Fans Forum Transcript/Key points

[Snowflake]

Whats negative about what I said? Just pointing out we won't be spending 25m on Brewster like a lot seem to be claiming

Why not ? The budget for striker(s) has not been used yet.

 

[bromtom]

But doesn't he own the club? So if the ground is owned by the club, it's owned by the company he controls?

Yeah, but it was more to do with your original question. I don't think if he sold up, there would be a repeat of the last ownership change where the owner has control of the property after selling the club.

Package deal.

I think though you could say most clubs don't own their ground technically, as it belongs to the owner of the club legally, unless it's owned by the council.

 

[MalvernBlade]

Are we the one club in the world that pays transfer fees in one lump sum then?

And the add on's before they've been met

 

[Varkanoid]

• as stated at the time the fee for Berge was taken from this summers fund - £22

Bargain

Never known a club's fans almost wanting everything to be negative as much as United fans

10-15 years+ of negativity pre-league one will take a LONG time to dissipate. Once we are out of the honeymoon period hopefully we will have a lot more positivity. When we have to change the lyrics of the "Aint got a barrel of money" song will be the first sign.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Bargain




When we have to change the lyrics of the "Aint got a barrel of money" song will be the first sign.

Personally I can't see that happening - prohibitive cost especially as I've heard Uncle Kev holds(partial) copyright to the lyrics - he may be willing to negotiate a loan deal or buyback ,
There is competition from other interested parties - TC seen in Copthorne talking to Dean Smith while Villa have made application to exhume Woody or at least get his ghost on a pre- contract
West Midlands police have been engaged in a nationwide search for Eddie C so liklihood of deal being concluded is slim

 

[Blade56]

In summery....

View attachment 91954

So we do have one

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Ramsdale - 18.5m
Lowe and Bogle - £12m

• Ampadu loan fee
• as stated at the time the fee for Berge was taken from this summers fund - £22

Add to the around £20m in lost revenue due to Covid and I think we have spent quite a lot.

£53m spent with us being £20m down from projections seems like good spending in my opinion.

A fee of 22 quid for a Moray International.
Excellent.

 

[Cassius Kray]

Thanks. So, for example, if the Prince wanted to sell the club, he'd get another 50 million for it, assuming anyone would pay that much? For something he hasn't paid for and yet owns?

No. If you buy a house with a mortgage you don't now magically own the full value of the house. On one side of the ledger, the club now owns an additional asset - the ground. On the other side, it now has an additional debt burden - the loan to pay for the ground. So if someone were to buy the club they'd be getting the ground but it doesn't increase the value by another 50m because they also get 50m worth of debt.

Who knows what proportions - but the post I was replying to implied that the entire Berge £20m came out of the current transfer budget.

It has. The transfer budget is the amount of spending a club is willing to commit to at one time, not the immediate cashflow. They're not taking £4m out of the 2025 transfer budget to pay for Berge.

 

[Ricardo Mantelban]

Don’t know if anyone else has mentioned, but the land at the back of the Kop, not owned by us, is actually on John Street not as I thought the car park area. This was clarified during the forum.

 

[Brinsworth Blade]

On the stadium development plans all the land not owned by us is covered in housing developments. The Boundary corner development and the affordable housing which is currently the entrance and exit gates to the Kop on John street. The new development will see the entrance and exit gates being on Shoreham Street.

 

[Ricardo Mantelban]

On the stadium development plans all the land not owned by us is covered in housing developments. The Boundary corner development and the affordable housing which is currently the entrance and exit gates to the Kop on John street. The new development will see the entrance and exit gates being on Shoreham Street.

I thank you.

 

[Brother-Leech]

We want people to think of the club and say they are always there, similar to teams like Everton.

We want people to think of the club and say they are always there, similar to teams like Everton.

This feels strangely familiar

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Don’t care what anybody says, the plans from a few years ago are far far better than what we have now.

