Is the CIC dead?

[HSS]

All this CIC shite is hardly helping.Put your own money in Richard or f**k off.

[shull]

Aye, bye bye Dick.

[scottd]

All this CIC shite is hardly helping.Put your own money in Richard or f**k off.

Best post on this thread by a country mile.

[St. Sid]

i think its more to do with the way you constantly slag off and act derogatory towards st.mirren fans on here that we like to remind you that you arent really a true bud. otherwise you wouldnt act like a total bellend all the time. its not your fault, its your east end of glasgow heritage.

All this St Mirren-minded nonsense from the "one of us" supporters is very OF-esque.

Are you the grand poopanda in the Black and White Order / brigade.

[The Feegie Saint]

.....and which one of us will be at the game tonight.

Gosh Sid ! I know your Relatives - The Green Brigade ? Now fcking cut your shit M8 You will be glued to the telly tommorow night, Hoping that your Real Team, Can beat that Shite Team, That we couldnae beat on Saturday ?

True fegs - Dont Jump Ship ? One Town - One Team ? Hypocrites are Hypcrites ?

You are @ Fanny just like our Fanny - Smfc Spin Doctor in chief

Edited October 26, 2011 by The Feegie Saint

[St. Sid]

Gosh Sid ! I know your Relatives - The Green Brigade ? Now fcking cut your shit M8 You will be glued to the telly tommorow night, Hoping that your Real Team, Can beat that Shite Team, That we couldnae beat on Saturday ?

True fegs - Dont Jump Ship ? One Town - One Team ? Hypocrites are Hypcrites ?

You are @ Fanny just like our Fanny - Smfc Spin Doctor in chief

I'm no a feg stoopit.

My Saints supporting cousin is in the EDL though.

Its a funny old world.

[The Feegie Saint]

I'm no a feg stoopit. Gathered that Ya Lapsed Septic Fckwhit ?

My Saints supporting cousin is in the EDL though. No the wan,s fae Feegie , Corby, Blackburn, Bolton ?

Its a funny old world. Aye ! It widnae Be the same without yi Sidley ?

[Tracy Barlow Loyal]

I'm no a feg stoopit.

My Saints supporting cousin is in the EDL though.

Its a funny old world.

Does he live in London?

[St. Sid]

Does he live in London?

Nope, he defends Engerland fae Johnstone.

[Isle Of Bute Saint]

Come on 10,000 hours an up-date is well over due.

What about our own Div have you heard anything mate ?

[div]

Haven't heard anything big chap !

[Guest somner9]

Press conference 4pm

[spirit of 77]

I'd hazard a guess that the next time we hear anything formal will be at the AGM. Whether we get any real answers remains to be seen.... will the usual "confidentiality clause" card will be played by all concerned?

At last years meeting I asked REA when exactly were things due to start.....he said January....I did reply at the time "which year?"....this was during my extremely cynical phase....

From what I have heard on the grapevine a significant part of the funding has not been secured and this is obviously a major hurdle to overcome. REA has put a great deal of effort into promoting this concept and after initial personal doubts I had about the idea and the people behind it I did feel that this was the best way forward for St Mirren FC.

At the last public meeting when GLS turned up to demonstrate his support for the CiC I felt that we must be on the right track, but at the end of the day if the CiC cannot secure the funding through the methods they tried, then what are the alternatives?

It's a real shame things have stalled over recent months...however the communication has been poor from day 1. There must be loads of people who pledged support wondering WTF is actually happening. Surely an email on a monthly basis to those who left such contact details would have been easy to do.

Could the reasons behind the lack of funding be due to political reasons locally or nationally?

What ever happened to Yul of the Magnificent 7? Does he/she have any info to share on this prior to the AGM?

On a personal front I'd still support a CiC led model rather than a small group of individuals who could take St Mirren down the route of the vast majority of football clubs in the UK that are in debt.

edited to add:

Yes I know that the CiC model would have "debt", but at least we would understand the impact and payback required to get back into the black (and white)......

There's no doubt that the CiC could work. But the funders are having the same issue as a number of people. The asking price for a mere 52% shareholding is far too high.

I have heard it suggested, but admittedly not supported with fact,that the consortium could recoup their entire investment (remember much of it was inherited) for an asking price of around £1.2 million and that would still provide a reward for the effort they put in. I dont begrudge them that as long as their demands are realistic and they dont stifle the future prospects

I'm afraid the options are the lowering of the asking price, which could attract counter bids, or the status quo.

