Keith Jackson - The Tanks Roll In

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Just seen the first pics of Lliambias arriving at Glasgow Airport, I wouldn't say he's a Tank more a armoured personnel carrier.

[forlanssister 3,114]

Fans are the lifeblood and whether we like it or not, missing out on £6m-£8m from it's lifeblood would harm any club in Scotland.That's only from season ticket sales, there is also the loss of merchandise revenue with fans boycotting our shops and SD and all our other matchday ticket sales, it may well top £10m in lost revenue from the boycotters. But yeah, they are blameless.

 

Fans boycotting merchandise and SD hasn't cost us a single penny though.

[Super Cooper 0]

He was sacked by West Ham, Charlton and Southampton. He's had one good season at Newcastle in the premiership. They could do a lot better, look at what Koeman has done for Southampton.

 

Everyone could do better.

[Super Cooper 0]

Fans boycotting merchandise and SD hasn't cost us a single penny though.

 

So you keep telling us FS. Is there any documented proof of this? And is this a point that can be raised as a matter of urgency by our fans board? I feel it's rather important as it regards club revenue. Much needed revenue.

[Frankie 8,562]

It can't be proved until we see the accounts but it's been on almost every forum and newspaper so if it wasn't true, the club would have said so by now.

 

Nevertheless, I'm sure it will be buried or manipulated somewhere in the financials.

[Super Cooper 0]

Your figures are completely wrong SC.

 

The accounts a year ago showed that under Green's regime we were making £13.2m from gate receipts and hospitality.

 

Even if that level of revenue this season is down by about 30% due to off & on field issues, then it's a drop of under £4m.

 

That figure of around £4m would only have delayed the inevitable and delayed the need for loans or serious investment by two to three months.

 

It's more than £4m the boycotters have cost the club they love. Much more in fact.

 

20000 x 300 average price is £6m. Whilst thsoe figures are not 100% accurate as exact, they are not a million miles away. I was asked for well over £300 to renew my book and we keep getting told 20000 have not renewed. Add to those figures the on the day match ticket sales, of 5 thousand x £15 x 18 games and you have another £1.3m.

 

Then all the hospitality we are losing. I wouldn't like to guess what this is but it will be substantial i imagine with suites being empty and half empty all season so far.

 

And with FS' info that we haven't lost any merchandise revenue we are still almost double the £4m you think the boycotters have cost us.

[Super Cooper 0]

It can't be proved until we see the accounts but it's been on almost every forum and newspaper so if it wasn't true, the club would have said so by now.

 

Nevertheless, I'm sure it will be buried or manipulated somewhere in the financials.

 

That ain't convincing me, no matter how much i trust FS. We should wait for the accounts i think.

[Frankie 8,562]

I think I remember FS saying the average season ticket price in the accounts for 2012/13 was around £230. Around 15,000 haven't renewed so if we increase the £230 by 20% (I think the average rise for this season was just under that) to £276 that means we've lost £4.14m in gate receipts.

 

Yes, that's a lot of money but we're told not everyone was boycotting and to also blame the manager for low crowds. Ergo, £4m sounds about right to me - especially if we factor in 7000 walk-ups each match-day.

 

In any case, the board have done nothing to attract people back - either by more transparent engagement with concerned fans or by sacking the manager. Moreover, the 120 day review and last year's financials told us we needed to increase season ticket sales from 37,000 to remain viable. This means any boycott has only hastened the process rather than caused it per se.

 

Remember we've already had an injection of £3m via a share issue and now a £2m loan. If we empirically say these monies are to cover any ticketing shortfall we're still going to run out of cash early in the New Year.

[Frankie 8,562]

That ain't convincing me, no matter how much i trust FS. We should wait for the accounts i think.

 

I've had a lawyer's letter for posters inferring certain directors are less than honest. Ashley was also prepared to go to court if his loan wasn't accepted.

 

You can't tell me these people would allow negative comments about the retail side of the club and SD's business to go unchallenged if they weren't true.

[Super Cooper 0]

I wouldn't dream of defending our cost base, it's repugnant.

 

I would like to know, why only £2m? Why not loan us £10m? If he genuinely had our best interests at heart, why not loan us enough to see us to next season? £2m is not a lot to a club like ours, it's basically pennies.