PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

[Barryowen]

The Failsworth project is subject to ongoing meetings. Most of you are aware that the Charities Commission are currently involved with the Council with the identification of land for re-instatement purposes. The timetable and speed of that is not within our remit. We derive no benefit from the delay and it creates further frustrations for the club. We continue to prepare at our end with planning consultations etc. The delays are not being caused by the club.

 

 

Barry

[singe]

I must admit that I am only an occasional visitor to OWTB nowadays due to a variety of reasons, but I have read this post throughout and find some of the comments from fellow Latics' fans amusing to say the least!

 

Personally speaking, I was born & bred in Oldham and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. I moved to Farnworth nr Bolton and have been here for the last 16 years. However, I have continued to hold a season ticket at BP as well as attending as many of the league games as I possibly could.

 

I recall the day TTA took over and gave their grand speech about their hopes for the club. I also recall that they openly stated that they were NOT in this for the long haul. Their aims being to get the club self sufficient, stabilised and promoted back to the Championship at the very least. Admittedly there plans have not come to fruition, but had they done so in the time they had hoped for, I very much doubt that ANY of the 3 would still be here. The fact 2 have now resigned is irrelevant, in my opinion.

 

We still have Simon Corney in the driving seat and I honestly believe that he would NOT have expected to still be here. That's not the actions of someone who couldn't give a stuff about the club. First & foremost, Simon Corney is a businessman. If he makes a profit from the eventual sale of Latics then good luck to him and his two cohorts. Secondly he, along with the other amigos, spent considerable sums of their own money. This has been reported in the press and in terms of actual figures, it is irrelevant to the man in the street - I mean if they have put £1m in each should we castigate them for not putting £1.5m or £2m etc into the club!!! Also, its not like anyone else is queuing up to put this money in. And without it we would probably be a distant memory now and playing football in the non-league under another name.

 

I would love Latics to stay at a fully redeveloped BP (even a ground where the pitch may be moved through 90 degrees) but this is clearly not possible. Therefore, moving to a brand new stadium appears to be the only way forward. Ideally it would be great if it could be built within the Borough of Oldham instead of moving to Failsworth. However, if the legacy left behind by Corney, Blitz and Gazal is a brand new ground and long term prosperity then this surely has to be the way forward for fans, players, management, staff and directors alike.

 

It won't be long before Premier Greed and Football League clubs start going bust with NO chance of recovery. I personally remain confident we won't be included in this sad indictment of football nowadays.

This echoes my sentiments entirely. What a superb post L4E.

The TTA and now SC are no Hicks and Gillet.

[lookers87]

We still have Simon Corney in the driving seat and I honestly believe that he would NOT have expected to still be here. That's not the actions of someone who couldn't give a stuff about the club. First & foremost, Simon Corney is a businessman. If he makes a profit from the eventual sale of Latics then good luck to him and his two cohorts. Secondly he, along with the other amigos, spent considerable sums of their own money. This has been reported in the press and in terms of actual figures, it is irrelevant to the man in the street - I mean if they have put £1m in each should we castigate them for not putting £1.5m or £2m etc into the club!!! Also, its not like anyone else is queuing up to put this money in. And without it we would probably be a distant memory now and playing football in the non-league under another name.

 

Just a pedant point... Corney has never been one of the money men. It is/was Blitz that has written the cheques.

[Steve_R]

So have Blitz and Gazal ‘severed all ties’ with the club or not? I know they still own the club, but that appears to be only because they can’t sell it, as Barry has mentioned ‘new investment will see a transfer of shareholding in the club’.

 

But the football club and the land it sits upon are two different things. If they can’t sell the club, are they still going to sell of BP, bit by bit or whatever, and pour the profits they make off it into building a new stadium for a club they no longer wish to be involved with?

 

[Snookmeister]

I must admit that I am only an occasional visitor to OWTB nowadays due to a variety of reasons, but I have read this post throughout and find some of the comments from fellow Latics' fans amusing to say the least!

 

Personally speaking, I was born & bred in Oldham and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. I moved to Farnworth nr Bolton and have been here for the last 16 years. However, I have continued to hold a season ticket at BP as well as attending as many of the league games as I possibly could.

