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£10M ... the cost of true friendship


headhunter

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I was in a bar last night and met a fellow City fan who is a box holder. We mutually agreed that right now, if offered, we would take a point from tonight's encounter with Huddersfield leaving us needing to win 3 from 8.

What really depressed me from our conversation was his comment that LJ had only kept his job through the bond that exists between the Lansdown and Johnson families. I think we all sort of new that but it extends right up to LJ's grandma [a regular attendee at Ashton Gate] being pally with Steve Lansdown's mum.

Like it or not this is not our club any more.

Relegation will cost in the region of £10M I reckon and that is the sum Lansdown is prepared to sacrifice to keep his man in a job. But it really is just petty cash to him. Look at it this way, he's worth £1.5 billion and £10M represents 0.66% of that wealth. Let's assume your average City fan is worth £50k [some much more and many much less] that same % of our worth would be £330. 

I pose the question, would you give a mate £330 to help him out? 

It's a very similar sum (£330) to the cost of a season ticket so next season when we are watching Bury, Rochdale etc. just think of it as our bit towards helping maintain that friendship!!!

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7 minutes ago, headhunter said:

I was in a bar last night and met a fellow City fan who is a box holder. We mutually agreed that right now, if offered, we would take a point from tonight's encounter with Huddersfield leaving us needing to win 3 from 8.

What really depressed me from our conversation was his comment that LJ had only kept his job through the bond that exists between the Lansdown and Johnson families. I think we all sort of new that but it extends right up to LJ's grandma [a regular attendee at Ashton Gate] being pally with Steve Lansdown's mum.

Like it or not this is not our club any more.

Relegation will cost in the region of £10M I reckon and that is the sum Lansdown is prepared to sacrifice to keep his man in a job. But it really is just petty cash to him. Look at it this way, he's worth £1.5 billion and £10M represents 0.66% of that wealth. Let's assume your average City fan is worth £50k [some much more and many much less] that same % of our worth would be £330. 

I pose the question, would you give a mate £330 to help him out? 

It's a very similar sum (£330) to the cost of a season ticket so next season when we are watching Bury, Rochdale etc. just think of it as our bit towards helping maintain that friendship!!!

I wouldn't 'hang' said mate 'out to dry', though. I'm not sure what damage this fiasco is doing to LJ's reputation as a coach/manager in the long run. Is SL doing LJ a favour by keeping him here? 

I'd only give said mate a helping hand, if I could totally rely on their capabilities of doing the task at hand and it would have to be on a professional level where they realised that if they weren't up to it, they would have to leave.  Otherwise it's just foolish.

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Nothing surprises me with this shambles of a club at the moment. Look at the league. Half the clubs have replaced the manager and the majority are above us. But we're OK because we sack the man who is to blame, the assistant manager. We are a laughing stock within the league and for me LJ, MA & SL can all get stuffed and the quicker they all **** off the better.

However that won't happen and this clown of a manager will be here next season regardless of we go down. It truly stinks

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Does anybody on here really reckon that SL became a billionaire, one of the world's richest 1000 people by putting personal relationships before business.

Loyalty to your friends is an admirable trait but I believe should we lose tonight that's LJ gone.

(For the sake of clarity I'm not suggesting that SL is or has any connections with the Mafia);)

 

 

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If I was working for a pal's business and doing such a horrific job that I could very well damage its reputation and standing, I think I would be of the character to willingly pass the reigns on to someone else who could bring a bit of stability. Not blindingly let my ego lead me into believing that I could make things work when everyone else could see I can't.

Funny thing 'friendship'. 

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Problem is LJ us unemployable atm as a manager. This experiment has damaged his career not helped it, and the accusations of nepotism being the reason he got and keeps his job will not have been missed by the wider footballing world. He really should have stayed at Barnsley and earned his spurs, SL is killing him with kindness.

 

 

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27 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

To be fair, Lansdown sacked Gary Johnson

He did because he had no choice, but they had a joint press conference which was a mutual appreciation session. Only that could happen at City with SL and a Johnson. 

