BBC Radio Leeds Fans 'Forum' 7th Feb 6-7pm

Well that was exactly what i thought it would be and learned nothing new, except did he say the electric bill for VP was £1.4 million per annum. £27 grand per week, get those solar panels every where.

 

Sounds like there were well over a hundred questions they didn't get to, almost like it should have been longer than an hour and with fans present? One I had submitted that didn't get read, was around sustainability.

If say we go up to L1 what do we have planned to be sustainable in L1? So at the moment, we need 15,000 season ticket holders to keep afloat along with commercial deals in the local area and the last few seasons have also included a youth sale or two. But what is lined up if the dream of promotion is achieved? As the cost of being in L1 is a huge jump from L2. Player salaries will go up somewhere between 30-40% from contract clauses as well as new signings. Fees involved in those deals, even free transfers will be higher. Will ST prices have to go up by 20-25% to help the club in L1? Or is it a figure it out when we get there scenario? The sustainability model in my view is harder and harder to run the higher up you go, and some might say trying to live within our means by the clubs current ways of working would hamstring us off the bat in L1.

 

What bloody vision? We will keep us in league 2, and we won’t bust the budget!

What surprises me, is this; how on earth do they think they can con ST holders to keep buying the product? Not only is it taking them for granted it is laughing at them. Here is question for Rupp et al, why should I part with my money to watch sustainable football or worse? Here is another little nugget of advice for you, you cannot run a sustainable club and not get relegated at some point. As the entertainment continues to be poor season after season your ability to be competitive decreases every single season. ST holders see what is front of them and say “no more” You are on your own Rupp, I am out of here.

I will get my club back at some point when you finish the job that Rahic started.

 

The people i spoke to never mentioned Carlisle. Just said they were involved with people looking to actively get involved in the English game. Personally I'd drive the Carlisle owners down here now myself if it meant getting rid of Rupp.

 

Its simple folks simply dont give them a penny any more we have basically been conned all along ..........NO MORE i say

The biggest club in this league with the biggest fanbase and we have no ambition........embarrasing

 

He’s Not that Bad , better than some.
Doesn’t need pace, as the ability to let the ball do the work , and is more available, injury free than Walker. (Also a few years younger to improve.)
Tie him down for years, No, just the one year on the option the club have in him.
or Alexander could inform Sparks that he wants rid of him , like you it would seem.
( maybe he has!)

 

There is no dream of promotion. That was made clear. The goal is to stay in League 2. No need to plan for League 1 and if we nearly get there we can roll over and lie down in the playoffs again to make sure we stay where we are.

 

I don't disagree with any of that. Last night played out exactly as I expected. And yes, every club has its price, of course. That's not my point. There's a difference between being open to sell at the right price, and being a motivated seller. Very different things, driving a very different mindset and a different price. We need to force Rupp into the latter of the two, simple as that. Painful for all, it needs sacrifice by all, but its essential. Anyone who doesn't grasp the risk associated to the club by leaving these clowns at large, needs their head examined.

Our CEO doesn't understand the concept of sustainability in the market he's operating in. Simply balancing your P&L and managing a budget with prudence is fine if you're in a pretty static market with low competition and a good product. This isn't a static market. Its hugely competitive. And we have a poor product that's getting worse. More and more sponsors and fans are threatening to walk away, we can't attract high quality managers, and the cycle of regression is clear. Its not a demonstration in any way of sustainability.

 

Corner shops still sell sweets? Thought they sold energy drinks to small kids, illegal fireworks and toxic vapes.

 

Sparks cannot read his audience for love nor money.

I get that his pivot towards sustainability is borne out of desperation because of our 'mediocrity', but here's the brutal truth:

The fans make the club sustainable.

The club itself is not sustainable in any way.

If this guy feels he can ignore the fans, offer them no vision, offer no plan, offer no success, then no, you won't have a sustainable club for very long. Nor can you overpromise. This guy just cannot get the balance right with his messaging, but this... this is a joke.

 

To add, did say that Bradford were looked at but that asking price is simply laughable. Rupp might have had his pants down but no one else is.

 

I’ll listen again but didn’t sparks say agents ( go betweens I suppose) are used to buy and sell clubs. Once again we don’t know . I agree with the rest of it…It was obvious how last night would pan out FB, I really, really don’t understand why people would think any differently, I really don’t?

 

That’s beside the point, I used Carlilse as an example of owners , like Rupp, who I don’t believe knew what they were getting into, other than let’s all buy a scarf for the photos. I could be wrong but listening to them speak?

 

Yes unfortunately as fans we more concerned with what we see on the pitch but you're correct he is doing as was requested by his boss.

 

You don't know, they've only been in the job a few months. It may well be that they do fail but for now they are much more desirable than what we currently have.

 

Actively in my book , is touting it around, quite openly , and taking up any offer that comes along, ignoring due diligence etc. Advertising the club is for sale, I cant think I have ever seen an EFL club publicly advertising they are for sale unless they are in severe financial trouble . Any ideas?

 

Fans at this club try not think the worst, you can be critical all you like, but it none of this is the fans fault. The management have looked to pull the wool over their eyes, I accept that you have clarity of thought and vision at all times, but the majority probably want to concentrate on the positive. It confirmed last night for me we don’t have a vision, we are in actual fact now propping the club up for Rupp.

 

I genuinely think that he thinks he's being humble when he spins that "my first CEO job, I've made mistakes, hold my hands up" etc, but it doesn't sound humble. It makes him sound under prepared, under qualified, poorly organised and a bit silly tbh. He needs to be specific with things that went wrong and how he's trying to fix them. He just sounds a bit aloof/disconnected from reality at times.