 

I recall the day TTA took over and gave their grand speech about their hopes for the club. I also recall that they openly stated that they were NOT in this for the long haul. Their aims being to get the club self sufficient, stabilised and promoted back to the Championship at the very least. Admittedly there plans have not come to fruition, but had they done so in the time they had hoped for, I very much doubt that ANY of the 3 would still be here. The fact 2 have now resigned is irrelevant, in my opinion.

 

We still have Simon Corney in the driving seat and I honestly believe that he would NOT have expected to still be here. That's not the actions of someone who couldn't give a stuff about the club. First & foremost, Simon Corney is a businessman. If he makes a profit from the eventual sale of Latics then good luck to him and his two cohorts. Secondly he, along with the other amigos, spent considerable sums of their own money. This has been reported in the press and in terms of actual figures, it is irrelevant to the man in the street - I mean if they have put £1m in each should we castigate them for not putting £1.5m or £2m etc into the club!!! Also, its not like anyone else is queuing up to put this money in. And without it we would probably be a distant memory now and playing football in the non-league under another name.

 

I would love Latics to stay at a fully redeveloped BP (even a ground where the pitch may be moved through 90 degrees) but this is clearly not possible. Therefore, moving to a brand new stadium appears to be the only way forward. Ideally it would be great if it could be built within the Borough of Oldham instead of moving to Failsworth. However, if the legacy left behind by Corney, Blitz and Gazal is a brand new ground and long term prosperity then this surely has to be the way forward for fans, players, management, staff and directors alike.

 

It won't be long before Premier Greed and Football League clubs start going bust with NO chance of recovery. I personally remain confident we won't be included in this sad indictment of football nowadays.

 

That is precisely how it is in a nutshell and my sentiments exactly. Only some are too blind/stupid/stubborn to see it.

 

Well said L4E.

 

[oafcprozac]

I must admit that I am only an occasional visitor to OWTB nowadays due to a variety of reasons, but I have read this post throughout and find some of the comments from fellow Latics' fans amusing to say the least!

 

Personally speaking, I was born & bred in Oldham and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. I moved to Farnworth nr Bolton and have been here for the last 16 years. However, I have continued to hold a season ticket at BP as well as attending as many of the league games as I possibly could.

 

I recall the day TTA took over and gave their grand speech about their hopes for the club. I also recall that they openly stated that they were NOT in this for the long haul. Their aims being to get the club self sufficient, stabilised and promoted back to the Championship at the very least. Admittedly there plans have not come to fruition, but had they done so in the time they had hoped for, I very much doubt that ANY of the 3 would still be here. The fact 2 have now resigned is irrelevant, in my opinion. Why is this irrelevant? Simon Corney is an employee of Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal - money men. Apart from a few small business interests and a property portfolio Simon is not wealthy at all - he's acting as an administrator for the silent partners that are still partly financing the cub until the end of the season - Then the :censored: will hit the fan without further investment, with none of their promises delivered

 

We still have Simon Corney in the driving seat and I honestly believe that he would NOT have expected to still be here. That's not the actions of someone who couldn't give a stuff about the club. First & foremost, Simon Corney is a businessman. If he makes a profit from the eventual sale of Latics then good luck to him and his two cohorts. Secondly he, along with the other amigos, spent considerable sums of their own money. This has been reported in the press and in terms of actual figures, it is irrelevant to the man in the street - I mean if they have put £1m in each should we castigate them for not putting £1.5m or £2m etc into the club!!! Also, its not like anyone else is queuing up to put this money in. And without it we would probably be a distant memory now and playing football in the non-league under another name. Blitz has put the money in not Corney, the money put into the club has been in the way of loans, eventually they will be called in, I'm led to believe offers to invest have been made but rejected as unsuitable - I believe more information should be in the public domain as to why this investment was deemed as unsuitable

 

I would love Latics to stay at a fully redeveloped BP (even a ground where the pitch may be moved through 90 degrees) but this is clearly not possible. Therefore, moving to a brand new stadium appears to be the only way forward. Ideally it would be great if it could be built within the Borough of Oldham instead of moving to Failsworth. However, if the legacy left behind by Corney, Blitz and Gazal is a brand new ground and long term prosperity then this surely has to be the way forward for fans, players, management, staff and directors alike. Agree, but they've gone about it the wrong way, emotional blackmail resulting in the march, the Lookers was dropped with the knowledge that the redevelopment scheme had been mothballed - The owners have even admitted going ahead demolishing the stand was a money saving option

