The Oldham Insider Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 TTA – Time To Abdicate? It’s coming up to five years since Danny Gazal, Simon Blitz and Simon Corney – known affectionately to Oldham Athletic fans as The Three Amigos, or TTA, – rode into town to rescue the club from looming liquidation. There is little question that supporters will be eternally grateful to them for that but to what extent have the five years that they have controlled the club been a success, and is it now time they actively sought to hand over the reins to somebody else? On arrival, TTA sold a 3% stake in the club to the Supporter’s Trust in exchange for the £200,000 that fans had raised in an effort to save their club; a price that The Independent newspaper described as ‘startlingly high’. Whilst on the one hand it is commendable that TTA offered a position on the Board to Trust Chairman, Barry Owen, on the other, one might argue that it was nothing more than a token effort to win over the club’s supporters, whilst also bringing in a handsome sum of money. In those early stages, there was much talk of transparency, in terms of fans having a view into the workings of the club – something very much lacking during Chris Moore’s reign - but, even with the Trust’s Boardroom seat, this does not seem to have been forthcoming. What did TTA set out to achieve at Latics when they arrived on Sheepfoot Lane, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? Well, they wooed fans with talk of a five-year plan to become an established Championship side in a redeveloped Boundary Park. Five years on, and exactly halfway into the 2009/10 season, Athletic lie 19th in League One, a single point outside the relegation zone, playing in a part-demolished home ground, having been knocked out off three cup competitions in the opening round. After an uninspiring time under Brian Talbot, he was sacked to be replaced by Ronnie Moore. Both were unpopular choices with the fans and Moore was also sacked after season ticket sales began to fall. Former Republic of Ireland star, and fans’ favourite, John Sheridan, then took charge after finishing his playing days with Athletic and an impressive start to his managerial career saw the club into the promotion playoffs. This was to be the sole occasion during TTA’s five years, however, that Athletic mounted a genuine promotion challenge, only to be outclassed by Blackpool over a two-legged tie. New manager, Dave Penney, took over after Joe Royle’s bizarre cameo at the end of last season, which followed TTA’s third managerial sacking of Sheridan. On current form, Penney looks unlikely to enhance TTA’s reputation for candidate selection. Royle’s return, after his heroic’s as manager in the early nineties, was disastrous. The club was in something of a downward spiral after the events that led up to Sheridan’s dismissal, something Royle was helpless to arrest, and which the club arguably remains in the grip of, with attendances continuing to fall. Perhaps the club’s consistent failure under manager after manager is indicative that its problems lie far deeper that the coaching staff. With respect to stadium plans, the crash in the property market was a cruel blow for TTA and, one might suggest, constituted something of a final straw and now has them looking for an emergency exit. After presiding over several plans to rehouse the club, good progress was made with a proposal to demolish Boundary Park, stand-by-stand, for a self-financing replacement with a hotel, conferencing suites, etc, to be part-funded by residential property also built on the development. TTA spoke of the importance of the club becoming self-sufficient through such added revenue. This plan was, however, underpinned by the sale of the residential properties and, when this part of the equation fell away, thanks to the current recession, the whole thing came crashing to a halt. Not before the Broadway Stand, and the ‘Royle Bar’ it housed, were demolished, however! With the Failsworth proposal, TTA’s commitment to make the club self-sufficient, with day-to-day income from stadium facilities, appears to have now gone by the wayside. Indeed, one might speculate that their focus has shifted away from the club’s finances and towards their personal coffers and an escape from Oldham (and that does not refer to the Is Failsworth in Oldham? debate!) It has been widely recognised for some time that the value in Oldham Athletic lies in the Boundary Park land. This was bought by TTA, from the council, but not in Athletic’s name, and they were candid enough in the early days that Blitz stated, “The first day we went to Oldham, we were shown the land and we decided right then we would do the deal." The potential value of that land appears now to represent an opportunity for TTA to recoup losses of the past five years and, given the scaled-down and unpopular Failsworth proposal they are determined to push on with today, it would seem that this has become their primary objective. There has been a definite element of lip-service about their consultation with fans and it is clear that, regardless of opinion, TTA will do everything they can to make this new plan a reality. One might ask what role the Trust should play in representing those fans who have grave misgivings about the move. A more significant one, no doubt. However, the Boardroom position that the Trust has, through Chairman, Barry Owen, seems to have had the very opposite effect to that originally desired. Rather than offering fans a greater interaction with the club, it has arguably limited the fans’ voice. Owen appears to have become steeped in the club’s own ethos and tends to take a very ‘official’ line, backing up TTA, when