Fenty - Name Your Price

Simple as that. If the club’s up for sale and you want out - name your price publicly.

Obviously flipping through your Rolodex isn’t getting you anywhere in finding a buyer.

Name your price, get it on the front of the Telegraph and stick it in big letters on the website.

How much for you to cut all ties with the club? No more bullshit, no more obfuscation - give us a number.

I’d assume his price is the loans he’s put in ? Close to 2 million isn’t it ...

I don't think he could name a price. Any amount would surely be negotiable. It's not like going into a shop and buying a loaf of bread .. I can't in a million years see J.S.F. just walking away and leaving the Club to the wolves. If anybody thinks he hasn't done what he thinks was right for the club[whether right or wrong ]  they must live in cloud cuckoo land. Whether he gets his loans back in full or not I think he will do all he can to keep this club afloat.Of course egoism comes into it,of course it's been his play thing but does he deserve to take all of the vile abuse thrown his way over the years

Well that’s exactly it - nobody knows what he wants, what the price is and what his terms are. It’s all guesswork.

Does he want all his loans back? How much for his share holding? Will he leave completely or will he want some involvement down the line?

No transparency from a man supposedly desperate to get out.

Name your price, JSF.

Quoted from golfer

I don't think he could name a price. Any amount would surely be negotiable. It's not like going into a shop and buying a loaf of bread .. I can't in a million years see J.S.F. just walking away and leaving the Club to the wolves. If anybody thinks he hasn't done what he thinks was right for the club[whether right or wrong ]  they must live in cloud cuckoo land. Whether he gets his loans back in full or not I think he will do all he can to keep this club afloat.Of course egoism comes into it,of course it's been his play thing but does he deserve to take all of the vile abuse thrown his way over the years

Honestly??..yes he does, he has failed the fans, failed the fortunes of the club and stalled any forward progression...16 years of awful football, cheap back of the cupboard squads, a ground that needs more love and attention than my missus and yet he still sits there thinking he's done right by the club....we have had 2 investors who have walked away because of his bloody mindedness, that to me says he deserves all the criticism that is aired in his direction!!

If he really wants out I will give him a £1 for his shares. That`s the best offer you are going to get John so take it and leave.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

If he really wants out I will give him a £1 for his shares. That`s the best offer you are going to get John so take it and leave.

I’ll outbid you. £2. But that includes writing off the loans.

Quoted from ska face

Well that’s exactly it - nobody knows what he wants, what the price is and what his terms are. It’s all guesswork.

Does he want all his loans back? How much for his share holding? Will he leave completely or will he want some involvement down the line?

No transparency from a man supposedly desperate to get out.

Name your price, JSF.

Anyone remotely interested will have found out what the price and probably more important the terms are...he isn't going publicly name them is he as that would weaken his hand.
Tom male private and Harry on here asking isn't realistic.
Wider publicity may help flush out potential buyers but realistically we are a backwater club...in a deprived area...which needs a huge overall...with a proven fanbase of no more than 5000 over the last 20-30 yes

I think any potential "dragon" would be out so it's down to one..two..three..four of those emotionally tied 5000 to step forward.
I would think the wealthiest of the 5000 have already had a spell at the club at some point,JF, Ramsden, Parker, Huxford all traditional businessman who have chucked money at it.
Don't know who else maybe in the local rich list..Dyson ex Chartdale (?) but no idea if he is a fan......after that I am stumped.
Ross isn't a Town fan but is a clever businessman...too clever to take on a money pit like GTFC in its current state.
Anyone know of a new generation of rich kids in the area ?

A new ground would help the potential sale I am sure but looks like that isn't going to be happening anytime soon

Quoted from moosey_club

Anyone remotely interested will have found out what the price and probably more important the terms are...he isn't going publicly name them is he as that would weaken his hand.
Tom male private and Harry on here asking isn't realistic.
Wider publicity may help flush out potential buyers but realistically we are a backwater club...in a deprived area...which needs a huge overall...with a proven fanbase of no more than 5000 over the last 20-30 yes

I think any potential "dragon" would be out so it's down to one..two..three..four of those emotionally tied 5000 to step forward.
I would think the wealthiest of the 5000 have already had a spell at the club at some point,JF, Ramsden, Parker, Huxford all traditional businessman who have chucked money at it.
Don't know who else maybe in the local rich list..Dyson ex Chartdale (?) but no idea if he is a fan......after that I am stumped.
Ross isn't a Town fan but is a clever businessman...too clever to take on a money pit like GTFC in its current state.
Anyone know of a new generation of rich kids in the area ?

A new ground would help the potential sale I am sure but looks like that isn't going to be happening anytime soon

I get your point BUT Huxford never chucked any money in. His advice in business is always to use money other than your own!!

Reading the last post  "Are you sure you are not J.S.F. " He couldn't have put it better.

Quoted from moosey_club

Anyone remotely interested will have found out what the price and probably more important the terms are...he isn't going publicly name them is he as that would weaken his hand.
Tom male private and Harry on here asking isn't realistic.
Wider publicity may help flush out potential buyers but realistically we are a backwater club...in a deprived area...which needs a huge overall...with a proven fanbase of no more than 5000 over the last 20-30 yes

I think any potential "dragon" would be out so it's down to one..two..three..four of those emotionally tied 5000 to step forward.
I would think the wealthiest of the 5000 have already had a spell at the club at some point,JF, Ramsden, Parker, Huxford all traditional businessman who have chucked money at it.
Don't know who else maybe in the local rich list..Dyson ex Chartdale (?) but no idea if he is a fan......after that I am stumped.
Ross isn't a Town fan but is a clever businessman...too clever to take on a money pit like GTFC in its current state.
Anyone know of a new generation of rich kids in the area ?

