New ownership model needed?

[MrDubbs]

Ok right from the off i'm not criticising those running the club at the moment nor am i claiming everything is perfect, but i'm sure they work long and hard for the club and their image is often reflected by whats happening on the pitch. It maybe that others could do it better but i'm damn sure that others could do it a lot worse as well.

I'm also not criticising Paul Tisdale either (waits to be shot down) yes at times he frustrates the hell out of me as well but here's a man who got us out of the conference, out of league 2 and to are highest place in League 1. Oh wait i hear you say look at the last 3 seasons but lets look at what happened at the end of that brilliant season in League 1 all our top players wanted to play at a higher level and you can't blame them for that.

Yes but the club should have replaced them with good players? We all know its not that easy especially when we are suddenly a league 1 side paying lower league 2 wages.

So is it all about money? Its not everything but it sure a hell helps and the club needs to maximise its income anyway it can and therefore should we look at a different model of ownership that combines trust ownership having the majority share combined with private ownership? Im not talking about a return to Russell/Lewis days but private investment might bridge the gap a bit. Just look down the road a couple of miles the Chiefs have a shiny new ground and top class rugby and are privately owned and even though they have probably indirectly affected our income...good for them.

Everyone talks about how great it is to own our football club and it is but it comes at a price and that is what we are seeing now, poor performances means lower attendances especially in a time of recession when money is tight which means less income to improve the team what other sides when in a relegation battle don't try and mix things up a bit, we are not able to do that in the current model.

I love seeing so many youngsters in the team but you need experience in keys areas as well, i'm impressed with Tom Nichols but i'm sure he would be even better playing with a more experienced striker along side him.

Alongside a change in the ownership model the clubs should be investigating other avenues seriously who cares if you rename the ground to Trumpton Park and give the big bank to Pompey (as long as all City fans who want to see the game still can) if it means you generate enough cash so you can sign Ryan Harley.

Wouldn't it be great to come onto to Exeweb and see positive posts for a change, we all want the same thing a club that is doing well on the pitch, oh and guess what thats what everyone at the club wants as well.

Up the City!

 

[Boyo]

A private ‘investor’ who pumps in serious cash will want to own the majority of shares. Otherwise his/her investment is subject to the decisions made by the Trust – which is just never going to happen.

Also most ‘investors’, will want a return on their investment. Taking the example of the Chiefs again, their bond which raised £7m (if I recall correctly) was on the basis of a 7% interest rate. In the current economic climate, that’s sky high, even if the investment is deemed relatively high risk (subject to the performance of a rugby team essentially). Without a plan to increase the turnover, then ECFC just isn’t an appealing prospect to any wannabe investors.

 

[Rog H K]

Torquay had a lottery winner who put in a lot of monies and Torquay are privately owned and didn't do them any good long term. All for giving Pompy the bank and the likes.Fans always want success now and that leads to 'Boom or Bust' in most cases. Running the club professionally, efficiently, effectively and within the clubs means looking after the fans like customers is the best way and ECFC falls short on a number of those so has room to improve.Can't compare us with Rugby, totally different animal in the Top flight of their sport.

 

[Bittners a Legend]

The issue isn't the ownership model per se, which could work in my opinion (and arguably did to get us to our highest ever finish), but the utter waste of the resources we do have on the likes of Tagg, Perryman, Tisdale etc.

 

[John William]

The issue isn't the ownership model per se, which could work in my opinion (and arguably did to get us to our highest ever finish), but the utter waste of the resources we do have on the likes of Tagg, Perryman, Tisdale etc.

Agreed. Ownership isn't the issue, it's a combination incompetent governance and management with declining commercial performance and poor cost control.

 

[Saint James]

First post and advocating a new ownership model - someone perhaps with vested interests?.........................my guess is Roger Conway.

Your guess?

 

[AlanDevlin]

First post and advocating a new ownership model - someone perhaps with vested interests?

MrDubbs... Mr W.... some wanchor messing around it seems....

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

The ownership model isn't the primary issue imo. It has more to do with what that model has become at ECFC since its inception. In our "Conference years" we relied, by and large, on an unpaid club chairman, who was also the Trust chair, an army of willing volunteers and a few people with drive, energy and a bit of nous.

When we got back to the dizzy heights of the football league and particularly league one, there were certain individuals who decided that we didn't have a professional enough aura and public face for the League scene. Our very popular and hard working chairman was replaced with someone with "gravitas", our company secretary was replaced and, all of a sudden, that army of good, efficient and largely competent volunteers shrank dramatically as the club hierarchy decided they should largely be seen but not heard. Many will remember the work parties around the ground, doing all manner of maintenance tasks and then enjoying the summer barbecue out at the Cat & Fiddle. The virtual loss of that kind of thing has seriously dented the camaraderie, togetherness and fighting spirit that existed back then.

For me, that's when and where it all went wrong. Since many of those people have vanished from the scene and/or been replaced we have actually become less effective and efficient. When I went to the play at the Northcott Theatre last Saturday I wore my black and gold Centenary shirt. Those of you who know it will remember it being available as a limited edition, in a presentation box, with numerous other commemorative items. It was fantastic and it crossed my mind that it was produced and marketed when we were on our uppers, with an unclear view of whether we would even survive and, iirc, at that time, in a CVA. I seriously doubt whether we could produce anything that good, or that efficiently, today and, for me, that tells its own story.

A while back I was starting to question the ownership model but, having given it lots of thought, I am more certain than ever that it isn't the model that is wrong in principle, but how it has been distorted and sullied.

 

[Saint James]

Pete, you aren't alone in questioning at some stage whether the existing model has run its course. The disengagement of the member/fan with the ownership model has happened by stealth and it then leads to the question being raised that surely Trust = Bad and Private = good. The debate always reflects what is happening on the pitch. When things are going badly the call comes out that money is all that's needed to sort the problem. However, that is just too simplistic when you look at how much money privately run Torquay Utd and Bristol Rovers (as just two examples) have lost over the past 4-5 seasons. Our ownership model has had nowt to do with our club running out of money. The two factors why the club is on it's uppers are (1) Lack of Governance and accountability to ensure that the money that was available was spent wisely in the right areas - mismanagement of the budget is just as likely to happen under either ownership model. However, the main reason why we are where we are now is wholly down to the performances on the pitch especially at home during the past 3 seasons. The year on year decline of our season tickets and attendances have absolutely nothing to do with the ownership model. This is down to fans voting with their feet in turning away from the club due to loss after loss after loss at home.

If the posters wants to make a serious change with the fortunes of our club I suggest he starts with things a bit closer to home rather than assuming an injection of money is all we need.

 

[ronniej]

First post and advocating a new ownership model - someone perhaps with vested interests?.........................my guess is Roger Conway.

Your guess?

Freddie Starr