Relegation Part Of The Plan?

[dave.j]

Don't get me wrong here, i mean old firm fans are paranoid delusional roasters.

But seriously, i fckin despair sometimes when i read the crack pots on here!

Let me get this right, you think that the board of a financially well run club, who are carrying little to no debt and who budget for SPL survival and to break even, have deliberatly withheld funds to ensure relegation to the first division on the basis of two games against the filthy scum from Govan?

and what, they briefed lennon and told him, listen danny, we don't want the team to win games, we want to go down... win games and you're out the door.

How many players have a contract for next season?

how much of a loss would the club make paying those wages on championship gate receipts and club sponsorship?

how often would hospitality be filled as a championship team?

Unless this is a complete wind up and i've been wooshed. if not, then the OP is a fckin moron.

[oaksoft]

Don't get me wrong here, i mean old firm fans are paranoid delusional roasters.

But seriously, i fckin despair sometimes when i read the crack pots on here!

Let me get this right, you think that the board of a financially well run club, who are carrying little to no debt and who budget for SPL survival and to break even, have deliberatly withheld funds to ensure relegation to the first division on the basis of two games against the filthy scum from Govan?

and what, they briefed lennon and told him, listen danny, we don't want the team to win games, we want to go down... win games and you're out the door.

How many players have a contract for next season?

how much of a loss would the club make paying those wages on championship gate receipts and club sponsorship?

how often would hospitality be filled as a championship team?

Unless this is a complete wind up and i've been wooshed. if not, then the OP is a fckin moron.

When even Partick Thistle fans can spot it you know there's truth in it.

BTW Dave you've got all this shite to look forward to in about 7 months time when it's your team's turn to be at the bottom. Enjoy the moment while it lasts.

Edited August 29, 2013 by oaksoft

[linwood buddie]

Kevin Phillips is playing in the EPL at 40 as is Ryan Giggs - both play the same position. Age is merely a number.

Totally missed the point of the post , I was only giving my opinion on why maybe the funds might seem to have been held back ,in the case of a large player turnover next season ,and the ages of players is relevant to that.

[linwood buddie]

Age is irrelevant unless you are a cheese.

So unless you're mistaking Teale and Thommo for a block of finest French Brie............

There is nothing about their performances which suggests they have suddenly reached the end of their careers just yet.

Apart from anything else, I couldn't care less about next season. We have enough problems on our plate today.

Next season will take care of itself.

Did you bother to read the initial post ? Or did you just read my reply to Far Away Saint ,who strangely enough has been claimed to be one of your aliases

[E=Mc2]

Did the board no give Ian Black half a million squid to put on us being relegated?

They should tell us if they haven't considered this.

If the board would just come and tell us everything they know and print the minutes of all their meetings, and, and, why don't they let us run the club for them?

Everyone on here wants to be a decision maker and I hear some of us even offered a tenner a month, so why can't they believe I have St. Mirren's best interests at heart?

Who do these guys think they are re-mortgaging their houses and cashing in pension policies and believing it's their club because they own the shares?

Nae mair drugs for me.

[faraway saint]

Did the board no give Ian Black half a million squid to put on us being relegated?

They should tell us if they haven't considered this.

If the board would just come and tell us everything they know and print the minutes of all their meetings, and, and, why don't they let us run the club for them?

Everyone on here wants to be a decision maker and I hear some of us even offered a tenner a month, so why can't they believe I have St. Mirren's best interests at heart?

Who do these guys think they are re-mortgaging their houses and cashing in pension policies and believing it's their club because they own the shares?

Nae mair drugs for me.

What will I do with this bag of stuff then?

[Stuart Dickson]

I'd be very, very surprised if this hasn't been discussed by the board. Why wouldn't they talk about their 'business plan' for the next 12 months? So I'm not quite sure why the OP is being slagged off so quickly, unless it's because people don't want to believe that this COULD be a scenario playing out behind the scenes at St.Mirren Park.

I don't think they're actively seeking relegation, or would be happy if we went down, but I do think there could be a feeling amongst some that it wouldn't be a disaster financially if we did.

Relegation could be seen as a calculated risk by the board.

Hearts with a -15 start, a newly promoted team who haven't kicked a ball in the top flight for years, other clubs in transition.

If we went down, games against Sevco & Morton, TV money.

I wouldn't be surprised if there had been talk of it not being the end of the world for them, and a consideration about not bothering to spend so much money this year.

Personally, I think this would be disastrous, and ambitiously blinkered thinking. But the truth is, a BoD at most clubs talk about financial success WAY before they talk about on the field success.

However, it's only conjecture, as no-one at the club seems to be making ANY comment about our current situation, even though the fans, rightly or wrongly, are concerned about things in a way I haven't heard for several years.

It would be good for someone to come out and clarify where we stand, and what the business plan is for this season. If we're in a similar position when the transfer window closes, I'd be unhappy if there was the same silence.