A new ground would help the potential sale I am sure but looks like that isn't going to be happening anytime soon

Just more assumption, more guesswork, more writing off hypothetical situations. Is it too hard to go one step at a time? That’s the problem with this club at times, nobody can point to the single problem and work out one solution, so it just becomes a deluge of “it can’t be done” when nobody really knows what “it” is.

Assuming people know the club is openly for sale - why? How would any potential buyer know the club is inviting offers? The only mention it’s had is one line deep into a rambling statement about something irrelevant, and a brief mention as an afterthought at a fans’ forum attended by about 50 people. What, to an outsider, gives the impression that the club is up for sale?

Why bother guessing about the financial state of 5000 fans who you don’t know, plus an infinite number of other people who may want to be involved at some point? Absolute waste of time.

In about 250 words you’ve gone from justifying the secretive nature at the boardroom to writing off any potential investor, in the town and on the planet, and then wrote off a new stadium that isn’t even being planned. Just...slow down ffs.

Fenty - name your price. That’s all.

What he could do is give the trust the 250,000 shares back he took off them,

For the other approx. 1.200000 shares he has he should tell us they are all for sale,

Then broadcast internationally  this great historic club is for sale for £2 million,

Most of his personal shares would be snapped up by the fans IF by buying some they will know he is leaving our great club.

Not sure if my maths is correct ( old age ) but if you divide his shares by say 4,000 fans that would mean we would only have to pay less than £350  each to get rid of him. I know not fans all are in a position to forked out that amount but a few would be able to buy a lot more.

He could test the water and ask for letters of intent from us fans to see how many we could afford to buy and like Brexit  nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Obviously if the new owner wanted to buy   his shares as well as paying him his £2 million we would  agree to that.

Pete-be serious. How many on here would fork out £350 for shares in a company thats worth fk. all. The only chance we have of getting a new owner is if some millionaire  Chinaman goes off his rocker and buys his son a plaything P.S. do you think there are 5000 people in Grimsby who have got 350 reddies

Quoted from golfer

Pete-be serious. How many on here would fork out £350 for shares in a company thats worth fk. all. The only chance we have of getting a new owner is if some millionaire  Chinaman goes off his rocker and buys his son a plaything P.S. do you think there are 5000 people in Grimsby who have got 350 reddies

I would pay £350 for a one share, one vote ownership system. I think we could get 5,000 Town fans to do that.

Quoted from golfer

Pete-be serious. How many on here would fork out £350 for shares in a company thats worth fk. all. The only chance we have of getting a new owner is if some millionaire  Chinaman goes off his rocker and buys his son a plaything P.S. do you think there are 5000 people in Grimsby who have got 350 reddies

I did say not everyone of 4,000 would be able to afford £350 but several business men could buy a thousand or more if Fenty had gone.

I know several on here who could afford a bit more as well which includes OC, YOU and me.  

Quoted from grimsby pete

What he could do is give the trust the 250,000 shares back he took off them,

For the other approx. 1.200000 shares he has he should tell us they are all for sale,

Then broadcast internationally  this great historic club is for sale for £2 million,

Most of his personal shares would be snapped up by the fans IF by buying some they will know he is leaving our great club.

Not sure if my maths is correct ( old age ) but if you divide his shares by say 4,000 fans that would mean we would only have to pay less than £350  each to get rid of him. I know not fans all are in a position to forked out that amount but a few would be able to buy a lot more.

He could test the water and ask for letters of intent from us fans to see how many we could afford to buy and like Brexit  nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Obviously if the new owner wanted to buy   his shares as well as paying him his £2 million we would  agree to that.

I put a twitter poll out to see how many - percentage wise - people would be willing to invest £350 in exchange for a fan owned club with one member, one vote policy. Cast your votes! via https://twitter.com/nousrembobinons/status/1060132835858833408

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I put a twitter poll out to see how many - percentage wise - people would be willing to invest £350 in exchange for a fan owned club with one member, one vote policy. Cast your votes! via https://twitter.com/nousrembobinons/status/1060132835858833408

Aplogies for not crediting you with the idea Pete.

Quoted from ska face

Just more assumption, more guesswork, more writing off hypothetical situations. Is it too hard to go one step at a time? That’s the problem with this club at times, nobody can point to the single problem and work out one solution, so it just becomes a deluge of “it can’t be done” when nobody really knows what “it” is.

Assuming people know the club is openly for sale - why? How would any potential buyer know the club is inviting offers? The only mention it’s had is one line deep into a rambling statement about something irrelevant, and a brief mention as an afterthought at a fans’ forum attended by about 50 people. What, to an outsider, gives the impression that the club is up for sale?

Why bother guessing about the financial state of 5000 fans who you don’t know, plus an infinite number of other people who may want to be involved at some point? Absolute waste of time.

In about 250 words you’ve gone from justifying the secretive nature at the boardroom to writing off any potential investor, in the town and on the planet, and then wrote off a new stadium that isn’t even being planned. Just...slow down ffs.

Fenty - name your price. That’s all.

But surely everyone of the 5000 town fans already knows the club has been up for sale for ages and anyone with the wealth/interest would have inquired directly with Fenty? Whether the board have done enough to try to sell the club to non-town fans/business people either nationally or international is doubtful, but I don't think a front page telegraph headline of "Town for Sale £XXXXX" is going to do intercourse all to suddenly find a local buyer.

