LoughboroBlade
Well-Known Member
Not sure if many will have heard it who went to the game yesterday, but Radio Sheffield did an interview with Jim Phipps that covered a lot of topics. It's available here: http://audioboom.com/boos/2516280-sufc-co-chairman-jim-phipps-speaks-to-bbcsheffield:
For those that want a summary, here is my attempt.
12 months on
Situation was dire a year ago. Culture at the club has been transformed - board is hands-off, much more power given to Clough and Brannigan.
On investment
1. Not v fussed about people's suggestions that spend has been underwhelming - it was always intended to be nothing other than sensible, and an amount that is appropriate for a League 1 team seeking promotion.
2. There are constraints that we have no power on - e.g we don't control who is willing to play in League 1 - but people that say we've only invested £1, clearly needs their head checked.
3. Everyone knows the club operates a deficit each yr of several million, which needs covering before any investment in first team football. The Prince's investment is therefore in the millions & millions.
4. We don't like to talk about the amounts as it immediately puts a weapon in the hands of the agents that would be dealing with us. We've tried to be therefore cagey about numbers, though aware that feeds the worst fears of those that say there is little investment - regrettable but necessary.
5. The open-ended ongoing commitment is significant. Some want to see splashy transfer fees.
Harry cash
1. The money is in the club. Hull spoke against our agreement and released a figure of £2.5 million. It's actually really £2 million plus 500k on contingencies (appearances etc, which isn't looking likely so far to be ultimately paid). To be paid £1m this year, £1m next year.
2. We'll likely spend the £1m this year, and the remaining chunk next year - the board doesn't decide how this is spent. This cash is availble to management, who will decide.
Transfers
1. Management has told him they are in advanced stages with their loan targets. We won't make this public until it's a done deal.
2. Confident the management will get in the players deemed needed. Every Blade should know that every deal is a multiparty deal involving clubs and agents. We can try and influence by throwing money into deals, but ultimately not everything is in our control.
3. Think it's a great shame we didn't get O'Grady this summer. We offered a transfer fee that worked bit couldn't agree personal terms. Whatever management considers the right amount of money to spend on a deal is taken as the main judgment followed by Phipps. We will not do bad business, and we will not compel management to take a player on terms they don't think are sensible. If you're the football manager you have to live with the consequences of the rest of your team being paid less than this player - we will let these decisions be made by the manager.
FFP
1. There's not a lot to say publicly on this - we follow the rules. Last year we bumped right up against the threshold, we didn't go over it.
2. Phipps the only chairman in L1 who can get fired for non-performance - with the Prince's investment, he is given a clear target - promotion. We have our foot on the gas on the wage bill and will like last year run up to our upper limit. We'll spend the resources to get us promoted, but will do it sensibly - and by delegating the spend to those who are the experts. Phipps says he is not the expert on this - Clough and Brannigan decide. V happy to let them run with the ball, the board all agree with this approach.
Evans
1. Hierarchy, including Phipps, haven't made a decision on trying to bring him back. We've made previous press statements amounting to v little because we haven't got any more to say at this time.
2. Acknowledge it's a v v difficult issue, still puzzling through it, don't have a clear answer.
3. Evans is trying to clear his name - we're completely separate from that. We're a football club looking to get promoted. We don't want anything we're doing to get in his way, and we don't want anything he's doing to get in our way.
4. Guess is ppl will press us for a decision when he's released in 3 weeks - likely we won't have one by then.
5. Acknowledge there are different sides on this - we feel them ourselves, we feel the whole set of issues. Ppl expect we'll make the decision for football reasons, but this is a special type of thing, it's unusual. A decision will be made first about the brand, and then we'll leave the footballing decision to the football side of club. We're not there yet on a decision.
For those that want a summary, here is my attempt.
12 months on
Situation was dire a year ago. Culture at the club has been transformed - board is hands-off, much more power given to Clough and Brannigan.
On investment
1. Not v fussed about people's suggestions that spend has been underwhelming - it was always intended to be nothing other than sensible, and an amount that is appropriate for a League 1 team seeking promotion.
2. There are constraints that we have no power on - e.g we don't control who is willing to play in League 1 - but people that say we've only invested £1, clearly needs their head checked.
3. Everyone knows the club operates a deficit each yr of several million, which needs covering before any investment in first team football. The Prince's investment is therefore in the millions & millions.
4. We don't like to talk about the amounts as it immediately puts a weapon in the hands of the agents that would be dealing with us. We've tried to be therefore cagey about numbers, though aware that feeds the worst fears of those that say there is little investment - regrettable but necessary.
5. The open-ended ongoing commitment is significant. Some want to see splashy transfer fees.
Harry cash
1. The money is in the club. Hull spoke against our agreement and released a figure of £2.5 million. It's actually really £2 million plus 500k on contingencies (appearances etc, which isn't looking likely so far to be ultimately paid). To be paid £1m this year, £1m next year.
2. We'll likely spend the £1m this year, and the remaining chunk next year - the board doesn't decide how this is spent. This cash is availble to management, who will decide.
Transfers
1. Management has told him they are in advanced stages with their loan targets. We won't make this public until it's a done deal.
2. Confident the management will get in the players deemed needed. Every Blade should know that every deal is a multiparty deal involving clubs and agents. We can try and influence by throwing money into deals, but ultimately not everything is in our control.
3. Think it's a great shame we didn't get O'Grady this summer. We offered a transfer fee that worked bit couldn't agree personal terms. Whatever management considers the right amount of money to spend on a deal is taken as the main judgment followed by Phipps. We will not do bad business, and we will not compel management to take a player on terms they don't think are sensible. If you're the football manager you have to live with the consequences of the rest of your team being paid less than this player - we will let these decisions be made by the manager.
FFP
1. There's not a lot to say publicly on this - we follow the rules. Last year we bumped right up against the threshold, we didn't go over it.
2. Phipps the only chairman in L1 who can get fired for non-performance - with the Prince's investment, he is given a clear target - promotion. We have our foot on the gas on the wage bill and will like last year run up to our upper limit. We'll spend the resources to get us promoted, but will do it sensibly - and by delegating the spend to those who are the experts. Phipps says he is not the expert on this - Clough and Brannigan decide. V happy to let them run with the ball, the board all agree with this approach.
Evans
1. Hierarchy, including Phipps, haven't made a decision on trying to bring him back. We've made previous press statements amounting to v little because we haven't got any more to say at this time.
2. Acknowledge it's a v v difficult issue, still puzzling through it, don't have a clear answer.
3. Evans is trying to clear his name - we're completely separate from that. We're a football club looking to get promoted. We don't want anything we're doing to get in his way, and we don't want anything he's doing to get in our way.
4. Guess is ppl will press us for a decision when he's released in 3 weeks - likely we won't have one by then.
5. Acknowledge there are different sides on this - we feel them ourselves, we feel the whole set of issues. Ppl expect we'll make the decision for football reasons, but this is a special type of thing, it's unusual. A decision will be made first about the brand, and then we'll leave the footballing decision to the football side of club. We're not there yet on a decision.
