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Post by offpat on Apr 25, 2020 19:05:07 GMT
Maybe we can attract some silicon valley/scientific industry to Newlands ? great idea Tony, that's Brabs future sorted ?? Do silicon valley buildings need extra thick foundations?
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Post by thegoon on Apr 25, 2020 21:51:20 GMT
haaaaaa 🤣🤣
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Apr 25, 2020 22:42:16 GMT
Unfortunately, thanks to C&R's continual delaying tactics, the timing of Covid-19 may have cost us everything. The cancellation of the big investors' exhibition in Monte Carlo (or Monaco) was the thorn that punctured the ball - that was THE main event to pitch the plans to those with big wads of money to invest so when that became a victim of Covid-19 I think the writing was on the wall that very little (or absolutely nothing) was going to progress at NP in the foreseeable future.
Retail was clearly on its ar5e before Covid-19 and the fact that anyone who did still actually visit stores to shop may now have got used to staring out of their lounge windows for a white delivery van to bring their purchases probably means that any potential tenants for NP will have been significantly eroded ... so they would have to have balls of steel to commit to a costly new lease in an unproven sites. Without that queue of potential tenants, who would invest? Commercial developments in London don't usually start unless a minimum 40% of the intended space is sold or leased off plan. That's asking a lot of retail ATM.
Owning the land at NP is a massive plus for 2020 Developments (or whatever their correct name is) as it can be sold with attached planning permission for a nice sum to A.N.Other developer ... but that value would fall well short of funding PC. But I do wonder if there isn't a better use than retail/leisure at NP now that the economy probably won't support such sectors.
It is an absolute ball breaker after all of 2020's efforts to steer the club through non-league and oversee steady growth (in fan numbers) and controlled progress on the pitch ... only to see it run aground by something that is so far out of everyone's control that it will see multiple failures in every sport, not just football.
My biggest gripe is that the FA are supposed to look after the game as a whole but they are sleepwalking their own sport into oblivion by allowing the Premier League clubs and larger Championship clubs to dictate that the leagues MUST be finished ... somehow, anyhow! However you dress it up, the authorities (Premier League and EFL) are 5h1tt1ng themselves that Liverpool, Leeds and others will go legal on them for one thing or another.
From an FA perspective, whatever money it costs in lost TV revenue must be outweighed by the costs to the game as a whole (Premier League down to grass roots) with smaller clubs being such integral parts of their respective communities. For the long-term sake of the game the 2019-2020 season should be voided NOW if only so a definitive date to start next season can be given that allows clubs other than the very elite to make plans for finances, discuss contracts with players and work out staffing requirements to suit that particular date. It would also help enormously if the FA dropped the transfer window so that players can be bought or sold as finances allow going forward.
It's the sheer indecisiveness of the governing bodies that is causing smaller clubs to teeter as they haven't a bloody clue when/if players will actually be needed again.
If the Dutch FA can void their 2019-2020 season and their clubs can start planning accordingly, why can't the English FA? Oh yes, £££££££££££££££
Keep safe.
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Post by offpat on Apr 25, 2020 23:29:19 GMT
It's the sheer indecisiveness of the governing bodies that is causing smaller clubs to teeter as they haven't a bloody clue when/if players will actually be needed again. If the Dutch FA can void their 2019-2020 season and their clubs can start planning accordingly, why can't the English FA? Oh yes, £££££££££££££££ Keep safe. I agree with most of what you are saying Proud - just wondered if you heard Gary Sweet's press interview? in it he highlighted a lot of the problems that will hit all clubs if they void the season - to do with multiple contracts and player transfers I can't see how the Dutch don't have the exact same problems but, either way - it doesn't get us out of the hole... some clubs will probably go under, let's hope it's not enough to cause a serious breakdown of the league and broadcast contracts and if the least damaging scenario is we lose our development plans (for a while) then I'll take that over the end of the league as we know it.
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Post by Wimbo on Apr 26, 2020 10:43:36 GMT
Just reflecting on the Graeme Jones tenure at Luton and indeed as Jimmy Greaves would say to Saint, “it’s a funny old game”.
