks a big barrier to me. A bit more clarity on this part of the statement wouldn't go amiss ..

If he walked away and we were left facing admin as a result , as we couldn't cover any debts come the end of the season,  then all forms of social media and forums will be trawled for any dissenters and each will be contacted to pay an equal share of the debt  

Should work out about 50p each at the going rate of dissent  

But if we did go into administration he would be one of the biggest losers so he is just as much stuck with the club as he is with it. The club should never have been allowed to become so indebted to one individual.

Who would take over if Slade left ?

Well if the cleaning lady took over she could not be much worse than what Slade has done over the last 10 games.

If she went into the changing room and said ," look lads I know fu ck all about football so just go out and do what you do best "

In fact maybe Slade could say that and see what happens.

If the club went into administration then the administrators would look to secure the best deal for the creditors, whatever that looks like.  10p in the £ is not an uncommon scenario, of course the creditors have to accept the offer.

I personally don’t see any other way out for Fenty, if he carries on revenues will fall much faster than cost can be removed, if he doesn’t continue with financial support then the club will go into administration.

He’s cornered himself and knows it, much though I admire the paying fans who continue to support and attend, you’re just delaying the inevitable.

Forgot to add, there are many far more intelligent people than me out there, about 99% of the population at a guess.  But if there are any interested party’s out there, I would assume they won’t be making any moves at this stage, delaying can only improve their position.

I'm not fussed if Fenty stays or goes to be honest, but if he stays he has to do 2 things :-

1 - Get rid of Slade ASAP.  
2 - Step away from the day to day running of the club.

Quite happy for him to leave his money in the club, also I like the fact he wants the club to live within its means, break even every year and not get shackled with anymore debt.  The ethos works well for Burnley and others.  

If Fenty put the club into admin the major asset, i.e. Blundell Park, would be sold and he could recover some of his investment that way. It must be worth a few hundred thousand as building land.

That would leave the club pennyless and homeless

Quoted from RonMariner

If Fenty put the club into admin the major asset, i.e. Blundell Park, would be sold and he could recover some of his investment that way. It must be worth a few hundred thousand as building land.

That would leave the club pennyless and homeless

This is where we get together with the Trust and crowdfund the money to buy BP on the cheap. win-win.

I'm probably way off but isn't there a covenant on Blundell Park that states it must stay as green/leisure land unless a suitable replacement is provided?  I admit I could well be imagining this!

Aren't his loans attached to Blundell Park which would mean he is top of the debtors list.

Quoted from kevikov

I'm probably way off but isn't there a covenant on Blundell Park that states it must stay as green/leisure land unless a suitable replacement is provided?  I admit I could well be imagining this!

Possibly something like this when it was originally built. That part of Cleethorpes, right up to Queen Mary Avenue and down to Sussex Rec  was owned by Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Uni*. They were an enlightened landlord with a leaning toward what today would be called Corporate Social Responsibility.

But I think the land is ear-marked for housing int he local plan I think if we get a new stadium. So maybe the covenant has lapsed.

* the benefactor who gave the land to the college was one Peter Blundell, hence the name of the avenue that leads to the Holy of Holies.

Perhaps the local plan assumes we get a new stadium before we would sell our ground, therefore the suitable replacement part of the covenant is fulfilled? Don't know but that could be a reason.