Cash, the 'never never' and now

[FinchFarmBlue]

Didn't want to go off topic on the Yak for Donovan thread so here goes here instead.

Last couple of pages that thread- came up about the why can't we have £xxx m for players each year from Bill? and it got me thinking outside of the obvious responses regarding selling the club and funds available etc. Anyone out there feel there's a price per share that he himself would be happy with to sell at but other non contributing members of the board want a mega pay day or are they one and the same and out to milk any sale for all they can muster Kenwright included?

On another point we know that it is more likelythan not to be investors out there not necessarily showing interest in a specific club, or having yet decided to make the 1st contact. Thinking aloud here so forgive me, how nice would it be to have the same kind of gesture the old Wolves owner and chairman bestowed on his club by selling for a quid on the promise of new investment, which certainly by this summer seems to have materialised over there at least in part???? But again the joint major shareholders rear their head on this one. Then theres a thought whilst Kenwright might have been able to cover most of what he originally set off against his own mortage in securing the shares, that he has other personal loans secured on the initial purchase he made possibly further putting a spanner in the works for a low sale price. This is even before we review the debate about whether or not we're a good investment. The mind boggles for me on how many dead ends could come before any potential deal. If anyone needs to win the Euromillions on a 12 week rollover its Bill for me every time.

 

[johnnydawg68]

I believe and I may be corrected by our USA fans that the term Yankees had it's origin in the civil war and was a derogatory refence to the North from the Confederate south.

I have holidays in the USA and found the folk of all colours to be fine. However have to say I hate those Senators on the Foreign Affairs committee, arrogant SOBs. They seem to think they only have to stick a finger to beckon and everyone will rush over for a 3rd degree. I am glad that the relevant British politicians told them where to get off. After all they are just on a BP witch hunt over the Megrahi business.

From Wikipedia:

The term Yankee (sometimes shortened to "Yank"), has a few related meanings, usually referring to someone either of general United States origin or, more specifically within the U.S., to people originating in New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.[1]
The meaning of "Yankee" has varied over time. Originally in the 18th century it referred to residents of New England of colonial English descent, which was later used by Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889). As early as the 1770s, the British used the term for any person from the U.S. In the 19th century, southern U.S. people used the term to refer to those from the northern U.S. who were not recent immigrants from Europe; thus a visitor to Richmond, Virginia, in 1818 commented, "The enterprising people are mostly strangers; Scotch, Irish, and especially New England men, or Yankees, as they are called."[2]
Outside the country, "Yankee" or "Yank" is a slang term for anyone from the United States. It is especially popular with the British.

 

[ChicagoToffee]

The sooner the better!

It's gathering steam....

Sad thing is the other 49 states wouldn't let Texas go even if Texas paid them. You don't want to admit it but you need Texas.

Not an uncommon bumper sticker.

 

[Neiler]

Behold the future:


Despite Manchester City’s transfer window shopping expected to surpass the £100m mark, this summer’s transfer market has been a decidedly low key affair. With less than two weeks to go until the new Premier League season kicks off, there has been very little transfer activity between the clubs who make up the richest football league on the planet.

While the total Premier League net spend on players last summer was down 10%, the final total still reached a whopping £450m.

This season the total so far is just over £170m, with Manchester City accounting for over £75m of that total amount. Whilst there is still a long way to go until the transfer window slams shut on August 31st, it is unlikely we will see a huge increase in spending from top flight clubs.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has already confirmed he is likely to make just one or two signings before the start of the new season and has spoken in the past about his refusal to run the club into debt with over-priced superstar signings. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti believes his Double winning side have more than enough quality to compete on all levels again next season and is unlikely to make any major changes. Liverpool have been looking to enhance their squad with free transfers and Tottenham will again look to improve with a few high quality additions.

