Rupp & Sparks Out?

Do you know how many of the Championship clubs finished the year in the black?

 

None

 

Back us tomorrow Dave yours truly in attendance
We always always do the unexpected it's part of our heritage

 

I often wonder whether that pre-season trip has contributed to our demise this season.

On face value, what's a week in Spain to a man? But we took our team for a week in a hot climate at the peak of summer where temperatures were bordering on 40c. We play a match against a La Liga side who are in their home element in terms of geography and climate and they completely outplayed us. We take our team of 4th division players, on 4th division wages, away from their home comforts, families, etc for a 'pre-season camp' which achieved very little/nothing in terms of footballing progression / preparation for the new season.

We then have a team cancelling on us at the eleventh hour (did they ever intend on playing), fan/player arguments in the heat, a trouncing on the pitch, unsettled player(s), a wasted 25% of our pre-season.

This was another Sparks doing-his-friend-a-favour job as opposed to making the correct footballing decision(s) for the benefit of the team.

He's as clueless as they come when it comes to progressing a football club and we need a proper football man at the helm.

 

And this is what is scaring Rupp. He's happy to operate at a profit, even if it means no progression. These clubs running in the red aren't gonna go out of business, because they have assets and a business plan. We don't have either.

 

I'd believe it would have been Mark Hughes who made the pre season training camp decision, in the past I know it was the likes of Phil Parkinson who made the call.

 

A quick look at Deloittes tells you all you need to know.

 

The only way Parky could get us challenging at the top of League 1, was two incredible cup runs and selling Nakhi for £1m+.
Season ticket sales increased to 19k+ for Stuart's first season also.

 

Manchester City made £70 million profit ,22/23 season announced last Monday after posting £712 million in revenues.

The wage bill was …………..

£422 MILLION.

That’s what happens when a club is bankrolled by a country awash with oil revenues .

 

I have some limited sympathy for Rupp because the EFL is broken when it comes to operating within a sensible business model that does not either involve pumping a tonne of money in to a club or risking everything in the hope of sporting success to get that extra TV money to recoup your losses. However, that was already the case when he bought the club and he should have come in to this situation with his eyes open and realise the type of market he was going to be operating in and come with a greater appetite for risk than he has shown to date.

 

I agree.

The EFL stuff starts on page 22:
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/deloitte-uk-annual-review-of-football-finance-2023.pdf

 

You need worry not . The Government are appointing a Men’s Football Regulator .
What could possibly go wrong.

 

Isn’t it rather reminiscent of Geoff Richmonds football philosophy? Same model just different methodology

 

As usual you are partly right Fordy. The Pointon being a Bradford lad is a bonus, the difference with Bobby is that physically he was close to being ready for the first team squad along with a good attitude. It tends to be the younger academy lads who are sold to bigger clubs with add ons,
most of our budget goes on the first team squad. Bobby Pointon and Olly McBurnie are good comparisons, although Bobby Pointon was physically up to it Olly was nowhere near ready for first team football. It was noticeable that Swansea didn't rush him. Probably due to the lack of interest you talk about Rupp doesn't provide the funding to enable us to be patient with young players with potential.

 

I agree on most of your comments but on older players in our defence. Ridehalgh and Taylor are the only ones over 30. Halliday is 28/29, Platt, Kelly and Stubbs mid twenties.

 

Oh yes I know their ages but my point is you wouldn’t think it! lol!

 

Just because the books show a loss does not mean they did not make a profit. Accounts are wonderful things

 

Yes....worked well for Everton

 

Yes shows the price of cheap accountants lol