We all know what the problem is, temporary injury crisis appart, we don't have the money to compete at the top end of this league. We all know what the answer is, get more money into the club. How we achieve that seems to divide us.
A lot of people are adopting a strategy of endless patience, leaning heavily on the power of prayer, and hoping that a rich backer will appear and pump money into the club. It may happen, but, if it doesn't, we need to get more supporters in or get more money from the supporters we already have.I've suggested in previous posts that we should try working with the current owners to set up a supporters Trust to own a 50%+1 share stake in the club. Membership of the Trust could be available to all supporters for a modest annual subscription. Membership would presumably need to give some benefit to subscribers. This would obviously include representation on the board, but might, for instance include viewing board meetings (via Zoom?), voting on how the trust casts its vote on agreeing financial transactions that might affect the future of the club and maybe some non-contentious issues like kit design etc.The main aim of this Trust would be to prevent ownership of the whole club by a single person who might not have its best interests at heart, but it might also bring in some funds. A lot of those who might be interested in joining are likely to be already donating to the club, via groups like VIQI. Therefore, it might increase overall funding but it wouldn't replace a Sugar Daddy.The remaining 50%-1 shares are where substantial funds could potentially be generated. These are the shares that might be sold to a Sugar Daddy, should one ever appear, in part to recoup the money the owners spent to save the club, but also to bring money in. In the absence of single rich baker there is an alternative.I'm not an expert in Widnes RLFC, but, if I remember correctly, during the golden years, we weren't owned by a single Sugar Daddy, but often by a number of wealthy backers working together.We could attempt to recreate that by creating a second supporters group, the Supporters Executive or something equally toe-curling. This would also be open to supporters for an annual subscription, however, to be at a level that would pump meaningful amounts of cash into the club, say £5,000 or £10,000 (or more?). In return membership must also provide some real value for their investment to members. I’d have thought the numbers wishing to join wouldn’t be large, so my suggestion would be that either the largest of the executive boxes 24 seats (or smaller if we got less applicants) are given over for their use on match days (free buffet, waiter service etc).Additionally they could have their names in the program, and pretty much anything else they want, but they would want seats on the board themselves or at least board representation. The number of shares this group might contriol would be up to the current owners of course, but they would need, at least, to be part of the real decision making, like sacking a coach, player recruitment etc.It is up to the current owners how they go forward, but we need money if we’re ever going to be a force in this league and this might be a way of supplying it. We may find we don’t have enough well off folk in Widnes (or our ex pats) to do this but it must surely be worth a try?
That.. or we could just hire a coach that knows his stuff and recruits players that will play for him.
It may catch on delta, you know like York, Batley, Barrow, Sheffield or Fax do
It may catch on delta, you know like York, Batley, Barrow, Sheffield or Fax do
I know.. it's the future cuerdley!
Great idea but I feel if we had a decent coach the results would be better. These players recruited by Finnigan so the buck is with him. Batley don't have a better budget than Widnes, so how come miles better than us? Coaching or poor recruitment, but personally I don't think they are as bad as these results.
Who do you imagine in the entire world, outside of an asylum would buy 49% of shares in Widnes ? Effectively they would have no control over what the club chose to do as they would be a minority shareholder and could always be outvoted.
They might as well just sit by the Mersey setting fire to their money all day.
Who do you imagine in the entire world, outside of an asylum would buy 49% of shares in Widnes ? Effectively they would have no control over what the club chose to do as they would be a minority shareholder and could always be outvoted.
They might as well just sit by the Mersey setting fire to their money all day.
This from the web;
"Under the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the voting rights attached to any particular shares depend on the articles of the company and any terms of issue imposed when the shares were created. The vast majority of shares are ordinary shares which carry a right to one vote per share. There may, however, be different classes of shares which may have no voting rights or restricted rights (e.g. can only vote in certain circumstances) or may have additional voting rights (e.g. 10 votes per share) or enhanced voting rights in particular circumstances."
So, you can restrict what the 50%+1 shares can vote on to anything you like, leaving the control of the rest of it to your Sugar Daddy.
@johno Sorry, yeah, that’s a possibility but not one that is very likely to happen. If what you envisage came to pass what would be the point of buying into the 51% ?
Either way it is academic.
The factions wanting to buy into the club to get rid of O’Connor, Rule et al we’re like the scene in the Life of Brian where the People’s Front of Judea hated the Judean People’s Front and vice versa. You can’t get three people on this forum to agree on anything, let alone a three year business plan for a business. And, as I say there isn’t a sensible business person in the world who would waste money on us at the moment.
What exactly would people be buying? The club don't own anything.
@mick-george The players would be about the only marketable assets and most of the assets could walk at the end of the season.
@pascal, did Finnigan actually bring the players in? Not a Finnigan fan but I don't believe its all down to him. Phil Finney loves a good man 🙂
Agree mate 🥖🥖👍
What makes folk think that the present owners would want to sell half of their stock?
I would find it remarkable that fans would buy shares & put into VIQI too. Not saying they will or won't, but times are hard, and as it is to be pumping your hard earned into a rudderless ship, heading to the iceberg.
Up The Chemics
Paulie xx
@johno Sorry, yeah, that’s a possibility but not one that is very likely to happen. If what you envisage came to pass what would be the point of buying into the 51% ?
Either way it is academic.
The factions wanting to buy into the club to get rid of O’Connor, Rule et al we’re like the scene in the Life of Brian where the People’s Front of Judea hated the Judean People’s Front and vice versa. You can’t get three people on this forum to agree on anything, let alone a three year business plan for a business. And, as I say there isn’t a sensible business person in the world who would waste money on us at the moment.
RULE was a crook and in reality O connor knew very little about the sport and paid his brother (who was useless) about 100 grand a year