Quoted from golfer

Pete-be serious. How many on here would fork out £350 for shares in a company thats worth fk. all. The only chance we have of getting a new owner is if some millionaire  Chinaman goes off his rocker and buys his son a plaything P.S. do you think there are 5000 people in Grimsby who have got 350 reddies

I would and know others who would but 5,000 like minded nutters seems very ambitious.

The club is a PLC, are you suggesting we dissolve the current business and then set up a new one with 5000 shares of £350??

The PLC malarky is hugely complicated and not something that can be resolved simply or without significant cost.

JF seems to value the PLC status as Grimsby's only locally based PLC but the rules with it are extremely restrictive & complicated

Quoted from Cloudy

The club is a PLC, are you suggesting we dissolve the current business and then set up a new one with 5000 shares of £350??

The PLC malarky is hugely complicated and not something that can be resolved simply or without significant cost.

JF seems to value the PLC status as Grimsby's only locally based PLC but the rules with it are extremely restrictive & complicated

Raising £1.7M would be a significant start to bringing about change though. We either do something or we don't.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

Raising £1.7M would be a significant start to bringing about change though. We either do something or we don't.

Agreed. Will be interesting to see your poll results.

It wouldn’t be 5000 people from Gy tho would it ? There’s many 1000s of gtfc fans across the country and world , many of whom have done well for themselves and have to watch from a far as the club is run into the ground. It’s these silent majority who could achieve the numbers required imo

JF could if he wanted sit down with the MT and simply say my shares are for sale I want out. Let`s say for arguments sake they agree each share is worth £100 and they equate to £2M TOTAL VALUE. John being the Town fan who wants to do the right thing as custodian without financially ruining the Club but at the same time getting his money back could consider this......

The MT/Others agree to buy a minimum 100k of shares a Season over 20 years interest free and buy him out. If in the meantime another party came in wanting to buy the Club they would have to jointly agree to the sale irrespective of who had most shares at THAT time.

If John Fenty genuinely wants out of GTFC but simply wants some or all of his money back then it can be done it just might not get done with 2M being handed over in one go.

Could an individual walk into a bank and borrow x amount of money and buy the Club ? Not sure of the details but pretty sure it`s what the Glazers did with Man Utd?

Worth remembering that Fenty doesn't own 100% of the club. There are other shareholders as well. This pot of money would not be enough to buy the club just one man's shares.

This from October 2017 shows how many shareholders we have:

https://document-api-images-pr.....8a83677803b5dddd1aca

We have did something similar over the last 6 and a bit years since we got demoted down the leagues and over a continuous period, we've raised £1 million.

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/darlington-fans-raise-1-million-for-their-club-in-six-years

January 2012 Initial club rescue                                               £50,000
March 2012 A share funds                                                       £20,000
June 2012 Ordinary equity share issue                                    £128,835
April 2014 Squareknot equity share issue                                £55,053
May 2015 Launch of 500 club                                                  £285,000
August 2016 Community Share issue 1                                   £100,000
Sept 2016 500 club extension                                                  £29,000
Sept 2016 500 club new members                                           £26,000
Dec 2016 Dugouts and goal posts                                            £8,000
May 2017 Community share issue 2 – pitch                             £43,850
July 2017 Community Share issue 2 seats 1/3                         £39,650
Sept 2017 Boost the Budget                                                     £40,000
Sept 2017 Community Share issue 2 seats 2/3                        £37,750
Dec 2017 Sponsor Your Seat                                                    £8,095
Dec 2017 Community Share issue 2 seats 3/3                         £33,200
Dec 2017 Ground development fund                                        £12,035
Lottery ongoing                                                                         £61,125
Feb 2018 500 club extension                                                    £60,000

With the right personnel, you could raise a substantial amount.

Personally, I've invested over £6,000 in that time period. I also have a direct debit set up each month worth £30 going to the club with me expecting nothing back in return.

Quoted from AndyDarloFC

We have did something similar over the last 6 and a bit years since we got demoted down the leagues and over a continuous period, we've raised £1 million.

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/darlington-fans-raise-1-million-for-their-club-in-six-years

January 2012 Initial club rescue                                               £50,000
March 2012 A share funds                                                       £20,000
June 2012 Ordinary equity share issue                                    £128,835
April 2014 Squareknot equity share issue                                £55,053
May 2015 Launch of 500 club                                                  £285,000
August 2016 Community Share issue 1                                   £100,000
Sept 2016 500 club extension                                                  £29,000
Sept 2016 500 club new members                                           £26,000
Dec 2016 Dugouts and goal posts                                            £8,000
May 2017 Community share issue 2 – pitch                             £43,850
July 2017 Community Share issue 2 seats 1/3                         £39,650
Sept 2017 Boost the Budget                                                     £40,000
Sept 2017 Community Share issue 2 seats 2/3                        £37,750
Dec 2017 Sponsor Your Seat                                                    £8,095
Dec 2017 Community Share issue 2 seats 3/3                         £33,200
Dec 2017 Ground development fund                                        £12,035
Lottery ongoing                                                                         £61,125
Feb 2018 500 club extension                                                    £60,000

With the right personnel, you could raise a substantial amount.

Personally, I've invested over £6,000 in that time period. I also have a direct debit set up each month worth £30 going to the club with me expecting nothing back in return.

Spot on Andy and the OP campaign showed what can be done with some hard work.Of course it would be far more difficult to sustain that kind of cash flow year upon year but if like Lincoln you can build some momentum anything can happen. John Fenty is whether we or indeed he like it or not the main problem holding back this football club but realistically he is the only one who can change that.

