It's Started Already

[Bristol Boy]

S****horpe United have rejected 'two substantial offers' for their players.

Ahead of the reopening of the transfer window, the League One leaders are fending off interest in members of their squad.

Though the club have not confirmed which players have been subject of bids, S****horpe have admitted two offers have been turned down.

Billy Sharp and Andrew Keogh are the two players who have attracted the most interest during a stunning season at Glanford Park.

Top scorer Sharp has netted 19 goals and has been linked with the likes of Watford and West Bromwich Albion.

His strike partner Keogh is also being courted by other clubs, but The Iron are determined to hold on to their key players.

With the club pushing for promotion, chairman Steve Wharton does not want to see the S****horpe squad broken up in the New Year.

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By my reckoning with gates of under 5,000, they'll be taking a real risk if they hang on to Sharp & Keogh.............Fair play to them if they do!

[Guest]

If they do hold onto them, I think our chances of going up by automatic promotion are going to be extremely slim.

[Avonmouth Docker]

Sharp & Keogh.............

They are the Bannister/ Warbouys of their generation!!,

Shame they arn't playing for us down at the Gate!!,

[croax]

If their strike force leaves I believe that second place should be ours, although I have a bad feeling that Blackpool are going to take us all the way.

[BS3_RED]

If their strike force leaves I believe that second place should be ours, although I have a bad feeling that Blackpool are going to take us all the way.

I have got to say that i know we havnt played well and i do doubt we will spend in the transfer market BUT aiming for second is a joke.

We are three points behind top and at some point (i hope) we should find some form. With that in mind shouldnt top be our goal.

[croax]

I also doubt that we will spend during the transfer window. I don't believe Forest will try to build on their squad so on paper it should be out of us two to challenge for top spot, basing it on the fact other clubs may lose key players. If we keep hold of our current team and don't experiment too much (apart from a new left side player) we shoud stay consistent, whilst teams around us play aroudn with their team trying to replace the players they have lost.

[tin]

I also doubt that we will spend during the transfer window. I don't believe Forest will try to build on their squad so on paper it should be out of us two to challenge for top spot, basing it on the fact other clubs may lose key players. If we keep hold of our current team and don't experiment too much (apart from a new left side player) we shoud stay consistent, whilst teams around us play aroudn with their team trying to replace the players they have lost.

Forest are most definately trying to back up promotin. They've placded several buids for chambers and lcokwood in our division, thought t be in a combined region on 300k. We'll be luckyf we see 500k spent on trnasfers. lansdowns a joke imo, sexstone even more so

[Guest DanC]

They will be gone by 1st Feb.

[Andy082005]

We'll be luckyf we see 500k spent on trnasfers. lansdowns a joke imo, sexstone even more so

If SL freed up this much, I'd be over the moon. I think you may see some money spent, but certainly not this amount

[xerox6060]

I'm sure both Sharp and Keogh would be happy as individuals to stay until the summer to help Scunny, it is probable though that a 'silly' offer will come in from someone and at least one will be depart because Scun won't be in the position to turn it down.

Though I would have possibly have said the same about Freddie Eastwood and Southend last year, he stayed and led them to glory, so its far from certain.

[bh_red]

lansdowns a joke imo, sexstone even more so

so despites SL spending Millions on players in the past 4 years? that's still not enough for some fans?

what exactly has Sexstone done for this abuse?

either way, Sharp and Keogh will be going direct to Championship if not prem, so hopefully that will result in a free fall for them and open up second place for either us or blackpool,

[OmegaSnake]

so despites SL spending Millions on players in the past 4 years? that's still not enough for some fans?

what exactly has Sexstone done for this abuse?

either way, Sharp and Keogh will be going direct to Championship if not prem, so hopefully that will result in a free fall for them and open up second place for either us or blackpool,

Not to mention SL bailing us out a few times by injecting money into the club. Some people will never be happy unless we are spending millions on players, who might actually play crap for us.

