bert tann

9 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

The other point to consider, is life expectancy.

I would assume there is a 25 year life on most stands, before they get to the realms of maintenance vs replacement.

So it needs to be paid off ASAP before it becomes a liability. Number of ways you could do that, a non maintenance lease buta lease long enough that it generates a return, keeping revenue (or part of it) the stadium generates, or only offering it to a tenant on an as-needed basis, meaning they venue reverts back to a holding company on a non match day.

If there is high density residential, then they might struggle to get a late night/frequent evening use license, other than football and weekend evenings.

Who know however!

You, and also Rich in the post above, make extremely good points and it is noticeable that no educated discussion like this takes place on the Rovers fans forums.

Sensible business folk, especially landlords, know the high risk of dealing with a football club which  is why UWE were insisting on financial guarantees from Nicholas (backed by the Sainsburys money) and wouldn’t negotiate with Dwane Sports unless a cash bond was going to be put in place.

Any deal at the Fruit Market will be no different so if the Al-Qadi family cut their losses by taking the Mem sale proceeds it will surely be a requirement of the deal that they transfer their shares in Rovers free gratis to credible new ownership which is capable of creating a viable business at the stadium and therefore be able to pay the rent.

23 minutes ago, Galley is our king said:

What playing in the Southern Premier South

A lot rests on the timing of the points deduction which is something Mr Hani Al-Quidi would have to accept.

6 minutes ago, Coombsy said:

Don’t look good for the club 

only one winner here 

I beg to differ Coombsy.

The winners would be Rovers supporters who would have learned a valuable lesson about delusion and blind faith.

A fresh start in a new realistically sized rented stadium with no debt and capable owners would be just what the doctor ordered. 

26 minutes ago, wendyredredrobin said:

So who can fill in the blanks?

Sell Mem at £A                Via an Administrator

Repay debt at £B           £10 million to satisfy Dwane Sports charge.    Circa  £16 million lost and        charged to W Al-Quidi’s “ family account”

Buy Fruit Market at £C     PLC

Build Stdium at £D           PLC.  Long term lease to NewCo BRFC

Balance to be funded £A-£B-£C-£D=£E

£E sounds like a lot of money to me and then who wants to tent it when the Sags drop out of the league again and can't afford to pay it (assuming £E is sufficient to pay the rent for a few years as they will still be losing money every week with the crowds they are getting 

This is the whisper of what could happen gleaned from my friend Ernst and his brother Young

20 minutes ago, wendyredredrobin said:

Some things don't seem to add up here either, for example, how come they can sell the Mem, which is mortgaged to the hilt and still have enough to buy another pice of land and build a stadium on it?  Surely there cannot be that much difference in the value of the two plots of land. Is someone else paying as usual?

We may find that Hani Al-Quidi is cleverly extricating himself and his family from Rovers without Wael Al- Quidi having any idea of what is going on.  And the club renting a stadium at the Fruit Market will  be under completely different ownership.

35 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

Presumably then, the fans will actually be paying for their own travel having raised the money themselves in previous seasons?

I am adamant that this is what is happening

34 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

Ha, you mean the £50,000 that Tom G 'demanded' from the Supporters Club?

I thought the SC were intending to finance some gym equipment for use by, inter alia, the youth players.

The Supporters Club have always had a close relationship with the Academy and Development squad so when the training ground was announced they offered to finance some equipment there which was to be specifically for Development squad use. But, as our manager has bluntly pointed out, the training ground is too small to include the Development squad so there is no need for that equipment.

Even so, it appears highwayman TG has told the Supporters Club to stand and deliver £ 50 000 to the football club to be spent on whatever it sees fit and that apparently includes coach travel to Scunthorpe.  Very easy to make lovely gestures with other peoples money.

50 minutes ago, phantom said:

Maybe not directly possibly, but ultimately the travel is free and at some point it hits him in the pocket

Not if the cost of travel to Scunthorpe comes out of the £50 000 donation which has been demanded.

6 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

Are you suggesting otherwise Bert?

Yes.

It sounds like a lovely gesture from a lovely bloke to personally pay for supporters to travel to the game but to the best of my knowledge that is not what is happening.

2 hours ago, phantom said:

Hadn't realised but Wael is paying for all the away coaches to go to their away game at Scunthorpe this Saturday, currently sold out 7 coaches

As much as we give them stick this is a very nice gesture especially at this time of the year

It would be a very nice gesture if that is what he had done.

Stendel withdrawn.

Not under starters orders.

Mention of "The Fox" always stirs memories of that harrowing journey back from Dunkirk.

Mind you I'd started off much too early in the Beaufort Arms at Hawkesbury Upton.

1 hour ago, WessexPest said:

I see the Newcastle Saudi takeover has gone through.

Does that knock the Gash down to the sixth or seventh richest club in England?

