OASF/PTB joint fans forum

[OAFC_ULTRA]

2 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Yes thanks for that little nugget of information. 

Hardly news is it, but you are welcome

[yarddog73]

1 hour ago, OAFC_ULTRA said:

Hardly news is it, but you are welcome

Out of interest what have you put in the pot then?

[Dave_Og]

10 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

This needs a complete rethink for me as I just refuse as things stand to put another penny in to any project regardless of those pushing its intentions, I've thought about it and i would pledge a couple of thousand as well  as a regular  monthly payment but I want someone to tell me how that is protected going forward.

 

If this is something you want to avoid Dave then that is fair enough but I've heard others raise similar concerns, realistically you are not going to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds of money which fans are just prepared to write off.

Im not really sure what you mean by 'protected'? 

[peanuts2]

31 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

Im not really sure what you mean by 'protected'? 

If the fund doesent go the way HE wants it he wants to take his money back 

[yarddog73]

1 hour ago, peanuts2 said:

If the fund doesent go the way HE wants it he wants to take his money back 

Yes that is exactly what I said, dear me 

[peanuts2]

40 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Yes that is exactly what I said, dear me 

some were having difficulty with the concept weather by accident or design seeking to clarify 

[tGWB]

 

I do hope that the OASF and PtB get to read threads like this 

 

Intentions of every post is good but a fair few have reservations 

 

Maybe I am a bit old fashioned but I really do think that when you are asking folk to raise a significant amount of 'their hard earned' that more detail would really benefit the cause

 

Being brutally honest, so far we have had a few very well intended lads bravely stand up in public and ask supporters to help save our club

 

This forum very likely reflects the thoughts and concerns of our wider fanbase and I would suggest the wider football family

 

It's a start but I cant help feel that by answering some of the concerns raised and providing more detail regarding the finance going forward, that we would capture more support

 

 

[Dave_Og]

Just now, tGWB said:

 

I do hope that the OASF and PtB get to read threads like this 

 

Intentions of every post is good but a fair few have reservations 

 

Maybe I am a bit old fashioned but I really do think that when you are asking folk to raise a significant amount of 'their hard earned' that more detail would really benefit the cause

 

Being brutally honest, so far we have had a few very well intended lads bravely stand up in public and ask supporters to help save our club

 

This forum very likely reflects the thoughts and concerns of our wider fanbase and I would suggest the wider football family

 

It's a start but I cant help feel that by answering some of the concerns raised and providing more detail regarding the finance going forward, that we would capture more support

 

 

I'm not part of the OASF board or PTB but as I'm on the fund committee I can assure you sure you that any feedback will be properly considered. 

[nzlatic]

If we take the £6 million aim as the final target, my take is that if this is to be achieved then it will take a multi faceted campaign. The way I’m looking at the 1895 fund is that it is a charitable donation. What am I willing to hand over without expecting a return on my investment? What am I willing to write off?

 

I don’t see why in future other schemes can’t be run alongside this fund? Such as foundation membership with benefits for those donating 4 or 5 figures. Or maybe even pledge schemes. 
 

What should happen now though in my opinion is everyone giving as much as they can to the 1895 fund and encouraging others to do the same, and if you want to give more but have concerns then suggest other schemes that could be brought in for that purpose. Some (not all) that have raised concerns on here have done so in a way that could discourage others to donate anything right now. That is not helpful. 

[LightDN123]

I think the lads at PTB and OASF are doing a great job, I really do.

 

But I struggle with the £6m figure and the strategy overall. They have managed to get two substantial investors on the sidelines which is a great start. They should spend the time increasing this number and forming a consortium. 
 

In the meantime raise funds to buy the stadium from Blitz, funded mainly by the above mentioned consortium. Whilst agreeing with Blitz to put us into admin so the consortium can purchase the club from the administrators leaving behind any previous liabilities. 
 

We end up with the club and stadium owned by the same consortium and we can start to progress.