[bh_red]

Not to mention SL bailing us out a few times by injecting money into the club. Some people will never be happy unless we are spending millions on players, who might actually play crap for us.

spot on, people use the "loans" agreement, however he is still giving the money to the club in the 1st place because he is in a position to do so, much rather have SL in charge with cash to play with than someone like David Russe and his jokers who were going to get us to the premier league and europe based solely on free transfers like Scott Partridge and Marvin Harriot!

people don't remember that since SL has been chairman he has overseen almost £2m on signings following the backing of various managers, what's it got us?..... a LDV trophy

[Nibor]

By my reckoning with gates of under 5,000, they'll be taking a real risk if they hang on to Sharp & Keogh.............Fair play to them if they do!

I don't think they're taking any sort of risk at all, hanging onto those two is the only sensible option in January.

If they don't go up they can sell them in the summer and they'll probably be worth even more.

[Nibor]

spot on, people use the "loans" agreement, however he is still giving the money to the club in the 1st place because he is in a position to do so, much rather have SL in charge with cash to play with than someone like David Russe and his jokers who were going to get us to the premier league and europe based solely on free transfers like Scott Partridge and Marvin Harriot!

people don't remember that since SL has been chairman he has overseen almost £2m on signings following the backing of various managers, what's it got us?..... a LDV trophy

Not spot on at all, not in the slightest.

Take a look at the returned accounts. (Well, the 04-05 ones since Lansdown hasn't published the most recent ones as far as I know).

We, the fans, put vast amounts of money into the club, upwards of SEVEN MILLION POUNDS each season, and it is misspent and misused. We get nothing back.

We have nearly double the turnover of most other clubs in this division (bar Forest), yet somehow we still have to sell our best young players and even bringing in £4m in transfer revenue in the last 3 years we have made millions of pounds of losses each year.

These largely unexplained losses, and I say unexplained because the returns give bugger all detail, allow Lansdown to loan the club money and turn it into stock or invest via share purchases and increase his shareholding. In other words he gets something for his money, and when he leaves the club whoever buys it will have to pay him back what he's put in and probably more.

Now I'm not cynical about his motives, I'm sure he's doing his best for the right reasons. But this idea that we'd die without him or he's some sort of saint that saves us is complete and utter twaddle and the more people that understand that the better.

[Guest Jan Mollars Gloves]

Not spot on at all, not in the slightest.

Take a look at the returned accounts. (Well, the 04-05 ones since Lansdown hasn't published the most recent ones as far as I know).

We, the fans, put vast amounts of money into the club, upwards of SEVEN MILLION POUNDS each season, and it is misspent and misused. We get nothing back.

We have nearly double the turnover of most other clubs in this division (bar Forest), yet somehow we still have to sell our best young players and even bringing in £4m in transfer revenue in the last 3 years we have made millions of pounds of losses each year.

These largely unexplained losses, and I say unexplained because the returns give bugger all detail, allow Lansdown to loan the club money and turn it into stock or invest via share purchases and increase his shareholding. In other words he gets something for his money, and when he leaves the club whoever buys it will have to pay him back what he's put in and probably more.

Now I'm not cynical about his motives, I'm sure he's doing his best for the right reasons. But this idea that we'd die without him or he's some sort of saint that saves us is complete and utter twaddle and the more people that understand that the better.

Now this is spot on Nibor.

[bh_red]

Not spot on at all, not in the slightest.

Take a look at the returned accounts. (Well, the 04-05 ones since Lansdown hasn't published the most recent ones as far as I know).

We, the fans, put vast amounts of money into the club, upwards of SEVEN MILLION POUNDS each season, and it is misspent and misused. We get nothing back.

We have nearly double the turnover of most other clubs in this division (bar Forest), yet somehow we still have to sell our best young players and even bringing in £4m in transfer revenue in the last 3 years we have made millions of pounds of losses each year.

These largely unexplained losses, and I say unexplained because the returns give bugger all detail, allow Lansdown to loan the club money and turn it into stock or invest via share purchases and increase his shareholding. In other words he gets something for his money, and when he leaves the club whoever buys it will have to pay him back what he's put in and probably more.

