Today at the club

So he might be amenable to bringing that transfer forward? The advantage would be, he gets to see something of the world after he’s gone from it. I think we’d all like that.

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It’s a nice idea, however JB doesn’t own the ground, his pension fund does ( which is a seperate legal entity ), so in order for him to gift it to the club he would have to first buy it ( at market value). Can’t see that happening I’m afraid.

You’re right. But if he was really minded to he could find a way.

As owner of the football club (another separate legal entity) he could lend the club money to buy the freehold, financed if necessary by a draw down from his SIPP. On the club’s balance sheet this would be balanced by a new asset (the ground) being off-set by by a much larger Directors loan to Jeff (from £1.5m up to say £7m). This would then free up the £450k going on rent so even if Jeff wasn’t feeling quite as “generous” as he did in the past and wanted a point or two of interest, the club would still have far more working capital each year.

I think the biggest upside though is that the entity that is Walsall FC becomes a far clearer proposition for would be buyers.

It won’t happen of course. It would represent huge personal financial risk to Jeff and indeed his lower profile brother and their forebears.

We’re kind of snookered. We can and indeed do enjoy prevaricating on places like this about the art of the possible but the longer it goes on, the harder the escape appears. The mood from the minutes of the meetings with Jeff last year suggest he’s sat there scratching his head too. Always happy to repeat his story but never far from the “and why shouldn’t I?” attitude.

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I would have thought that the tax implications of drawing that sort of money from his SIPP would be horrifying.
As you say we’re all snookered ( JB as well in my opinion ).

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FINALLY!!! Fitzwater in!!

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