Re: [LU] Club finances

[MarkBursa]

>>Not unless Bates is willing to give up some share of ownership. Without that, we will still depend upon income generated (i.e. the fans will pay) or what cuddly Ken wants to spend out of the trusts money. Of course less money being drained away to pay for the past SHOULD mean more money will be available for current players wages but on the other hand if the club is not generating sufficient income and Ken doesn't HAVE to pay out more, then there is no reason to be confident that he WILL pay out more. <<   Look at the past track record: Ken brought in a partner at Chelsea (Matthew Harding) and used his money to rebuild the ground and make the club attractive to a major investor. It was a four-step process:   buy a club on its uppers for a pittance; spend a bit of your own money to stop the rot; bring in an investor to make the club attractive; sell out to billionaire investor and trouser a good return on your initial investment.   So far, Ken's on step 2. A "Harding" won't invest until the books are clean (ie end of this season). And the "Harding" would get a better bargain if we're not in the premiership, so Ken might wait until we are before he brings in a partner (as he'd get more money that way).   Of course, he could bypass step 3 altogether - but reaching step 4 - our only chance of ever again competing for trophies - depends entirely on being an established premiership club.   I'd be certain that the plan is all properly drawn out, with a timetable, and contingencies etc. But it requires a degree of patience sadly lacking in the majority of our fans, it seems.   Mark