many fans are feeling frustrated. Perhaps this is outcome is inevitable but, if the fans are to genuinely have an opportunity to raise their concerns through the Trust, then this needs to be addressed. The current situation has the potential to give a false impression of wholehearted backing for the TTA’s plans by supporters. If the plan to relocate Athletic to Failsworth is completed, and TTA then walk off into the sunset, which they have as good as said will indeed happen, then where does that leave the club? Where is the value to draw in the next benefactor? What it boils down to is a question of whether it is better for the club’s long term future to move. If the club were to find itself in a position of not being able to attract ongoing investment, the answer to that has to be no. The enthusiasm that TTA arrived with has evidently dissipated over the past five years. Where once they were full of vigour, all too often now the only noises from them consist of tiresome repetition of how much money they are losing on account of the club. To a certain extent, it feels wrong to criticise a group of people who came along, when Athletic were a whisker away from going out of business, and ensured its survival. However, the fact that they did so cannot buy everlasting immunity and it would be irresponsible to blindly follow, without ever questioning their actions. Yes, they saved the club when Chris Moore left it in tatters, but what are the successes of the five years that have followed? And do they remain motivated for the good of the club? Five years: five managers; no promotions; no relegations; no new stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny punkster Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1955 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 TTA – Time To Abdicate? Five years: five managers; no promotions; no relegations; no new stadium. It's actually coming up to 6 years in February! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
another fan Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 TTA – Time To Abdicate? My gut feeling at the moment " No three Amigos - No Football Club" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macca Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I'll wait for the stadium plans before I make my mind up what I think to it all. Shouldn't be too long now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeP Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Good post. Agree the Trust member on the board hasn't really worked. With regards the land - does anyone know the valuation of the land for the new site? With it being near a city centre, surely it must be worth a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) My gut feeling at the moment " No three Amigos - No Football Club" I think you're right. (Could I suggest that we don't all include a copy of the whole post when we respond to it!. Use <FAST REPLY> rather than <REPLY> and perhaps just highlight the key points you wish to respond to). Edited January 14, 2010 by opinions4u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoafc Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Have TTA said they WANT to leave or just that they WOULD leave if someone came forward with more financial clout? If they have lost the desire and foresight for the club then they should actively look for worthy replacements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) In what way does the 3% Trust holding inhibit the future / future sale of Oldham Athletic? The issue was raised in the Summer and is strongly hinted at in this posting. Edited January 14, 2010 by opinions4u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macca Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Have TTA said they WANT to leave or just that they WOULD leave if someone came forward with more financial clout? If they have lost the desire and foresight for the club then they should actively look for worthy replacements. They have said they won't be here forever, think they said they on't be here in ten years time? They've always they would sell to someone who would have the best interests of the club who can take the club forward, none have been forthcoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 TTA spoke of the importance of the club becoming self-sufficient through such added revenue. With the Failsworth proposal, TTA’s commitment to make the club self-sufficient, with day-to-day income from stadium facilities, appears to have now gone by the wayside. There has been a definite element of lip-service about their consultation with fans and it is clear that, regardless of opinion, TTA will do everything they can to make this new plan a reality. TTA have said that consultation will take place with fans and residents via an exhibition of the detailed proposals this month. If the plan to relocate Athletic to Failsworth is completed, and TTA then walk off into the sunset, which they have as good as said will indeed happen, then where does that leave the club? Where is the value to draw in the next benefactor? What it boils down to is a question of whether it is better for the club’s long term future to move. ... do they remain motivated for the good of the club? When those proposals are unveiled the answers to these questions should become clearer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
