Takeover of the club at an advanced stage

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 29 Mar 2016, 15:25

Southampton Gull wrote:Who knows? What I do know is that we can't rely on Thea to pay the wage bill again and need some investment. As long as Osborne can resist the pressure from Harrop to make him manager ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Agreed. Whether we stay in the National League or not, in my view Kevin Nicholson has done enough to warrant a chance to continue as our manager next season.

eddyh · Post by **eddyh** » 29 Mar 2016, 16:57

To be honest I'm less worried about the manager than the thought of there not being a club in a couple of years. This looks like nothing more than a property deal and a defunct football club wouldn't need Plainmoor would it! That said, surely our board of die hard fans wouldn't sell to any old Tom Dick or Harry who might not have the long term good of the club at heart would they........?

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » 29 Mar 2016, 17:35

Glostergull wrote:I today have heard of who is taking over our club, I have mixed feelings. and it didn't have anything to do with losing 5-0. but the person who told me has had good connections with the club in the past and it worries me that the company involved may not have the best interests of the club. I have had dealings with them before in Bristol. Do we want to go down this road or are we now in such a position that we have to go down this road and pray it turns out alright. We are in trouble.. true. but will we be in worse trouble in the future. and I can't say that we won't be

So it seems that the Bristol connection has been confirmed by the latest revelations. Any chance you could give us a bit more info on these people Gloster?

Guildford Gull · Post by **Guildford Gull** » 29 Mar 2016, 17:38

When the takeover is completed the first job of the new owners will be to appoint a new manager irrespective of whether we are in the National League or Conference South. Nico is simply not up to the job.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 29 Mar 2016, 18:29

This has to be good for the club, we need new investment And as glad as we all were that the current board saved the club we now need to move on, we cant not survive in our present state, the sooner this takeover happens the better for the club and the fans , football can be a cruel career for players and mangers and kevin may stay or may go but whatever happens we should support the owners who ever they are.

eddyh · Post by **eddyh** » 29 Mar 2016, 18:37

Did you support Roberts? I hope you are correct but it makes total sense for the new owners to be questioned as much as the current and previous regimes. Football is riddled with history of asset stripping owners ruining clubs. I hope it doesn't happen here but just because this lot can't make ends meet despite the attendance pretty much meeting their own break even figure, it doesn't make it good news. It does of course mean the current board get their investment back though so that's alright isn't it.

Richinns · Post by **Richinns** » 29 Mar 2016, 18:51

I think it is unfair to label the incoming regime asset strippers. Of course I am wary but we have to be open to a change from the current board who went in as fire fighters for which we should be respectfully grateful.

Perhaps they will bring much needed stability to the club which we all very much crave. I am also encouraged Harrop is part of their consortium as (as much as I hate it) the blue print has been set by Exeter in that we need to develop young players and sell them on for profit. I trust Harrop in this regard.

I am sure the takeover party are reading the forums and I think at this opportunity I would like to point out that the club is in this position through taking chances on managerial upheaval. If the rumours of Harrop being installed as manager are true then you are going to start off on the wrong foot with most of us fans. Nicho has proved many doubters wrong and has bravely faced almost impossible circumstances to get us within a sniff of survival. Succeed or fail he has already earnt his right to start next season as the manager of our club.

I would welcome Harrop to the coaching staff (as I am sure Kev would himself) but please see the sense and not install him ahead of a man who has now earnt the respect of the fans.

arcadia · Post by **arcadia** » 29 Mar 2016, 19:06

Look on Breaker web site! http:www.thebreaker.co.uk an article about them.

Stadia company tried to take over Poole Town and introduce Speedway and greyhound racing.

Added in 3 minutes 19 seconds:

Richinns wrote:I think it is unfair to label the incoming regime asset strippers. Of course I am wary but we have to be open to a change from the current board who went in as fire fighters for which we should be respectfully grateful.

Perhaps they will bring much needed stability to the club which we all very much crave. I am also encouraged Harrop is part of their consortium as (as much as I hate it) the blue print has been set by Exeter in that we need to develop young players and sell them on for profit. I trust Harrop in this regard.

I am sure the takeover party are reading the forums and I think at this opportunity I would like to point out that the club is in this position through taking chances on managerial upheaval. If the rumours of Harrop being installed as manager are true then you are going to start off on the wrong foot with most of us fans. Nicho has proved many doubters wrong and has bravely faced almost impossible circumstances to get us within a sniff of survival. Succeed or fail he has already earnt his right to start next season as the manager of our club.

I would welcome Harrop to the coaching staff (as I am sure Kev would himself) but please see the sense and not install him ahead of a man who has now earnt the respect of the fans.

Harrop under Nicho will never work if he's got a stake in the club.

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 29 Mar 2016, 19:08

eddyh wrote:Did you support Roberts? I hope you are correct but it makes total sense for the new owners to be questioned as much as the current and previous regimes. Football is riddled with history of asset stripping owners ruining clubs. I hope it doesn't happen here but just because this lot can't make ends meet despite the attendance pretty much meeting their own break even figure, it doesn't make it good news. It does of course mean the current board get their investment back though so that's alright isn't it.

