Pie in the sky, but what if??

[Paul30]

the fans of ITFC bought the club?????

All we need do is create 20,000 shares if you like, each one £1000...that could be 20,000 fans £1k each in theory, equaling £20,000,000 so more than enough

With this amount we could buy the club for the £6m sheepy was on about, pay off BFJ and find a hungry young manager, appoint a board of directors (fans) on a modest wage of course, the club could then be ran democratically with every share holder having his or her say (via a vote) in the clubs affairs.

The remainder of the funds (approx £13m) 40% could be invested in new playing staff, 5m should bring in enough quality to build a promotion winning squad with the right manager. The remainder of funds could be split between paying of some debts and the rest into a kitty for a rainy day....


Right wheres the cheque book??

If only it were so simple

[Bluebird]

Count me in, only another 19,998 cheques to find!

[Phil]

were are we gonna find 20,000 mugs with a grand to burn?

[Bluebird]

were are we gonna find 20,000 mugs with a grand to burn?

Actually Phil, that 19,998 mugs, we already have two

[the-mole]

sh*t if I could own a slice of the pie then count me in too!!!

It would be one way of giving us power and the fans would decide what could be best for the club with 20,000 people voting on what changes need to happen!!

I also think that at some point if ITFC became highly successful and generate enough money then attempts should be made to pay fans back!! This way the club is still run by the fans but that in the long term fans are paid back - or even if they were paid back over the next 10-20 years with minimum or no interest!!

Pie in the sky it is - but all we need now are 19,997 more people!!!
£3,000 in the kitty already woohoo!!!

[hallamblue]

...any ideas of how we could split the £30 odd million debt between everyone though ?

[SashaBlue]

...any ideas of how we could split the £30 odd million debt between everyone though ?

that's only £1500 each, not the end of the world

[Bluebird]

...any ideas of how we could split the £30 odd million debt between everyone though ?

Easy, thats a "restructured" £1,500 each

[SashaBlue]

...any ideas of how we could split the £30 odd million debt between everyone though ?

Easy, thats a "restructured" £1,500 each

oh i am so sorry i am not conservative enough for you

[Bluebird]

...any ideas of how we could split the £30 odd million debt between everyone though ?

Easy, thats a "restructured" £1,500 each

oh i am so sorry i am not conservative enough for you

sorry Sasha we must have posted together

[SashaBlue]

Easy, thats a "restructured" £1,500 each

oh i am so sorry i am not conservative enough for you

sorry Sasha we must have posted together

that'sok ,

i thought you were doing a "luke" on me and correcting my awful grammar!!!

(nothing personal Luke)

[Bluebird]

oh i am so sorry i am not conservative enough for you

sorry Sasha we must have posted together

that'sok ,

i thought you were doing a "luke" on me and correcting my awful grammar!!!

(nothing personal Luke)

No not me, i talk crap like Luke , but i can't spell myself

[SashaBlue]

also, nothing annoy's me more than people correcting and down-talking people because of their grammar on a forum,

[Dazza]

At first I was thinking what a fantastic idea, I'd happily pay £1000 to own a share of the club, so make that 19,997.

But now I'm writting this I've decided against it. With all the idiots on the radio making such stupid comments it makes me wonder how many of "those people" we have supporting Ipswich. And what if they were the majority and started doing crazy things with our club?

I think I'd rather have Sheepshanks in charge!

[Bluebird]

At first I was thinking what a fantastic idea, I'd happily pay £1000 to own a share of the club, so make that 19,997.

But now I'm writting this I've decided against it. With all the idiots on the radio making such stupid comments it makes me wonder how many of "those people" we have supporting Ipswich. And what if they were the majority and started doing crazy things with our club?

I think I'd rather have Sheepshanks in charge!

To be honest mate, I put more than that into the last share issue in support of Sheepy, and look where that has got us

[Dazza]

At first I was thinking what a fantastic idea, I'd happily pay £1000 to own a share of the club, so make that 19,997.

But now I'm writting this I've decided against it. With all the idiots on the radio making such stupid comments it makes me wonder how many of "those people" we have supporting Ipswich. And what if they were the majority and started doing crazy things with our club?