another fan Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Have TTA said they WANT to leave or just that they WOULD leave if someone came forward with more financial clout? If they have lost the desire and foresight for the club then they should actively look for worthy replacements. [/quote Allegedly they have said as you claim but I do not see anybody on the horizon waiting to buy the Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 That article raises a number of interesting points however we can not tell if the plans to make the club self sufficiant have fallen by the wayside until we see the what we see the plans for failsworth (something which itself is becoming a cliche on this board at the moment). Plus the current economic climate means that at the moment their aren't that many people looking to buy a football club a business which doesn't offer particulalrly attractive financial returns, examples being Stockport County and Portsmouth. Which begs the question who would buy the club if TTA put it on the market and listened to offers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 In what way does the 3% Trust holding inhibit the future / future sale of Oldham Athletic? The issue was raised in the Summer and is strongly hinted at in this posting. I raised questions about the nature of the 3% holding on here a few months ago, and was told by a Trust Director that it was all understood by another Trust Director, who is a legal expert in such matters. It seems that he hadn't however passed the fruits of his knowledge on to his colleagues, which seems a waste, so we have no certainty that even Barry knows what he The Trust is entitled to do with his voice/vote the fruits of the money we all raised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corporal_Jones Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 TTA – Time To Abdicate? Five years: five managers; no promotions; no relegations; no new stadium. Superb article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corporal_Jones Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 They have said they won't be here forever, think they said they on't be here in ten years time? They've always they would sell to someone who would have the best interests of the club who can take the club forward, none have been forthcoming. They also said, as the article states, that they wanted the club established in the Championship in a new or redeveloped stadium within five years. They've said lots of things. The keyword here is said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corporal_Jones Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Allegedly they have said as you claim but I do not see anybody on the horizon waiting to buy the Club Maybe if the club hadn't been run into the ground by successive boards it would look more attractive to potential investors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Superb article. It would have been better if it had gone the whole hog and mentioned reduced capacity of the proposed stadium and lack of ambition by TTA, inevitably leading the Club towards non-league oblivion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) Best post I have ever read on this site... Fantastic, sums it all up! Edited January 14, 2010 by oafc0000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I'll wait for the stadium plans before I make my mind up what I think to it all. Shouldn't be too long now. When you expecting them ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) In what way does the 3% Trust holding inhibit the future / future sale of Oldham Athletic? The issue was raised in the Summer and is strongly hinted at in this posting. Not at all I do not think... Unless the new owner insisted on having a 100% holding ? A private limited company is free to have any shareholding it wants. Can the trust be forced to sell its 3% by the TTA ? Yes...their is provision in the companies act I understand. What legal protection the trust took to stop this I do not know. Edited January 14, 2010 by oafc0000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macca Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 They also said, as the article states, that they wanted the club established in the Championship in a new or redeveloped stadium within five years. They've said lots of things. The keyword here is said. They've also given it a good go. They've failed to deliver their five-year plan but not for the want of trying. If everything had gone to plan we would be at Ferney Field now in a stadium with a higher capacity and better facilities, who knows where we would be now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corporal_Jones Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 It would have been better if it had gone the whole hog and mentioned reduced capacity of the proposed stadium and lack of ambition by TTA, inevitably leading the Club towards non-league oblivion. He doesn't have to for anybody capable of joining the dots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macca Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 When you expecting them ? They said late January I believe. Think that's what came out at the last meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corporal_Jones Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 They've also given it a good go. They've failed to deliver their five-year plan but not for the want of trying. If everything had gone to plan we would be at Ferney Field now in a stadium with a higher capacity and better facilities, who knows where we would be now? Does anybody know for sure what happened at Ferney? As for trying, it's a pity that more effort wasn't put in from February 2007, when promotion was there for the taking. Abysmal, knee-jerk managerial appointments and various examples of harebrained gimmickry haven't exactly helped either, although it could admittedly all be classified as trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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