I know exactly where you're coming from (for once

) but the difference this time is there are no others capable of bringing in the investment required. I've checked them as thoroughly as one man can but the simple truth is we're now at a stage where it is absolutely vital that the dotted line has a signature. Harrop sees an opening you can't blame him for that, we just have to hope that enough people make the new owner very aware we need someone better than him running the first team. Time is running out, the choice ran out a long time ago.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 29 Mar 2016, 19:09

no eddy i Didnt support Roberts, the fact is nobody knows whats around the corner but fact is this club needs investment and i understand people have to be careful, but just because Geoff Harrop is involved what makes people think he will be manager, and whats to say he Wouldnt make a good manger anyway. also the the guy heading this takeover is a football fan so why should people think its another Chris Roberts in the making.
the fact is we need money for this club to survive SO MAYBE WE SHOULD GIVE THEM A CHANCE, if Phillips and breed and co believe that this group are the Preffered bidders then why should we doubt them.

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 29 Mar 2016, 19:12

Richinns wrote:I think it is unfair to label the incoming regime asset strippers. Of course I am wary but we have to be open to a change from the current board who went in as fire fighters for which we should be respectfully grateful.

Perhaps they will bring much needed stability to the club which we all very much crave. I am also encouraged Harrop is part of their consortium as (as much as I hate it) the blue print has been set by Exeter in that we need to develop young players and sell them on for profit. I trust Harrop in this regard.

I am sure the takeover party are reading the forums and I think at this opportunity I would like to point out that the club is in this position through taking chances on managerial upheaval. If the rumours of Harrop being installed as manager are true then you are going to start off on the wrong foot with most of us fans. Nicho has proved many doubters wrong and has bravely faced almost impossible circumstances to get us within a sniff of survival. Succeed or fail he has already earnt his right to start next season as the manager of our club.

I would welcome Harrop to the coaching staff (as I am sure Kev would himself) but please see the sense and not install him ahead of a man who has now earnt the respect of the fans.

Great posting, I echo every word.

ROADRUNNER wrote:no eddy i Didnt support Roberts, the fact is nobody knows whats around the corner but fact is this club needs investment and i understand people have to be careful, but just because Geoff Harrop is involved what makes people think he will be manager, and whats to say he Wouldnt make a good manger anyway. also the the guy heading this takeover is a football fan so why should people think its another Chris Roberts in the making.
the fact is we need money for this club to survive SO MAYBE WE SHOULD GIVE THEM A CHANCE, if Phillips and breed and co believe that this group are the Preffered bidders then why should we doubt them.

Harrop himself has let it be known that he intends to take over running the first team, we already know how that fantasy turned out for Dean Edwards. Other than that, I agree.

eddyh · Post by **eddyh** » 29 Mar 2016, 19:28

I'm all for giving people a chance and of course will do. What worries me is that when it's obvious someone needs to sell a club it attracts all sorts and unfortunately they are often not great for the club. Harrop as manager just seems plain daft to me and yet another stupid gamble. I was against Nico's appointment for the same reason but to be fair he's doing the best with what he has and probably deserves more time.
I think what bothers me the most is that on 'break even' crowds we have got to a position where we are so desperate to sell that not only are we having to keep our fingers crossed that The only interested party have got good motives but we need to do it so urgently because we basically can't pay the wages without it.

I know people have taken umbridge at times for my pretty forthright views on how the club has been run but we were told that crowds of 1800 would keep us competitive. That now appears to be garbage. All of the mistakes this board have made appears to have not only possibly cost us our place in this awful league but seemingly to the brink of bankruptcy. Not bad in nine months!!

MF68 · Post by **MF68** » 29 Mar 2016, 19:52

This is alarming to say the least. Eddyh is spot on that this represents another huge gamble, both with the background of the new owners and the fact that they MAY have a new Manager in mind.

If we go back to 2015 perhaps we should remember how much it cost to place staff on gardening leave.
I was also against Nico as manager and it did not look great 2 months ago (at least it looks slightly better now). However he has improved the team and deserves credit for this and certainly warrants a whole season starting in August 2016.

With Harrop in mind perhaps we now know why the Board kept very quiet.

As they say..................beware of greeks bearing gifts !!!!

SenorDingDong · Post by **SenorDingDong** » 29 Mar 2016, 21:26

Nicos contract expires at the end of this season, so he wouldn't need to be put on gardening leave. I imagine he probably has a clause that renews it for a set term if he keeps us up though.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 29 Mar 2016, 21:30

Guildford Gull wrote:When the takeover is completed the first job of the new owners will be to appoint a new manager irrespective of whether we are in the National League or Conference South. Nico is simply not up to the job.

This is sooooo unfair to Kevin Nicholson. He came as manager of a club on its knees and well on its way to National South. I wasn't thrilled by his appointment but on a shoe-string budget, he has brought in players who are showing fight and determination to keep us in the National League. As others have posted, he deserves to be here next season, whatever happens this season. He has shown loyalty by coming back to the club when in a desperate position, both in football and financial terms. The club should reward him with some loyalty with what he is achieving.

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