 

It won't be long before Premier Greed and Football League clubs start going bust with NO chance of recovery. I personally remain confident we won't be included in this sad indictment of football nowadays. This comment is so naive it is untrue, we are on the brink - let's see what happens come May because I think we're probably one of the most at risk as we've not been self-sustaining for decades

 

Where you one of those that buried your head in the sand when Chris Moore was taking us all for a ride from October 2002? Or did you ask questions and try to get answers? The time for praising TTA has been and gone, they've delivered very little, polarised the fanbase and overseen a 38% drop in our average attendances. Destroyed the identity of our home and left us with a like it or lump it option that serves as their get out of jail card. You put them on a pedestal if you want, I won't and I think there's a lot of Latics fans of a similar mind.

Edited October 6, 2010 by oafcprozac

[oafcprozac]

This echoes my sentiments entirely. What a superb post L4E.

The TTA and now SC are no Hicks and Gillet.

 

Hmmm wil you be saying that if Failsowrth fails or it transpires the finance is simply not there or perhaps the penny will drop when we jog out at our new 'home' - Spotland? Not enough questions are being asked or answered. Sounds like many are prepared to bury their heads in the sand or simply give up. Corney has been anonymous for months, it's time he became a little more visible and audible.

 

I'm not trying to scaremonger but surely other people want answers to these same questions? Perhaps Dickov's hoenymoon period has side-tracked a few?

Edited October 6, 2010 by oafcprozac

[daznathe]

Just saying that there have never been more than two teams challenging for the title when it comes to the crunch.

 

It has been since the start United and one of: Blackburn (for a season), Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool.

 

Surely the best league in the world would have everyone beating each other, not two teams virtually out of sight by Christmas.

 

Will this year be any different or will one and two be United and Chelsea again?

 

so a four horse race then? at a push five.

 

[24hoursfromtulsehill]

Hmmmmm. You're not betting with your Child Benefit are you?!

 

Nah. Spent that on fags and booze.

[daznathe]

right, barry you have ignored what i highlighted about the cheap option manager (who WAS the cheap option) and we need to raise £220k even though hardy already said that the sale of Eaves has paid for the season.

so basicly, i think youre lying and wouldnt touch playershare with a barge pole. its probably about as honest as 'scoreboard fund' because, remember, weve already purchased the scoreboard and its in storage *cough* bull:censored: *cough*

with this level of subterfuge, no way im renewing next season.

[singe]

Hmmm wil you be saying that if Failsowrth fails or it transpires the finance is simply not there or perhaps the penny will drop when we jog out at our new 'home' - Spotland? Not enough questions are being asked or answered. Sounds like many are prepared to bury their heads in the sand or simply give up. Corney has been anonymous for months, it's time he became a little more visible and audible.

 

I'm not trying to scaremonger but surely other people want answers to these same questions? Perhaps Dickov's hoenymoon period has side-tracked a few?

I do agree with your post prozac, and yes we need questions answered, I have already posted about a blog and more leadership.

I know we need to look at where we are going, but it is important to know and remind ourselves where we have come from, we were tenants, effectively homeless.

What I don't like this painting SC as the devil (not particularly by you prozac) and not interested he has shown commmitment, for the , when so many other factors come into play such as the recession and the knockbacks by the Council. That cost us very dearly, in my opinion, and required a change of position, and I am as uncomfortable as anyone in that.

Perhaps Latics and England and Leeslover when he is home can arrange to see SC to get an update they seemed to have established a rapport and SC would not presumably not been unhappy at their report.

What amazes me, is the of number people that have said they no longer go or not as much are the ones complaining the SC has lost interest, as many in his situation would have walked away, yet he is still here and they are not.

 

[pukka]

I do agree with your post prozac, and yes we need questions answered, I have already posted about a blog and more leadership.

I know we need to look at where we are going, but it is important to know and remind ourselves where we have come from, we were tenants, effectively homeless.