I think I'd rather have Sheepshanks in charge!

To be honest mate, I put more than that into the last share issue in support of Sheepy, and look where that has got us

I think he had done the best he can, he didnt cost us promotion last year, he did everything he could.

Certainly better than 20k insane fans could of done!

[Bluebird]

At first I was thinking what a fantastic idea, I'd happily pay £1000 to own a share of the club, so make that 19,997.

But now I'm writting this I've decided against it. With all the idiots on the radio making such stupid comments it makes me wonder how many of "those people" we have supporting Ipswich. And what if they were the majority and started doing crazy things with our club?

I think I'd rather have Sheepshanks in charge!

To be honest mate, I put more than that into the last share issue in support of Sheepy, and look where that has got us

I think he had done the best he can, he didnt cost us promotion last year, he did everything he could.

Certainly better than 20k insane fans could of done!

I must admit, how the hell could it be run? Like a communist state? 20k board members lol, we can't even agree on picking a team, its doesn't bear thinking about!

I agree with your thoughts about Sheepy, until IF and when a viable alternative is found.

[Dubai Blue]

Well its interesting isn't it, the maths. In fact we only really need £500 each to raise 10 million which is a more realistic sum.

Now is that so unrealistic ? 20,000 x £500.00 It makes you wonder how the share issue didn't raise more the first time. Even more strange when you realise that just 1,000 fans lending £5,000 each would raise 5 million and only 500 fans, each lending £10,000 would almost be enough to buy out the club. Can it be so hard to find 500 fans rich enough to do this ?

Better still. We could find 500 fans happy to contribute, say, £5,000 and then each could run a pyramid scheme to raise the rest through the internet ..........

The debt is all serviced BB so no need to pay it off. Just think of it as a mortgage.

[Bluebird]

Well its interesting isn't it, the maths. In fact we only really need £500 each to raise 10 million which is a more realistic sum.

Now is that so unrealistic ? 20,000 x £500.00 It makes you wonder how the share issue didn't raise more the first time. Even more strange when you realise that just 1,000 fans lending £5,000 each would raise 5 million and only 500 fans, each lending £10,000 would almost be enough to buy out the club. Can it be so hard to find 500 fans rich enough to do this ?

Better still. We could find 500 fans happy to contribute, say, £5,000 and then each could run a pyramid scheme to raise the rest through the internet ..........

The debt is all serviced BB so no need to pay it off. Just think of it as a mortgage.

I know mate, I was only playing The share issue was a major disappointment to the club, and to those of us who did put our hands in our pokets. First we need to recognise that for some folk £200 was too much to find. However, there are many supporters out there who chose not to invest because of Sheepy or other reasons.

The club will not go for a second share issue now, out of fear of a similar p*ss poor response

[the-mole]

Well its interesting isn't it, the maths. In fact we only really need £500 each to raise 10 million which is a more realistic sum.

Now is that so unrealistic ? 20,000 x £500.00 It makes you wonder how the share issue didn't raise more the first time. Even more strange when you realise that just 1,000 fans lending £5,000 each would raise 5 million and only 500 fans, each lending £10,000 would almost be enough to buy out the club. Can it be so hard to find 500 fans rich enough to do this ?

Better still. We could find 500 fans happy to contribute, say, £5,000 and then each could run a pyramid scheme to raise the rest through the internet ..........

The debt is all serviced BB so no need to pay it off. Just think of it as a mortgage.

I know mate, I was only playing The share issue was a major disappointment to the club, and to those of us who did put our hands in our pokets. First we need to recognise that for some folk £200 was too much to find. However, there are many supporters out there who chose not to invest because of Sheepy or other reasons.

The club will not go for a second share issue now, out of fear of a similar p*ss poor response

Gotta be honest - I personally didn't take up the share scheme because Sheepy is in charge - I have my reasons which go beyond the way the club is run!!!

I kind of agree with you dazza - but I would think that within those 20,000 fans we would have enough quality to create a young enthusiastic board with the neccassary business skills to take this club forward.