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31 minutes ago, Abraham Romanovich said:

Does anybody on here really reckon that SL became a billionaire, one of the world's richest 1000 people by putting personal relationships before business.

But the point is, he doesn't run Bristol City like a business. If he did, he wouldn't have appointed Lee Johnson.

There is no way in the world Hargreaves Lansdown would have recruited someone with two years experience and no tangible achievements into perhaps the most senior role in a multi-million pound business. Good god, in the real world there are eye watering minimum numbers of years experience to be taken seriously for senior leadership roles.

So the idea that personal relationships are NOT at work here, because of Steve Lansdown's pedigree in business and unlikelihood to have poor business judgement, holds no water, because it is self evident that where Lee Johnson is concerned, he is not applying any credible business logic - certainly none he would use in areas he made his money.

This is why, by the way, I have some sympathy with those who have had a gut full of Bristol Sport. Personally I see it as textbook business operating strategy for a group company (though easy to lampoon in the circumstances) but if you're going to be so unprofessionally and self indulgently run in other aspects, don't expect people to lap it up.

I liked the mafia angle though, but knowing our luck the horses head in Lee's bed would end up playing right back.

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8 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Only because he absolutely had to due to the incident at Plymouth. Even then the official line was that GJ left by mutual consent. It would come as no surprise that when LJ eventually goes it'll also be by mutual consent. 

I dare say that kind of stuff happens in a lot of dressing rooms tbh. Surely more to it than that? I just re-read the old article with Sproule and again yeah he had to go, lost senior players but the Sproule incident doesn't sound that shocking by football standards. I think he deserved mutual consent though because this club had good times under him.

As an aside, I also read the article and it made reference to Mr Styvar- as I thought I remembered he was a left back/left midfielder by trade who just so happened to be up front because most players were injured!

Another point from said article which could be highly relevant in getting rid of LJ

Quote

But a scheme to encourage supporters to buy season tickets for 2010-11 had been disappointing, with fewer than 6,000 fans taking up the offer at a time when football clubs are under severe financial pressure – and City are in debt to the tune of £6 million.

 

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1 hour ago, headhunter said:

I was in a bar last night and met a fellow City fan who is a box holder. We mutually agreed that right now, if offered, we would take a point from tonight's encounter with Huddersfield leaving us needing to win 3 from 8.

What really depressed me from our conversation was his comment that LJ had only kept his job through the bond that exists between the Lansdown and Johnson families. I think we all sort of new that but it extends right up to LJ's grandma [a regular attendee at Ashton Gate] being pally with Steve Lansdown's mum.

 

I have always believed that football club owners are custodians for the benefit of the fans who they represent and who are the true spiritual owners.

On that basis, there is a moral issue and there is a legal issue here.

Legally, Steve Lansdown can do what the hell he likes.

 

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45 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Only because he absolutely had to due to the incident at Plymouth. Even then the official line was that GJ left by mutual consent. It would come as no surprise that when LJ eventually goes it'll also be by mutual consent. 

Hmm you're probably right

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42 minutes ago, Olé said:

But the point is, he doesn't run Bristol City like a business. If he did, he wouldn't have appointed Lee Johnson.

There is no way in the world Hargreaves Lansdown would have recruited someone with two years experience and no tangible achievements into perhaps the most senior role in a multi-million pound business. Good god, in the real world there are eye watering minimum numbers of years experience to be taken seriously for senior leadership roles.

So the idea that personal relationships are NOT at work here, because of Steve Lansdown's pedigree in business and unlikelihood to have poor business judgement, holds no water, because it is self evident that where Lee Johnson is concerned, he is not applying any credible business logic - certainly none he would use in areas he made his money.

This is why, by the way, I have some sympathy with those who have had a gut full of Bristol Sport. Personally I see it as textbook business operating strategy for a group company (though easy to lampoon in the circumstances) but if you're going to be so unprofessionally and self indulgently run in other aspects, don't expect people to lap it up.

I liked the mafia angle though, but knowing our luck the horses head in Lee's bed would end up playing right back.