What I don't like this painting SC as the devil (not particularly by you prozac) and not interested he has shown commmitment, for the , when so many other factors come into play such as the recession and the knockbacks by the Council. That cost us very dearly, in my opinion, and required a change of position, and I am as uncomfortable as anyone in that.

Perhaps Latics and England and Leeslover when he is home can arrange to see SC to get an update they seemed to have established a rapport and SC would not presumably not been unhappy at their report.

What amazes me, is the of number people that have said they no longer go or not as much are the ones complaining the SC has lost interest, as many in his situation would have walked away, yet he is still here and they are not.

 

 

We still are? - Blitz owns the ground . not latics (or am I mistaken)

Edited October 6, 2010 by pukka

[oafcprozac]

I do agree with your post prozac, and yes we need questions answered, I have already posted about a blog and more leadership.

I know we need to look at where we are going, but it is important to know and remind ourselves where we have come from, we were tenants, effectively homeless.

What I don't like this painting SC as the devil (not particularly by you prozac) and not interested he has shown commmitment, for the , when so many other factors come into play such as the recession and the knockbacks by the Council. That cost us very dearly, in my opinion, and required a change of position, and I am as uncomfortable as anyone in that.

Perhaps Latics and England and Leeslover when he is home can arrange to see SC to get an update they seemed to have established a rapport and SC would not presumably not been unhappy at their report.

What amazes me, is the of number people that have said they no longer go or not as much are the ones complaining the SC has lost interest, as many in his situation would have walked away, yet he is still here and they are not.

 

We had as many guarantees being tenants as we do now. Come January 2014, the 10 year agreement to use Boundary Park for sport, lapses. Meaning that BP (owned by Brassbank and not Oldham Athletic (2004) Ltd) can be flattened. Of course it can be sold much sooner than that and planning permission sought before the deadline (like the council did when it purchased the ground in the late 90s - planning permission was passed at the same time as the sale (for domestic housing) and I believe outline PP doesn't expire- only FULL PP has a three year limit before having to be re-submited), providing the original deadline is adhered to. Hopefully this will all be immaterial and by Spring we will have the go ahead and planning permission for Failsworth. But this is a very real worse case scenario that day by day comes ever closer to a nightmare reality and one that has affected Brighton, Charlton, Wimbledon etc...

Edited October 6, 2010 by oafcprozac

[danoafc]

Nah. Spent that on fags and booze.

 

[oafc0000]

Very surprised no one wants to talk about the single biggest thing killing the club... Players wages...

 

Why is a club with less than 4,000 fans paying such high wages?

[BP1960]

The Failsworth project is subject to ongoing meetings. Most of you are aware that the Charities Commission are currently involved with the Council with the identification of land for re-instatement purposes. The timetable and speed of that is not within our remit. We derive no benefit from the delay and it creates further frustrations for the club. We continue to prepare at our end with planning consultations etc. The delays are not being caused by the club.

 

 

Barry

 

Can't something be done to hurry up the Charities Commission and Council, they must be made to realise thousands are fed up with their lack of information.

[Takemeanywhere]

right, barry you have ignored what i highlighted about the cheap option manager (who WAS the cheap option) and we need to raise £220k even though hardy already said that the sale of Eaves has paid for the season.

so basicly, i think youre lying and wouldnt touch playershare with a barge pole. its probably about as honest as 'scoreboard fund' because, remember, weve already purchased the scoreboard and its in storage *cough* bull:censored: *cough*

with this level of subterfuge, no way im renewing next season.

 

Martin Gray would've been the 'cheap' option because he was already at the club.

 

Please link to where anybody said that the sale of Tom Eaves paid for the season.

[Takemeanywhere]

Very surprised no one wants to talk about the single biggest thing killing the club... Players wages...

 

Why is a club with less than 4,000 fans paying such high wages?

 

Because we couldn't offload the players who were put onto the transfer list. If the 7 - 8 players on the lost went, the wages would be back within the budget set. Paul was allowed to bring players in based on players going out. He had to move to bring certain players in, for fear of losing out. Sadly, nobody wants our Penney players...

[oafc0000]

Because we couldn't offload the players who were put onto the transfer list. If the 7 - 8 players on the lost went, the wages would be back within the budget set. Paul was allowed to bring players in based on players going out. He had to move to bring certain players in, for fear of losing out. Sadly, nobody wants our Penney players...

