Mark, You are always sticking up for our multimillionaire owner on the grounds that we, the biggest club in the Football League, cannot possibly compete with clubs with "sugardaddy owners" (whatever they are) and with clubs that have parachute payments. But we have had the biggest gate receipts of any Football League club for several years running. We have had the monies from televised cup ties against Liverpool, Man U (twice), Arsenal (twice plus one replay) and Spurs (plus a replay). We have had several millions of pounds (probably more than several) from Chelsea, Spurs, Everton and Atletico Madrid nicking our kids. We have also had the many millions of pounds from the sales of Delph, Schmeichel, Gradel and Howson. Barring the gate receipts, all the other streams of income I just mentioned should have been "bonus" monies above and beyond what Bates, Harvey et al budgeted for (by his own admission, Bates budgets to go out of the cups in the earliest rounds). I see no evidence that those monies have been re-invested in the playing staff. The most glaring example of this is Bates' two-facedness over the sale of Howson, telling the supporters that the money would go straight into Simon's transfer kitty (just as he said the Gradel money would), but then telling Simon to do one when he asked for some of that money for a new midfielder to replace the club captain that Bates had just sold.
The example of Norwich proves that we should have been able to get out of this division by now. Bates either hired the wrong manager (no reason why we couldn't have hired Lambert before Norwich did) or failed to back his preferred manager. Just out of interest, are you convinced that Bates and his "backers" have no financial interest in the current ownership of the ground and Thorpe Arch (i.e. that when the club writes a check every year to cover the rent of those properties, that none of that money doesn't go - perhaps circuitously - back to Bates and his "backers")? Sean -----Original Message----- From: markbursa <[email protected]> To: Ian Murray <[email protected]> Cc: leedslist-bounces <[email protected]>; LEEDSLIST <[email protected]>; Paul Cundell <[email protected]> Sent: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 6:52 pm Subject: Re: [LU] Ken admits reason for Larry's axing """We had the right manager and the basis of the right group of players (last year). We sold them/let them walk and sacked the manager. Bates out.""" Beckford, Johnson, Gradel and Howson all left because they were offered a chance to play in a higher league, on higher wages. How do you suggest we held on to them, short of using Ridsdale's business model? We've been down this road before, haven't we. Without parachute payments or a sugardaddy we can't compete on player wages. Nor should we. Bates out, but only if a significantly more wealthy replacement is prepared to take over. Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange _______________________________________________ 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 _______________________________________________ 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
