Ethan Ampadu

[Gordon Dale]

Interesting comments . Difficult to assess the outcome without any facts ....apart from Ampadu joining Chelsea. What is a fact , however, is the lad's potential .That is what ECFC must focus upon in the negotiations. If Ampadu fulfils that potential then future transfer fees could be substantial ...in which case say a 25% sell on clause could reap millions for the club down the line. Such a clause would not only be FAIR but PRUDENT. What's needed NOW is a CLEAR statement from the Board NOT Tagg .

Unfortunately, there is an air of mistrust amongst supporters as to the lack of transparency at the club which has built up over the recent past. It surfaced last year and was very much at the heart of the AGM motions. The club MUST be transparent on the Ampadu negotiations otherwise I fear support will further and inevitably drain away. To view the Ampadu transfer and Tagg's general re-assurances , alongside 'news' articles on volunteers effecting ground maintenance as well as solicitations for more funding members to join the 31 Club, really does paint a less than favourable picture as to how ECFC is really being managed and has the potential of a public relations nightmare. 'GET A GRIP' ECFC BOARD .

 

[andrew p long]

as the politicians would say 'why on earth should ECFC provide a running commentary on negotiations/why negotiate in public?' Fans understandable desire to know each twist and turn each suggestion/offer proposal along the way would be resisted by any sensible negotiator trying to get the best outcome for the club.

This is the negotiating team that has performed very well in the past - got 1.75m for Grimes and upwards of 200k each for TAH and James Dunne; nobody else has garnered a single penny in transfer fees for them.

 

[iscalad]

as the politicians would say 'why on earth should ECFC provide a running commentary on negotiations/why negotiate in public?' Fans understandable desire to know each twist and turn each suggestion/offer proposal along the way would be resisted by any sensible negotiator trying to get the best outcome for the club.

This is the negotiating team that has performed very well in the past - got 1.75m for Grimes and upwards of 200k each for TAH and James Dunne; nobody else has garnered a single penny in transfer fees for them.

Umm, we paid £20k for Troy from Spurs.

 

[Snoop Fog]

Umm, we paid £20k for Troy from Spurs.

50k I think?

 

[MerleyRed]

50k I think?

I think you are correct there Snoop.

 

[iscalad]

50k I think?

I bow to your superior knowledge.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

Interesting comments . Difficult to assess the outcome without any facts ....apart from Ampadu joining Chelsea. What is a fact , however, is the lad's potential .That is what ECFC must focus upon in the negotiations. If Ampadu fulfils that potential then future transfer fees could be substantial ...in which case say a 25% sell on clause could reap millions for the club down the line. Such a clause would not only be FAIR but PRUDENT. What's needed NOW is a CLEAR statement from the Board NOT Tagg .

Unfortunately, there is an air of mistrust amongst supporters as to the lack of transparency at the club which has built up over the recent past. It surfaced last year and was very much at the heart of the AGM motions. The club MUST be transparent on the Ampadu negotiations otherwise I fear support will further and inevitably drain away. To view the Ampadu transfer and Tagg's general re-assurances , alongside 'news' articles on volunteers effecting ground maintenance as well as solicitations for more funding members to join the 31 Club, really does paint a less than favourable picture as to how ECFC is really being managed and has the potential of a public relations nightmare. 'GET A GRIP' ECFC BOARD .

Whilst I agree with a lot you say, and I appreciate that fans want to know every last detail about transfers, the only way that this will happen is if a transfer tribunal gets involved. Most transfer terms are undisclosed, by the majority of clubs, not just City. Why, because if Club A sells a star player they need to replace him, and so if they want to sign a player from Club B, the transfer fee goes up, based on that knowledge. If you sign a free agent, then the same applies because the players agent will increase his demands in line with the maximum he thinks that you can afford.

However, there is nothing to prevent the details being announced at a future date. The obvious avenue is the Club's annual accounts which are available for anyone to read. As these are published around eighteen months after the particular season has finished, there is far less need for confidentially. The problem at City is that the annual turnover falls below the threshold at which FULL accounts need to be lodged at Companies House. The Board have been able to file just abridged accounts, which in terms of detail are worth diddly squat.

The Trust Board have laboured hard for many a year, to get the Club Board to post full annual accounts, and I am hoping that this is in hand, when the next set are due. If not then the TB need to hoof out the door any Club Director or employee who frustrates this process.

 

[IndoMike]

as the politicians would say 'why on earth should ECFC provide a running commentary on negotiations/why negotiate in public?' Fans understandable desire to know each twist and turn each suggestion/offer proposal along the way would be resisted by any sensible negotiator trying to get the best outcome for the club.

This is the negotiating team that has performed very well in the past - got 1.75m for Grimes and upwards of 200k each for TAH and James Dunne; nobody else has garnered a single penny in transfer fees for them.

I don't think anyone is expecting a running commentary on the negotiations, Andrew : they/we are just interested to know the fee at the end of the negotiations, mainly to see if there will be any money in the kitty to invest in players.
I think Taggy was quoted as saying there would be updates. However, Ballzy's post above is logical, so our curiosity may never be satisfied.

 

[Antony Moxey]

I don't think anyone is expecting a running commentary on the negotiations, Andrew : they/we are just interested to know the fee at the end of the negotiations, mainly to see if there will be any money in the kitty to invest in players.
I think Taggy was quoted as saying there would be updates. However, Ballzy's post above is logical, so our curiosity may never be satisfied.

Would it be satisfactory to say at the end of negotiations that there is money in the kitty to invest in players without giving specifics? I'm mindful of the post further up suggesting transfer fees and wage demands increase when you know the buying club has a bit more in the coffers - Chelsea and Man City always seem to have to pay a couple of hundred per cent premium because everyone knows they've got more money than you can shake a stick at.

 

[IndoMike]

Would it be satisfactory to say at the end of negotiations that there is money in the kitty to invest in players without giving specifics? I'm mindful of the post further up suggesting transfer fees and wage demands increase when you know the buying club has a bit more in the coffers - Chelsea and Man City always seem to have to pay a couple of hundred per cent premium because everyone knows they've got more money than you can shake a stick at.

If you remember, after the club sold Matt Grimes it seemed to become general knowledge that the fee was
1.75M, that it would be paid in 3 tranches, and that the money would be invested in 3 ways (if my memory serves me right). I'm not sure if City announced the fee, or Swansea, or if it was leaked to the press, but I can't see why transfer fees should be undisclosed. I get the logic that we don't want other clubs to know we have a lot of money if we want to buy a player from them, but on the other hand what if we get just 300k for Ampadu and other clubs or our own players assume we must have gotten 1.5M (for example). It can work both ways.
Overall I don't think it's a big problem to disclose the fee, it satisfies the fans' curiosity, and it's hardly unusual in the football world. It's not a demand, but it would be nice.