 

How many players did we sign after knowing our backer was pulling the plug ?

 

We never learnt the lesson from the Moores days... income < expenditure = the :censored:

 

Everyone is walking around trying to get more blood from fewer stones. The fans have never been the problem. The problem has always been the club. Before and after the TTA...

 

Paying players far too much money for too little return.

 

You can't keep it up...

Edited October 6, 2010 by oafc0000

[Takemeanywhere]

Paying players far too much money for too little return.

 

Which players are being paid too much? Maybe you think they all earn too much but there is a minimum amount below which, you wouldn't get anyone to come here because others will pay them.

[garcon]

Which players are being paid too much? Maybe you think they all earn too much but there is a minimum amount below which, you wouldn't get anyone to come here because others will pay them.

And that's the problem. It's not that any player in the squad is being paid more than he's worth (how would we know?!), but that the market dictates a certain rate for a League One player. If we act unilaterally we'll definitely go down, which will see another drop in attendances, which drags our budget even further down.

[oafc0000]

Which players are being paid too much? Maybe you think they all earn too much but there is a minimum amount below which, you wouldn't get anyone to come here because others will pay them.

 

The oldest lie in football... If Latics gave me some boots and a kit I would play for them... For free... I reckon they could find some better players on a slightly more expensive footing...

 

It would only take one club to start making a stand for many more to fall in line...

 

Its simple... If you support the club paying out far more then it brings in then you don't deserve hard working peoples money...

Edited October 6, 2010 by oafc0000

[Oh Heck C-Beck]

Maybe we should get in free, but pay an amount on the way out - depending on the size of the crowd!

 

That's £26.40 mate!

 

 

 

haha cant believe u posted that i was thinking the same last night! Could be a great marketing ploy!

[slystallone]

But the plea for Dikaba made the Playershare scheme into a farce. The money wasnt raised but he is still here! Why? If we cant afford him? If he is playing for free why are we not notified? If he is as good as it was made out why is he not getting games?

For me; the PlayerShare idea has the potential to be a well thought out scheme for a club of our size. I’m a season ticket holder, but I’m also a home-owner, car owner, bill payer etc and with everything that is going on in this country right now; financially wise; the scheme was a bridge too far for me to contribute. All power to those who have decided they are able to contribute & I take my hat off to all of you – I would too if I could Is where I’m at with it. But for a Board Director to then call anyone else who isn’t in a financial position to do so ‘apathetic’ is really just naive & ill-advised (& isn’t the first ill-thought-out comment either) and frankly quite offensive.

 

The Dikaba thing was incredibly strange – in all the literature on the scheme; I was led to believe it was the schemes aim to provide the manager with a (potential) small ‘war-chest’ of cash to bring a player in during the January window; or even beyond (the next season). To then see a forceful plea to contribute ‘right away, your club needs you, we have a player & we’ll lose him otherwise; act now’ the day before the window shut for Dikaba; in a time frame that was never really going to happen was again; in my opinion, a mistake from those involved. The strange thing is; we were told without this; we couldn’t afford to keep him here at the club. Now either he has a twin or he was warming up at Hillsborough - he’s still here, and there’s been no transparency from the club as to how that is the case. If he’s here for free; tell us. If the scheme is contributing; tell us. If Corney has found some loose change down the back of the sofa; tell us.

 

As above; I’m a season ticket holder – so the club preach to converted in me. But I’m getting more than a tad exasperated with the numerous PR own-goals that the club officials seem to spout on a worryingly regular basis. There does appear to be a culture of gloom within the corridors of OAFC; and the more they call fans like me ‘apathetic’, the more they will turn away.

 

But we all feel like a late-night rant every now & again eh Barry?

Sometimes it’s just better to switch off the laptop & go to bed I’d say.

 

[Takemeanywhere]

The oldest lie in football... If Latics gave me some boots and a kit I would play for them... For free... I reckon they could find some better players on a slightly more expensive footing...

 

It would only take one club to start making a stand for many more to fall in line...

 

Its simple... If you support the club paying out far more than it brings in then you don't deserve hard working peoples money...

 

Who the hell would want to watch you play?