According to old Shut Up the only offer to buy the club was from some American fools who allegedly wanted to buy but only if they owned 100% of the shares (not just Fenty's but yours and mine too)

Rather than a large number of people all buying blocks of shares from Fenty and any new owner having to answer to dozens of diverse nutters better surely for a new owner to buy all Fenty's holding in one lump and pay Fenty his £2m  loan back at £x per season. That way Fenty does not have to walk away from his benign loan (be fair, would you?) the new owners would be the major shareholder with the fans still having a little slice for posterity

Another option of course would be to leave Fenty with his shares (whatever anyone says he does love the club and they're worth intercourse all anyway) The new owner buys him out benign loan-wise in installments if need be or preferably makes him a lower offer which Fenty wanting to recoup some money can't refuse whilst purchasing sufficient new shares (I understand there is no limit to how many are available) to give him control thus removing Fenty as the majority holder.

To all those willing to pay £350 for one share mine are available at £200 each

Quoted from Ipswin

According to old Shut Up the only offer to buy the club was from some American fools who allegedly wanted to buy but only if they owned 100% of the shares (not just Fenty's but yours and mine too)

Rather than a large number of people all buying blocks of shares from Fenty and any new owner having to answer to dozens of diverse nutters better surely for a new owner to buy all Fenty's holding in one lump and pay Fenty his £2m  loan back at £x per season. That way Fenty does not have to walk away from his benign loan (be fair, would you?) the new owners would be the major shareholder with the fans still having a little slice for posterity

Another option of course would be to leave Fenty with his shares (whatever anyone says he does love the club and they're worth intercourse all anyway) The new owner buys him out benign loan-wise in installments if need be or preferably makes him a lower offer which Fenty wanting to recoup some money can't refuse whilst purchasing sufficient new shares (I understand there is no limit to how many are available) to give him control thus removing Fenty as the majority holder.

To all those willing to pay £350 for one share mine are available at £200 each

Can`t you just buy him out Swin

Pompey raised a huge sum but were asking for £1000 a share:

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/pompey/pompey-fans-launch-bid-to-buy-the-club-1-3682739

Is there a public list of shareholders available online? The link up-thread did not work.

As an exile, I think there's an untapped market of investors outside the Grimsby area. Surely fan-owned is the only way to go, like Wycombe, Darlo etc?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Can`t you just buy him out Swin

I would love it if Swin bought him out,

He would not tell us to Shut Up !!!!!!

He would be telling us to F***  Y*********** y*** F*********  W**********!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Can`t you just buy him out Swin

Well actually I could if I wanted* but really, who in his right mind wants to own a lower 4th Division football club in a totally unfashionable area of the UK who play in a shite virtually derelict ground with players who wouldn't have made the Lindsey Sunday League 40 years ago

*only if Fenty accepted £3.56p, an old Citroen, a signed photo of Jimmy Pennington and six bottles of Westvleteren (perhaps that too generous cancel the Westvleteren)

Quoted from grimsby pete

I would love it if Swin bought him out,

He would not tell us to Shut Up !!!!!!

He would be telling us to F***  Y*********** y*** F*********  W**********!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

I would retain 'Shut Up' as my spokesman at Fans Forums but I would teach him a few new phrases

Quoted from cambmariner

Is there a public list of shareholders available online? The link up-thread did not work.

As an exile, I think there's an untapped market of investors outside the Grimsby area. Surely fan-owned is the only way to go, like Wycombe, Darlo etc?

It's on companies house - https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00034760

A  summary is on the GTFC website - https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/club/ownership/

How can a share in a company with £2million debt and no assets and not much going for it be worth the paper it's written on never mind £350. For my £350 as part owner I would want a free ticket to every match. We would have 5000 every match and gate receipts of £0. Recipe for success I am sure but carry on in your world of fantasy

What about setting up a crowd funder to buy out JF.... Might take a few years mind.

What about a crowd fund to raise money, so that we can advertise in the newspapers all over the world that we want change and that our club is for sale?

Quoted from Ipswin

Well actually I could if I wanted* but really, who in his right mind wants to own a lower 4th Division football club in a totally unfashionable area of the UK who play in a shite virtually derelict ground with players who wouldn't have made the Lindsey Sunday League 40 years ago

*only if Fenty accepted £3.56p, an old Citroen, a signed photo of Jimmy Pennington and six bottles of Westvleteren (perhaps that too generous cancel the Westvleteren)

I don't get this bloke, is he on a wind up?

Working on an average gate of 4500 if everyone stumped up £444 each we'd have enough to pay off his loans. If the 30k that went to Wembley paid in, it would only be £66 each

Quoted from Meza

What about setting up a crowd funder to buy out JF.... Might take a few years mind.

What would be the target amount?
£1m, £2m, £3m???


Would he sell to a fans group? I doubt it tbh as he has always said he wants any buyer to be able to demonstrate they can take the club forward. Sounds a bit of an excuse not to sell to me

Quoted from Meza

What about setting up a crowd funder to buy out JF.... Might take a few years mind.

What would be the target amount?
£1m, £2m, £3m???


Would he sell to a fans group? I doubt it tbh as he has always said he wants any buyer to be able to demonstrate they can take the club forward. Sounds a bit of an excuse not to sell to me

Surely the only way to force the issue is to stop attending the games?

I know it would be hard to stomach, but nothing else will work.

If he (Fenty) wishes to use his own money as loans to make up the shortfall in the vain hope he will recoup it one day, then good luck to him.

It is the fans who are keeping this club alive; we actually have enormous power if we could harness it.

The only downside to this plan is that he has already got the season ticket money, but even so, a mass boycott would perhaps be the tipping point.

If we carry on like this attendances will go down anyway, but then Fenty will change the manager and start all over again. Better to boycott BP till he responds.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Surely the only way to force the issue is to stop attending the games?

I know it would be hard to stomach, but nothing else will work.

If he (Fenty) wishes to use his own money as loans to make up the shortfall in the vain hope he will recoup it one day, then good luck to him.

It is the fans who are keeping this club alive; we actually have enormous power if we could harness it.

The only downside to this plan is that he has already got the season ticket money, but even so, a mass boycott would perhaps be the tipping point.

If we carry on like this attendances will go down anyway, but then Fenty will change the manager and start all over again. Better to boycott BP till he responds.

75% of the fans that are attending at the moment are STH so it will have very little effect I am afraid,

BUT

If we  have no upturn in the new year or even worse relegation,

Then I can see loads of STH not renewing the only reason a lot did renew this season was Jolley got all our hopes up towards the end of last season.

Quoted from Cloudy

What would be the target amount?
£1m, £2m, £3m???

Sounds a bit of an excuse not to sell to me

Don't be too upset, it's not just you I don't think he would sell to me either, or to any of us for that matter  

Unfortunately I agree with those who say the only way of forcing Fenty out is by voting with feet.

The club is not for sale, it's another line by Fenty that some people continue to buy - hook, line and sinker.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

Unfortunately I agree with those who say the only way of forcing Fenty out is by voting with feet.

The club is not for sale, it's another line by Fenty that some people continue to buy - hook, line and sinker.  

I believe technically it is for sale to try to placate us as much as anything but of course I think he realises no one is going to buy it.

We could have a raffle-200K @ £10 a go and the winner[loser] would be the owner of gtfc. He would naturally be guarantor at the bank-perhaps lending the club benign loans [with no interest charges ] in our hour of need. Who wants my £20 -I'll have 2 please.

Dear John.  

I'll give you a fiver and a mars bar to clear off, which is about the right sort of value for the club after you've destroyed it.

Thanks.

What a stupid thread, a load of bored retirees thinking they can club together to buy out JF. Not only is it never going to happen, nor should it. No one one here has any idea how to run the club. I mean I'm not sure that JF does either, but at least there's only one of him.

Quoted from Dan

What a stupid thread, a load of bored retirees thinking they can club together to buy out JF. Not only is it never going to happen, nor should it. No one one here has any idea how to run the club. I mean I'm not sure that JF does either, but at least there's only one of him.

Who said anything about running the club ?

I am sure we could fund a suitable businessman who would know how to do a better job than Fenty has done over the last 17 years.

Plus how do you know that businessman is not a poster on here.?

6 pages and counting of the usual chat, millions of ideas addressing a problem that hasn’t even been identified.

We need clarity, first and foremost.

What is the price, Councillor Fenty?



What happens after that is something for another time. We need to know the price before anyone wastes any more time worrying about raffle tickets and share issues.

One question. One answer. What is the price?

Quoted from Dan

What a stupid thread, a load of bored retirees thinking they can club together to buy out JF. Not only is it never going to happen, nor should it. No one one here has any idea how to run the club. I mean I'm not sure that JF does either, but at least there's only one of him.

Looks like it's you and I Dan against the dreamers. Pretty obvious you went to the same University of Common Sense as me.

Quoted from golfer

Looks like it's you and I Dan against the dreamers. Pretty obvious you went to the same University of Common Sense as me.

So Golfer and Dan, seen as you both have that much common sense 🙄 how would you address the situation we’re finding ourselves in?

I’m sure you guys aren’t just happy to plod along and watch us go down the pan, or are you?

Ok. Let's say you're a lottery winner/ successful business guy and have a few million in the bank.
JF says he wants £2M for the club and another £2M for his loans. You're a fan, so you think maybe it's worth it.
On the other hand, what could you do with £4 Million?

Let's look at the value/ assets of GTFC.
1) It's not the ground. Possibly a little bit in the land, but it's in the order of £100,000's, not millions.
2) It's not in the playing staff. We don't have any more Omars ready to sell on for any sort of money. The rest are a liability (in wages terms that is).
3) It's not in the equipment/ facilities, unless you want to stick everything on eBay for coppers.

So, the only asset the club has is the few thousand fans who turn up to be sadly disappointed most weeks, in the hope that we will somehow be just slightly better than two other clubs in the division. The fans only come to GTFC due to the history of the club, not the ground. It's only this tenuous and slightly nebulous link that keeps the club in business. Is that worth £4M? Especially if the fans leave to do something else on a Saturday. If the fans decided to start supporting another local team (not a current rival), GTFC would be gone and possibly that leaden weight we carry around with us most weekends would also be gone.

If you had that £4M to spend, wouldn't it be better spent on another local club like Cleethorpes Town where it could immediately be used to improve the playing staff and matchday experience, rather than pay off a director who has devalued his own product to the extent it's basically worthless? It would also be a heck of a lot more fun beating teams on the way up than going to BP.

If the fans can somehow put the massive funds together to pay off JF, then why not use it to start a Phoenix club instead? Just because GTFC is still technically in business, it doesn't mean Grimsby AFC can't gain league status. It took 9 years from Wimbledon's re-formation to get back into the league. Where will GTFC be in 9 year's time?

Ideally, I would like JF to manage a process where he gives the club to the Trust for free and writes off his loans. If he doesn't and 3,000 Town fans decided to go to watch Cleethorpes next home game it would be a hell of a message - that is; his money invested is only worth something when we turn up to watch.

A statement is definitely required for the board to listen. Whatever it takes but needs the majority to follow.

Do Cleethorpes Town have home fixtures same time as GTFC?

I get the idea but it needs everyone to be onboard

Aye..and the new team could play at B.P. until the stadium down Freeman Street is ready.  I can't take any more.

Quoted from golfer

Aye..and the new team could play at B.P. until the stadium down Freeman Street is ready.  I can't take any more.

Why do you have plenty of objections but no ideas to anyone’s comments about the concerns about our club?

You seem very active on here but only pass comment by slamming peoples ideas without suggesting ways to make change yourself.

I would love it for you to make a serious and sensible suggestions about how to improve our club?

It’s difficult I know but go on give it a try, please

Quoted from H19P1

A statement is definitely required for the board to listen. Whatever it takes but needs the majority to follow.

Do Cleethorpes Town have home fixtures same time as GTFC?

I get the idea but it needs everyone to be onboard

There is nothing anybody can do Sam until somebody gets Euromillions up

Let's look at it realistically. If you'd lent somebody a few quid ten years ago, expecting it back but it never being mentioned again, you'd have long since written it off.

I've said it before, whatever the value of that £2 million over the years John Fenty has had it back by the bucketload in terms of gravitas, free advertising, and a certain kudos that's allowed to him and others like him in such positions. That, spread out over the years would far outweigh the £2 million were you a top organisation looking for the kind of publicity he gets year in, year out.

Walk away from the job John, it's a thankless task, you know it is. You must be sick of the sight of Town fans posting on here day in, day out, about your management of the club. Walk away, but with the proviso that you can be an honorary life time associate of the club. Would naming the Main Stand after you do it?

Quoted from golfer

There is nothing anybody can do Sam until somebody gets Euromillions up

And this might be half the problem, people waiting for a miracle and just accepting what’s happening.

Why can’t we think beyond acceptance and actually do something about it. If your idea is winning the lottery then wouldn’t it be better to suggest that the trust set up a lottery syndicate for GTFC supporters rather than hoping that one day someone is going to win and give to the club.

Don’t you think the fans could do something forward thinking rather than sitting back and hoping it’ll change on it’s own?

Quoted from jock dock tower

Walk away, but with the proviso that you can be an honorary life time associate of the club. Would naming the Main Stand after you do it?

Even if you had an ego as big as Fenty's would you pay over £2M to have the Main Stand at BP named after you?

Two quid more like

Quoted from golfer

There is nothing anybody can do Sam until somebody gets Euromillions up

So perhaps you could explain the success of other 'supporters group' run clubs such as Exeter, Wycombe and Newport who are all harnessing the collective will of their fans?

Quoted from jock dock tower

Let's look at it realistically. If you'd lent somebody a few quid ten years ago, expecting it back but it never being mentioned again, you'd have long since written it off.

I've said it before, whatever the value of that £2 million over the years John Fenty has had it back by the bucketload in terms of gravitas, free advertising, and a certain kudos that's allowed to him and others like him in such positions. That, spread out over the years would far outweigh the £2 million were you a top organisation looking for the kind of publicity he gets year in, year out.

Walk away from the job John, it's a thankless task, you know it is. You must be sick of the sight of Town fans posting on here day in, day out, about your management of the club. Walk away, but with the proviso that you can be an honorary life time associate of the club. Would naming the Main Stand after you do it?

Yes the "John Shuttleworth Main stand" has a nice ring to it.

Worth noting that on Companies House today that the GTFC accounts have been lodged and will take 5 days to process.

Quoted from Dan

What a stupid thread, a load of bored retirees thinking they can club together to buy out JF. Not only is it never going to happen, nor should it. No one one here has any idea how to run the club. I mean I'm not sure that JF does either, but at least there's only one of him.

Most sensible quote on here today

Why should he get a penny of his loans back??

It's his decisions that have cost the club that money, nobody else's.

Why should any new owner(s) have to foot the bill for one man's failed vanity project.

He's the one who decided on the direction of the club, he's the one who has cost this club millions, and yet somehow he things he should get that money back!  It's crazy!!

That man should not receive a single penny of his loans repaid, he should write them off - and give the Trust back the 200k of shares that he <insert your own version of how he did it here> the Trust out of.

It's like going into William Hill and putting all you've got on the favourite at Newmarket and wanting your money back when it doesn't come in.

No other business on this planet works like this.  He, and he alone should foot the bill for the decisions that he has made that has cost this club millions.

Fenty Out.

Nothing will happen though.

We have these rants year after year after year - nothing changes.

Everyone bangs on about starving the club of income by not buying season tickets in the couple of weeks leading to the end of the season, then when it comes to it the vast majority fold and cough up for yet another season of mediocroty under our wonderful saviour.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I put a twitter poll out to see how many - percentage wise - people would be willing to invest £350 in exchange for a fan owned club with one member, one vote policy. Cast your votes! via https://twitter.com/nousrembobinons/status/1060132835858833408

The problem is that such a takeover would still require many key people in key roles. Do we have sufficient fans with the business, finance, hr, football etc skills and time to keep the club in business, never mind to improve it.

Would I pay my bit to help the club, definitely. Would I force out a man who has at least kept us in business for all these years, without us having a plan that ensures we have the skills and resources to move forward? Never. It could end the club we love and it would be our fault.

*drags hand across face*

Look, you’re all getting ahead of yourselves with the takeover plans.

We all agree that the club can be run infinitely better than it currently is.
We all know that Fenty wants out and to hand over to someone who’ll do a better job than him.

What we don’t know is what it’s going to take to get that ball rolling. We’re effectivly all being held hostage, it would be nice to know the ransom being demanded.

Now, Mr Fenty, if you’d be so kind - the price.  

Quoted from Dan

What a stupid thread, a load of bored retirees thinking they can club together to buy out JF. Not only is it never going to happen, nor should it. No one one here has any idea how to run the club. I mean I'm not sure that JF does either, but at least there's only one of him.

Nor do the personnel that run it now. This isn't just the board, yes 'they' (one man) put the money in (or don't) But it's more than that isn't it. Change has to come from all corners of the club. More than money, our club needs a Chief Exec who knows how modern football works, A forward thinking marketer with knowledge of the sports industry. The videography and PR lack anything at all engagement. The imagery etc all come from an outside agency, the same agency other clubs use...... Where is the originality, where is the originality in anything the club does. It's lacklustre and lazy everything seems copied from other clubs except other clubs were doing 3/4 years ago.

Other clubs with no money, make a success because they have the right people behind the scenes, this will always be more than JF in my opinion, he is just the figurehead of it all.

Quoted from ska face

*drags hand across face*

Look, you’re all getting ahead of yourselves with the takeover plans.

We all agree that the club can be run infinitely better than it currently is.
We all know that Fenty wants out and to hand over to someone who’ll do a better job than him.

What we don’t know is what it’s going to take to get that ball rolling. We’re effectivly all being held hostage, it would be nice to know the ransom being demanded.

Now, Mr Fenty, if you’d be so kind - the price.  

Agree with you completely but a Trust approach would seem more likely to get a response. If it is framed as 'what would it take to sell to the Trust or another supporter based body then how can he not provide an answer. It's easy to ignore a thread on The Fishy.

I've read in the past week that he's written off his loans etc but that clearly wasn't the case for the 200k he recouped last year.

Quoted from drbell

The problem is that such a takeover would still require many key people in key roles. Do we have sufficient fans with the business, finance, hr, football etc skills and time to keep the club in business, never mind to improve it.

Would I pay my bit to help the club, definitely. Would I force out a man who has at least kept us in business for all these years, without us having a plan that ensures we have the skills and resources to move forward? Never. It could end the club we love and it would be our fault.

Ska is absolutely right - without a price, it's all conjecture.

However, to answer the point, there are many, many sound business people that are fans of GTFC with far more business acumen than selling fish - the same as there are at many fans' run clubs and many of them are members of the Mariners Trust.

Add to that, they would work with collective responsibility and in bold and underlined - THEY WOULD BE TRULY ANSWERABLE TO THE BOARD

Quoted from ska face

*drags hand across face*

Look, you’re all getting ahead of yourselves with the takeover plans.

We all agree that the club can be run infinitely better than it currently is.
We all know that Fenty wants out and to hand over to someone who’ll do a better job than him.

What we don’t know is what it’s going to take to get that ball rolling. We’re effectivly all being held hostage, it would be nice to know the ransom being demanded.

Now, Mr Fenty, if you’d be so kind - the price.  

Just go and ask him Ska......or are you seriously expecting him to come on here and post the magic number ? He has publicly stated on more than one occassion he is open to discussions with serious parties so contact him or the club through official channels and ask.

Quoted from ska face

Simple as that. If the club’s up for sale and you want out - name your price publicly.

Obviously flipping through your Rolodex isn’t getting you anywhere in finding a buyer.

Name your price, get it on the front of the Telegraph and stick it in big letters on the website.

How much for you to cut all ties with the club? No more bullshit, no more obfuscation - give us a number.

Absolutely, I've been calling for him to name his price publicly for a long time now. He has to go, we've pretty much all had more than enough of him. Any good will is long gone. We should all rise and force him out, we've been far far too pleasant. Public protests are in order, get him out.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Ska is absolutely right - without a price, it's all conjecture.

However, to answer the point, there are many, many sound business people that are fans of GTFC with far more business acumen than selling fish - the same as there are at many fans' run clubs and many of them are members of the Mariners Trust.

Add to that, they would work with collective responsibility and in bold and underlined - THEY WOULD BE TRULY ANSWERABLE TO THE BOARD

There isn't a single price. That's the point. There might be a number to 'get rid of Fenty' as seems to be the desire, but even that is going to be complex and in need of long negotiations and agreements. But that's not the price to maintain and run this club. Someone mentions paying for a businessman to lead things. Do people have any idea of the expected salary of a decent businessman for a large, publically known business! And most of the improvements people suggest won't initially come for free, so there will need to be a large initial outlay on top to make a difference. Realistically for real change we need the new stadium so throw in however many millions that will need to get the project off the ground.
Don't get me wrong, I'd reach into my pocket for a share if such an approach looked like the best way forward, but there needs to be business and financial town fans leading anything like this, and I'm not sure the individuals with the time, skills and commitment exist.

Finally does anyone really believe that people genuinely interested in investing in a UK football club wouldn't do their research and be aware of the state of all clubs in their target range.