I personally feel there aren't enough ideas coming out of the club and providing we continue to see crowds of about 22,000+ the club should be okay - what happens if we don't see crowds of that scale?? Where is plan B??

At present most of the fans are sick and tired of watching p*ss poor displays with tactical ineptness that royle is putting out there!! 20,000 fans makes up a vast majority of the fans so whatever decisions would be made would be done so on the majority!!!

I thought the share sheme was a bit of a farce - why couldn't fans have been allowed to purchase shares around the £20 mark?? £200 is a large investment for some fans - so why couldn't it have been alot less to allow a larger group or people to have invested in their club?

[Bluebird]

I personally feel there aren't enough ideas coming out of the club and providing we continue to see crowds of about 22,000+ the club should be okay - what happens if we don't see crowds of that scale?? Where is plan B??

At present most of the fans are sick and tired of watching p*ss poor displays with tactical ineptness that royle is putting out there!! 20,000 fans makes up a vast majority of the fans so whatever decisions would be made would be done so on the majority!!!

Sad, but oh so true, I also fear that our profile as a Football club is sinking like a stone. We are now virtually ignored by the media, maybe because we are a skint club, with a poor team, on a road to nowhere

[Dazza]

The onyl reason I didnt buy a share, was because it was so close to xmas, I couldnt afford it! What sillyness!

[Paul30]

Not as many negative responces as I imagined

Making me wonder if such an idea would be possible? There would inevitably be a number of pot holes in the plan and would require a board of level headed, business minded fans to spearhead the idea........Any volunteers???

[Bluebird]

Not as many negative responces as I imagined

Making me wonder if such an idea would be possible? There would inevitably be a number of pot holes in the plan and would require a board of level headed, business minded fans to spearhead the idea........Any volunteers???

Id love to help, and although Im business minded, level headed is possibly a bridge too far for me

I would nominate Rossi and Dubai blue though

I would love the opportunity to sing "Rossi out" in future seasons

[the-mole]

Not as many negative responces as I imagined

Making me wonder if such an idea would be possible? There would inevitably be a number of pot holes in the plan and would require a board of level headed, business minded fans to spearhead the idea........Any volunteers???

Count me in - I may sound like a complete numpty at times - but the fact remains I have the knowledge and expertise to possibly help push this scheme!!!

I guess £20m could help clear some debt, meaning we could make a decent amount of profit each year. On top of that all shares could be repayed with this new scheme becoming a new official share of sorts? A new younger board with a wider variety of skills and enthusiasm could be elected from ALL members!! There must be enough people within our fan base with the relevant business skills and acumen!!

On top of this businesses could become a part of the club - this would give them the ultimate repayment for the problems they had faced in recent years!! Rather than just having a customer relationship in the club they could have a voice which mattered!!

The club lost its community family feel when we were promoted and I personally don't feel it has returned yet - it needs to get back to its roots so that the fans and players are both singing from the same hym sheet!

The problem we face is that there are so many fragmented groups. We have supporters groups, supporters trusts, different web forums, we need to unite the fans behind a scheme which will clear the financial burden surrounding this great club!!

We need to pull them all together in a way which will give this club hope for the future!! Sheepshanks is not the 45 year old fresh faced young ambitious chairman he was when he took over. I think it is time for a younger guy with new vision backed up by an elected board by the fans.

People should be given the choice to put more funds into the club should they wish - but each person only gets one say!! The way shares in businesses work is that the majority of shares wins - it should be run where each person has one say and that is it. It is a fairer method and one which will give a better inclination as to the intentions of the fans in place.

£1000 is not small change - however I have some spare savings and if this spare money could help clear the debt and give the fans control of this club I would be willing to sacrifice losing this money!! As I said before perhaps this money could be repayed over perhaps a 10-20 year period on an interest free basis. Pumping £1,000,000 into this club right now would make a massive difference imagine what £10m or even £20m+ could achieve!!

We want to see these young lads given the chance to become the best they can be - we don't want to see them flogged off at the earliest opportunity. Our best chance of long term success is to build a team around our academy graduates. For this to happen we need realistic financial security - not security in hoping to keep 23,000 people turning up on match days for the next 3-5 years!!