Now I'm not cynical about his motives, I'm sure he's doing his best for the right reasons. But this idea that we'd die without him or he's some sort of saint that saves us is complete and utter twaddle and the more people that understand that the better.

no one is saying, the club would die without him, just saying that some people say, he is never willing to spend on players which is incorrect because the club have,

Lansdown is no different than any other Chairman in recent years and the club have lost money in all that time, his only difference is he has allowed money to be spent on players where possible.

[Nibor]

no one is saying, the club would die without him, just saying that some people say, he is never willing to spend on players which is incorrect because the club have,

Lansdown is no different than any other Chairman in recent years and the club have lost money in all that time, his only difference is he has allowed money to be spent on players where possible.

Two years ago I'd have agreed with you but it simply isn't true any more.

During Lansdown's tenure we've sold players for a total value £4.37m and he has spent a grand total of £1.025m.

Figures are from soccerbase, from the time he took the chairman's post in October 02.

During that time the club has lost over £6m, despite the greater than £3m we made in transfers, the two sellout Cardiff finals, averaging an attendance of over 11,000 most seasons and selling over 7,000 season tickets with the fans putting in £7m or thereabouts in turnover each season.

So despite backing Danny Wilson well, the truth is that in totality Lansdown has not invested in players, he has in fact sold players to cover losses he's inexplicably managed to make. Other clubs with much less resources have made much smaller losses and some have been more successful on the pitch.

I believe SL probably backed Wilson too much allowing him a huge squad and all sorts of extravagances whilst allowing the academy to eat up cash by paying Clifton College far too much for the educational side. This then forced him to make far too stringent cuts and player sales and appoint Tinnion leading to the mess we were in a year ago.

At the same time we see the Gate's atmosphere sanitized, fans kicked out of their seats, the forum dumped because of the awkward questions, the east end closed with no effort put into sorting out the problems with opening it...

It's called poor leadership and we have every right to ask for better.

I've got a lot of time for SL, and I applaud that he's willing to put so much time into the club. I thoroughly approve of his backing of the academy, of how he backed Wilson and his appointment of GJ.

But I'd like fans to be given a bit more credit for intelligence instead of given the mushroom treatment we are currently getting. Unfortunately whilst some sycophants are willing to give the man a standing ovation at an AGM for losing £2m and selling our best players I can't blame him for doing it because he knows he can get away with it.

[bh_red]

Two years ago I'd have agreed with you but it simply isn't true any more.

During Lansdown's tenure we've sold players for a total value £4.37m and he has spent a grand total of £1.025m.

Figures are from soccerbase, from the time he took the chairman's post in October 02.

At the same time we see the Gate's atmosphere sanitized, fans kicked out of their seats, the forum dumped because of the awkward questions, the east end closed with no effort put into sorting out the problems with opening it...

It's called poor leadership and we have every right to ask for better.

I've got a lot of time for SL, and I applaud that he's willing to put so much time into the club. I thoroughly approve of his backing of the academy, of how he backed Wilson and his appointment of GJ.

But I'd like fans to be given a bit more credit for intelligence instead of given the mushroom treatment we are currently getting. Unfortunately whilst some sycophants are willing to give the man a standing ovation at an AGM for losing £2m and selling our best players I can't blame him for doing it because he knows he can get away with it.

poor leadership, when have we had good leadership, I actually looked at Soccerbase a few months back and posted something similar on subbers, will just dig it out, but it is well more than £1.025m as soccerbase doesn't include figures for nominal fee's or fee's that are undisclosed but mentioned later.

[Nibor]

poor leadership, when have we had good leadership, I actually looked at Soccerbase a few months back and posted something similar on subbers, just dig it out, but it is well more than £1.025m as soccerbase doesn't include figures for nominal fee's or fee's that are undisclosed but mentioned later.

It's only a couple of hundred grand in those undisclosed fees I'm afraid and the same applies for players we've sold for undisclosed fees. The fact is that Lansdown has sold players for over £3m more than he's spent on them.

