Why would bonser agree to that though when he can continue to put the rent up year after year . And then when he’s gone his son can do the same.
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As a businessman it wouldn’t make sense, unless of course the club was on the brink and looking at options to keep some yield coming his way rather than Nowt. As somebody that cared for the club, the community and the town he might be sympathetic. No legal obligation at all.
I suppose another way to look at it is that if Walsall FC are credibly threatening to walk away, who else can Bonser rent the ground to?
Depends if we have the nerve to call his bluff as I assume the cost of walking away would be liquidation which half the time comes with relegation
Might cost a few quid to knock the ground down . But imagine how many houses you could get on there with a railway next door .
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We need to come kind of agreement that makes more sense, for how unethical the rent is it’s not a unique situation we are in for me it’s just the amount more than anything £400k a yr is crazy for a club with 4,000 Gates it’s like renting a £100,000 house for £10,000 a yr basically and that doesn’t happen a £100,000 House would cost £5-6 k a yr to rent.
The problem Is because Bonser knows everybody hates him even if he was to lower the rent to £100k he knows he’d get no goodwill so he probably thinks sod it I’ll charge as much as I can get away with.
He did say something in the past questioning Why we say he’s the just thereto make money and his response was something like if I wanted to do that I’d just have brought loads of property. I actually think in his mind the way we all look at him as a scrooge type character he thinks he’s some kind of saviour he’s like a rogue landlord who thinks the tennant should be grateful paying half their wages on a flat with a hole in the roof.
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Isn’t there a break clause in the lease coming up soon?
If Walsall FC chose to default on the rent/lease then the landlord would have to go through the legal channels to recover what they’re are owed. If Walsall FC subsequently went into administration entered into a CVA (not liquidation) they would be deducted 12 points. Bonser’s pension fund would be treated as a non-football creditor in this process and would receive peanuts.
That’s my understanding, but I stand to be corrected.
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Wouldn’t be as bad if he kept up the maintenance and repairs to the stadium! Which he obviously had sowed up as well .
I don’t think it’s that simple. Rent started (I believe) under £100,000 p.a. but as it was linked to ground developments (banqueting + advertising board), as well as normal inflation, it has grown to its current level over the last 20+ years.
…and Bonser’s pension didn’t buy it till 1994. Our landlord before then was Severn Trent Water.
Nearly spat my tea out at that one Geordie 
I wonder if the land was ever going to be used for houses if they’d have to do any extra remediation over and above they had to do for the football ground. Because of the contaminated land
And I’m guessing only the club and the land lord know about break clauses
I wonder if they’ve done an excersise based on what it would be to be tenants elsewhere
My guess would be no, as to do that would require some kind of thinking ahead and planning for the future.
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All of these “we could do X” or “we could do Y” posts about leaving the ground/reducing the rent etc are very nice but ignore the main point - Pomlett has been on the Board with Bonsor for years. What makes you think he would want to get one over on his pal?
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Why is everyone so negative. we are not down yet. there is still 9 games to go.UTS
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And who the hell in that miserable excuse for a football team is going to get any goals in those last 9 games in order for us to retain our EFL status?
I’m thinking…clouds float past…crisp packets…tumbleweed…
perhaps if we employed the groundsman up front…
…I think that’s why everyone’s so negative.
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There’s one in Walsall and Cannock so I believe.
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I’ve just said this on another thread And I think this is my latest formulated opinion on the club
We need to see the back of Leigh Pomlett
Whatever short term pain this generates for club I’d take it. Lots of clubs (other than Bury) have had to endure short term pain for long term gain. After decades of ownership that sold us short I’d rather risk this than face a few decades more.
If that means non league I’d take it over football league under Pomlett going nowhere
Yes mate, but my post is based on a conservative estimate over next 20 years. No worries.
It took Bonser years to find someone mug enough to buy the club without the ground, and he played on LP’s fan status to do that.
You know any other millionaire fans willing to throw half a million quid a year to Bonser, while getting dog’s abuse off rancid fans for doing their best?
I’ll wait.
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