I am sure he did feel confident we would be challenging for promotion. Challenging for promotion doesn't mean gaining promotion by a very very long (dover cliffs style) chalk.
Whilst I don't know the lad, I suspect Howson has not been interested in signing a contract until/unless it was a Premier League contract. 18 months ago everyone would have been happy for him to wait until the end of last season, if we got promoted - job done and new contract. As we didn't I don't think he had any intention of signing a contract until this summer (or when promotion was guaranteed). The club however were not prepared to take the hit this time as they did with Beckford. As I said, I don't think Howson fucking off has anything to do with the contract offered to him - he always intended to be playing in the premier league at the end of his last contract. And also Paul, despite what Bates told you/us, we all know that premier league wages are not sustained by ticket prices. To suggest so is stupid, to believe so is even more stupid. Has Bates EVER said that our ticket prices are so high in order to pay premier league wages? He does have a point in that if we want to compete for promotion (in the absence of a sugar daddy) we need to pay higher ticket prices, however I agree with everyone else that the higher ticket prices, and effectively match day revenue, are not being translated into transfers/wages. In comparison with other non ex-PL or with sugar daddies, championship clubs. Having said that, what other championship club has to pay the level of rent we do for the ground and training ground? Take that cost out of matchday revenue and I think we are probably spending above average on wages. Unfortunately for us that wage bill is spread amongst too many players. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Cundell Sent: 20 January 2012 17:33 To: 'Leeds List' Subject: Re: [LU] Midfielder upgrade part 2 And he's probably right, what you're missing is that 18 months ago when we made him captain he didn't feel confident that we would be challenging for promotion this year. > Paul, if he was playing for Leicester, who most definitely are > overstretching themselves in an attempt to buy premier league > football, he would still not sign a new contract and want to sign for > a premier league team (who don't look like coming down this season). Mark, Howson would not have had the benefit of hindsight when negotiations began last xmas and if the club had proved it was ambitious and were willing to offer premier league wages to match the premier league ticket prices he would have signed long before now. _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate
