John Fenty interview today

Quoted from Croxton

Just listened to the full interview on JT's Twitter. Yes, the 'hauling over the coals' is an odd expression but who thinks that Macca would be shy of demanding an upgrade after his contribution last year? Senior players with families value security as much as cash.

Cliches are the norm for sports interviews. On the way back I listened to a Radio Lancs. interview with a Bury fan who had gone to the ground yesterday for 3.00 p.m. His comments about the owner were revealing. Apparently, he is an eloquent and convincing speaker but his words are not supported by his actions.

I am no Fenty fan but we have to trust his comments for what they are until events prove otherwise.

I am no Fenty fan but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he only tells us stuff that he thinks we want/need to know.

The comment about the takeover delay doesn't really concern me.   I think any hopes that the deal would be completed quickly were just that.  These things do take time and truth be told I think the real delay is already in the hot-seat.  Shutes has already invested in the area, he's already got some skin in the game so I don't really see what he would gain from either 'tyre kicking' or coming to the table without the funds.

The stuff about Nick Dale doesn't surprise me one bit.  Much like the Steve Wraith comments last season.  This is a club employee openly slagging off the fan base, the people who pay their wages and receiving no reprimand for it.  But it's ok because according to JF they're doing a good job....are they though?  Are they really doing a good job or just enough to satisfy his ambition of the club plodding along.  This is exactly why we need a new owner.  Someone with a slight bit of vision to realise that football has moved on in the last 25 years and we need to respond accordingly.   Fenty didn't just talk about funds in terms of him getting his pay-off, he mentioned funds to run the football club....we don't need funding.  We don't need funding now and we're run like a bag of spuds.  Imagine if we were run better!   This sums Fenty up to a tee, he just doesn't get it.   I think his ego has become so inflated that he can't actually contemplate the thought that we could survive without him.

The McKeown comment was a disgrace.  Nothing less.  Absolutely no need for it and totally unwarranted.  Jolley will have spent a large part of the summer trying to build morale and spirit in the dressing room, idiot comments like that can undo all that work in seconds.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

The comment about the takeover delay doesn't really concern me.   I think any hopes that the deal would be completed quickly were just that.  These things do take time and truth be told I think the real delay is already in the hot-seat.  Shutes has already invested in the area, he's already got some skin in the game so I don't really see what he would gain from either 'tyre kicking' or coming to the table without the funds.

The stuff about Nick Dale doesn't surprise me one bit.  Much like the Steve Wraith comments last season.  This is a club employee openly slagging off the fan base, the people who pay their wages and receiving no reprimand for it.  But it's ok because according to JF they're doing a good job....are they though?  Are they really doing a good job or just enough to satisfy his ambition of the club plodding along.  This is exactly why we need a new owner.  Someone with a slight bit of vision to realise that football has moved on in the last 25 years and we need to respond accordingly.   Fenty didn't just talk about funds in terms of him getting his pay-off, he mentioned funds to run the football club....we don't need funding.  We don't need funding now and we're run like a bag of spuds.  Imagine if we were run better!   This sums Fenty up to a tee, he just doesn't get it.   I think his ego has become so inflated that he can't actually contemplate the thought that we could survive without him.

The McKeown comment was a disgrace.  Nothing less.  Absolutely no need for it and totally unwarranted.  Jolley will have spent a large part of the summer trying to build morale and spirit in the dressing room, idiot comments like that can undo all that work in seconds.  

I think you have nailed it. Just who does he think he is? Talk of tyre kickers, demanding proof of funds for the future running of the club when he himself is reliant on fans' money and is only the backstop, and is by all accounts taking his money back, and saying our captain has hauled the club over the coals when anybody else would call it a negotiation.

I love people with egos who can deliver a project, take people with them and do things for the greater good. What I don't like, is people who think they are the bees knees when everyone else can see things as they really are.

Fenty didn't just talk about funds in terms of him getting his pay-off, he mentioned funds to run the football club....we don't need funding.

We do need funding to run the football club, what happens if there is suddenly a £20k bill for something unplanned, ongoing upkeep of a crumbling stadium £15k fines for failing to keep crowd control etc.
Of course we need regular income above what we get now to improve the team/toilets/bars/pitch etc.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Fenty didn't just talk about funds in terms of him getting his pay-off, he mentioned funds to run the football club....we don't need funding.

We do need funding to run the football club, what happens if there is suddenly a £20k bill for something unplanned, ongoing upkeep of a crumbling stadium £15k fines for failing to keep crowd control etc.
Of course we need regular income above what we get now to improve the team/toilets/bars/pitch etc.