When did we last have good leadership? Scott Davidson in my opinion though he did get over enthusiastic with signings when we were promoted - but at least we bloody well got there. He also got the Atyeo stand built and was instrumental in setting up the academy with Laycock.

[bh_red]

Lee Miller - 300k

Luke Wilkshire - 250K

Goodfellow - £50k

Murray (again) 500k? rumoured never comfirmed

Paul Heffernan - £125k

Brooker £150k + (risen to £225k)

Dave Partridge £150k

McCombe - 50k (not confirmed)

Noble - £75k - risen to £100k (not confirmed)

Fontaine - £25k (not confirmed)

plus £200k-£250k not for player, Johnson but still a big outlay

which worked out at about £1.8m

take into consideration that until today he hasn't been able to spend any of the cotts money yet as that has just come in, he's brought in about £2.7m, so isn't too bad at shelling out.

plus in the time he's been chairman there has been various pay-offs for the likes of Wilson, Barlow, Tinnion, Stewart, Bridges, G Smith

[bh_red]

It's only a couple of hundred grand in those undisclosed fees I'm afraid and the same applies for players we've sold for undisclosed fees. The fact is that Lansdown has sold players for over £3m more than he's spent on them.

When did we last have good leadership? Scott Davidson in my opinion though he did get over enthusiastic with signings when we were promoted - but at least we bloody well got there. He also got the Atyeo stand built and was instrumental in setting up the academy with Laycock.

academy was Laycock's baby and he's probably the only reason we had it and still have it and too such a good effort,

good leadership, davidson did well until he decided he should be the one signing the players, when ward went on holiday asking for one of Thorpe, Akinbiyi and Soren and came back to find he had all 3 and no cash left for a quality centre half he cocked up big time,

plus how can anyone who appointed Tony Pulis be accused of good leadership!...no one can deny that

as for the Atyeo, it was opened two years before Davidson became chairman?

[The Fat Controller]

Lee Miller - 300k

Luke Wilkshire - 250K

Goodfellow - £50k

Murray - Reading wrote off the money that they owed us from the original transfer i believe. No money "spent"

Paul Heffernan - £125k

Brooker £150k + (risen to £225k)

Dave Partridge £150k

McCombe - 5k (not confirmed)

Noble - £75k - risen to £100k (not confirmed)

Fontaine - £25k (not confirmed)

plus £200k-£250k not for player, Johnson but still a big outlay

which worked out at about £1.8m

take into consideration that until today he hasn't been able to spend any of the cotts money yet as that has just come in, he's brought in about £2.7m, so isn't too bad at shelling out.

plus in the time he's been chairman there has been various pay-offs for the likes of Wilson, Barlow, Tinnion, Stewart, Bridges, G Smith

[Nibor]

Lee Miller - 300k

Luke Wilkshire - 250K

Goodfellow - £50k

Murray (again) 500k? rumoured never comfirmed

Paul Heffernan - £125k

Brooker £150k + (risen to £225k)

Dave Partridge £150k

McCombe - 50k (not confirmed)

Noble - £75k - risen to £100k (not confirmed)

Fontaine - £25k (not confirmed)

plus £200k-£250k not for player, Johnson but still a big outlay

which worked out at about £1.8m

take into consideration that until today he hasn't been able to spend any of the cotts money yet as that has just come in, he's brought in about £2.7m, so isn't too bad at shelling out.

plus in the time he's been chairman there has been various pay-offs for the likes of Wilson, Barlow, Tinnion, Stewart, Bridges, G Smith

There was no fee for Murray's return, we just wrote off the remainder of what Reading owed us which was barely 6 figures.

My £4.37m doesn't include the fees for Doherty, Golbourne, Anyinsah or Gillespie because they're not shown on soccerbase but that is well over half a million quid in total.

The gap between what we've received and spent is, as I've said, well over £3m.

I agree he hasn't had a chance to spend the Cotterill money yet but that's not really relevant because we were over £1m in surplus from transfer fees anyway and he knew the Cotterill deal was happening a while before it did.

