Proper game changing investment.

[sheffielder]

Is Jim new to Twitter? Does he know how that animal works?

 

[Guesty]

Alan Judge at least one example.

And we heard for the highest source that the deal was all but done...

 

[Harry's Game]

One day in the not too distant League Two future we are going the wake up to the news reports that the prince has disposed of his interests in Sheffield United, probably back to the McCabe family, for nominal value and we are going to be laughing stocks once again.

 

[metalblade]

It's probably worth a reminder of what McCabe actually said:-

<< This is game-changing for this club and the funds being invested in the team are substantial."
"The money being made available is for investment at first-team level and that means building a squad that can get us back to the upper echelons of English football".
"The plan of action is simple and that is to improve the first-team squad whether that be through the loan system or in the January transfer window," he said.
"I would also say to our supporters that this also ensures we can keep our own young players, hopefully on longer contracts.
"We are going to look to make shrewd signings at the right time, with the strong belief we will get promoted not only from League One but with a squad that can gain promotion from the Championship >>

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23944355

The plain facts are that we've signed 18 players since July 2013.
Four of those players cost us a transfer fee. Probably totalling around £1M
We've gained a transfer fee for McDonald of £250K.
So we've spent more than we've received for the first time since The Premiership era.
I think we can categorically state that wouldn't have happened without any additional investment at all.

Can signing 18 players and spending £750K be classed as "game-changing"?
Starting from the very low base of raising £2M+ a year through sales, it probably can to a certain extent.

Once again, the problem is that much of the initial investement was squandered by Weir.
11 of his 14 signings are nowhere near our current first team.
At least the players signed by Clough appear to have first-team potential AND he's picking them.

I will counter this statement and say we have in real terms spent little or nothing pre season, it is all well and good saying we have signed 18 players some for fees totalling around £1million and receiving around £250k for McDonald but ..................... and here are a few plain facts that you are forgetting at the end of last season and into pre season just as Weir arrived we got rid of some very high earners, Kitson, Higginbottom, Robson and Cresswell. I reckon all of those will have been on at least £5k per week together £100k per month maybe meaning we have pretty much covered any outlay by wages saved on just those four players. Same again with Clough he has had to get players out before he could bring any in, do you really think we would have done any business this JTW without first getting rid of some players the most notable being McMahon who no doubt was another of the big earners ?
Still think the Prince has put more than a pound into the club ?
More likely we are juggling finances and any cash spent is generated by savings on player wages.
Still I wonder how many sacked managers we are still paying off ?

 

[Foxy]

Still think the Prince has put more than a pound into the club ?

Absolutely.

Just how much do we think paying Weir and his backroom staff cost?

How has the deficit been covered? Because we certainly don't make enough on ticket sales to make a profit.

 

[alcoblade]

Absolutely.

Just how much do we think paying Weir and his backroom staff cost?

How has the deficit been covered? Because we certainly don't make enough on ticket sales to make a profit.

Which is a worry of mine. I'd guess our turnover will be around £7M - £8M - give or take - but either way at least twice everyone else's around us. So why can't we self sustain?

I'm always drawn back to our overheads, the biggest one being the academy. I'm far from convinced on its' merits.

UTB

 

[Hartley Hare]

I do not believe that NC would have taken the managers job had he not been convinced that funds were available.

It is not that easy to sign good players given our situation. I would rather not sign anyone than take the fourth or fifth choice on a list of potential targets.

Let's hope we can get to the end of the season, not get relegated, and then do some business in the summer.

Keeping Brayford would be a good start and this will cost £1m at least.

HH

 

[Foxy]

I'm always drawn back to our overheads, the biggest one beimg the academy. I'm far from convinced on its' merits.

The academy is worth it and should continue to be self sustaining/help the situation, providing we can counteract the new gradings designed to help the Prem sides.

The costs of running the club will also be a lot higher than most of the others, football clubs of certain sizes can no longer expect to get anywhere near break even based on ticket sales.

 

[alcoblade]

The academy is worth it and should continue to be self sustaining/help the situation, providing we can counteract the new gradings designed to help the Prem sides.

A fair opinion, but just that. Figures on its' sustainability seem hard to come by. And..........

The costs of running the club will also be a lot higher than most of the others, football clubs of certain sizes can no longer expect to get anywhere near break even based on ticket sales.

Why shouldn't an extra £3M or so cover the cost of running BDTBL? What other overheads do we have that so hinder us compared to the minnows that re now better than us? What about the cash generating facilities at the ground - are they loss making?

