Grayson deal nearing close

I'm intrigued in what lies behind your post. Are you suggesting that the owners should be putting their hands into their pockets to fund OUR club for it to develop and progress? Looking at it objectively, why should they want to do this when firstly they have little emotional connection with City and secondly, we fans want to continue to have cheap football and don't appear willing to pay much more for our tickets to fund better football. Or if you like we want Waitrose football whilst paying Aldi prices.

 

That's a possibility but I wouldn't class it much more than that at least in the short term.

Supporter owned clubs still have the same problem as privately owned clubs. They have to generate funds to improve their squad and have to compete with three-quarters of clubs at this level whose owners subsidise the club by underwriting the club's losses.

At Pompey, the supporter owners couldn't do this and subsequently sold out to Michael Eisner (he also paid around £6m for his new club) who having bought the club also agreed to invest another £10m directly into the club to improve the ground and the playing staff! And at the same time, agreed to freeze season ticket prices. All hunky dory at first sight until we consider Pompey's latest early bird season ticket prices. Here they are ...

*****
Early Bird (until Friday, June 29)
Adult: £369
Senior (64 and above on January 1 2019)*: £275
Young Person (18-22 on September 1 2018)*: £240
Junior (17 and under on September 1 2018)*: £80

*****

As you can see, they're about twice our prices! The Pompey supporters appear willing to pay those prices and to understand the linkage between season ticket income and money to spend on their squad. And I don't yet believe that many of our fans have cottoned onto this fact of football life. If we want better football and the chance to get promotion to the Championship we have to be willing to pay more for that privilege otherwise as you say, we will be forced to become another Exeter.

 

Yes, we all now take cheap season tickets for granted. And the corollary of that is that we can only afford a mid table budget without the owners subsidising that. We can't have it both ways. Our mindset has to change unless we want to continue to gamble upon future cup successes or successful youth development for our club to develop.

Ultimately, it is the fans' choice.

 

It may have failed to grab your attention but there is a whole thread devoted to Grayson's future at VP started by another Walter Mitty type!

Is there any reason other than your own self importance why you should want to start another thread on the same subject?