Yes our debt is manageable - but we are not moving forward as a club. The finances need to be given a major shot in the arm. This will help improve the positive feeling amoung supporters and in turn would help generate even more income for the club - due to increased gate receipts and merchandise sales as a direct response to feelgood factor!!

At the moment we are static - not going forward or backward - we are treading water and so far the board have failed to provide a plan B which could actually get us swimming once more!!

[Paul30]

I'm in complete agreement with your post Mole, if you look at the bigger picture the club at the moment is only on the way down and getting out of the championship seems a harder task as every season. Last season we all rightly aimed for promotion, this time around we seem content with, at best mid table, what for next season?? avoid relegation?? We dont have the squad or the money to expect much more with the current board and management

I would be the first to put my hand in my pocket if I could be sure it would turn around the fortunes of the club, and the above idea I believe would do just that!! I'd also be happy to offer my services (if needed) to the cause.

[Dubai Blue]

Count me in chaps. I have plenty of experience running a business and I think I have broadly realistic views on how a football club might run.

There is a hard core on here of people who (appear to be ) intelligent and who have some ideas that could be very popular. Even if we don't always agree on the small print.

However I think we would have to select a football manager and follow his lead on how the team should be built and this is the most difficult area.

I am sure we could run the club as an effective business and in fact I think its fair to say that messrs Bowden & Sheepshanks are doing that also - it doesn't look like rocket science. Our problem is that we don't agree with the approach of the management of the playing side.

Eventually we could end up in the same position as Sheepy & co. with a manager who doesn't seem to be cutting it but unable to do much about it. We don't need to buy out the club to change the manager just come up with 2 million in 25 year loan notes for Sheepy and present it to him on condition that he pays off JR with as little of it as he can.

[Dubai Blue]

You know there is a third way. If we accept that Sheepy & Bowden are capable and skilled and that perhaps just a few of their decisions we would like to have the opportunity to make differently then all we need to do is raise £2 million and set up a supporters trust with a 33% representation on the board.

[the-mole]

You know there is a third way. If we accept that Sheepy & Bowden are capable and skilled and that perhaps just a few of their decisions we would like to have the opportunity to make differently then all we need to do is raise £2 million and set up a supporters trust with a 33% representation on the board.

I think there is already a trust in place - but I am not too sure they have an ultimite aim of having a fan representative on the board!!

Plus would this £2m actually go into the club or what!!

I think the problem is that a £2m investment wouldn't see any money being used on player transfers or team strengthening!!!

[Bluebird]

I posted part of the below elsewhere but have repeated myself because i feel its has some relevence to this discussion

Sheepy & Co, have reorganised the debt, so as DB said earlier we need not concern ourselves with the £30million long term debt, merely the repayments. The biggest problem is that the current board cannot, or will not, provide sufficient working capital to mount a sustained promotion challange like we did over 3-4 seasons last time round.

I think Sheepy & Co, are effectively buggered now, because they will not attract money into the club while they remain at the helm, they are "damaged goods". Example, TB's .com resident multi-miilionaire Rossi, has made it crystal clear, that his hard earned money will remain in his (deep ) pockets, while Sheepy is in charge. This is why they will not risk a second share issue, because it would not in reality raise enough to make a material difference to the problem.

This effectively means that unless something exceptional happens on the pitch, I think this is Ipswich now, unless additional investment can be brought into the club. Looking forwards, it is likely to get worse, p*ss poor football, would lead to lower gates, less season tickets sales, and with falling revenue, we would have to cut costs, reducing player wage budgets etc,etc. Which would result in selling our youth players, and struggling to be able to pay the going rate for the Horlocks and Curries.

Therefore although I think the fans buyout thingy is a great idea, in reality you will not be able to unite everyone behind one banner. If it was Sheepy out, then some would join, but others would leave fearing the consequences of change.

I honestly cannot see a way out of this finacial pickle our beloved club is in, unless a russian billionaire, or similar "sugar daddy" investor can be found.

It is therefore far easier to identify the problems, than realistic solutions, and to be fair to Sheepy & Co, I am sure they are well aware of this.