Quoted from drbell

There isn't a single price. That's the point. There might be a number to 'get rid of Fenty' as seems to be the desire, but even that is going to be complex and in need of long negotiations and agreements. But that's not the price to maintain and run this club. Someone mentions paying for a businessman to lead things. Do people have any idea of the expected salary of a decent businessman for a large, publically known business! And most of the improvements people suggest won't initially come for free, so there will need to be a large initial outlay on top to make a difference. Realistically for real change we need the new stadium so throw in however many millions that will need to get the project off the ground.
Don't get me wrong, I'd reach into my pocket for a share if such an approach looked like the best way forward, but there needs to be business and financial town fans leading anything like this, and I'm not sure the individuals with the time, skills and commitment exist.

Finally does anyone really believe that people genuinely interested in investing in a UK football club wouldn't do their research and be aware of the state of all clubs in their target range.

Look at the Newport model - several local businessmen applying their skill sets for free.

Can't someone just ask Ascend to drop him a PM?

Quoted from Abdul19

Can't someone just ask Ascend to drop him a PM?

Or ask Rob to drop him one to one of his various aliases?

Quoted from Cloudy

What would be the target amount?
£1m, £2m, £3m???


Would he sell to a fans group? I doubt it tbh as he has always said he wants any buyer to be able to demonstrate they can take the club forward. Sounds a bit of an excuse not to sell to me

Yeah because he’s done a really good job of taking the club forward ...

Quoted from moosey_club

Just go and ask him Ska......or are you seriously expecting him to come on here and post the magic number ?.

Clearly not.

This whole thread, as well as giving me a good laugh through the day, has been an exercise in trying to focus everyone’s mind on the key issue at the moment - Fenty claims he’s desperate to get out, but shows absolutely no signs of doing so.

It’s a similar approach to how the club sells match tickets. Assume people know what’s going on, assume people are falling over themselves to buy one, don’t really give anyone a reason to do so and just hope for the best. The Field of Dreams approach doesn’t work for us.

If you’ve got something to aim for, you might just start to move in the right direction. Otherwise it’s a load of blind people fumbling around in the dark.

So, to conclude, Fenty - name your price.

Quoted from golfer

Looks like it's you and I Dan against the dreamers. Pretty obvious you went to the same University of Common Sense as me.

Anyone who buys a lower league football club has to be barking mad so that rules you two out . 👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Ska is absolutely right - without a price, it's all conjecture.

However, to answer the point, there are many, many sound business people that are fans of GTFC with far more business acumen than selling fish - the same as there are at many fans' run clubs and many of them are members of the Mariners Trust.

Add to that, they would work with collective responsibility and in bold and underlined - THEY WOULD BE TRULY ANSWERABLE TO THE BOARD

If they were much better business men, then they'd have more money than JF. Maybe as a collective, the sum of the parts adds up to more, but there's nobody stepping forward to take that role and not even any rumours that somebody else local is interested.

Not sure why several people are bringing up the trust, they don't want to do it and have said so many times. You can't force them to do something that they don't want to and don't think they're capable of doing.

Quoted from Cloudy

What would be the target amount?
£1m, £2m, £3m???


Would he sell to a fans group? I doubt it tbh as he has always said he wants any buyer to be able to demonstrate they can take the club forward. Sounds a bit of an excuse not to sell to me

Thats were the trust comes into it i would think.

Quoted from Dan

What a stupid thread, a load of bored retirees thinking they can club together to buy out JF. Not only is it never going to happen, nor should it. No one one here has any idea how to run the club. I mean I'm not sure that JF does either, but at least there's only one of him.

Im 44 and definitely not retired yet lol.

Quoted from pen penfras

If they were much better business men, then they'd have more money than JF. Maybe as a collective, the sum of the parts adds up to more, but there's nobody stepping forward to take that role and not even any rumours that somebody else local is interested.

Not sure why several people are bringing up the trust, they don't want to do it and have said so many times. You can't force them to do something that they don't want to and don't think they're capable of doing.

No-one is interested in bailing out the loan you mean. No businessman worth their salt is going to pay JF back the £2 million bar bill that's been run up.

In addition, as I'm sure you know, there are many businessmen with lots of money that they've inherited or married into (Peter Swann being a good example) so wealth alone doesn't make JF a good businessman. I would prefer to judge Mr Fenty's business credentials by his record at GTFC over 16 years myself. I've no doubt he did very well for himself at Five Star Fish but Grimsby Town FC has never looked as bad an investment as it does now.

Quoted from pen penfras

If they were much better business men, then they'd have more money than JF. Maybe as a collective, the sum of the parts adds up to more, but there's nobody stepping forward to take that role and not even any rumours that somebody else local is interested.

Not sure why several people are bringing up the trust, they don't want to do it and have said so many times. You can't force them to do something that they don't want to and don't think they're capable of doing.

So what was Mike Parker, scotch mist, don't make me laugh, no one will pay over the odds for anything especially when it's in the millions, if you believe that I've got some unicorn excrement for sale, £100 per pound, (small print, it's basically my excrement with multi coloured glitter on it, a bit like Fenty's benign loan) still want it?

Quoted from MuddyWaters

So perhaps you could explain the success of other 'supporters group' run clubs such as Exeter, Wycombe and Newport who are all harnessing the collective will of their fans?

Were they £4million in debt to  1  person ?

Lets look at things this way,

Fenty put £2 million into the club to pay off previous directors and a tax bill,

If he was good at his job he would have got more than double that back in 17 years,

Sadly he has been rubbish at his job so he should lose that money he put in.

I should also like to add that he has had free admission to every game in the last 17 years,

That is home and away plus free travel and board for the overnight stays,

Add up all that up and take it away from his BENIGNE LOANS and it would make a big hole in it.