Management of Change - Exeter City

[PeteUSA]

One thing you can do is not present the choices as an either/or. There is nothing to stop a big investor coming in now as part of the current structure....

As Mr Russell says, there is nothing to stop a big investor coming in. In fact I'd suggest that if we ever did make it beyond League 1 to the Championship, we WOULD need somebody to come in who has deep pockets and unlimited cash to spend on the club; Starting up the trust in the first place wasn't meant to be a permanent solution; It's way past the point where trust ownership was intended to last.

 

[fred binneys head]

Good luck with the essay, Oman.

 

[Dannyred]

This, look what happens when the investor gets bored and/or the money runs out.
I’d rather be ECFC any day of the week than another Bolton/Pompey etc.

Or we could find ownership like Leicester City, I don’t think the trust can take us any further.

 

[David Treharne]

Starting up the trust in the first place wasn't meant to be a permanent solution; It's way past the point where trust ownership was intended to last.

Wrong on both counts. The present Trust started with a view to keeping Gary Alexander at the Club. When it became evident that that wasn't feasible the Trust changed its aims to "supporting the club" and eventually to "owning the club". This has been endlessly documented and from 2002 onwards it was evident that those who were involved at the time were involved for the long, rather than the short term. "Permanent solution" sounds somewhat like the US Government policy towards unruly (for which read threatening) states. As for the second sentence there has never been any finite statement about longevity of the Trust either as owners or interested parties

 

[PeteUSA]

I dont altogether know why the "US Government" had to be utilised to prove a point, but to keep things simple, I dont think for one moment that should we ever get into the Championship, we could survive at that level being a trust owned/run club. Our attendances dont bring in enough money for a start; thats our main source of income and I doubt if we could compete with attendances of 5,000 or less if we were struggling in the lower reaches of the Championship. Look where Yeovil are. They couldnt sustain a team having got to the Championship. Now they've slipped all the way down to the National League. I believe the same would happen to us if having got to the Championship, we tried to continue totally trust run. That said, I dont think we need to be overly worried about that particular problem in the forseeable future.

 

[Hants_red]

None of this is of course helping with Oman's essay.

 

[PeteUSA]

None of this is of course helping with Oman's essay.

I dare say it is; some substance to add to his efforts.

 

[Dannyred]

Wrong on both counts. The present Trust started with a view to keeping Gary Alexander at the Club. When it became evident that that wasn't feasible the Trust changed its aims to "supporting the club" and eventually to "owning the club". This has been endlessly documented and from 2002 onwards it was evident that those who were involved at the time were involved for the long, rather than the short term. "Permanent solution" sounds somewhat like the US Government policy towards unruly (for which read threatening) states. As for the second sentence there has never been any finite statement about longevity of the Trust either as owners or interested parties

David, The trust have no ambition to move us forward, it’s becoming boring seeing our club as a feeder club selling on players to clubs who want to move forward.

Question: is it the right time to look for a new owner

 

[Grecian2K]

Well, why not dip your hand in your own pocket Danny boy? You clearly think you own all of the answers.

As for the main topic perhaps, in the great tradition of 'Socratic Debate' perhaps Oman could contast the (occasional) successes against the many failures of falling for a sugar daddy for a season or two of 'glory' before the passing dilettante inevitably loses interest?

Not just at the likes of Stockport, Darlington, York etc but closer to home a mere glance DOWN the A38 should be a caution about repeatedly trusting your club to a bunch of spivs and speculators!

 

[SGF]

Our attendances dont bring in enough money for a start; thats our main source of income and I doubt if we could compete with attendances of 5,000 or less if we were struggling in the lower reaches of the Championship.

It wouldn’t be if we were in the Championship, in the same way that it isn’t for many, if not all, of the current Championship clubs.