Amanda Staveley was devastated that she couldn't get her hands on Rovers.

"Oh Uncle Bert" she said. "Why didn't you pull it off for me ?"

1 hour ago, The Constant Rabbit said:

Gaschat moderator and Wally sycophant Gashead81

Ongoing feud between SC and Wally - this gashead81 seems to be a talking head on a stick for Wally

This chap became very upset when he was accused of being Mr Al-Quidi’s puppet.

Mr Al-Quidi said “what’s got into you ?”

Gashead81 said “your hand”

Borstal as a young man could have prevented all this nonsense.

Too late for that now but perhaps he could be confined to the family stand at The Mem.

A short sharp shack never did anyone any harm.

I saw a photo of a Rovers supporter in her underwear with the caption Her Game Too

Does anybody know what her game is ?

16 minutes ago, Eddie Hitler said:

I don't think they're going to contain any surprises; the result is basically as it stands.

That £15m debt was owed to 1883 and therefore hence on to Dwane Sports but has been cancelled and now 1883 owns more shares in the football club which it did anyway.

I'd suggest that it doesn't matter much whether the reamining debt sits in 1883 - owed to DS - or in DS because if there ever is a sale then it could be either DS or 1883 that is sold.

It will be interesting to see what is the position betweeen 1883 and DS but an owner with the intention of flogging off the club or asset stripping it is not going to convert debt to equity if only because of the tax advanatages of having it as debt - tax free repayment unlike dividends or sale proceeds / gains.

I flagged it up when it looked like Rovers were heading into losing their stadium under the charge set upon it but I am happy to now flag up that the club looks financially solid.

Or as financially solid as any non-premier league club does!

We are as financially solid as Mr Al-Quidi’s elder brother wants us to be.

11 hours ago, Eddie Hitler said:

 

This looks to be the stereotypical game that happens when a cash-strapped seller of a club wants to receive top dollar but the buyer wants to pay the absolute minimum and it is therefore in their interest to hold back until the club is placed into administration.

The current owner looks to be running out of funds, players and staff were not paid last month, so all the buyer has to do is wait and they will be able to buy the club at a rock bottom price and put the money saved into the club rather than the pocket of the seller.

These games always run the same way with fans fearing that their club may fold - you may remember the "don't let Torquay die!" fundraising efforts - when all that is really happening is the jockeying between a motivated seller apparently running out of funds and a canny buyer wanting to buy at fire sale prices. 

Usually when the buyer is in the position of strength that this buyer appears to be they will simply sit back and let the club go into administration before taking over as, with no other buyers in the frame, this is going to be their cheapest option.

It doesn't matter if half the squad and staff have gone because the buyer has the money set aside to re-employ them.

One interesting factor will be the approach taken by Swindon council who are owed IIRC £1.5m of back rent on the County Ground.  The buyer will be looking to negotiate with them to have this reduced or waived because without this, they will claim, the takeover "cannot" take place.

Which would effectively mean that Swindon council tax payers will be part-funding the takeover to the tune of £1.5m.

 

Tell me the old old story.....

As long as a stadium is available for them to play at there is little chance of a club folding because an Administrator will usually be able to find a new investor to take over.

However a problem would arise if, for example, the land on which the stadium stood was commercially valuable  and it’s owner held a legal charge so could sell it for development leaving the Administrator trying to offer the club as a going concern with an impossible task.

8 minutes ago, Rich said:

Talking with one of their supporters the other day, who said that people in the know have heard that a deal has been done for the fruit market, by either Wael, or his company. Backed up by the fact that he now has a personal wealth of some £400m. When we delved a little further into his personal wealth, we found that the information on his wealth referred to 2016 and was the family wealth, not Waels.

If I'm not mistaken, this wealth was diminished with a drop in share value of the Bank or Hotel business. Even so, with the passing of his father giving his bank account a boost, you'd expect a figure possibly around 25% of that family wealth, so upwards of £100m. A tidy sum but, is it enough to purchase the Fruit Market and adjoining land and build a stadium? Just saw that Everton's new stadium is expected to cost £500m. What could Wael expect to get if he decided to spunk all his fortune into this venture. If he did, at least it would prove how insane he actually is.

My one fear is that Marvin and his right hand man are doing a covert deal with the city's land, just to give those cretins a more even platform to compete.

 

Your fear is unfounded Rich.

The development at the Fruit Market site will not include a football stadium.

And Mr Al-Quidi’s personal wealth is less than a quarter of what you imagine it to be.

Club President, Wael Al Qadi,  gives an update to supporters on plans and ambitions for next season in his latest Open Letter.

'Dear Gasheads,

As we approach the busy pre-season period, I thought it would be an apt time to write to you, in light of our plans for next season and the recent changes to the Board’s structure and personnel.

Chris has served in the specialist armed forces and is also part of the FA's Pro Licence programme. He has a wealth of experience that would be a benefit to any football club.