Yep. They would definitely be discussing scenarios at board level and I do think they may have come to the conclusion that relegation wouldn't be a disaster especially if it involved a play off.

I was one of those who posted in July that this may be a season for turning a profit. Hearts 15 points behind, and with a thread bare Thistle squad up it would be easy to conclude that a St Mirren side with heavily talked up kids breaking through would have enough about them to stay up - and if it didn't well at least the consequences did bear thinking about.

[dave.j]

Yep. They would definitely be discussing scenarios at board level and I do think they may have come to the conclusion that relegation wouldn't be a disaster especially if it involved a play off.

I was one of those who posted in July that this may be a season for turning a profit. Hearts 15 points behind, and with a thread bare Thistle squad up it would be easy to conclude that a St Mirren side with heavily talked up kids breaking through would have enough about them to stay up - and if it didn't well at least the consequences did bear thinking about.

^^^^^

Doesn't know Jack Sh!t about Thistle

[WeeBud]

Yep. They would definitely be discussing scenarios at board level and I do think they may have come to the conclusion that relegation wouldn't be a disaster especially if it involved a play off.

I was one of those who posted in July that this may be a season for turning a profit. Hearts 15 points behind, and with a thread bare Thistle squad up it would be easy to conclude that a St Mirren side with heavily talked up kids breaking through would have enough about them to stay up - and if it didn't well at least the consequences did bear thinking about.

Don't see it I'm afraid.

I think you're correct that in "scenario planning" it will have been discussed but certainly not been the aim for the season.

Play-off money and two home games against Rangers without automatic promotion would be a big hit negatively on the finances......plus the club would be even harder to sell at the required/wanted price.

[nedflanders123]

What utter nonsense!

There should be some sort of IQ test introduced on this forum now.

Games against Kilmarnock (and now Partick too) draw bigger crowds than Rangers, their presence in the league really doesn't impact us much.

Agree and let's not even consider the loss of TV money. Why anyone would think relegation was a positive step is beyond me never mind the BOD

[stlucifer]

No thanks, I'm surrounded by paper that's for cleaning shite.

Lavvy attendant?

[nedflanders123]

Next season we are also going to be in a bad position player wise , Teale and Thompson will be nearly 36 ,Goodwin 33,Mair 35.Van Zanten 32 ,I think they are all in the last year of their contracts ,McGowan has signed a 1 year deal ,don't know about McGinn or Mclean's contract's ,and the ones we signed on loan ,its going to be the same scenario .vinston

Where will the funds be next year ,could this be the reason we think the moneys not being spent,when it comes to replacing so many key players we will need to invest heavily.

This could not be done if we were relegated ,so really don't believe the board have that idea,as for playing Morton or Rangers benefiting us with attendances or tv revenue ,We play Celtic at home and that usually gets shown on tv,as for Morton bringing big crowds ,Killie ,Hibs and Hearts ect with the exception of ICT and Ross County bring bigger crowds than the likes of Livingston ,Hamilton and so on.

Mate, let next season take care of itself. This season is where the concentration should be on who makes up our squad and survive in the top league. Then we can consider who stays next season together with who the manager is.

[Katie Bear]

I wouldn't put it past them to be thinking oh well if we get relegated we'll have the rangers gates and bt television money next season in the first division!

Not buying this at all...highly doubtful whether there would even be 2 big gates for The New Rangers as their fans would no doubt be playing the "They were one of the SPL who kicked us out...boycott like Tannadice" card.

[Seaside Nipper]

If you can't work it out yourself I will give you a wee hand , Thompson and Teale will nearly 36 there are not many 36 year olds playing in their positions in the Premier League ,Mair, Goodwin and Van Zanten will probably not be offered new deals ,is that easier or do you need me to send you the scrap of paper I wrote on to work it out.

in smokie's case ...................I think erm, maybe a fag packet will do. Ooooeeer, a wee double whammy there , guid eh

[Seaside Nipper]

What will I do with this bag of stuff then?

Check it's not labelled Lima Airport

[Stuart Dickson]

The fundamental flaw in the OP lies in the probability that the consortium are unlikely to believe that relegation would enhance the chances of their shares being bought at their current valuation.

Does it though Drew?

Look, the consortium have valued their shares at £2m and the club at £4m. The club has held it's Premiership position for a number of years now, and it's even won a national competition yet the shares haven't attracted any sort of interest at those kind of prices. It's little wonder too. When you have a business that has failed to turn profits in consecutive years for over 14 years, and a squad that has failed to attract any major transfer fees in well over a decade you have to ask about the potential sustainability of any plan that would progress the business further.

Now, if the club does turn a profit this season and has a squad full of young talent that is garnering courtship from major English clubs with the prospect of more coming through from the expensive academy at Ralston then the proposition will look more than a bit different, even if the club is relegated.

