I think most of us like that Leigh communicates more and talks to us more.
But I think the sentiment of this thread is the word “done” in its title. So whilst talking in some way is doing I think we do need to see some more tangible action rather than intimation and hints around new investors and doing all we can on the freehold.
Our conservatism, caution and complete lack of new direction since Jeff left can’t compete in the very cut and thrust environment of professional football.
I’ve been reading of the goings on at Oxford United with interest. They’ve unveiled plans for a new ground. I think most of us would go “well aren’t they in a new ground already?”. Well it is certainly newer than ours. But there’s a growing consensus that it isn’t in the ideal spot and the rent is too high. So they’ve unveiled these new plans for a new ground.
The lease on the Kassam runs out in 2026. I think we have a break clause in 2028. So the timelines here aren’t completely out of kilter with Oxford.
Now the board at Oxford mightn’t be really thinking of moving. This might be a play, a bit of “we have options” leverage with the landlord. Or, for all the reasons they state, a feeling that moving is the right thing to do. It doesn’t really matter. Their fans can see new thinking, alternatives and a perception of a board that has the destiny of their club in their hands - in control, on the front foot and actually “doing” rather than talking. Which is very different to the reactive “Bescot as a fact of life - what can you do?” noises we get.
Taking a more cynical view of “what has Pomlett done for Bonser”?.
Paid him to get out when the heat was on, facilitated the payment of another several years of rent with no problems or scrutiny, then arranged a mahoosive final pay-day, (but not before a couple of years or so rent gets paid). There may have been no other option, indeed this maybe the best imaginable outcome for which Pomlett deserves huge credit, but there’s no doubting that Bonser comes out with many more millions to add to the already many he gained for a couple of hundred grand outlay.
He can’t have predicted COVID to hit straight after he bought. This season was the first unaffected. That start can’t have helped, but he said at the outset he wasn’t the messiah and needed to move us on.
One wonders if Pomlett’s 5,000 average crowd goal, which was achieved this season, helped trigger this deal. If so, thanks, Swindon!
It will also be interesting to see how much input Leigh has moving forward now he is t majority shareholder. Struggling to see what he brings as a chairman in this new set up.
Totally out of his depth or a hero getting the investment?! Hmm really not sure!
I honestly feel he thought a few pomcasts and employing a proven manager would be enough to turn the club around. I think he failed to understand the complete overhaul required and certainly had no idea how to pull it off or enact the wholesale change needed.
Disagree with the first part (bear with me) - I think he knew what he needed to do, and in line with that I have to disagree with second part. But… We will never know the detail of his deal with Bonser and I would not be surprised if he had to maintain certain positions because of caveats, especially after being on the board as long as he has been, which has to have coloured his opinion.
It’s also possible he’s been absolutely accepting of the behaviour of people around him because he’s been on the board not in the club, and didn’t know any better. In that case I agree with all of your comments!
I’m not sure about how some of this is playing out…
Are these the “investors” that he mentioned when he took over the club? Because it appears that the company has been set up to facilitate this as it wasn’t really in existence when he took over from Boner.
He also said that his aim was to reunite the club with the freehold, get us into being a higher end league 1 club and then sell. He even said this on the WFC telly interview.
It would appear that, although not to the same scale as Boner , he is another supporter that has made a nice few quid out of the club, this time in a very short period of time.
It will be interesting to see what happens though…
A lot of speculation there. Factually, our new owners set up an investment vehicle as a standalone option (common practice) to fund their purchase, how long they’d been working on this is more speculation, but probably a while. You don’t pimp funds overnight without a prospectus.
Also not sure Pomlett is making anything, but if he does I’m ok with that after the grief he’s had from Covid, and some fans, since taking over, as long as it’s reasonable!
Just going on what he said and the logic that he wouldn’t bale at with a loss at this stage.
I’m not that OK with him doing so after just a couple of years, particularly as it now looks like some of the stuff he came out with on the Pomcast has proven to be horseshit.
If he’s made a bit of money but also united us with the freehold then I’d say it’s well worth it.
Not like the leech making shedloads of money off the back of buying it under the clubs nose, charging us rent for decades then leaving us to sort it out when he rode off into the sunset.
Bonser is a low bar to set a standard to Steve.
Pomlett was supposed to be the antedote.
I’d think much more of him if he paid back the money from his windfall, to the season ticket holders that left their money in the club to kept it going.
But we don’ t know if he has had a windfall yet. We may know later today but I doubt it. The big questions today for our new investors are:
Why Walsall?
Can you guarantee the freehold will be held by Walsall FC as presently constituted in 2years time?
How do you intend to make money from this investment?
Why LP are you staying for 4 years ? Is there a lack of trust in this deal?
We have been told some extra money had already been made available. Can you tell us how this is to be spent? Saddlers Club or playing budget or both?
There may well be others but I hope the doyens of the media are well prepared.
My point was more that I wouldn’t mind him getting a bit of cash in return for the club getting the freehold back and getting investment in the club. Long term that’s beneficial for us supporters too.
Much preferable to us getting f***all in return for Bonser screwing the club and filling his own pockets for 20 years. Because a large part of the defence from lackies like Whalley was that Bonser deserved to make a bit of money “after all he’d done for the club/club saviour” nonsense. Even Bonser himself thought this with his infamous “Why shouldn’t I?” when taking money out of the club to pay himself whilst screwing our promotion push.