When GJ arrived he initially set himself a slight barrier by appointing Gary Brabin as his assistant. Whilst Brabin is rightly viewed as a really nice bloke, his previous time at Luton in the Conference did not set the pulse racing. When the football season started, we could see GJ’s approach and as he said himself at the time, if the opposition score 9, we will score 10. Personally, I have no criticism regarding players passing out from the back and often going at 90 degrees whilst we wait for an opening. The problem we had was that we had a new goalkeeper and two top-end L1 centre backs who are not Belgian internationals. On the credit side, GJ was trying to lift the overall style of football but the raw material, the players, were not IMO of sufficient quality to play that style of football.
In an incredibly competitive league, it was always going to be a major challenge to keep Luton in the Championship and we can look at the tail end of last season for evidence when we were beaten away to Charlton and Burton. With the “good L1 quality” players and the tight budget, GJ had a real challenge to build on what we had last season and add sufficient quality to make the survival task a realistic possibility. Players were recruited but not a replacement right-back or defensive midfield player.
Just my view but as the season progressed into mid-term, GJ seemed to fall short, accepting that it was a terribly tough challenge, and in particular that long run of away defeats; maybe just a few draws could have done the trick. Then as we reach the later stages of the season it seemed to me that GJ started to use his players to the best of a collective team ability where steel, determination and overall fitness really started to accumulate points. So, in my mind, we had in GJ a guy having his first season as a No1 and encouragingly he was learning and the side improving. See what I mean about a funny old game! If the season had gone to a conclusion and we were relegated then I suppose that most supporters, myself included, would have been comfortable with GJ leading us in L1.
As it is, we now have Mick acting as a bridge between the board and the players and probably sensibly, no plans to seek a replacement for GJ just yet.
I doubt we will ever know the full story behind the departure of GJ and three of his coaching staff yet I suspect that a good number of clubs will be trimming their management staff/playing staff as we move through these awfully difficult times.
I wish GJ and the departing coaching staff all the best for their future in a footballing world that will be remodelled by Covid.
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Post by Wimbo on Apr 26, 2020 11:42:06 GMT
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Post by thegoon on Apr 26, 2020 16:21:38 GMT
a good listen that podcast. Brave man to putting Ceri Hughes in a team of Luton greats, a really good player when his temperament was controlled, and a very useful left foot
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Apr 26, 2020 16:33:50 GMT
I agree with most of what you are saying Proud - just wondered if you heard Gary Sweet's press interview? in it he highlighted a lot of the problems that will hit all clubs if they void the season - to do with multiple contracts and player transfers I can't see how the Dutch don't have the exact same problems but, either way - it doesn't get us out of the hole... some clubs will probably go under, let's hope it's not enough to cause a serious breakdown of the league and broadcast contracts and if the least damaging scenario is we lose our development plans (for a while) then I'll take that over the end of the league as we know it. Offpat, I didn't even know of (let alone heard) any press interview as I thought the OS statement intimated that nothing else would be added for the time being about the departure of GJ and his merry men. That's assuming, of course, that the subject of said interview was GJ's farewell.
If there is an interview (that's not on ifollow as I don't subscribe), do you have a link, please?
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Post by Wimbo on Apr 27, 2020 8:15:12 GMT
A fairly balanced view of the departure of GJ by Benjamin Bloom a chap who does footy podcasts:
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Post by solihullhatter on Apr 27, 2020 8:33:07 GMT
I agree with most of what you are saying Proud - just wondered if you heard Gary Sweet's press interview? in it he highlighted a lot of the problems that will hit all clubs if they void the season - to do with multiple contracts and player transfers I can't see how the Dutch don't have the exact same problems but, either way - it doesn't get us out of the hole... some clubs will probably go under, let's hope it's not enough to cause a serious breakdown of the league and broadcast contracts and if the least damaging scenario is we lose our development plans (for a while) then I'll take that over the end of the league as we know it. Offpat, I didn't even know of (let alone heard) any press interview as I thought the OS statement intimated that nothing else would be added for the time being about the departure of GJ and his merry men. That's assuming, of course, that the subject of said interview was GJ's farewell.
