Fans Forum

Best solution in my opinion would be for a fans consortium to buy the ground from the pension fund, (obviously dependent on their willingness to sell). We could then lease the ground (25 years) to the owner ensuring the ground club is safe for the fans (unless the owner takes the franchise elsewhere).
This would then provide a return on investment for the fans or make the rent low enough that the owner can invest more in the club.

 

The ground itself is worth next to nothing without city being there. So as the lease draws to a close at least we should make the appearance of looking at alternatives

 

And what alternatives are these?

 

This is an investment opportunity. I'd be looking for large investors as well as small, but rather than someone buying the club lock stock and barre, the agreement would be a cooperative of fans. Some wealthy (hopefully) and some smaller. That way we don't end up with the scenario we have now.
There are numerous clubs where fans wholly or minority part share their clubs. At least we'd have a vested interest. It's just a thought.

You might find big players interested in a guaranteed return rather than throwing their money away on the football side of things.

 

Can't disagree with what you're saying. I was basing the argument on the rumours of consortium interest in the uk and Italian based interest that I'd heard of back in 2019. The location of the ground is irrelevant provided the football club are there and the Pension Fund sell.

I suppose then, the only real option is a total buyout including ground purchase (at a price agreeable to the Pension Fund), sign a new lease (long or short term), ground share or build our own (at a price probably 10x the price of Valley Parade with 2/3 capacity).

 

With that attitude, you're going in to negotiation from a position of weakness where there is only one outcome. We have a few years just now to sort out some viable alternatives.

• A new stadium financed by a mortgage and private investors
• A shared stadium
• Council funding for a joint project possibly including private sector investment
• Buy the ground back financed by a mortgage

 

Until something is proposed I don’t know but a retail leisure development around Odsal with input from the council and private investment with a multi purpose stadium. I know it’s a very long shot but rather than acquiesce to the terms of another long lease from the pension fund other avenues should be explored

 

Sure about that - I make 10 000 000 / 14 000 = 714 each. Plus you could probably get a few rich business types to chip in (like Fordy) and I bet that you'd get people who don't buy a season ticket willing to contribute as well. And who says it's worth £10? Virtually zero development potential in the middle of some very poor housing, an old quarry underneath it which in itself would make development for housing really expensive, and someone would have to pay to demolish the stadium. £3M? with 15000 subscriptions? £200 each

 

This is only my opinion but there are no workable alternatives in Bradford. The time to leave Valley Parade has long gone what with the development that big Geoff did to it. With that and the emotional attachment we have to the place we will never leave. Couple that with the fact there will never be another stadium built in Bradford, definitely not in my life time, there isn't the will for one from the major parties that need to be involved in such a large scale project and the only other sporting tenant in such a development, the bulls, are finished as i can't ever see them getting back into super league.

That then leaves us around the poker table with Gibb who's sole aim is to raise as much cash for the pension fund the stadium is tied to. We might in the short term have some call to reduce the rate of rent due to covid, i'm no expert in stadium tenancy so my view is just a personal thought. But lets not kid ourselves, Gibb holds all the cards in his hands by owning VP. He knows we have nowhere else to play and that VP is our only option. We can't go to the table with other alternative venues because they're aren't any. We can try and negotiate a better deal but i guess that comes down to what Gibb wants. Buying the stadium is the only real alternative to paying a never ending rent and my guess is that could be a proposal that is put in front of Gibbs advisers when negotiations take place for the next lease agreement.

 

Didnt Mark try that one moving the seats etc to Odsal if we did not get a reduction, not sure Gordon Gibb will fall for us threatening to move.

 

I think we would be poorer for leaving. I can't think of any new built stadium in literally about 30 years that I think looks good, or represents a good fan experience, bar maybe tottenhams. If we did get a new stadium, it would be a soulless 12k bowl that would actually just be called the utilita energy stadium or whatever rather than everyone just calling it VP really, it all just sounds shit to me. VP for all its faults has a lot of charm and character, which won't be easily replicated elsewhere. If we had enough money to build a new stadium we would have more than enough to do VP up to its former glory.

Buying it will be tricky but as much as Gibb holds the cards, he is also pretty buggered if City aren't there so he's got motivation to do a deal if the numbers are right imo

 

Nice sentiment for sure, then did you wake up after your pleasant dream?

 

As real estate it’s not worth a great deal, the value is in scrap steel and that folks is about it!

So how anyone could call this an asset that will be an investment for the future, if the club no longer play there, is living in absolute cloud cuckoo land.

 

Hooch....That’s pretty much like the development of Colchester’s ground.....They are now £31 million in debt . Note it’s in the middle of nowhere.

 

You want to go BACK to it’s former glory???

 

Hoorah, bang on Roger