Fan Buyout

The benefit would be longer term. It’d bring the asset back on the balance sheet, which would strengthen our borrowing position. And once any ‘dividends’ had been paid out fully, the stadium would be ours, and both debt and rent free.

 

What so can can fail and get the sack - again?
Now, if you're saying "as a No.2 to Heckinbottom" then great, I'd go for that!

 

Not entirely sure I have understood the concept. Here goes, if the capitol is raised by the fans, but the club actually owns it. The fans can either donate it, or season ticket paid for over x amount of years. I certainly don’t think it is nonsense. It would need to be tied up legally, so that the ground can never be sold again unless part of the whole club sale ie new owner. Then you might be able to get fans support.

 

The chance of raising anywhere near the asking price is zero

 

Sorry if I'm coming across as thick but who's balance sheet, Rupp would still be forking out for the privilege of his club playing at valley Parade so how does fans owning the stadium benefit the club.

 

I bet you are a joy to live with!

 

The concept as best as I can explain it, would be:

1. The fans wouldn’t be buying the ground, or have any ownership share/rights.
2. The club would be buying back the ground, but generating some/all of the capital through the selling of a ‘special membership’ to fans.
3. The membership would be offered at a price, with a commitment that the funds are used to purchase the ground and in return for rent saved in payment to Gibb, a dividend would be paid to anyone taking up the scheme until such time as the value of the membership price has been rebated. At that point, which would have to be something akin to a 10 year period, then the overhead of a rent payment goes away. Its a long return for the investment, but it’d be better than an open ended lease renewal as the plan.

The reality is, the club would have to take a punt itself and buy the ground and then offer such a scheme. You could never make it work by seeking the take up in advance. It may well be unworkable, it’s just a thought. By far and away, a better idea would be our proud custodian putting up that capital, and either doing it on the basis of taking the rent to cover his investment until such time as things are square or even better, simply buying it back as a means of both increasing the value of his ‘asset’ and not charging for rent so the club can invest in growing.

 

The club own it, if that was the case I for one wouldn't go near putting my hard earned money into purchasing the ground back, an asset that the fans purchased gives Rupp added benefit when he/if sells up.

 

It would depend on the mechanics of the purchase. If the ground is bought by the club (however the underlying funding works), then it’s an asset on the clubs balance sheet. That’s how you’d be best doing it. If it were bought directly by Rupp, there’d be no value in terms of balance sheet for the club. And it’d become a liability as much as an asset to Rupp personally, its far better for all involved for it to be a Bradford City asset, with the underlying contractual arrangements put in place between the club and Rupp.

 

Realistic.

 

I can’t fathom you Park. Any notion of something as a positive idea, however realistic or not, you our scorn on. But you’ll defend the ever-streaming pile of crap served up by the club to the hilt.

 

I’m sorry but the talk of buyouts and ground purchases is pie in the sky. You will never raise the money. If you think I am wrong you take the lead.
If you want change the only way to get it is through conversation and persuasion Rupp seems a reasonable person unlike some club owners

 

I don’t necessarily think you’re wrong, but I won’t knock people for at least trying to come up with ideas. I really don’t think you grasp how much trouble this club is in. Be under no illusion, this is NOT the sustainable running of a football club.

 

I admire everybody who offers suggestions on how we get away from the Rupp ownership and won’t decry any of them,but while a bloke who has a wealth that equates to more than every city fan on here added together (and some) owns our club, I won’t be putting any extra of my family’s hard earned cash in to a club that definitely has started to take its fans for granted.

 

Precisely….and that’s why nobody other than people with funny money have knocked on his door.

Fan ownership won’t happen unless he actually gave the club away to be run by a trust. So the next question arises how would that trust generate income other than season ticket sales and commercially activity. What business model would it have to follow in that scenario?

Yes got it, self sustainability. And round and round we go.

The ONLY way that model works is through footballing success. Without success, the self sustainability model sees gradual decline.

 

I'm not sure what the meeting at the Latvian Club is going to throw up, I'm interested in anything constructive that could get our club out of this downward spiral, I do hope they have an agenda and not just throw it open to those fans in attendance on the night.

 

The point is I don’t regard Bradford city as his football club I do regard it as mine. I have invested along with others sixty years of support . Chairman managers and players are temporary we are permanent. I desperately want success as much as anyone but no way would I support a boycott. They will have my pittance because that’s how much it cost to support our club.

 

Gibb doesn’t want to sell …? Whilst the fund has a guaranteed annual income and we have no alternative , he just does nothing , he has zero need.

 

How on earth could the club put it on the balance sheet, when it’s not owned by the club? I don’t understand.

 

But it’s only your football club if we are in the EFL.

You stated the other day if we went in to the NL it would end a lifetime of support.