We're in Safe Hands (7 Viewers)

Chris1987

Well-Known Member
During Doug's brief tenure to date we have come a very long way in a short space of time. Doug is building something here in a financially sound and professional manner. There is no knee jerking but careful planning in pretty much every he does. Yes theres been the odd disorganised hitch along the way ( season tickets springs to mind) but there is obviously a clear long term plan. Player assets are not being sold for less than market value and the acquisitions have been made in a prudent manner. So refreshing after the rabble we had to endure for what seemed like an eternity.
The club is in very safe hands.
 

Sky Blue Harry H

Well-Known Member
During Doug's brief tenure to date we have come a very long way in a short space of time. Doug is building something here in a financially sound and professional manner. There is no knee jerking but careful planning in pretty much every he does. Yes theres been the odd disorganised hitch along the way ( season tickets springs to mind) but there is obviously a clear long term plan. Player assets are not being sold for less than market value and the acquisitions have been made in a prudent manner. So refreshing after the rabble we had to endure for what seemed like an eternity.
The club is in very safe hands.

More importantly. why did Keith Houchen in your avatar, morph into Harry Maguire - I need less caffeine, or an eye check up.
 

rob9872

Well-Known Member
He certainly appears to be a good businessman at both ends of a deal and recognising things like the shop, ticket prices etc I just hope he has a good football man alongside as football continues to be different to how every other business operates. Still early days and none of us are close enough to knowxwhat actually goes on, but after what we've endured it's been a huge improvement.
 

Domo

Well-Known Member
the robins/Adi link, and now with (hopefully) structured ownership, is something we've been missing since pre 2001. good times ahead.
 

Terry_dactyl

Well-Known Member
To Mike Ashley
Already done!

sci-fi signs GIF
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Have to say I don't really get this narrative at all! There is a clear 5yr plan in place and no indication at all that it is a short term project as far as I know?
The aim is promotion within 5 years, which I’d say is a relatively short term project. I’m pretty sure when he took over he said he hadn’t watched football in years. If we got promoted he’d almost certainly be looking to sell the club on for a huge profit.
 

Skyblueweeman

Well-Known Member
We don't know really though, do we? The signs are positive but let's see what happens.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
Kind of agree. Early signs are great but he inherited a team with £40m of talent that was sold but he is using that money (that previous owners didn't have to be fair) to good effect.

Interesting comments from the P'boro chairman on him though. I guess more of a reasoned opinion than any of us could form.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
The aim is promotion within 5 years, which I’d say is a relatively short term project. I’m pretty sure when he took over he said he hadn’t watched football in years. If we got promoted he’d almost certainly be looking to sell the club on for a huge profit.

Yeah, my read is non football guy, handed the club, sets aside an amount he’s willing to run up in debt in a five year push for the Prem. If it succeeds happy days, if not he’s got a top end champ club with reasonable debt levels to sell.

My bigger concern is what’s Robins plan after five years TBH.
 

Sky Blue Pete

Well-Known Member
Yeah, my read is non football guy, handed the club, sets aside an amount he’s willing to run up in debt in a five year push for the Prem. If it succeeds happy days, if not he’s got a top end champ club with reasonable debt levels to sell.

My bigger concern is what’s Robins plan after five years TBH.
Nowhere near retirement
He only leaves if he fulfils his dreams
Premier league definitely
Staying up definitely
Competing definitely
So I’d say he’ll be around for a long time yet
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Nowhere near retirement
He only leaves if he fulfils his dreams
Premier league definitely
Staying up definitely
Competing definitely
So I’d say he’ll be around for a long time yet

Hope so. If we didn’t go up in the next five years and keep making playoffs, will the fans still back him? Will he back himself?
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Either way, it’s nice to have another four years of this to look forwards to even if we end up back with Sisu and Slade Mk2 in charge. Never thought we’d see a Prem promotion push in my lifetime, even when we were winning L1. Let alone six.
 

