Should Exeter City remain a fan-owned club?

[Pobbop]

Again, these fictional investors that people think want to take over a club in dire times are great, with lovely intentions, even though that's never been the case in my lifetime. Let's get them in, I vote for Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne, they've a lot of money, and are good guys. We'll be in the Prem soon enough, we got to the Prem under the last private owners, Blue Square Prem, but still the Prem.

 

[i8cornwall]

Again, these fictional investors that people think want to take over a club in dire times are great, with lovely intentions, even though that's never been the case in my lifetime. Let's get them in, I vote for Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne, they've a lot of money, and are good guys. We'll be in the Prem soon enough, we got to the Prem under the last private owners, Blue Square Prem, but still the Prem.

where do you even start with this?

 

[Pobbop]

where do you even start with this?

Dunno mate, but TBH I have read countless ******** on this thread ignoring past, present and future realities, I thought I'd add some bollox of my own.

The fact is I am sure the Trust is open to any offer from private investors that could help secure the future of the club whilst maintaining a stake in it, so far, pretty sure no offers are on the table nor likely to be, so yes this is a fictional discussion.

and again boringly with all the talk of the wonders of private investment in our club our best League position is under te trust, and we seem to spend a hell of a lot less time struggling at the bottom of div 4 now.

 

[IndoMike]

Dunno mate, but TBH I have read countless ******** on this thread ignoring past, present and future realities, I thought I'd add some bollox of my own.

The fact is I am sure the Trust is open to any offer from private investors that could help secure the future of the club whilst maintaining a stake in it, so far, pretty sure no offers are on the table nor likely to be, so yes this is a fictional discussion.

and again boringly with all the talk of the wonders of private investment in our club our best League position is under te trust, and we seem to spend a hell of a lot less time struggling at the bottom of div 4 now.

Pretty good post. If any rich investor was interested they would contact the club. The fact is that the investors from Asia and Middle East want a big club as a status symbol. And no small.investor with less than 20 million quid in the bank would want to take the risk. As has been stated many times, who would invest millions in the club but not have any authority to make changes?.

The Trust has its pros and cons, but at least it has pros.

With its small catchment area and being distant from any metropolitania, City just cannot take the big strides some fans want. The aim has to be to get into Div 1 and become sustainable at that level (which is already a big challenge). That is not an impossible dream. Becoming a sustainable club in the Champ'ship is too far out

As I said before, if you want to support a big club buy a Liverpool scarf.

 

[Pobbop]

Pretty good post. If any rich investor was interested they would contact the club. The fact is that the investors from Asia and Middle East want a big club as a status symbol. And no small.investor with less than 20 million quid in the bank would want to take the risk. As has been stated many times, who would invest millions in the club but not have any authority to make changes?.

The Trust has its pros and cons, but at least it has pros.

With its small catchment area and being distant from any metropolitania, City just cannot take the big strides some fans want. The aim has to be to get into Div 1 and become sustainable at that level (which is already a big challenge). That is not an impossible dream. Becoming a sustainable club in the Champ'ship is too far out

As I said before, if you want to support a big club buy a Liverpool scarf.

Yeah, for years I've followed us, and just don't know where this investment is coming from. I've said it before if some big ideas person did decide big catchment area, maybe we could do something in an unmined (football not tin) area, there are depressingly better options who I won't name. Just don't see who would make a massive investment full stop, with or without the trust being here.

So small-time Exeter fans, with a small-time investment, not sure that's worth throwing the Trust model away, that has turned us from constant bankruptcies to fairly financial secure (as much as anyone is with Covid), with continued monetary impetus from a Youth system the trust and it's leaders have been hugely supportive of.

On the field we have just failed to get Promotion, 3 out of 4 years, it's depressing, but in the end I can only imagine the people crying about it don't remember pre-trust days.

 

[fred binneys head]

I don’t think the trust or club would consider anyone taking over ownership.

Maybe that’s because they represent the fans and that’s what the fans want? I genuinely think that if we were approached by an extremely wealthy individual who made an extremely generous offer for the club, with all the usual promises, and it was put to the Trust members’ vote that we would vote to remain a fans owned club. It could be the best offer anyone has ever seen, I don’t think the fans would go for it.

Just my opinion, feel free to print it off, blow your nose on it, screw it up and dropkick it into the nearest bin.

 

[malcolms]

As the last two pages prove, there won't be a change in direction and if that's what the vast majority want, then fine. However, I don't buy the small market argument. As the unpleasant man running the Chiefs has proven, if you are prepared to believe you can be bigger and better, then you can be. Sure their success has been amplified by a less competitive league structure, but it still stands a a massive achievement.

 

[Boyo]

I'd like to understand more about the Wycombe model. In the recent past we've very much been on a par with Wycombe. Indeed I believe we were both being promoted to L1 and relegated to L2 around the same time. They subsequently went back up and have now progressed into the Championship. I know they have an American owner, and they certainly used to have an active Trust. What's their story and what can we learn?

 

[i8cornwall]

I'd like to understand more about the Wycombe model. In the recent past we've very much been on a par with Wycombe. Indeed I believe we were both being promoted to L1 and relegated to L2 around the same time. They subsequently went back up and have now progressed into the Championship. I know they have an American owner, and they certainly used to have an active Trust. What's their story and what can we learn?

From what I have seen and read there trust owns 15% of the club still and the rest is now owned by the American investor.

There trust still has at least one seat on the board (might be more but can’t find any info on this anywhere). I think the trust had run up some debt but not a huge amount or one that was going to cripple them like Bolton, Bury or Dover. From talking to some Wycombe fans I know I think the sense was that the trust had taken the club as far as it could but not that they ever imagined they would be in the championship so quickly.

Hereford also have a similar model of ownership but from what I’ve read they have had some issues with the private investor so there are pros and cons to this type of model but that is the same with everything in life.

 

[Grecian Royal]

Until someone with substance and financial creditability steps forward with an offer then the arguments on here can only be hypothetical and somewhat pointless.