It seems the club could well prosper under the current arrangements if we continue with the current good financial management (if indeed the board are sticking to that) and the further development of youth prospects.

Edited November 10, 2011 by spirit of 77

[Gordon Urquhart]

To be honest I find the whole thing a bit disrespectful now. The lack of information or updates to the hundreds of hard core Saints fans (like you and me) who supported this bid and backed it up with a pledge of their own hard earned cash shows nothing but contempt.

I liked Richard and thought the CIC could have been be a new broom bringing fresh ideas to the club and town while also delivering better results on the park. The total blanking silence of recent months is deafening. Even if tomorrow it's all back on again, can CIC supporters really say they would still back it with the same enthusiasm now? Not sure I can.

Time for a re-think with the positive aspects of this bid transferred into a different ownership model.

[ktf]

To be honest I find the whole thing a bit disrespectful now. The lack of information or updates to the hundreds of hard core Saints fans (like you and me) who supported this bid and backed it up with a pledge of their own hard earned cash shows nothing but contempt.

I liked Richard and thought the CIC could have been be a new broom bringing fresh ideas to the club and town while also delivering better results on the park. The total blanking silence of recent months is deafening. Even if tomorrow it's all back on again, can CIC supporters really say they would still back it with the same enthusiasm now? Not sure I can.

Time for a re-think with the positive aspects of this bid transferred into a different ownership model.

I totally hear what you're saying and have to agree on all of it... However, what use is a statement that says:

"there is nothing we can say at present, we can't disclose what the hold up is as it might jeopardise our chances of ever getting the go ahead."

I reckon, without factual basis, as some others have said, it is because one of the funders won't agree for one reason or another, perhaps because of the asking price, perhaps because of another reason or two. If this is the case then there may well be negotiations that are ongoing. To disclose this might put the whole process on on the rocks. GIven the effort that REA and others have put into this, I don't believe they have just forgotten to put the word out or that they don't want to... It must be more complicated than that.

[spirit of 77]

I totally hear what you're saying and have to agree on all of it... However, what use is a statement that says:

"there is nothing we can say at present, we can't disclose what the hold up is as it might jeopardise our chances of ever getting the go ahead."

I reckon, without factual basis, as some others have said, it is because one of the funders won't agree for one reason or another, perhaps because of the asking price, perhaps because of another reason or two. If this is the case then there may well be negotiations that are ongoing. To disclose this might put the whole process on on the rocks. GIven the effort that REA and others have put into this, I don't believe they have just forgotten to put the word out or that they don't want to... It must be more complicated than that.

The bottom line is that the people who are ultimately expected to foot the bill are not being kept up to speed on events. You cant argue that this is the right position

This is meant to be about collective community involvement in the decision making processes of a CIC that aims to control a football club with a potential stakeholder number in the tens of thousands. It needs to up its game in terms of communications, which seemed to be working at least in a sporadic fashion up to the point where sufficient direct debit forms were signed and returned.

[Guest somner9]

10000 hours only have themselves to blame! they dedicded to go about the whole process back to front involving the fans LAST! The selling consortium are ultimately responsible for dragging the club and support through all this. They should have realised if something looks too good to be true (getting £2m for half smfc) then it almost cetainly is too good to be true.

Now the sellers have snookered themselves, as 10000 hours can't complete and they have tied themselves up in companies and allsorts with them. i don't feel any sympathy towarsd the sellers they saw the chance to cash in big again (Don't forget they will have seen a nice return on the sale of Love street) and were blinded to the obvious downsides of association with a group of amateurs who honestly believed they could go about the process in reverse.

Why did they go about their proposal this way? simple answer so they could retain power and control over the CiC! Think about it the fans were the last to be involved and to this day still haven't been given access to the detailed plans that they are bankrolling. no wonder they've gone quiet the funders no doubt have seen through their process and don't like it one little bit. Ask RA and SG to tell you exactly why? they felt the need to set up another company together.

I'll guess the chances of them coming clean to the very people who would have stumped up the cash for the purchase and running of the Cic won't get any of that detail. Now they are desperately trying to hash a revised scheme that will see them looking for more cash from the people who they haven't had the decency to involve, the funders have told them where to get off now they'll be knocking on your door!

[eastlandssaint]

Ken McGeoch pressing ahead with a buy out of the club , from what i hear !

[billyg]

Ken McGeoch pressing ahead with a buy out of the club , from what i hear !

Certainly looks that way , only to " dot the eyes and cross the tees " apparently !