AOM

Well-Known Member
We don't know really though, do we? The signs are positive but let's see what happens.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

Yeah, things are going really well at the moment and no reasons to complain so far, but I'm still hesitant to be chanting and singing the name of a football club owner.
Always instinctively suspicious of anyone who'd buy a football club and I don't think it's a long term project for Doug, but if he leaves us better than he found us, then brilliant
 

SkyBlueSam01

Well-Known Member
The aim is promotion within 5 years, which I’d say is a relatively short term project. I’m pretty sure when he took over he said he hadn’t watched football in years. If we got promoted he’d almost certainly be looking to sell the club on for a huge profit.

That's fair

I was taking it to mean run things for a yr or two and then piss off back to being a rapeseed oil tycoon
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Yeah, my read is non football guy, handed the club, sets aside an amount he’s willing to run up in debt in a five year push for the Prem. If it succeeds happy days, if not he’s got a top end champ club with reasonable debt levels to sell.

My bigger concern is what’s Robins plan after five years TBH.
Hopefully employ a valet to polish his statue for him and give it a bit of a buff up every week or so.
 

Boicey

Well-Known Member
Getting the significant Gok and Hamer money in early in his tenure has certainly made things more comfortable for him.
The next year or two will be interesting with more stable cash flows.
Hopefully more off the pitch development and personal investment from him as well in terms of infrastructure and marketing.
 

mrfr

Well-Known Member
The big unknown for me is what King’s long term plan is for the stadium.

It’s fine not having to be so reliant on match day ancillary revenue whilst the crowds are up and we’re generating profit through player sales but unless and until we have a proper home which we can treat as an asset for generating lots of revenue across lots of different revenue streams we are always going to be vulnerable.

You look at what the likes of Liverpool are doing at Anfield, or what Manchester City have done around the COM stadium and I think that represents a direction which all football clubs need to be thinking about - how do you turn that real estate into a 365 day per year asset, what can you build around it and how do you maximise what you can get out of it on a matchday.

I know we’re all relieved to have a bit of stability in the short-term but that still feels like the biggest problem to solve in my mind. And and in fairness maybe that’s what promotion pays for and therefore the short-term is all about reaching the promised land, but I’m never going to feel completely comfortable having Mike Ashley as our landlord.
 

Sky Blue Pete

Well-Known Member
The big unknown for me is what King’s long term plan is for the stadium.

It’s fine not having to be so reliant on match day ancillary revenue whilst the crowds are up and we’re generating profit through player sales but unless and until we have a proper home which we can treat as an asset for generating lots of revenue across lots of different revenue streams we are always going to be vulnerable.

You look at what the likes of Liverpool are doing at Anfield, or what Manchester City have done around the COM stadium and I think that represents a direction which all football clubs need to be thinking about - how do you turn that real estate into a 365 day per year asset, what can you build around it and how do you maximise what you can get out of it on a matchday.

I know we’re all relieved to have a bit of stability in the short-term but that still feels like the biggest problem to solve in my mind. And and in fairness maybe that’s what promotion pays for and therefore the short-term is all about reaching the promised land, but I’m never going to feel completely comfortable having Mike Ashley as our landlord.
Not even Mike Ashley it’s the club not owning the stadium that’s the issue
Nothing that can be done other than maintain a professional working relationship
 

1ccfc

Well-Known Member
Hope so. If we didn’t go up in the next five years and keep making playoffs, will the fans still back him? Will he back himself?
If this happens, is that more of a reflection on MR? Would the fans ask is he the man to get us over the line?
 

Noble

Well-Known Member
The big unknown for me is what King’s long term plan is for the stadium.

It’s fine not having to be so reliant on match day ancillary revenue whilst the crowds are up and we’re generating profit through player sales but unless and until we have a proper home which we can treat as an asset for generating lots of revenue across lots of different revenue streams we are always going to be vulnerable.