UTB

 

[Foxy]

Why shouldn't an extra £3M or so cover the cost of running BDTBL? What other overheads do we have that so hinder us compared to the minnows that re now better than us?

Gate receipts were £3.7m in the 2013 accounts, I honestly have no idea what the receipts of our fellow league one'ers were without looking.

 

[JohnDenver]

Keeping Brayford would be a good start and this will cost £1m at least.

Assuming we stay up, the only way I can see us keeping Brayford is on a further loan with risk of recall. That sort of money can't be justified for a fullback in this league, especially when we have no strikers of note.

Folk have said for a while now - and it clearly didn't happen in the summer - to succeed we need some Div1 savvy leaders in the team and real weaponry up front. That's where the money must go.

 

[metalblade]

Gate receipts were £3.7m in the 2013 accounts, I honestly have no idea what the receipts of our fellow league one'ers were without looking.

I'll take a little guess that most were less than 50% of ours and quite a few around 33% of ours yet a club with around 25% of our gate recipts managed to beat us in the play off and get promoted.

 

[Foxy]

I'll take a little guess that most were less than 50% of ours and quite a few around 33% of ours yet a club with around 25% of our gate recipts managed to beat us in the play off and get promoted.

Quite possibly so.

Our gate receipts vs. other league one gate receipts wasn't really the point I was making though

 

[Sirius]

Assuming we stay up, the only way I can see us keeping Brayford is on a further loan with risk of recall. That sort of money can't be justified for a fullback in this league, especially when we have no strikers of note.

Folk have said for a while now - and it clearly didn't happen in the summer - to succeed we need some Div1 savvy leaders in the team and real weaponry up front. That's where the money must go.

Not wishing to state the obvious, but if we don't score, we will be relegated. Next season can take care of itself.
We need goal scorers, and we need them now. Are you listening Prince?

 

[metalblade]

Quite possibly so.

Our gate receipts vs. other league one gate receipts wasn't really the point I was making though

There is a club not too far away getting half our income who have a new stadium to pay for yet they get players in at every opportunity and are currently in a play off spot, so why is life so so so expensive at BDTBL ?

 

[Foxy]

There is a club not too far away getting half our income who have a new stadium to pay for yet they get players in at every opportunity and are currently in a play off spot, so why is life so so so expensive at BDTBL ?

Can you quantify "half our income" and where from/how the stadium is being paid for? Because I haven't got a clue what Rotherham's gate receipts were last year, nor how the ground has been financed. Extreme example, but Bradford City supposedly got over a quarter of our total gate receipts just from their league cup final... without the actual figures, it's merely speculation.

Alco suggested that we had an extra £3mil income (gate receipts) than our rivals, you appear to be suggesting that compared to Rotherham it's less than that... Between those two estimates, there is a difference of £1.15 million neither of which with any real figures in the difference in outgoings/costs.

Regardless, my point still stands and appears to be being overlooked... Our costs outweigh our ticket sales, when people say we get bigger crowds than most of our rivals it doesn't really stand up to the inferred "the Prince has only spent a quid", "McCabe has just been taking money out" or "we've spent less than we got for player x".

I'm not making any argument about how much we should spend compared to other clubs, simply making a point regarding the often suggested "missing" money.

 

[bricktop]

Wow. This thread is one hell of a knee jerk reaction to the Crewe game

 

[JohnDenver]

Not wishing to state the obvious, but if we don't score, we will be relegated. Next season can take care of itself.
We need goal scorers, and we need them now. Are you listening Prince?

Quite agree - I was responding to HH's post about the summer. Either way, all we can do now is get a loan or too and the real trick will be to persuade someone decent to come here.

 

[BusheyBlade]

We're playing in the IPL later this year.

 

[metalblade]

I'm missing something here has anyone yet explained where this game changing investment is or where it has gone ? Has it gone to pay off sacked managers or to pay the electric bill seeing as BDTBL is much more expensive to run than anywhere else ? It sure don't look like much has found it's way into the first team ............ the place where we were told the Prince would invest. Then again we could be paying a hefty wedge to rent Bramall lane.

 

[Bladesman]

I do not believe that NC would have taken the managers job had he not been convinced that funds were available.

It is not that easy to sign good players given our situation. I would rather not sign anyone than take the fourth or fifth choice on a list of potential targets.

Let's hope we can get to the end of the season, not get relegated, and then do some business in the summer.

Keeping Brayford would be a good start and this will cost £1m at least.

HH

Not sure Brayford wants to stay beyond his loan.