Trotman Going - We Really Are A Joke!

[Corporal_Jones]

Corporal,

 

To an extent you are right. However gates at that level were experienced in both the Frizzell & Royle eras and that was at 2nd division (championship) level. Also you cannot go on for too long with that level of attendances without hitting financial difficulties.

 

Your statement regarding the directors having (a) the foresight or ( the ability to attract new investment, while we were in the premier league has some merit. However, I know that during that time efforts were made to attract new investors but despite best efforts, no one came forward. Remember as far back as Marks and Spencers proposed new store on Clayton Playing fields etc. Such efforts have always been thwarted by one party or another (in a number of cases the Council) I know that it was not for lack of trying that new investment was not achieved. Furthermore, what has been achieved in recent times? JW Lees could not sell their shares depsite making it known that they wanted out. Three directors bought those shares with a view to finding a long term buyer. The best they could come up with was Chris Moore. His obligation in the contract was to invest £1.5 million over a 3 year period. He messed up and wrote off a further £4 million in loans he had put into the club over 2 years. We then had the period of uncertainty and the Norwegian fiasco before TTA came to the rescue.

 

It is alright saying that had the directors had the foresight. The fact is the ability to find Oldhams equivalent of Jack Walker or Dave Whelan is extremely limited and in all honesty I am not aware of such a person at that level being an Oldham fan. In terms of the wider business community, well Boundary Park has always had its vast land bank yet no one has previously managed to grab the mantle to develop it to its full potential until now.

 

I fully believe that we are lucky to have our current owners who have had the ability and patience to take us forward to what hopefully will be a period of stability and hopefully promotion.

 

I am not trying to score point or have an argument with you or anyone else for that matter, but those are the facts that I am aware of and I hope they help a little.

 

Regards,

Harry

 

 

 

You imply that you know, up to some point, what went on behind the scenes in those days, yet isn't it well-known that when the club had already gone into long-term decline that JW Lees were not only refusing to invest in the club themselves, but were publicly refusing to sell their shares? And that this was something they continued to do despite pressure from some fans even when we had been relegated for a second time? This was a situation that received considerable publicity at the time. If I remember correctly, they were at one time being challenged to do so by a group of local businessmen (all I remember of whom is an interview on GMR where a spokesmen for the group stressed the need for new investment to halt the slide.) How can it be said, then, that, under such circumstances, attempts were made to find additional investment? It was only later, when the club looked like a basket case and some fans were in more or less open revolt against them, that Lees agreed to sell up. I remember no willingess at all being expressed prior to the Andy Ritchie period of management, a time by which the club was so penniless that it had to sell the ground .

 

Also, didn't the directors who bought the shares state when asked by the SAFE campaigners that they had not thought about putting the club up for sale? Again, this was quite well publicised at the time. That was what led to an advert being placed in the press which led to Chris Moore coming forward. Those who were involved at the time can probably remember more details of what went on.

 

As for it being a case of trying to find a Dave Whelen or Jack Walker, other clubs manage to advance, or at least halt the slide which has seen us, at times, struggle not to sink even further, without being lucky enough to find a vastly wealthy benefactor who is also a supporter-something which we finally did, perhaps, ourselves with TTA, although not after a long period of drift during which the club could have gone under on more than one occasion.

[leeslover]

As for it being a case of trying to find a Dave Whelen or Jack Walker, other clubs manage to advance, or at least halt the slide which has seen us, at times, struggle not to sink even further, without being lucky enough to find a vastly wealthy benefactor who is also a supporter-something which we finally did, perhaps, ourselves with TTA, although not after a long period of drift during which the club could have gone under on more than one occasion.

Rather more clubs haven't managed to get on this firm footing than have achieved it, which I suppose points to the fact that it isn't easy. How many clubs have gone into administration over the last 15 years? Many that haven't have only managed it by sliding down the ladder (Forest being the most obvious example). For every Noblot I reckon you could find 2 or 3 Oxfords.

[Corporal_Jones]

Rather more clubs haven't managed to get on this firm footing than have achieved it, which I suppose points to the fact that it isn't easy. How many clubs have gone into administration over the last 15 years? Many that haven't have only managed it by sliding down the ladder (Forest being the most obvious example). For every Noblot I reckon you could find 2 or 3 Oxfords.

 

 

 

 

I find it difficult to take solace in the idea that 'most clubs fail-no shame in us failing too.'

[dfOAFC]

no time to read all 7 pages so apologies if it's already been said but, as much as I'd love Trotman to stay £350-500k for a player who's only played a handful of games and is out of contract in the summer has got to be taken, especially after what happened with Porter.

 

that said, why not offer him about between now and Thursday and try to push the price up?