Should Exeter City remain a fan-owned club?

[IndoMike]

Indo. We did lose c £600k last year. That is a fact even if it was budgeted.

Does that include transfer fees ins and outs?

 

[Bittners a Legend]

They're NOT monetising the club's potential. That's exactly the point. Because the Trust are not businesspeople, but they run everything at City.

Sorry, I don't share your optimistic view about the future. Matt Taylor is extremely ambitious and the only reason he's still here is the current squad of players are the best we've had for a long time. That is all about to change as we are forced to let some of them go in order to stay financially viable during the coronavirus crisis. Talking of finances, we lost £600k last year and we're going to lose a lot, lot more this year. How is that doing quite well financially? I guess my standards are higher than most people's. Or perhaps my standards are higher than those of the Trust. A lot of fans don't think everything is rosy at all. They think the performance of the Trust and Club is average at best. They just don't go on Exeweb.

I think you need to elaborate on the bit about monetising the club's potential. I don't think things are run near to perfectly, although what business is, but what specific opportunities are being missed?

When you refer to average performance what is it you are referring to? On-field? The way the business is run? If the way the business is run, is average so bad if average is also sustainable?

I'm genuinely confused about what you want? Do you believe there is a benevolent owner waiting in the wings to underwrite the club? Or do you think that the senior employees at the club need replacing with people you believe to be more talented? If the former then how do we protect to club to ensure that benevolent owner doesn't get bored or run out of money?

Football as an industry is volatile and, arguably, completely unsustainable. I think it is genuinely quite contentious to argue that a club in ECFC's situation can run itself sustainability and provide the resources to compete in the Championship. At the very time you appear to argue against the Trust model we are facing a situation where tens of clubs who have gone down the benevolent owner route may well be facing oblivion. I'm sure most fans would like a jaunt in the championship but probably not if you told them the club might go bust five years later. Ultimately most people who support Exeter City aren't in it for the glory - the importance of the Trust is in its ability to ensure the Club exists for the community and its supporters forever in a professional league. There is nothing wrong with ambition but not, in my opinion, at the sacrifice of security and sustainability.

The business was run very badly 5 or 6 years ago and there were many issues with governance. Some of those issues undoubtedly still exist today and I have no doubt that some involved in the Club and Trust see things very differently to you and me but it would be interesting if you could provide a little more substance on what you do think the Club or Trust should do.

 

[geoffwp]

Ed's intentions on this thread have never been to try and convince people of any viewpoint he may or may not genuinely hold. IMO, his intention has been all along to simply stir up trouble and get folks backs up. He has done rather a good job of that. I imagine he is loving it. He throws a grenade in then sits back and laughs at the carnage it causes. This is his game board. Sad really.

 

[iscalad]

Ed's intentions on this thread have never been to try and convince people of any viewpoint he may or may not genuinely hold. IMO, his intention has been all along to simply stir up trouble and get folks backs up. He has done rather a good job of that. I imagine he is loving it. He throws a grenade in then sits back and laughs at the carnage it causes. This is his game board. Sad really.

That's a bit cynical #trustmember #neverstoodforelction

 

[andrew p long]

Indo. We did lose c £600k last year. That is a fact even if it was budgeted.

Yes, as a planned ambitious attempt to give the manager an increased playing budget.

importantly the money was available to do that in a planned way because of the profit of £2m+ achieved a couple of years back. Not bad for a ‘village fete’.

 

[SEA Grecian]

So you don't want to move from SJP (I agree), you don't want an outside investor (I agree but would listen to one before totally discounting it) and you want the Trust-owned system to continue. The only possible problem for you must be that you have a way of doing things which might be. a bit more dynamic) whereas you see the Trust as being a bit cautious or old fogey-ish. But the end justifies the means. The club is doing quite well financially off the field, has made significant improvements, is doing quite well on the field, has a good young manager, has a string of young colts ready to step up or be transferred at a very decent price, and seems to have a happy environment with no controversies or players throwing their dummy out of the pram. It is strongly rumoured that Matt Taylor turned down a move to Lincoln, a progressive club, so he must be optimistic about City's future

Excellent post and you saved me from writing something similar. Maybe I'm completely wrong but I just don't buy the argument that the club is badly run and under performing; in fact, as you say, there are so many indicators suggesting the opposite is true.

 

[IndoMike]

[

Indo. We did lose c £600k last year. That is a fact even if it was budgeted.

Ok. Excuse my poor knowledge of economics. I guess that was an operating loss because we invested in players and facilities, right?

 

[STURTZ]

The truth is that our model will be the way forward for many clubs after the post corona meltdown. We were ahead of our time and hopefully our sustainability will see us through, can't see too many businessmen throwing money at lost causes when the money gets tight.

 

[HH12]

Another one comes out of the woodwork. This is like some kind of Mafia cartel where one by one the old Dons reveal their true selves. Is there anyone on this thread who wasn't a Trust board member?

Well I can certainly think of one

 

[ramone]

Well I can certainly think of one

I'm not Trustacus !