I don't think for a minute that Gilmour and Co want St Mirren relegated, but I do see the potential there for them to have considered a change of focus towards more youth player involvement and a cut in the playing budget being a risk worth taking in order to try and find a buyer for their shares. After all lets face it if they can't find a buyer now, what is the worst that can happen if it goes wrong? They'll still be in charge next season and the season after that and I'm sure they'd feel confident that St Mirren would eventually regain top flight status again.

[Stuart Dickson]

^^^^^

Doesn't know Jack Sh!t about Thistle

Nah Dave. I know a fair bit about Thistle through the son of a friend. However I am surmising the potential thought process as it may have gone in a Premiership boardroom at the start of the season when going through various scenarios. I wasn't stating my opinion of the Partick Thistle squad.

[dave.j]

Nah Dave. I know a fair bit about Thistle through the son of a friend. However I am surmising the potential thought process as it may have gone in a Premiership boardroom at the start of the season when going through various scenarios. I wasn't stating my opinion of the Partick Thistle squad.

Do you know as much as EKbuddie, he's got us sussed!

[Seaside Nipper]

ssssshhh, keep this master plan quiet.....................see those diddy clubs, they'll all want in on it

[Stuart Dickson]

Don't see it I'm afraid.

I think you're correct that in "scenario planning" it will have been discussed but certainly not been the aim for the season.

Play-off money and two home games against Rangers without automatic promotion would be a big hit negatively on the finances......plus the club would be even harder to sell at the required/wanted price.

There are two potential promotion places,...Rangers might well take automatic promotion but there is a second spot up from grabs through the play offs that wasn't there before. I agree that relegation wouldn't have been the aim but it may be that the scenario planning flagged up that this season relegation might not be the unthinkable disaster that it used to be.

There would be a hit on finances of course, but it doesn't necessarily follow that that would have an impact on the share price. So long as the directors had shown the ability to be able to cost cut and to continue to keep the club at break even - with the emergence of some sellable talent on the park and some evidence that Ralston might finally be paying off with some sustainability you could argue that it may even make the majority shareholding a more attractive proposition. Considering there is absolutely no interest in the 52% shareholding at £2m currently then it's possible that they may feel a change in strategy to focus more on youth is worth the risk.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Stuart Dickson

[Stuart Dickson]

Do you know as much as EKbuddie, he's got us sussed!

No - no-one ever knows as much as Brian

There's a player in the Thistle squad who's father was chairman, treasurer and secretary - at different points - at Wishaw Wycombe a few years back. I still won't pay to watch a top flight football match in Scotland Dave, but I am following the ex Wishaw Wycombe players career with more than a little interest.

[dave.j]

No - no-one ever knows as much as Brian

There's a player in the Thistle squad who's father was chairman, treasurer and secretary - at different points - at Wishaw Wycombe a few years back. I still won't pay to watch a top flight football match in Scotland Dave, but I am following the ex Wishaw Wycombe players career with more than a little interest.

O'Donnell

[Stuart Dickson]

O'Donnell

Yeah. His Dad Pat basically was Wishaw Wycombe Wanderers when I started to help out. The guy was running just about everything. O'Donnell and James Keatings were the first two players I saw leave Wishaw Wycombe to go to senior clubs. O'Donnell went to Aberdeen and Keatings went direct to Celtic IIRC. Celtic then paid to sign O'Donnell when he was 14 or 15. Next after them were Jack Leitch and Lewis Kidd. Lewis Kidd was Scotland Under 16 captain a couple of years ago and he's been on the bench at Celtic a few times. The Sun reported recently that Ajax are very keen to sign him. Jack Leitch is in the senior Motherwell squad this year.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Stuart Dickson

[linwood buddie]

Mate, let next season take care of itself. This season is where the concentration should be on who makes up our squad and survive in the top league. Then we can consider who stays next season together with who the manager is.

My point is not so much about next season ,although I agree get this season out the way first,my point was only a guess as to why the budget that has been spent so far seems so low, and given some other fans opinions that the Board are hoping Hearts and Thistle struggle ,that the Board are planning ahead .

[oaksoft]

Not buying this at all...highly doubtful whether there would even be 2 big gates for The New Rangers as their fans would no doubt be playing the "They were one of the SPL who kicked us out...boycott like Tannadice" card.

Yep no doubt we'll have to put up with months of threats from them "teaching us a lesson", they'll probably organise a tedious boycott of our first home game against them and it MIGHT be partially successful. I doubt it will be fully successful because swathes of their fans were almost suicidal with guilt at allowing their youngsters to get humiliated at Tannadice unsupported in that Cup match and won't risk losing a league game.

Either way, at some early stage, they'll turn up as usual in their thousands and fill our clubs coffers and we will continue to rip them off for ever more.