You look at what the likes of Liverpool are doing at Anfield, or what Manchester City have done around the COM stadium and I think that represents a direction which all football clubs need to be thinking about - how do you turn that real estate into a 365 day per year asset, what can you build around it and how do you maximise what you can get out of it on a matchday.

I know we’re all relieved to have a bit of stability in the short-term but that still feels like the biggest problem to solve in my mind. And and in fairness maybe that’s what promotion pays for and therefore the short-term is all about reaching the promised land, but I’m never going to feel completely comfortable having Mike Ashley as our landlord.
I really can’t see the CBS as a long term solution, the location is entirely impractical. I do wonder if we’re lucky enough to win that premier league promotion cheque in the next couple of years it might be best spent on our own stadium somewhere more sensible. Whatever did happen to those talks with Warwick university for some land?
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
I really can’t see the CBS as a long term solution, the location is entirely impractical. I do wonder if we’re lucky enough to win that premier league promotion cheque in the next couple of years it might be best spent on our own stadium somewhere more sensible. Whatever did happen to those talks with Warwick university for some land?

You think just off the M6 is impractical but Gibbet Hill Road is better?

An 18k ground out in the sticks with a Uni is one thing, a likely 40k PL stadium with the associated traffic is something else.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Hope so. If we didn’t go up in the next five years and keep making playoffs, will the fans still back him? Will he back himself?
We’re one year into that project so let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.

King inherited a situation that wasn’t the best. Uncertainty over the stadium, key player assets on expiring contracts and squad in need of rebuild. The Wembley promotion push was a gloss over all of that.

As far as I can see, he’s got the ground sorted for the medium term and managed to secure impressive deals for Gyokeres and Hamer given the context of their expiring contracts. From here, has been described as ‘relentless’ in negotiating transfers that has completely transformed our team.

We can revisit all the threads after the playoff final, there was a lot of doom and gloom there. Rightfully so too because we could’ve easily went the way of Barnsley and struggled this season. Instead, we got something close to a ‘best case’ scenario where our overall squad is miles better this season. Who’d have thought that? Personally, this was my hope but not expectation.

Even small details like the commercials around generating club merchandise is very impressive.

He’s made some mistakes, probably the shirt sponsorship being the biggest blight. Yet, he had no prior experience running a football club and anyone can make those mistakes.
 

Skyblueweeman

Well-Known Member
I really can’t see the CBS as a long term solution, the location is entirely impractical. I do wonder if we’re lucky enough to win that premier league promotion cheque in the next couple of years it might be best spent on our own stadium somewhere more sensible. Whatever did happen to those talks with Warwick university for some land?
Not a long term solution? We've been there (on and off due to a number of reasons) for nearly 20 years!!

The location, whilst I'm sure you'd all want it more central, obviously is practical as thousands have been going there for as I say, nearly 20 years!
 

Broken Hearted Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I really can’t see the CBS as a long term solution, the location is entirely impractical. I do wonder if we’re lucky enough to win that premier league promotion cheque in the next couple of years it might be best spent on our own stadium somewhere more sensible. Whatever did happen to those talks with Warwick university for some land?
Totally agree I mean we can only get 30000 there for championship games it’s that difficult to get to. The little roads leading to it are a nightmare
 

bigfatronssba

Well-Known Member
I really can’t see the CBS as a long term solution, the location is entirely impractical. I do wonder if we’re lucky enough to win that premier league promotion cheque in the next couple of years it might be best spent on our own stadium somewhere more sensible. Whatever did happen to those talks with Warwick university for some land?

We aren’t going to spend £200m on a new 30k seater stadium at Warwick Uni when we have a perfectly good stadium at the CBS.
If ownership is that important we could buy the CBS at a far lower amount than a new one.
And who would use a new stadium anyway? Concerts/gigs in Coventry would choose the established CBS over any new unknown venue.
 

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