I'm not someone who needs to see us sign expensive players at all, I just hope that we're not limited to looking at players like this Dargo when we should be looking at some of the best young strikers in this division for say £300k. I'm not convinced the manager will get that level of backing yet and it's my view that he should.

[Nibor]

academy was Laycock's baby and he's probably the only reason we had it and still have it and too such a good effort,

good leadership, davidson did well until he decided he should be the one signing the players, when ward went on holiday asking for one of Thorpe, Akinbiyi and Soren and came back to find he had all 3 and no cash left for a quality centre half he cocked up big time,

plus how can anyone who appointed Tony Pulis be accused of good leadership!...no one can deny that

as for the Atyeo, it was opened two years before Davidson became chairman?

Davidson backed the academy heavily and was as instrumental to setting it up as Laycock was. Laycock continued it on after Davidson left the board and it became his main focus.

It's not clear who appointed Pulis, from what I remember the decision was made by a vote and was the start of the split between Davidson and the rest of the board. Incidentally I recall that Lansdown admitted on the old Ask SteveL forum that he had voted for Pulis.

I agree he went nuts on signings but Akinbiyi and Andersen were both signed at Ward's request. Thorpe was a player Ward had previously wanted but wasn't available, he became available whilst Ward was on holiday and Davidson signed him which was a mistake for sure.

I thought I remembered Davidon being heavily involved in the stand but I admit I could be wrong - wasn't he on the board before he was chairman?

[Lordofthebling]

I'm not someone who needs to see us sign expensive players at all, I just hope that we're not limited to looking at players like this Dargo when we should be looking at some of the best young strikers in this division for say £300k. I'm not convinced the manager will get that level of backing yet and it's my view that he should.

I agree with everything you say so far Nib's, but havent we had bids for Hayter and Holt turned down recently?

[gamon]

Lansdown voted for Pulis and Davidson voted against. The start of the end of Davidson and then shortly after Laycock.

[Nibor]

I agree with everything you say so far Nib's, but havent we had bids for Hayter and Holt turned down recently?

It's reason for hope certainly.

Myself I think we are definitely two players short - and I think we need to spend about a quarter of the Cotterill money in total to get us a quick striker and a wide left player.

I'm not sure SL will allow that level of spending but fair play to him if he does.

[Royz]

Davidson backed the academy heavily and was as instrumental to setting it up as Laycock was. Laycock continued it on after Davidson left the board and it became his main focus.

It's not clear who appointed Pulis, from what I remember the decision was made by a vote and was the start of the split between Davidson and the rest of the board. Incidentally I recall that Lansdown admitted on the old Ask SteveL forum that he had voted for Pulis.

I agree he went nuts on signings but Akinbiyi and Andersen were both signed at Ward's request. Thorpe was a player Ward had previously wanted but wasn't available, he became available whilst Ward was on holiday and Davidson signed him which was a mistake for sure.

I thought I remembered Davidon being heavily involved in the stand but I admit I could be wrong - wasn't he on the board before he was chairman?

I think the Ateyo stand was during Dave Russe tenure.

[bucksred]

Not spot on at all, not in the slightest.

Take a look at the returned accounts. (Well, the 04-05 ones since Lansdown hasn't published the most recent ones as far as I know).

We, the fans, put vast amounts of money into the club, upwards of SEVEN MILLION POUNDS each season, and it is misspent and misused. We get nothing back.

We have nearly double the turnover of most other clubs in this division (bar Forest), yet somehow we still have to sell our best young players and even bringing in £4m in transfer revenue in the last 3 years we have made millions of pounds of losses each year.

These largely unexplained losses, and I say unexplained because the returns give bugger all detail, allow Lansdown to loan the club money and turn it into stock or invest via share purchases and increase his shareholding. In other words he gets something for his money, and when he leaves the club whoever buys it will have to pay him back what he's put in and probably more.

Now I'm not cynical about his motives, I'm sure he's doing his best for the right reasons. But this idea that we'd die without him or he's some sort of saint that saves us is complete and utter twaddle and the more people that understand that the better.

Thump!! the sound of hitting the nail on the head! Exactly what is wrong wi BCFC under Lansdown......