 

AL does not want to sell and that’s clear by him not engaging with potential purchasers. The only way to cut him out is the above. 
 

I strongly believe the best and potentially only way out is putting the club into admin and I want to see this pushed more by the fan groups. 

[deyres42]

Nobody should be pushing for administration.

[Dave_Og]

1 minute ago, LightDN123 said:

I think the lads at PTB and OASF are doing a great job, I really do.

 

But I struggle with the £6m figure and the strategy overall. They have managed to get two substantial investors on the sidelines which is a great start. They should spend the time increasing this number and forming a consortium. 
 

In the meantime raise funds to buy the stadium from Blitz, funded mainly by the above mentioned consortium. Whilst agreeing with Blitz to put us into admin so the consortium can purchase the club from the administrators leaving behind any previous liabilities. 
 

We end up with the club and stadium owned by the same consortium and we can start to progress.

 

AL does not want to sell and that’s clear by him not engaging with potential purchasers. The only way to cut him out is the above. 
 

I strongly believe the best and potentially only way out is putting the club into admin and I want to see this pushed more by the fan groups. 

But I can't see any potential consortium involving the fans as genuine partners with just loose change in the pot. Chicken and egg. 

[LightDN123]

19 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Nobody should be pushing for administration.

Why ? 

[LightDN123]

18 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

But I can't see any potential consortium involving the fans as genuine partners with just loose change in the pot. Chicken and egg. 

Agreed the fans investment won’t be maintained in monetary value. But as an investor having a fan groups onside which represent the majority of the fan base can be an attractive proposition. 

[deyres42]

8 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Why ? 

Cos it's a ridiculous suggestion.

[Lee Sinnott]

23 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Cos it's a ridiculous suggestion.

It has to be a better option than another minute under the Lemsagam brothers...

[oafc1955]

6 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

30 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

 

It has to be a better option than another minute under the Lemsagam brothers

Absolutely…bring it on!!

[LightDN123]

36 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Cos it's a ridiculous suggestion.

Respect your opinion. Can you say why it’s ridiculous ? How else do you propose to get the club from AL ? 
 

The consequence is a 10 point deduction. But we would have our club back, owned by a consortium formed by our supporters foundation. 

[basilrobbie]

Leyton Orient fans (briefly) considered engineering administration for their club as the least worst option available open to them. Fortunately a prospective buyer turned up just in time.

 

It is an option, but two things :

 

a) are the fans in a position to make it happen ? 

 

and if they are

 

b) what makes it a good or sensible option ?

 

• It comes with a built in points deduction (10 points, isn't it?), for one thing
• what might the impact of that be? Are you sure, for example, that you are going to be ten points better than the bottom four next season? That's a big assumption to make. Get it wrong and in twelve months time you might be preparing for games with Southport and Farsley Celtic. Is that a price you think worth paying?
• When would be a good time to do it? Try to force it now and you can kiss goodbye to any hope of a planned recruitment campaign this summer. Do it in the autumn  and you undermine whatever squad rebuild you HAVE managed in the interim
• once a club is in administration, fans lose much of the leverage they might have had, because the administrator is legally bound to act in the interests of creditors - not supporters

 

It's a big step to try to take, whoever takes it. As fans, I feel the best option is the simplest one - make the current owners feel that owning the club is simply not worth the financial pain and general aggravation that goes with it. And they are factors over which you DO have a fair amount of control.

 

 

 

 

 

[deyres42]

9 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Respect your opinion. Can you say why it’s ridiculous ? How else do you propose to get the club from AL ? 
 

The consequence is a 10 point deduction. But we would have our club back, owned by a consortium formed by our supporters foundation. 

There's no guarantee anybody does buy it. Even if they do people will have lost their jobs, the points deduction would mean a strong likelihood of another relegation, the issues around ground ownership are likely to still exist.

[Lee Sinnott]

5 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

There's no guarantee anybody does buy it. Even if they do people will have lost their jobs, the points deduction would mean a strong likelihood of another relegation, the issues around ground ownership are likely to still exist.

All outweighed by the fact that the Lemsagam brothers won't be here anymore...

[LightDN123]

1 hour ago, basilrobbie said:

Leyton Orient fans (briefly) considered engineering administration for their club as the least worst option available open to them. Fortunately a prospective buyer turned up just in time.

 

It is an option, but two things :

 

a) are the fans in a position to make it happen ? 

 

and if they are

 

b) what makes it a good or sensible option ?

 

• It comes with a built in points deduction (10 points, isn't it?), for one thing
• what might the impact of that be? Are you sure, for example, that you are going to be ten points better than the bottom four next season? That's a big assumption to make. Get it wrong and in twelve months time you might be preparing for games with Southport and Farsley Celtic. Is that a price you think worth paying?
• When would be a good time to do it? Try to force it now and you can kiss goodbye to any hope of a planned recruitment campaign this summer. Do it in the autumn  and you undermine whatever squad rebuild you HAVE managed in the interim
• once a club is in administration, fans lose much of the leverage they might have had, because the administrator is legally bound to act in the interests of creditors - not supporters

 

It's a big step to try to take, whoever takes it. As fans, I feel the best option is the simplest one - make the current owners feel that owning the club is simply not worth the financial pain and general aggravation that goes with it. And they are factors over which you DO have a fair amount of control.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, thanks for your comments as always, I’ll try answer some of the points you raise. 
 

a) yes, via Blitz submitting a winding up petition. -OASF are in dialogue with Blitz and said themselves he’s losing patience. Nothing he hasn’t done before. 
 

b) as follows

 

- Yeah a 10 point deduction that’s correct. 

- Very aware it could lead to us going down again. But with AL at the helm we have been relegated 2 times in 4 seasons. The fans are clearly not happy and are currently not watching the club we all love. I’d swallow going down again if I could watch my club, owned by a consortium formed by the supporters group. 

- There isn’t a good time to do it. 
 

- What leverage do we have as fans ? AL has demonstrated he’s not engaged with potential buyers. If he doesn’t want to sell, he won’t do, simple as that. Correct the administrators would be legally bound to act on behalf of the creditors. As such the only outcome which will achieve a better result for the creditors is a sale of the business as a going concern. Hence the consortium will have already been put in place ready to purchase the club out of admin. A far more attractive proposition than the acquisition of the club currently with the liabilities held. 
 

Appreciate we can do that. But that is a long long battle, and ultimately if AL doesn’t want to go and in the meantime fund the club at the minimum he has to then that’s well in his right, unfortunately. 

 

[LightDN123]

1 hour ago, deyres42 said:

There's no guarantee anybody does buy it. Even if they do people will have lost their jobs, the points deduction would mean a strong likelihood of another relegation, the issues around ground ownership are likely to still exist.

Not correct. In this situation OASF would have a consortium ready to purchase the club in Admin.

 

Again no employee will have to lose their jobs if done correctly and OASF are prepared prior and the consortium. 
 

Yeah, accept that’s a risk we go down again. 
 

Blitz wants to sell, he’s met with OASF last week. The consortium would already be prepared and willing to negotiate on the £6m which seemingly is the asking price. 
 

 

[LightDN123]

Question for the fan base, would you rather spend 2-3 years (being kind) raising funds to buy the stadium and AL still owns the club. 
 

or would you rather risk a relegation and get measures in place to have the club and stadium owned by a consortium within the next 12 months ? I know which I want as a fan! 

[deyres42]

7 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Not correct. In this situation OASF would have a consortium ready to purchase the club in Admin.

 

Again no employee will have to lose their jobs if done correctly and OASF are prepared prior and the consortium. 
 

Yeah, accept that’s a risk we go down again. 
 

Blitz wants to sell, he’s met with OASF last week. The consortium would already be prepared and willing to negotiate on the £6m which seemingly is the asking price. 
 

 

Who's in this consortium?