40,000 seat stadium? Fantastic. Don’t tell me we won’t fill it. We’ll never know if the ground isn’t big enough to try.

Stay in the Prem and do well and there’ll be a few 40,000 gates. The bigger the ground the greater the potential for the fanbase to grow.

 

[Enigmatic]

Why do people think it’s definitely the old expansion plans we’re going ahead with? I think they’re more likely to be new ones, given Bettis said the plans account for the land we don’t currently own.

Either way, the future is bright with this board in place. They share Wilder’s passion for responsibly improving every aspect of our club and cementing us in the top half of the Premier League.

 

[GrayBlade]

Never known a club's fans almost wanting everything to be negative as much as United fans

Yep, it’s nothing new, in fact some hardly post anything about us on social media in general when all’s good, but then come alive like mayflies in May at the merest whiff of a bad news Blades story.

 

[Lawrence]

I know we are only ‘some club from Yorkshire’ but they really need to sort themselves out, The event was so unprofessional! Even my wife’s virtual company meetings are produced more professionally. If she went on Screen without adhering to a dress code (smart dress, males with shirt and tie etc.) she would be reprimanded and told to sort her self out! It wasn’t just a chat it was an official Club forum. We got some great information but as a Multi-million pound company PR exercise that was poor

 

[Addison]

Key points of interest for me;

1. The Club still don't own two strips of Land at either side of the Kop. Not an inconvenience it seems for ground redevelopment but what happens if KM decides to go through with his threat to develop?

2. Re development of Kop and South Stand will increase capacity to over 40k. Plans are in place for this. Ground improvements will be phased over the next few years.

3. Prince wants Club to be debt free in two years if we stay in EPL. Presume bank loans paid off. Prince has personally guaranteed the loan to buy the Property Options.

4. Shirt sponsor paid this year up front no immediate concerns on financial stability. A lot of merchandise is being sold in Saudi Arabia. E commerce is the way to bring in revenue. Digital Retail Manager has been appointed.

5. Not able to disclose what the price paid for the Property Options was due to confidentiality clause. It was however well within expectations and the Board are happy with the outcome. As the last accounts budgeted for a cost of £46 million it seems save to presume it was less than that figure based on the comments.

6. Advanced discussions with a number of leading operators to take on the Hotel. Aim is to make it a much better facility than it was in the past. Hotel was transferred with vacant possession meaning staff who were on Scarborough contracts could not be transferred over.

7. Tickets for games when fans allowed back in the ground will be made available first and foremost to season ticket holders. No further plans until agreement is reached on when fans can return. Discussions have taken place with ticket operator on options for selecting ticket holders such as ballots but nothing definite yet as EPL may propose one standard approach for all.

8. New first team building at Shirecliffe due to start later in year, has been held up by Covid 19. Disruption to be minimised by sections of building being constructed away from the Academy.

9. Prince says we are not a selling Club. He wants to keep the best players build around them and is pleased most contracts have been renewed. Aim is to consolidate for the first two years and then look to become a top ten team.

10. " Don't believe anything Chris says about transfers".

11. Bettis wants to improve the appearance of the infrastructure outside the ground. Talked of fans match day experience, fans zones etc, number of ideas being looked at and recent upgrading of exterior of South Stand. Staff are moving into the Enterprise Centre. Presume this will free up space in South Stand area.

12. The board meet weekly. It is a strategic board where everyone is given autonomy to get on with their job. No micro management. Managers are expected to manage. Very different to the approach described in the Court case.

13. Prince has interests in three football clubs. SUFC, Beerschot in Belgium and Al Hilal United in the UAE. United World is also part of his sports assets.

14. The partner who successfully worked with Yusef G on all the legal issues presumably the Court and arbitration actions actually supports the dark side. That must rub salt in KM's wounds.

An open and honest session despite questions being screened. Nothing much on the actual value of current investment and sponsorship and how this will grow the Club. No question on future plans for the Academy either.