If there is an interview (that's not on ifollow as I don't subscribe), do you have a link, please?
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Post by solihullhatter on Apr 27, 2020 8:45:41 GMT
Sorry meant to add to my note above to say Proud the interview was done a few weeks ago, so prior to the announcment last week
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Apr 27, 2020 10:40:29 GMT
Given that the senior management and coaching staff have departed and that this coming Saturday would have been our last match of the 2019-2020 season, what are the odds that Luton use that as the trigger send the loan players back to their parent clubs?
Loans are usually until specific dates in mid-season or until the 'end of season'. Given that the only 'usual' extension to the 'end of a season' loans is qualifying for the play-offs or and FA Cup Final, I hope (for the sake of the club finances) that our loans were until 2nd May and that they are then off the payroll.
Yes, we would badly miss them IF the season actually gets resurrected but can we really afford to pay the likely wages of Izzy, Bree, CCV, Bolton plus (and I nearly forgot him!) O'Kane whilst there is little or zero income? If the season is played out, as the EFL seem so determined to achieve, and it means relegation because we have less quality than those players on the pitch then so be it ... we're already in a relegation spot and surely cannot afford to pay (at a guess) £20K per week to those players whilst we drum our fingers wondering. A three weeks pre-season would cost £60K just for those players (somebody else's assets) so, although they would be a massive credit on the playing side, they're a massive debit on the club's resources.
The other factor that upsets me more than a tad is that Rae (in particular) and Berry will probably be lost for nowt because they are OOC and it is pretty obvious that the club is in no real position to start/continue discussions about extensions. Rae's injury was so unfortunate that it meant there was no evidence early in the season that he would get back to his previous level so it was fully understandable that the club didn't progress any extension talks until such evidence was tangible. Sadly, a valuable asset will possibly/probably leave for sweet FA and just at a time when the club needs assets. Nobody to blame just bad bloody timing.
As regards Luke Berry, if we do get relegated, he will be more of an asset in L1 than he has been in recent games in the Championship. Again, I can only see him playing against us whenever football gets back on its feet.
The only consolation is that there will be about 50 clubs in the same position and hundreds of players on the market looking for clubs willing to pay them to play professional (maybe semi-professional) sport. Okay, we may have been spoiled with 6 years of positivity and progress (both on and off the pitch) but I do fear that this unprecedented event may hurt our club more than many others purely because of the way in which it is run (wage caps, no excessive spending, etc) and the limits of the current investors. Those investors have been utterly brilliant since 2020 took control but, as I noted elsewhere, there comes a time when the fun stops or the cash runs out - and that doesn't even take into consideration WTF will happen to NP and PC given the economic climate.
Keep safe.
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Post by hatterinSW19 on Apr 27, 2020 11:15:47 GMT
Recorded prior to Friday so sheds no light specifically on the Graeme Jones events, but this from the excellent Kieran Maguire is a really interesting interview with Gary Sweet about the situation in general. It certainly distracted me this morning when I was supposed to be working..... GS comes on around 33 minutes, but the whole thing is worth a listen if you have the time. play.acast.com/s/priceoffootball/a5b91716-4379-40d5-9c54-963eccab642a
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Post by bms on Apr 27, 2020 11:39:16 GMT
Thanks SW19, will give it a listen later.
With regard to the Jones and other departures, think this shows sound business sense from 2020- any action that can significantly reduce outgoings in this likely to be v lengthy period of non- football seems wholly sensible to me. There will be significant numbers of players, coaches and managers all at reduced prices in the future. There are several key players who I would like to see stay with us but the survival of the club is far more important so whatever is needed for that will get my support. As to what division we may participate in as and when, it may be that League One is better suited to us as a platform for our football recovery.
Thanks to all those who have moved on for their contributions.
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Post by Wimbo on Apr 27, 2020 12:35:29 GMT
Thanks Dawn, an interesting interview from the excellent GS on the price of football. Really interesting throw comment at the end "great bunch of lads I just need them to accept a salary cut"; then the day after........
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