Player Budget

[Average Joe]

Seems fishy almost like an early excuse. We have sold Pond for half a million and surely that could be used towards a free transfer. We've loaned some good players so maybe that's had a high impact.

It must be frustrating working towards such a tight budget such a quality league.

 

[Martin Lawrence]

I was a little surprised by the comment that we’re over budget so can’t even consider any out of contract players. Although I appreciate the 1931 money is sometimes only a contribution towards a signing I think that’s still available.
Plus, off the top of my head, we’ve only brought in Blackman, Harper, Smith, Stansfield and Kegs to replace all of those who left in the summer.
We haven’t paid a transfer fee for any of the new players and it was reported that as it was a development loan for Kegs that isn’t costing us anything.
Presumably all the available money has been spent on the wages of the other four then and perhaps League One pay rises for some others already in the squad?
So if we have plans to make signings in January, but are currently over budget, I imagine we intend or expect some departures that month?

You have to remember that most (if not all) of the players who were retained from last season's squad, would have received not insignificant pay rises as a result of promotion. I am aware that historically, when we have got promoted, players received upwards of 20% pay rises. That will represent a significant increase in cost to the business. Furthermore, most of the players who were released last season, were not big earners. In fact most were 1st and 2nd year professionals earning peanuts by comparison to established first team players. Releasing these players is unlikely to have saved much money overall.

With regard to transfer activity in January, just because there is no room in the budget for players now, does not mean that this will be the case in January. There are various factors to consider. For example, there are likely to be players who have been offered new contracts now (where the new salary offered is ring-fenced in the current budget) who then may sign pre-contractual agreements with clubs elsewhere in January. This could free up money that was otherwise not available to spend in the here and now.

There is also the prospect of money being made available from budget re-appraisal in or around January. This is particularly likely, if we have player sales, or sustained gate receipts.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

I get all that but where was the money coming from we were going to buy these players on deadline day or the previous week!! Apparently we missed out on loads !! I know we signed two on deadline day on loan but a couple weeks before we were told we were trying to bring in 3/4/5 signings!! So we had the money then but don’t now! I can’t work that out !!

Maybe we were forced to pay more than we would have liked to get those two signings "over the line". We weren't exactly in a strong bargaining position with the window about to shut. It could have simply come down to spending the available budget on fewer players or ending up with no players at all. If it ended with the latter scenario, no doubt you would have been even unhappier, a classic case of being damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Check your maths Harper, Smith, and Stansfield adds upto 3 signings.

 

[wiveygrecian]

Maybe we were forced to pay more than we would have liked to get those two signings "over the line". We weren't exactly in a strong bargaining position with the window about to shut. It could have simply come down to spending the available budget on fewer players or ending up with no players at all. If it ended with the latter scenario, no doubt you would have been even unhappier, a classic case of being damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Check your maths Harper, Smith, and Stansfield adds upto 3 signings.

Fair enough but we lost two players at the same time Coley and Pond!! I know Pond wasn’t a first team choice then .

 

[Thames Valley Red]

I think this raises concerns on many fronts, even more of a reason to focus on increasing non-matchday revenues around the club and extending the proposition on match day to extend the hours commercially. As has been said the 1931 money has not been used, surely the Pond deal would have been focused on getting the money on payments terms we were more than happy with. We have a tranche of money from Joel Randell to come I suspect and loan money from Ethan's to follow (Ben Chrisenes?). The last accounts show just under £4.6m transfer fee revenues and the year before just under £500k. With gates holding at home and still with bigger teams to come down, another player is minimal risk. We shipped out far more players than have come in - with Kegs being free. Yes bonuses and contracts have changed. But we have just overspent on the training ground by £1.4M. We do need to add to the circa 15-20k from the 1931 club and add to that to bring in another player. The manager's hands appear to be tied. Non-matchday income is now a huge focus to eek out some more revenue. How busy is SJP during the week with events and business sessions?

Shrewsbury highlighted we are painfully thin of players in this squad, with Sweeney close to a suspension as well......

 

[grecian-near-hell]

I think this raises concerns on many fronts, even more of a reason to focus on increasing non-matchday revenues around the club and extending the proposition on match day to extend the hours commercially. As has been said the 1931 money has not been used, surely the Pond deal would have been focused on getting the money on payments terms we were more than happy with. We have a tranche of money from Joel Randell to come I suspect and loan money from Ethan's to follow (Ben Chrisenes?). The last accounts show just under £4.6m transfer fee revenues and the year before just under £500k. With gates holding at home and still with bigger teams to come down, another player is minimal risk. We shipped out far more players than have come in - with Kegs being free. Yes bonuses and contracts have changed. But we have just overspent on the training ground by £1.4M. We do need to add to the circa 15-20k from the 1931 club and add to that to bring in another player. The manager's hands appear to be tied. Non-matchday income is now a huge focus to eek out some more revenue. How busy is SJP during the week with events and business sessions?

Shrewsbury highlighted we are painfully thin of players in this squad, with Sweeney close to a suspension as well......

When did that jump up again. I thought it was a further £800k more!

 

[DJG.ECFC]

Realistically if we want to compete In League one or higher we need to explore different financial models outside of trust ownership. Luckily we now have control of our club in the form of trust ownership and can decide the direction of the club going forward as we can vote on future owners so there’s far less risk of us ending up in the hands of some Micky mouse organisation and in financial ruin like in the past.

 

[dontpassback]

I would expect(and I maybe wrong)that after promotion to league one,player bonuses would have to be paid,and was this budgeted for by the club,if it was then fine,but if it was overlooked,then maybe that would have left a large deficit in the budget.as others have Said,we have sold Alfie pond,but how quickly that money appears is anyone’s guess

 

[Christian]

The Alfie money will likely be in instalment like lots of player sales

 

[Martin Lawrence]

I would expect(and I maybe wrong)that after promotion to league one,player bonuses would have to be paid,and was this budgeted for by the club,if it was then fine,but if it was overlooked,then maybe that would have left a large deficit in the budget.as others have Said,we have sold Alfie pond,but how quickly that money appears is anyone’s guess

If I know there are player bonuses for promotion then you can bet your life on the fact that those compiling the budget for ECFC do too. There is no way that was "overlooked".