According to Mark Ashton he saved Oldham and turned Barnsley around and led them to the JPT final and playoff side, therefore earning his stripes. Plus, he is young, hungry and dynamic (cheap) which is the qualities that Mark looks for in all of his appointments apparently?

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1 minute ago, Cheesleysmate said:

According to Mark Ashton he saved Oldham and turned Barnsley around and led them to the JPT final and playoff side, therefore earning his stripes. Plus, he is young, hungry and dynamic (cheap) which is the qualities that Mark looks for in all of his appointments apparently?

like the players we have signed this season…who become older, unhappy and disillusioned after a few months

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1 hour ago, headhunter said:

 

Like it or not this is not our club any more.

Relegation will cost in the region of £10M I reckon and that is the sum Lansdown is prepared to sacrifice to keep his man in a job. But it really is just petty cash to him. Look at it this way, he's worth £1.5 billion and £10M represents 0.66% of that wealth. Let's assume your average City fan is worth £50k [some much more and many much less] that same % of our worth would be £330. 

I pose the question, would you give a mate £330 to help him out? 

It's a very similar sum (£330) to the cost of a season ticket so next season when we are watching Bury, Rochdale etc. just think of it as our bit towards helping maintain that friendship!!!

Yes, but to use your comparison, if your mate came along every year for about ten years saying 'can you give me another £330?' you'd probably say 'No, time you sorted yourself out'. SL has invested something approaching 10% of even his huge wealth in City.  As I mentioned in another post, the losses most seasons have been the equivalent of  around £35-40 for every person admitted to every game.    It could be long standing loyalty to Johnson as you say, or simply SL crossing his fingers, hoping City will just stay up and that he can avoid yet more lost money on another sacked manager (a gamble I think he will win...just).  

If were a billionaire (I can only imagine..) spending £10-15m a year to receive adulation, plaudits and general love could seem like a good deal.  Conversely, £10-15m a year to be insulted and told I don't know what I am doing would start to seem a very bad deal that  I might want to call a halt to.

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14 minutes ago, Cheesleysmate said:

According to Mark Ashton he saved Oldham and turned Barnsley around and led them to the JPT final and playoff side, therefore earning his stripes. Plus, he is young, hungry and dynamic (cheap) which is the qualities that Mark looks for in all of his appointments apparently?

SC!  League 1 Championship and JPT winners, only League Championship win in 60 years. So on that basis, if MA was here then, would he have kept SC in a job? Oh! NO,  he wasn't young and hungry and wasn't a YES MAN, so no chance then.

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1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Only because he absolutely had to due to the incident at Plymouth. Even then the official line was that GJ left by mutual consent. It would come as no surprise that when LJ eventually goes it'll also be by mutual consent. 

And GJ left after attending a cringeworthy press conference.  Even then, despite the Plymouth incident, SL/GJ had to part on good terms and let the world know it. 

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2 hours ago, Abraham Romanovich said:

Does anybody on here really reckon that SL became a billionaire, one of the world's richest 1000 people by putting personal relationships before business.

Loyalty to your friends is an admirable trait but I believe should we lose tonight that's LJ gone.

(For the sake of clarity I'm not suggesting that SL is or has any connections with the Mafia);)

 

 

Football's not business to SL though is it.

He doesn't come across as a sharp businessman when he talks football, and I suspect that Peter Hargreaves was the driving force in the real world (conjecture of course).

If he sacks LJ tonight I would be astounded. I don't believe his ego would allow that to happen, and anyway its too ******* late.

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It's a lot more than £10M, if you consider the money spent to increase our capacity for Championship or above crowds.

Then the lost revenue in league 1, and the costs of players leaving and rebuilding the squad.

More like £20M.

:badmood:

 

tfj  :protest:

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1 hour ago, pongo88 said:

He did because he had no choice, but they had a joint press conference which was a mutual appreciation session. Only that could happen at City with SL and a Johnson. 

Indeed.

Didn't see that type of love in with the guy that won us two trophies after he was dispensed of at the first sign of trouble.

Its a complete given that the only reason LJ is still in charge is because of the personal relationships between the Johnson's and Lansdown's. That's what makes me angry. Its to the detriment of our club atm.

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