Magic Man Fan wrote:Geordiesaddler wrote:At work I can be a right git, to be honest, and this isn't bragging, just stating the obvious, if our wires ever crossed in a business envirionment I could probably run rings round the Jeff Bonser's of this world without getting out of second gear. He owns some tin pot company that turrns over about £6m in a good year and boasts about having 300 employees. I presently run, part time!!!!, and completely joint-handedly with my girlfiend who left school at 15
Then why didn't you raise the amount to buy the land and put yourself that JB finds himself in now? There's very few people in football made as much money from a football club our size as Bonser so if that makes him a poor business man and someone you could run rings around then I suggest you take up the mantel at another club!
Geordiesaddler wrote:I don't take kindly to being preached at by the likes of Jb about his well run business, because I know fine well from personal experience, and from a common sense perspective that the business is atrociously run, and then there's the football....
I'm not preaching about anything. I'm telling people that long winded posts on here aint gonna change jack all. Let's use your business brain and the others of hundreds of posters on here to make a difference if everyone is that passionate about making a difference. It won't happen because when it comes down to it people aren't that bothered to or just prefer moaning.
Geordiesaddler wrote:That to me is all that really matters, the football side that is, that's why it's called Walsall FOOTBALL Club. If I want intrigue I'll buy a John Le Carre book, If I wan't a lesson in business opportunism I'll watch some cruddy doccu-compo on Fiver, I just want a football club that behaves like a football club - ie get in with a chance of the play-offs and try and get into them, its supposed to be competitive sport not politics...why is that too much to ask??? It really shouldn't be.
It's all that matters to me also, but unlike many I appreciate that without all the other activities we wouldn't have the success we have had in our time in the Championship. As i've pointed out many times and still no-one has answered, it's not as if we've spent all of our time in Division Four or lower under Bonser, we've spent all of that time in the best footballing position we've been in, in our history so to say the football is all that matters is a wasted point. It can't be the priority every minute of every day because, once again our 5,000 regular fans mean that isn't an option. Customer service and many other things on the football side of WFC is pathetic. In the last month I've been to Burton Albion and Stevenage and both times they had nice touches that WFC could learn from but if you prefer that level, or lower of football then there's no point in banging on about it at WFC because it's poles apart in many ways.
Like I say, less waffle, more action.
Point 1, when JB bought the freehold of Walsall FC through stealth I was already enjoying a very successful spell as commercial manager/press officer of another football club, probably putting in ten times more work than the likes of RW ( 8 days off in 2 years, Xmas day 94 and 95, and 6 days watching Walsall) for 10 times less income (average wage 120 a week) and therefore didn't realise from 220 miles away what was happening. Not many people realised from 2 yards away it would seem.
Point 2 - see point 1, been there done it, designed, wove, printed and worn the T-Shirt thanks, see also my earlier post about actually enjoying being a fan, and seeing nothing wrong with that, or having an opinion AS A PAYING FAN.
Point 3. Absolute guff Mark, and may I add considerable hypocrisy from someone who is the number one poster on here when it comes to volume of posts.
In addition to the Championship years we have in fact spent more years in the basement division in the 20 years of Bonser than at any other time in the club's history. In fact since JB joined the board we have had 6 years in the basement against 5 in the second tier, so forgive me if I don't gush at the "transformation" alluded to by Wallett the day before he picked up his latest pay cheque courtesy of Walsall FC.
As for your trips to other clubs, its not just PR surely? The football is absolutely RANK. We havn't had a centre-forward partnership to speak of for FIVE MONTHS!!!!
Firstly, JB is already pooing himself at the slightest hint of unrest as per usual, and the only place there has been any hint of it has been on here. You were at the forefront of the "Merson out" campaign that was almost entirely orchistrated on here, so what has changed? There are many different arenas of expression when it comes to opinion about anything, Walsall FC being no different, don't try and devalue what people say on here because there simply is no need to do so, especially when you personally could win the award for the greatest number of posts, and the most long-winded post in the history of UTS.
I agree with most of what you say for what its worth, but you are so far off beam with your latest posts it just makes me realise how easy it is for JB to manifest the mindset he desperately needs amongst our number.
Less waffle more action?? Pray tell me what you have planned and if its any good I'll join in. I've already offered many ideas on here for increasing gates some of which were raised at the latest Trust thingy - but subsequently not acted upon by the club. I go to games (or did do) and offer my support and opinions. I'm not a millionaire, infact I'm rather poor, but probably could have been getting there if I didn't spend about 2-3k a year watching Walsall FC. When you do the same talk to me about "less waffle more action". Maybe if eveyone on here divied up 2k per head next year we could buy out Bonser???? Tell you what I'll pledge my next season's kitty of 2k towards buying the freehold here and now and not go to any games next season, any more takers??? You fancy matching that Mark ?. Let's see some action then. :wink:
Infact why not? Let's find out what our glorious leader wants for the freehold.
Let's say he wanted a million for the freehold alone, representing a 5 fold increase on the most polular suggested figure he paid for it, that's in addition to the 3m or 15 fold figure he's taken NET in rent.
So that's 5000 Saddlers fans (or shares) at 2k a head (count me very much in). We could then lower the ground rent from 379k per year to 50k per year and make a healthy 5% on our investment, which woud very much justify it to our spouses etc.
What's wrong with that idea then?