[Drew]

Certainly looks that way , only to " dot the eyes and cross the tees " apparently !

Billy

you seem upbeat about the prospect of Mr McGeoch buying the majority shareholding. Is there any particular reason why you regard this as a positive developemnt - ie: do you know what his plans might be should he be successful?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not being negative about this possibility in any way, shape, or form, as I don't know anything about this deal, and this is why I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Cheers.

[scottd]

Stewart Gilmour and co have shown that it is possible to sustain a top flight football club without being fabulously wealthy. Simply ensure that expenditure doesn't massively exceed income. It may not be glamourous but it is a strategy that has served SMFC well in the last decade.

[Dibbles old paperboy]

i don't feel any sympathy towarsd the sellers they saw the chance to cash in big again (Don't forget they will have seen a nice return on the sale of Love street) and were blinded to the obvious downsides of association with a group of amateurs who honestly believed they could go about the process in reverse.

Why did they go about their proposal this way? simple answer so they could retain power and control over the CiC! Ask RA and SG to tell you exactly why? they felt the need to set up another company together.

I'll guess the chances of them coming clean to the very people who would have stumped up the cash for the purchase and running of the Cic won't get any of that detail.

Please provide evidence for how much the board supposedly pocketed from the sale of Love Street, or are you just spouting more rubbish?

RA has already explained why the company was set up with himself and the selling consortium and he did it publicly at a CIC meeting.

And RA also said that if / when / once the CIC did go through he would explain what caused the hold up, and that he was in fact dying to tell us about it at the meeting but couldn't. Anyone who has been to any of the CIC meetings will vouch for RA being pretty open with the fans and willing to answer questions rather than how you portra him in your posts.

Edited November 11, 2011 by Dibbles old paperboy

[pozbaird]

The only thing we know for certain is that RA, SG, GLS and the selling consortium have all been absolutely silent for a while now. There must be a good reason for this. Whatever the outcome may be, I am prepared to simply wait and see what transpires, without speculating or indulging in idle gossip. I stopped contributing to the CIC debate about two months ago. I do not feel mislead by anyone - RA, SG, or GLS. No-one has raided my bank account for a tenner a month, and from SGs side, no-one has sold our beloved club to any old dodgy geezer who turned up with tales of investment in the team and promising the earth. Whenever they have something to say, they'll say it. Until then... bring on the Dunfermline, fire up the oven and get my steak 'n' gravy pie ready, COYS!

[Guest somner9]

Please provide evidence for how much the board supposedly pocketed from the sale of Love Street, or are you just spouting more rubbish?

RA has already explained why the company was set up with himself and the selling consortium and he did it publicly at a CIC meeting.

And RA also said that if / when / once the CIC did go through he would explain what caused the hold up, and that he was in fact dying to tell us about it at the meeting but couldn't. Anyone who has been to any of the CIC meetings will vouch for RA being pretty open with the fans and willing to answer questions rather than how you portra him in your posts.

Simples just ask them!

But don't get me wrong about the sale they invested in the club, ran it when times were rough so I don't begrudge them a return on that especially as we got a new ground and the debt wiped out. Do you serioisly think that no one profited from a £10m transaction??? c'mon

As regards that company what they didn't do was explain, all they said was it was necessary for the sale to go through, so how comes none of the people actually stumping up the cash for the CiC weren't invited to form the company?

10000 hours are a bunch of amateurs who thought they could buy 52% of SMFC with other people's money, and lo and behold they've found out they can't! What a surprise. If they were open and honset as you say why have they not informed all the people who pledged that they are out?

[Dibbles old paperboy]

Simples just ask them!

But don't get me wrong about the sale they invested in the club, ran it when times were rough so I don't begrudge them a return on that especially as we got a new ground and the debt wiped out. Do you serioisly think that no one profited from a £10m transaction??? c'mon

As regards that company what they didn't do was explain, all they said was it was necessary for the sale to go through, so how comes none of the people actually stumping up the cash for the CiC weren't invited to form the company?

10000 hours are a bunch of amateurs who thought they could buy 52% of SMFC with other people's money, and lo and behold they've found out they can't! What a surprise. If they were open and honset as you say why have they not informed all the people who pledged that they are out?

So Tesco paid £x million for Love Street, and Love Street had to be demolished, the new ground had to be built, a training complex was partly funded from that deal and most of the debts to banks etc were wiped out.

If you've already done the simples part and asked the board how much they pocketed from the deal why not fill us all in.