Would like to know more about PA's financial commitments to the other two football teams and whether this impacts in the short term on funding that could be allocated to SUFC. Otherwise it seems we are being run on a more professional basis and the main players enjoy working together. Harmony and direction in the Board room something we haven't experienced for years, if ever.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Key points of interest for me;

1. The Club still don't own two strips of Land at either side of the Kop. Not an inconvenience it seems for ground redevelopment but what happens if KM decides to go through with his threat to develop?

2. Re development of Kop and South Stand will increase capacity to over 40k. Plans are in place for this. Ground improvements will be phased over the next few years.

3. Prince wants Club to be debt free in two years if we stay in EPL. Presume bank loans paid off. Prince has personally guaranteed the loan to buy the Property Options.

4. Shirt sponsor paid this year up front no immediate concerns on financial stability. A lot of merchandise is being sold in Saudi Arabia. E commerce is the way to bring in revenue. Digital Retail Manager has been appointed.

5. Not able to disclose what the price paid for the Property Options was due to confidentiality clause. It was however well within expectations and the Board are happy with the outcome. As the last accounts budgeted for a cost of £46 million it seems save to presume it was less than that figure based on the comments.

6. Advanced discussions with a number of leading operators to take on the Hotel. Aim is to make it a much better facility than it was in the past. Hotel was transferred with vacant possession meaning staff who were on Scarborough contracts could not be transferred over.

7. Tickets for games when fans allowed back in the ground will be made available first and foremost to season ticket holders. No further plans until agreement is reached on when fans can return. Discussions have taken place with ticket operator on options for selecting ticket holders such as ballots but nothing definite yet as EPL may propose one standard approach for all.

8. New first team building at Shirecliffe due to start later in year, has been held up by Covid 19. Disruption to be minimised by sections of building being constructed away from the Academy.

9. Prince says we are not a selling Club. He wants to keep the best players build around them and is pleased most contracts have been renewed. Aim is to consolidate for the first two years and then look to become a top ten team.

10. " Don't believe anything Chris says about transfers".

11. Bettis wants to improve the appearance of the infrastructure outside the ground. Talked of fans match day experience, fans zones etc, number of ideas being looked at and recent upgrading of exterior of South Stand. Staff are moving into the Enterprise Centre. Presume this will free up space in South Stand area.

12. The board meet weekly. It is a strategic board where everyone is given autonomy to get on with their job. No micro management. Managers are expected to manage. Very different to the approach described in the Court case.

13. Prince has interests in three football clubs. SUFC, Beerschot in Belgium and Al Hilal United in the UAE. United World is also part of his sports assets.

14. The partner who successfully worked with Yusef G on all the legal issues presumably the Court and arbitration actions actually supports the dark side. That must rub salt in KM's wounds.

An open and honest session despite questions being screened. Nothing much on the actual value of current investment and sponsorship and how this will grow the Club. No question on future plans for the Academy either.

Would like to know more about PA's financial commitments to the other two football teams and whether this impacts in the short term on funding that could be allocated to SUFC. Otherwise it seems we are being run on a more professional basis and the main players enjoy working together. Harmony and direction in the Board room something we haven't experienced for years, if ever.

Great summary that, much appreciated. I’d have like to have seen some questions on ownership of the other 15% that’s not the Prince’s, clarity on whether they are planning anything different from the approved plans for the stadium, and rail seating.

 

[Addison]

Great summary that, much appreciated. I’d have like to have seen some questions on ownership of the other 15% that’s not the Prince’s, clarity on whether they are planning anything different from the approved plans for the stadium, and rail seating.

Wasn't 15% the supposed share holding KM was getting from ALK.? I thought the Prince had said in his recent Talksport interview that he owned 97/98% of the Club and had a minor partner. I'd take a guess at that minor partner for such a small stake being one of either the daughter, son in law, Yusef G or the Finance man Alghamadi CEO of Al Hilal United at the moment.