our chances of promotion from League 1 next season. Would that be welcomed by our supporters? Or, would the idea be blocked by the current board of Directors at the club?
I've often thought that we've needed a financial leg up to help our chances of survival in the Football League.
Remember the last outside investor to come into the millers was Anton Johnson we all know how that ended our chairman said in the tizer on Friday he has never had any enquiries from anybody willing to put any money in I wish it were true I would love us being able to do some damage to the teams in div 1 and above but you never know strange things happen in football.
Anton Johnson who reportedly bought RUFC for £67,500 in 1979 is still 'hated' by some in Southend to this day. He would be about 80 years of age if he is still alive today. The self styled 'King of Clubs'.
There are so many things that someone with money sitting in the bank could do with it, whether it is a return on the investment that they are after or just a good time. What would be the motivation for some wealthy individual with no connection at all to the town its football club to put money in? I would be skeptical about it. Clubs like ours are so flattered by foreign interest and football supporters are so obsessed with winning and rising through the divisions that all sense of realism goes out of the window, but given our recent history I am risk averse and am happy with what we have got thanks very much.
'What would be the motivation for some wealthy individual with no connection at all to the town its football club to put money in?'
Why indeed?
Roman Abramovich Chelsea
Sheikh Mansour Manchester City
E Stanley Kroenke Arsenal
There are many more.
There are indeed many of them. Some are probably well intentioned. Others perhaps not so much. One or two of the names you mention might have their own non-football reasons for getting involved in top level English football. There are some success stories when it comes to foreign ownership but also a few disasters. I think we have to trust that our chairman would do his homework and not put the club in the hands of someone who wasn't in it for the right reasons. It isn't worth risking the entire future of the club to chase short term success.
Perish the thought of us having short term success. How many of our supporters would want that to happen? Oh, and regular full houses? A new baby can only be nursed for so long. It should be nurtured and allowed to grow. There comes a time when the reins have to be removed. A time to let go?
-- Edited by wotsisname on Tuesday 4th of June 2019 11:14:17 PM
I think it could reasonably be argued that we have had our share of success in the few years that this chairman has been with us. Three promotions including two Wembley playoff final wins isn't a bad return over a short period. Remember where we were when Tony Stewart came in - playing in Attercliffe in front of 3000 hardy regulars and struggling along in League Two. Granted we have struggled to establish ourselves in the Championship due to relative lack of financial muscle, but undoubtedly we are in a much healthier position in every sense of the word now than we were when Tony Stewart first walked through the door. Supporters whining about lack of investment and lack of progress must look like spoilt brats from Mr Stewart's perspective. Should we jeopardise what we have got by chasing the dream of being top half of the Championship? Good investment and steady growth are fine, but boosting our short term cash position and throwing money at players without developing the supporter base and infrastructure of the club wouldn't be sustainable. If it was the sort of investment that Portsmouth had to get them to the Premier League and an FA Cup final but then in League Two four years later, or that has got a host of clubs currently looking over their shoulders at huge debt and FFP breaches, I would politely decline it thanks. If that puts me out of step with the majority of supporters so be it. Look at Notts County. I remember being at Don Valley when the Sven Goran Ericsson show came into town with their big name players bullying everyone in League Two. It wasn't sustainable though and they have suffered ever since. They are starting next season outside the football league for the first time in their history.
That's some history there. The football industry is evolving year on year. As a club we need to keep pace with what is happening outside of the boardroom walls down at the NYS. We need a mission statement and some clarity from the board. What's our ultimate destination? Have we got a five year plan? Are we just about managing to make ends meet from week to week, month to month? Are there are plans to develop the youth academy? What is the future of the now partly demolished Guest and Chrimes building? Are the retail units at the NYS going to be let?
I'm not sure I want stupid investment, with it promotion and promotion again. Look at the premiership now. They are constantly changing kick off times and days, the football is more about the dive thatn the skill and the refs are self important "look at me" merchants.
Grealish was awesome for Villa against us witjout cheating, his cheating made me dislike the spectacle, not the result - I can live with losing, can't stand cheating.
Slightly off topic there, Heman. How the hell are you? I thought you had gone missing in action? Clearly you are still firing on all four pistons. My OP is asking a question.
Would the club or supporters welcome the idea of a foreign investor who might want to boost our chances of promotion from League 1 next season?
As for other teams and their players' antics on the pitch? You could open up another topic about such dramatics? Dive of the day? Simulation of the Season? It would help pass the time on here. At the moment all we've got is the rumour mill and the odd signing with Great Expectations. Pip gets the girl in that book. I hope we don't get the Pip as I've just renewed my season ticket.
If we had the investment money, Warnes mantra of good human beings is tainted by the players rush to maximize the money in a relatively short career, some call it greed but i would be the same.
I for one would not want this kind of investment, and i dont think anyone in Rotherham has the appetite and the deep pockets and long arms which are required by any investor in a football club to join TS at the top table of our club.
We are always going to be like this bouncing up and down from LG1 and the championship, its all relative to where we are in the football world, once the fastest growing club in Europe when we moved to the NYS, this has not increased every year.
Why cant we increase the capacity to 16k? that would be a investment that someone could fund, be part of the fabric of the club for years to come.
Looks like there is not much appetite for outside investment.
Have to say I can understand why. And, if I were owner I would not be looking for it at this stage either.
I agreed, the success we have had has been good enough. I'm more focused on the staff and training than big bucks and someone out to make a profit from a gamble
-- Edited by ian on Wednesday 5th of June 2019 04:20:51 PM
Why not? Football in this era is about money and without it success is limited. I'd like to see us in the big time for sure and to be taking on Chelsea and Man Utd. We have to strive for promotion and success or we may as well have locked divisions with no promotion. Obviously an investor needs to be credible but Chelsea, City and Liverpool wouldn't want to be in L1.
Why not? Football in this era is about money and without it success is limited. I'd like to see us in the big time for sure and to be taking on Chelsea and Man Utd. We have to strive for promotion and success or we may as well have locked divisions with no promotion. Obviously an investor needs to be credible but Chelsea, City and Liverpool wouldn't want to be in L1.
Who is this mystery benefactor it's not Donald Trump is it he has been in the UK the last few days. All the years I have been watching the millers I must have heard it a million times about some one willing to put money in never happens. At the present time there is the chairman putting money in money he makes out the corporate/business side the there is us nearly 5,800 season tickets sold it looks to me that the regulars are still willing to back him. If there was someone willing to put a shed load of money in I am all for it but I can't see it happening
At a press conference on Tuesday, POTUS, Trump was alongside the outgoing PM, May when he said 'nothing was off the table' if there were to be trade talks with the UK. Then I thought he said including the 'NYS'. This is obviously not true. I was told he said the 'NHS' so I stand corrected. Trump has since back tracked on the idea that our NHS would be part of any trade talks.
-- Edited by wotsisname on Thursday 6th of June 2019 09:00:53 AM
I note that Trump did not deny being involved in a potential RUFC takeover. He does love all things New York (except its Democrat leaning authorities and a reasonable percentage of its population). Whatever he says or doesn't say, all things are possible with him. The Trump New York Stadium Guest & Chrimes Plaza has a certain ring to it. Perhaps Sir Tony was smarter than he got credit for when the stadium was named. He is a shrewd man, our Chairman.
-- Edited by smiler on Thursday 6th of June 2019 10:38:04 AM
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrats, never confirmed or denied that Clinton Cards wanted to invest in RUFC. However, since the demise of Clinton Cards and a change of ownership plus the emergence of Clintons Greetings, interest appears to have cooled.
