Realistic Signings

[giles_23_bcfc]

No, the wage bill isn't going to be doubled to five million a year. Where did you get that from?

Our wage bill for footballing staff was already over £4m a year in league one.

We won't be adding anything like £2.5m to the wage bill nor will we be doubling it.

I got that from SL himself in a Q&A forum ith the fans before the Swansea game in the DEH. The wage bill this season was £2.5million and he said it was being raised to at least £4million.

[GrahamC]

This Sinclair nonsense reminds me very much of a smilar thread about Steve McManaman last year.

Face it, 34 year olds on Prem wages aren't coming to AG, GJ isn't a fan of players on huge wages anyway and if he ever did push the boat out, on Pospsisil for example, he'd want someone who was available for more than a third of every season.

My guess is four signings, 2 strikers, one left midfielder and a central one and no-one coming in on even £5k a week.

[Guest Ron]

Boyd will categorically not be joining. I asked SL this 12 months ago, and he rates him as a sicknote.

[giles_23_bcfc]

Boyd will categorically not be joining. I asked SL this 12 months ago, and he rates him as a sicknote.

Boyd?

[Nibor]

I got that from SL himself in a Q&A forum ith the fans before the Swansea game in the DEH. The wage bill this season was £2.5million and he said it was being raised to at least £4million.

So it's not being doubled or increased by £2.5m then?

He's obviously talking about first team salary only if that's the figure he gave, the actual cost to the club is much higher because of employer's contributions and other stuff like insurance.

It's safe to assume that half of that £1.5m gets eaten up dealing with promotion pay rises and new deals for existing players, averaging out something like a 25-30% increase across the board just to keep what we have.

Why would we want to blow more than half the rest on Sinclair? That's absurd.

[giles_23_bcfc]

So it's not being doubled or increased by £2.5m then?

He's obviously talking about first team salary only if that's the figure he gave, the actual cost to the club is much higher because of employer's contributions and other stuff like insurance.

It's safe to assume that half of that £1.5m gets eaten up dealing with promotion pay rises and new deals for existing players, averaging out something like a 25-30% increase across the board just to keep what we have.

Why would we want to blow more than half the rest on Sinclair? That's absurd.

Well from £2.5million to £5million works out at £2.5 million. He said at the very least itll be going up to £4million. But more likely be £5million. Well what's more realistic, Sinclair or Robbie Fowler?

[Nibor]

Well from £2.5million to £5million works out at £2.5 million. He said at the very least itll be going up to £4million. But more likely be £5million.

So did he say £4m or £5m?

And did he actually say the current budget was £2.5m?

Because IIRC the last published accounts show a footballing wage bill (ie including tax, NI etc) of £4.2m.

Well what's more realistic, Sinclair or Robbie Fowler?

Neither is even remotely realistic and neither is who we will be signing.

[giles_23_bcfc]

So did he say £4m or £5m?

And did he actually say the current budget was £2.5m?

More or less £5million. And if its being doubled to £5million then, putting 2 and 2 together, unless i'm being completely dumb at getting 7, that makes half of it £2.5 million.

[bcfc06leon]

i think dj campbell would be a good shout. or is he to expensive?

[Guest Ron]

Boyd?

Adam Boyd. Off the first page

[giles_23_bcfc]

Adam Boyd. Off the first page

Ahh right thought so. Rangers or ex-Rangers striker?

[Nibor]

More or less £5million. And if its being doubled to £5million then, putting 2 and 2 together, unless i'm being completely dumb at getting 7, that makes half of it £2.5 million.

Huh?

So he didn't say £2.5m was the current wage, and he didn't say it was being doubled?

He just said the wage budget would be "more or less" £5m...?

That's about 20% higher than it was in the last published accounts - so there goes your idea of seven grand a week.

[giles_23_bcfc]

Huh?

So he didn't say £2.5m was the current wage, and he didn't say it was being doubled?

He just said the wage budget would be "more or less" £5m...?

