Fortunately, my opinion doesn’t matter much. For me he should gone. Club needs something new and fresh, cause world changed in the last 30 years. Model of ownership changed too, but club stayed at the same place. Maybe it’s not the worst possible chairman (you probably don’t know, how it looked like in my country; some chairmen wanted all at once, not modest yearly rent and footy club was only a nuisance), but after so many years and few disappointments, he lost ability to risk and will to improve. Now there is Dean Keates trying to recreate same success, but soon he will gone too. Of course someone next could be a great manager, but if not, club will soon find himself in league below, and below. With even lower fan base. Club is slowly dying, deteriorate every season. Change of ownership could be risky, but club needs some therapy to survive. But maybe already is too late.
I would be all for Bonser moving on but I do worry about who/what could end up being our next owner. We are not a very appealing prospect, low crowds, poor following, bigger fish in the near vicinity, unfashionable … I could go on. We don’t have any fans with deep pockets that would be willing to take a punt and I doubt a supporter led consortium could raise the funds necessary to buy the club.
With that in mind I think we are best off ‘treading water’, not running up any huge debts and unfortunately lining Uncle Jeff’s pockets at the same time. The next step though is tricky and honestly I cannot see where we could go next short of a fan winning big on the Euro Millions.
Surprised no foreign oligarch or equivalent has shown an interest in buying the club. Just think of all the money laundering possibilities available…
I don’t get you Sid. Why would the family need to plough money into the club? With minimal investment it produces £400k+ for a certain pension fund plus a token annual profit to keep the Bonser Fairy Story ticking along.
Far from the benevolence of the Bonser family that you like to believe, the truth is the club is a convenient cash machine for them.
Don’t forget Robert Bonser, it’s his pension fund too!
When Bonser dies I presume his nearest and dearest will inherit his estate which boasts a whopping multi-million pound pension scheme. If the pension scheme remained in place, which I presume it would, then nothing could change as it would still need to dispose of the lease and the freehold at market value. Nobody could build houses on the Bescot site at present without changing the covenant on it, possible but highly unlikely given the politics that would involve. Even in that scenario, or any other which involves the Bescot site ceasing to be our rented stadium it would simply be the case of the club finding a temporary home under whatever new ownership it had (PT mentioned the Alexander stadium, due to be refurbed to a very high standard and capacity ahead of 2022). Several other clubs have been down that road and gone on to better things. I’m sure if the club was in that scenario those that support it, and those who are elected to serve the town would rally to the cause. If they didn’t then it would be obvious the town doesn’t want its football club and that would be that. I don’t see that ever happening.
That was meant to be in reply to Sid.
The last sentence of that report emphasises why whoever buys the freehold needs also to buy the Club.We need to encourage JB to encourage that when he goes. I am not too sure that reading this thread will encourage him to do that.
I’d buy the club and move it. But that would never be allowed
■■■■ me you must have some money mate 
Gone. Our business strategy appears to stay still and ensure rent is paid. There appears to be no efforts to grow the club commercially, attract external investment or evolve the playing side.
In response to your first point, as you are most likely aware, personal pension funds are exempt from inheritance tax so all the more reason to pass it on.
It’s time for a change.
Bonser isn’t a monster and has done some good things for this football club, but it’s run it’s course. Maintain the status quo and I can only see the club dying a slow lingering death.
We need someone with new ideas and to give us a new direction.
That’s what we need, but if that’s what we’d get is anyone’s guess.
I don’t care whether you get me or not Tinned…the point is this…you can all talk b********ks about if somebody puts money in or if Bonser sold the club to whoever.It’s not gunna happen.the situation at WFC is like Brexit,there is no way to bring Bonsers reign to an end cleanly,I think it will end when Bonsor dies,it will be a car crash or to use a Brexit analogy like falling off a cliff edge…then see what the damage is when the dust settles because simply put,Bonser won’t give it away and no invester is going to pump money into a run of the mill third tier club.
But don’t you think it could be so much more than a " run of the mill third tier club "
i can remember my Dad taking me to a Wolves game when 3 sides of the ground were closed and probably something like 3000 there , now look at them , and thats only because people have put money into the club to get success , why couldn’t we , if fans realise theres ambition the gates will increase …thats something this club has never had because nobody has ever really invested in it to become a successful venture .
Well it’s been a run of the mill third tier club all my life…I’m 63, so I can’t see it changing now…
I know exactly what you mean Sid , and i’m not that far behind you but surely we need to stop these negative thoughts , and try and force change ?
Bournemouth are the example/exception of what can be achieved with someone prepared to invest in a club the size of walsall .
And yet investors have done so with clubs like Flyde, Fleetwood and Crawley. Hardly sleeping giants are they?
exactly , you need someone who wants the Club to be a success , and not just run it as a money making machine for the one at the top .
I say that’s true for some of that time,but not all of it. From about 75 to 88 we were always at least aspiring upwards. Then for most of the 10 years from Sir Ray onwards we were above that level,really until Money gave up on the board.
If Harrison senior had lived we were possibly going higher than that before 1975.