His role will add transparency to Board activities and he will also act as a liaison with the club's supporter groups. He will also bring business expertise that can be utilised in all areas of the club to help improve standards and operations. We look forward to working with Chris, as we look to build a platform for success at the football club.

Also in the past few days, we announced the removal of the position of Director of Football from the club's Board structure, an action that was taken in light of our recent relegation.

Joey and his team are fully in charge and responsible for the recruitment of players.

Tommy Widdrington will remain on the Board of Directors and will be responsible for the creation of a loan department.

We see this area as key in the development of our homegrown talent, establishing beneficial relationships with clubs that can entertain valuable playing experiences for players emerging from the club's Academy and looking to break into the first-team setup. In the past, these players have played within the Development Squad structure, however, the focus will now be on these players gaining competitive experience to further aid their journey into the first team.

Tommy's role will also include the desire to mirror the strategy of the first team, which is constructed by the Manager, down to the Academy. This is vital to ensure that all football departments grow and progress with a common theme of values and approaches.

On the topic of recruitment, as the initial signings will have shown, Joey will be continued to be supported in the transfer market this summer, as we look to rebuild and reshape the playing squad. I'm in constant and daily dialogue with him and his team in regards to the progress on recruitment as we edge closer to the beginning of pre-season. We have all seen the type of characters Joey is looking to recruit this summer, with many of our new signings holding a vast amount of experience and promotions on their CVs.

I did call the four new signings (Mark Hughes, Sam Finley, Paul Coutts and Nick Anderton) on Facetime shortly after they signed and while they were at The Quarters, to welcome them to the football club and wish them every success in their time representing Bristol Rovers.

Every change that has been made and every decision taken is with a view to giving us the best possible chance of success on the pitch, whilst also continuing our development and progression off it. However, it goes without saying that the only target of everyone at the club is to achieve promotion next season at the first time of asking.

When fans return for the first game back it will be an emotional moment, as we pay our respects to all those who we have lost over the past 14 months.

Our fans are truly our 12th man and are an integral part of our success. From the Manager to the players, they all say the atmosphere inside a packed out Mem is very special.

The recent pandemic has impacted our finances extremely heavily. If we passed on this cost to supporters, it would result in Season Ticket prices increasing by over £1,000 per supporter. This is a burden that is my responsibility to bear, as it is with all owners. I, therefore, have to once again pay tribute to owners all around the country and all around the world, for the often unseen backing that they have given to football clubs to guide them through these difficult times.

In light of the widespread impact of the pandemic, it's been encouraging and humbling to see that we recently passed the 3,500 milestone for Season Ticket sales for next season. At the time of writing, we are just over 500 season tickets away from our highest total in the fourth tier (as far as our records go) and we are already at our second highest number. This once again shows the unwavering and vast support that this football club has and we are incredibly thankful to every one of you that has pledged your support for the new season.

If any supporters are still unsure whether to buy a season ticket, I would urge you to do so. Our team will be making every effort to ensure that the stadium is as safe as can be and we are looking to build a squad to mount a promotion push. But we can only do that with your support, bring your friends and your families and get behind the boys, because it's only if we are together that we can achieve something special this season.

Our pre-season schedule is already taking shape, with the process of announcing our fixtures already under way. As we approach a higher degree of normality, it was heartening to see our fans rushing to buy tickets for our trips to both Melksham and Havant and Waterlooville – seeing the football community pull together, as we emerge from these turbulent times.

I hope you stay safe and healthy and I look forward to seeing everyone back at the Mem, in full voice, when we return in August.

Thanks for your support,

FTG

Dictated by Mr Barton and signed in his absence by Wael'

59 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

I’ve just been reading through the “Barton legal hearing” thread on cat shag. 

Jesus wept they genuinely couldn’t be a bigger bunch of morons if they tried. 

Mr Stendel has gum disease so there is no case to answer

2 hours ago, slartibartfast said:

."...............not only listening, but joining in (we hope) with all these songs you know so well."

I tried to sign Cliff Adams once but he ended up in a threesome with Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson

12 minutes ago, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

Big night for the fewers tonight. All of the team's down around them are playing their games in hand tonight.

Talking of games in hand.

A poster called gashead1981 wrote this on the Rovers fans forum but what does it mean ?

The SC had no influence anyway, not since WAQ came in, thats why they hate it so much.  You only had to listen to the lies they told when Masters left as well as one of their members being involved in a collusion in a child safeguarding accusation against our owner to realise that.

36 minutes ago, The Gasbuster said:

That Milne bloke's moustache looks somewhat familiar 

He only had one ball

Then of course there was the Munch of Grapes, the Foot and Mouth, the Railway Legs and the Hand in the Knickers.

Life will never be the same. It's all done with nanna technology so you can't stop them.  Mervyn Days !