That's about 20% higher than it was in the last published accounts - so there goes your idea of seven grand a week.

Have you forgotten to take your understanding tablets today?!

SL: "The wage bill will be double to £5million if (now when) we go up to the Championship".

Got it now?!

[Nibor]

Have you forgotten to take your understanding tablets today?!

SL: "The wage bill will be double to £5million if (now when) we go up to the Championship".

Got it now?!

Have you forgotten to take your English tablets?

I asked you specifically if he said doubled and your reply seemed to indicate that he didn't and it was assumption on your part.

I asked you specifically if he said the current wage bill was £2.5m and you didn't answer.

I asked you specifically if he said £5m and you said £4m, then "more or less £5m".

I don't get it.

The impression I get from what you've posted is that he mumbled something about the wage bill going up and you filled in alot of blanks with imagination.

Either way it's irrelevant. Paying a 34 year old who makes 16 league starts a season seven grand a week is the height of idiocy which was why I commented in the first place. I would sincerely hope and expect that GJ isn't even thinking about signing him on less than half of that.

[giles_23_bcfc]

Have you forgotten to take your English tablets?

1)I asked you specifically if he said doubled and your reply seemed to indicate that he didn't and it was assumption on your part.

2)I asked you specifically if he said the current wage bill was £2.5m and you didn't answer.

3)I asked you specifically if he said £5m and you said £4m, then "more or less £5m".

I don't get it.

The impression I get from what you've posted is that he mumbled something about the wage bill going up and you filled in alot of blanks with imagination.

Either way it's irrelevant. Paying a 34 year old who makes 16 league starts a season seven grand a week is the height of idiocy which was why I commented in the first place. I would sincerely hope and expect that GJ isn't even thinking about signing him on less than half of that.

1)I answered that he said it was doubling to £5million

2)See umber 1.

3)I answered very least £4million but going to be £5million with the players we need to bring in.

OK, maybe £7,000 was a bit too high for hmi but that's the sort of money we are going to have to be prepared to pay if we want to get an experienced premiership/championship player.

Were just going to wait and see arent we.

[bh_red]

No to Sinclair, No to Fowler

Fowler can earn decent money and enjoy a good life moving to Syndey or MSL - which is probably going to happen

Trevor Sinclair - injury prone winger who was never an excellent player in his prime let alone now he is past it.

Both of them are also renowned Party boys, which won't fit into the current team mentality, we have had enough drinkers recently we don't need to sign anymore.

as for the wage bill doubling, completing and toally untrue, Lansdown has said it will increase but will be overtime while we establish ourselfves as a Championship Club.

if Lansdown was to offer 7k per week to anyone over 30, he would seriously need to start considering his position on the board

[giles_23_bcfc]

as for the wage bill doubling, completing and toally untrue, Lansdown has said it will increase but will be overtime while we establish ourselfves as a Championship Club.

How is it untrue when he came out and said it?!

Granted i didnt hear him say whether it will double straight away or over time or not but he definatly said it will double.

[bh_red]

How is it untrue when he came out and said it?!

Granted i didnt hear him say whether it will double straight away or over time or not but he definatly said it will double.

may have been the case then, but not now.

Money "would" have been put into increasing the wage bill by double is being put to other "channels" we've got the new training ground to pay for.

[giles_23_bcfc]

may have been the case then, but not now.

Money "would" have been put into increasing the wage bill by double is being put to other "channels" we've got the new training ground to pay for.

Well this was said against Swansea, so a month ago. After the plans for the new training ground etc were announced aswell.

[simon uk]

[if Lansdown was to offer 7k per week to anyone over 30, he would seriously need to start considering his position on the board

[Nibor]

I am not sure how old bridges was when he signed, but him and stewart who was in his 30s were on more than £7k per week between them in league 1. SL financed that knowing we would be playing chesterfield and portvale who bring 50 fans between them. If we play wolves or west brom who will fill the east end, I cant see any reason why he shouldnt sanction paying that for a new player or 2 in the championship. I thought the SL quote was raising the salary budget from 2.5 to 4 million. If other people know the club accounts better than SL, and say we are already paying 4 million, well done to you. Either way, there is clearly a lot of scope for additional expenditure on salaries. Whether Trevor Sinclair is the best person to spend it on is another story, I would probably prefer Jarvis and Best both sign and split the wages between the 2 of them, but if the player was good enough, we should have money to pay for them.