However it is wise old owl Sir Alex Ferguson’s assessment of the current transfer market which is most intriguing:

“The enormous amounts of money they [players] are paid, not just for the transfer fees but for their salaries, I don’t think it rests easy with supporters,” commented Ferguson. “We’re in such a competitive world now that you’re hamstrung in relation to the borders people will stretch to get the best players.
​

“Over the years we’ve bought players for quite high amounts like Berbatov, Ferdinand, Verón and Rooney. We try to equate how we’re going to get proper value before we do it. When I see some of the values now, and you’re talking about players at £40m or £30m-odd, we have to assess our own players first.”
​

Ferguson obviously thinks the current market is inflated, namely because of the enormous amounts of money lavished on players by Real Madrid and Manchester City over the last two seasons. In comparison, Ferguson has added a few modest signings to his United squad, refusing to spend the majority of the world record £80m he received for the attacking talents of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.

The current dip in spending follows the pattern of January’s transfer window, which saw the lowest transfer spending since the mid-season window opened in 2003 coming in at £30m, £140m less than the season before. Following the credit crunch, cash-flow crisis and the recession, clubs have began to extend a tighter grip over their finances and have looked to reduce the amount they are spending on new players.

The summer spending low comes after Portsmouth became the first ever Premier League club to enter administration and docked points in February earlier this year with spiralling debts of £60m. The south coast club faced a winding up order as years of financial mismanagement came to a head, with reports the club were spending a mind-blowing 90% of their income on player’s wages. Even Spanish champions Barcelona were reportedly running at a £60m loss last season and are over 442m Euros in debt, even having to take out bank loans in order to pay their player’s wages.

Football finance has come under scrutiny in the spotlight of the recession with sports business experts Deloitte warning that the current level of spending in the Premier League is not sustainable unless changes are made. UEFA have made plans to tackle the debt which threatens to engulf English football and has approved financial fair play plans. Clubs must not be running at a loss following a three year period starting from 2012 and failure to meet these requirements will mean clubs will be banned from participating in European football.

The current level of debt in European football remains a massive challenge for both clubs and UEFA to tackle. UEFA are concerned about the level of spending which has been seen in recent seasons, reporting that over 50% of Europe’s top clubs are losing money every year. “I would not paint such a cataclysmic picture of major clubs folding because football has always shown there can be solutions but having said that, we are seriously worried to see these trends,” said UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino.

“The clubs themselves are worried, the leagues are worried. These are the reasons that pushed us to take the decision to do something.”
​

Premier League clubs have made small steps in addressing their finances under the current restricted economic, however there is still a long way to go before Premier League clubs can start to run with a healthy profit and not rely high interest bank loans. Premier League spending this summer shows that clubs have started to change their spending habits, albeit some out of necessity. However as Manchester City up the ante in their pursuit of trophies and more clubs are taken over by wealthy foreign businessmen, it will be difficult for clubs to sit back and refuse to match them in the transfer market.

 

[Robert Jarvis]

Doomed I say, We are all doomed.

 

[Neiler]

Doomed I say, We are all doomed.

The opposite i would say mate, i can see a lot of skill in management rather then money dictateing whats going to happen in the future.

 

[Nordecke]

Yank is the Official Nickname of our National Team.. No offence taken if the word is used..

On a side note. I enjoy you Scousers* But can't say to a moral certainty that I would skip around the whole of England meating and greeting the natives with a smile.

 

[dixie1928]

Not at all sure I like "Americanism". They seem to be quite keen on shooting / poisoning / hanging / electrifying people & saying it's God's will. Think maybe they're full of crap. Also think their food stinks.

And it was going so well for me ...

 

[Neiler]

Not at all sure I like "Americanism". They seem to be quite keen on shooting / poisoning / hanging / electrifying people & saying it's God's will. Think maybe they're full of crap. Also think their food stinks.

And it was going so well for me ...

I fail to see the point in posting something like that clearly it could be offensive to the many American posters on here, take it as a freindly warning posts of this nature will not be tolerated on here by anybody.

Also this thread has gone masssively of topic - in future if this occurs it will be met by infractions as below.

http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/29443-Off-Topic-Posts.