Unless you’re Salford or Scunthorpe, you’re only supposed to spend 55% of your income on players budget leaving 45% to spend on administration staff and infrastructure. Gate receipts and sponsorships are not going to miraculously disappear when the club is taken over.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Unless you’re Salford or Scunthorpe, you’re only supposed to spend 55% of your income on players budget leaving 45% to spend on administration staff and infrastructure. Gate receipts and sponsorships are not going to miraculously disappear when the club is taken over.

You can soon get creative with that though by naming your North Lincolnshire stadium after your hotel in Blackpool.

The attraction of match day entertainment in a dilapidated ground does make it hard but we need someone creative. Young's have sponsored our shirts for some time and it is great that a major force in the local economy are involved but do we get a good deal?

I would be interested to know if we have turned away any prospective sponsors in the last few years and the reasons for that. Some teams have a separate sponsor for the away kit and it may present an opportunity to increase overall revenue from sponsorship.

Also, players could walk out past a large sponsored board that is taken away before kick off. As part of the deal, every home highlights video would show that board. We just need to be creative. Part of being creative is removing the dead wood. We have some very creative people involved at the minute who with the right direction and more creative people around them can make a difference.

That Matchday Moments video from Saturday is absolutely brilliant and shows what we can do.

I would suspect that Macca is quite disappointed with Mr Fenty's " over the coals" comment, as pay negotiations should be completely confidential between the 2 parties, he probably didn't even let on to the rest of the squad he was in negotiation, now the whole world and his brother knows.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Fenty didn't just talk about funds in terms of him getting his pay-off, he mentioned funds to run the football club....we don't need funding.

We do need funding to run the football club, what happens if there is suddenly a £20k bill for something unplanned, ongoing upkeep of a crumbling stadium £15k fines for failing to keep crowd control etc.
Of course we need regular income above what we get now to improve the team/toilets/bars/pitch etc.

That's why you create a rainy day fund and use it appropriately.    Of course you cannot budget exactly for infrastructure failing but you account for it, you allocate money for it and if you don't spend it, great.  

If you take away the money paid back to Fenty over the past few years, we've made a profit.  A tidy profit too for a club at this level.  That is in spite, not because, of the fact that we're run like an old boys club.  

There's no need for us to have any sort of benefactor.  Our core support is more than enough sustain a higher mid-table League Two side.  I would be willing to bet the first few games after any departure of Fenty would be met with increased ticket sales.  If the club begins to do its job properly and look after the fans and making them feel valued, a lot of those would stay.  That's extra revenue.   Bit in the reserves, bit reinvested into the club.  Better budget - better players - better results - more fans through the gate - more money....and repeat until the end of time.

Quoted from diehardmariner

That's why you create a rainy day fund and use it appropriately.    Of course you cannot budget exactly for infrastructure failing but you account for it, you allocate money for it and if you don't spend it, great.  

If you take away the money paid back to Fenty over the past few years, we've made a profit.  A tidy profit too for a club at this level.  That is in spite, not because, of the fact that we're run like an old boys club.  

There's no need for us to have any sort of benefactor.  Our core support is more than enough sustain a higher mid-table League Two side. I would be willing to bet the first few games after any departure of Fenty would be met with increased ticket sales.  If the club begins to do its job properly and look after the fans and making them feel valued, a lot of those would stay.  That's extra revenue.   Bit in the reserves, bit reinvested into the club.  Better budget - better players - better results - more fans through the gate - more money....and repeat until the end of time.

Is that as high as you want to go?
We need investment in our training facilities as well as a new ground. Our core support does not cover these as well as buying and paying better players.
There are more better funded clubs in the conference waiting to come up which with their money will push us further down the league pyramid  
For all his faults Fenty has put in what he can afford, but he doesn't have the personal wealth to put in what we need and can't find someone to take us further. We just aren't attractive enough to potential investors. Our only hope is for a local self made millionaire to take over and invest some of their fortune in Town. That doesn't look likely so we are left where we are.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Unless you’re Salford or Scunthorpe, you’re only supposed to spend 55% of your income on players budget leaving 45% to spend on administration staff and infrastructure. Gate receipts and sponsorships are not going to miraculously disappear when the club is taken over.

No, but a bad run of games and the gate receipts will quickly drop. It's a fine balancing act getting the budget high enough to be competitive but not so high that you risk losing a fortune if things don't go well on the pitch. It's not a position I'd like to be in!

As far as I understand it, the EFL require somebody to underwrite the club's accounts in the case of something going wrong and have to demonstrate they have the required funding to do this. It's not a case that we necessarily need the money, but it needs to be done.

As for the comment about Macca, it seems a strange thing to say and I didn't hear the interview, but maybe there's an element of respect in what he said as a tough negotiator and somebody bartered with him?