Bridges and Stewart's combined salary was under 7k and that's for TWO players and neither worked out.

The 04/05 accounts are the last ones published and they're a matter of public record, you can download them from companies house for a quid.

Don't get me wrong, if Dave Nugent declared his undying love for Bristol City and wanted to join us I'd be all for paying him seven grand. But that's the exception. You don't need to make paying crazy money standard practice. I'd expect most first teamers to be in the £2-£3k a week range.

And for a 34 year old who plays 1/3 of a season? Sod that.

[simon uk]

Bridges and Stewart's combined salary was under 7k and that's for TWO players and neither worked out.

The 04/05 accounts are the last ones published and they're a matter of public record, you can download them from companies house for a quid.

Don't get me wrong, if Dave Nugent declared his undying love for Bristol City and wanted to join us I'd be all for paying him seven grand. But that's the exception. You don't need to make paying crazy money standard practice. I'd expect most first teamers to be in the £2-£3k a week range.

And for a 34 year old who plays 1/3 of a season? Sod that.

I understood that stewart was on 5500 plus a 500 appearance fee per week and bridges was on 2500 plus 500 appearance fee so at the start of last season 9 grand a week was being blown on those 2.

Clearly shelling out 7 grand a week on just anyone isnt an option, but if the player is good enough, probably not dave nugent though, we could pay it.

[Nibor]

I understood that stewart was on 5500 plus a 500 appearance fee per week and bridges was on 2500 plus 500 appearance fee so at the start of last season 9 grand a week was being blown on those 2.

My understanding was that Stewart's basic was nearer four than five and only went up to five with appearances, goals and promotion, and that Bridges was on a standard first team contract (just under £2k) for one year that got extended with a slightly increased wage after xx number of games. I guess unless we see their pay slips we won't know the truth.

[simon uk]

either way, thats a lot of money which was being paid for not a lot of return by a league 1 football club, which could presumably be paid by a championship club.

[Ian M]

Have you forgotten to take your English tablets?

I asked you specifically if he said doubled and your reply seemed to indicate that he didn't and it was assumption on your part.

I asked you specifically if he said the current wage bill was £2.5m and you didn't answer.

I asked you specifically if he said £5m and you said £4m, then "more or less £5m".

I don't get it.

The impression I get from what you've posted is that he mumbled something about the wage bill going up and you filled in alot of blanks with imagination.

Either way it's irrelevant. Paying a 34 year old who makes 16 league starts a season seven grand a week is the height of idiocy which was why I commented in the first place. I would sincerely hope and expect that GJ isn't even thinking about signing him on less than half of that.

Sorry Nibor, it would appear Steve did say £2.5m but didn't say "doubled" just "£4-5m".

Lansdown said: "We have a playing budget of about £2.5 million but we will probably need a budget of £4-5 million to compete in the Championship, but of course we are going to have to get there first.

....of course then it could be argued that Steve wasn't committing to spending that amount, merely that was what he felt was required. He may indeed have intentions to cut the bill to £12.50, sell up Ashton Gate for a brand new Polish speciality supermarket and join the board of Norwich City with his ill-gotten riches

[Nibor]

So in SL's words we go from "about £2.5m" to "£4-5m", which could mean anything from £1m extra to £3m extra. My bet is it's closer to the former (because our revenue won't be that much more) and I'd put my mortgage on the salaries column of the FY08 accounts not containing a number £2.5m bigger than FY07.

Either way though, we're not going to be paying stupid money like 7k a week or signing any 34 year old crocks. I think £4m over a squad of 24, averages out to somewhere around £2.5-3k a week after you've paid employers contributions.