Work commitments meant I was away last week, did I miss anything? writes blogger Mark Jones.
Seriously, cheers to Daz for stepping in and doing the blog at short notice (I’d actually done a piece on Alan Buckley which I will try and get out soon.)
After some reflection I have to conclude sadly that most things have remained exactly as they were seven days ago.
1. Walsall Football Club still doesn’t own its own ground.
2. We still have to pay around a third of a million pounds a year in rent.
3. Jeff Bonser is still our Owner/Chairman and his company’s Pension Fund is our landlord.
4. We sold two of our best players in January and never adequately replaced them or used the funds to strengthen other areas of the squad.
5. We’ve averaged little more than a point a game since January.
Could the above facts be connected in any way? More to the point are there any Walsall fans who don’t think there’s some sort of connection?
The fateful decision twenty years ago to separate ownership of the club and the land it stands on, means that the best asset a football club can possibly have is just not available to us. And the rent keeps on hanging around our necks like a gigantic Swifty-sized albatross.
We all know how important the revenue from the club’s commercial operations is, but in the past three years we’ve spent close on a million pounds in rent. Just think how much better that money could have been spent – wages, signing-on fees, improvements to youth development or scouting, even the odd transfer fee.
Whenever Jeff Bonser speaks to the media, he usually mentions how he’d never let the club go into administration but no-one has ever pushed him on his exact motives for this attitude. Is his prudence forged out of a genuine affection for the club or because of the problems it would cause for the pension?
All of which means that whenever the Saddlers are poised on the brink of moving on up to the next level, we end up stalling or going into reverse. It’s obvious to me that Richard Money had worked that one out for himself, probably sometime around February 1st, and decided to quit with his reputation remained intact. Grumpy he may have been, stupid he certainly wasn’t.
Dicky was the manager we’d been crying out for since Ray Graydon was unceremoniously dumped in 2002. He did a great job in turning things round after relegation, actually delivered some silverware to our under-stacked trophy cabinet and then led the club on a climb into the League One Play-Off zone that nobody saw coming.
With the right backing, I think he would have been the man to take the Saddlers to the next level.
So now all we have to do is go out and find someone just as good to replace him - simple. In an ironic parallel with the Graydon’s departure, the man who best fits the bill for being the next Walsall boss is the probably the man who has just left us behind.
However this is all academic, DD’s successor will have to face up to a limited budget and the possibility of our better players being sold at the first opportunity - a cracking job spec.
No doubt Mr. Bonser and his apologists in the media will be using the size of our crowds as an excuse for his reign of mediocrity. I wonder how many fans and potential fans have been turned off the club by the lack of ambition this season, let alone the 20 odd seasons before. And has this ever even occurred to Jeffrey?
I certainly didn’t expect the events of the last week, perhaps next time I should check the small print on my Early Bird Season Ticket renewal form more carefully.
And finally … when I got home on Friday, there was a letter waiting for me offering me the chance to spend money I haven’t got with a brand new Walsall F.C. credit card. One rule for some eh Jeff?
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10 Comments
Someone mentioned this the other week but does any one know when the promised fans forum is going to be?
Thing is it’s the end of the season on Saturday and Roy hasn’t advertised it?
Any chance Mr B will attend?
Considering Bonser takes great lengths to say he is a fan, you have to question this when he takes a third of a million pounds out of the club a year in rent. He’s a shrewd business man who only a fan of making money and he’s not getting anymore of mine.
Finally someone with the balls the come out in the press and show Jeff Bonser in his true light.
It would be nice now if the hacks at the E&S [not just the blogger] could come out and inform the people of Walsall what Jeff Bonser is really like, and what he reign at Bescot has really achieved - for the club, and for himself personally.
This blog is spot on. The reasons we dont get larger crowds is because for years and years the club have portrayed themselves as little old Walsall, poor old Walsall. Why would people want to spend their money watching that team?
Please Express & Star, write an informed piece for all to see about what our owner is really like. His stranglehold is slowly killing the club because its fans are deserting in droves. For once Express and Star, do the club a favour and show Jeff Bonser for what he really is.
Dan…
Any chance Jeff B will attend? Theres more chance of Bin Laden turning up than Bin Bonser. He doesn’t even turn up to the club AGM.
Why not push for one?
Any ideas who the fans contact is on these events?
Would be an interesting night out.
Not having our own ground leaves the club at the mercy of Bonser. You only have to look at what happened to York City a few years ago - their owner decided he wanted to cash in on the ground and wanted to sell it, effectively ending the clubs very existance. They survived, just, but its a dangerous way to exist.
A good piece Mark, some excellent points and some sensible follow up comments posted.
A welcome change to some of the “know all’s” of the Play Station generation fans who seem to inhabit other forums.
Congratulations for an excellent blog. Sums up the feelings of many Saddlers fans and also highlights the fact that numerous fans and potential fans will not invest their hard earned going to watch WFC due to Bonser. Next time the club criticises the fans for lack of support maybe they should look a bit closer to home. We have been at his mercy for 20 years, finally maybe people, the press and football generally will start to see him for what he is
those last 20 years that have been the most successful in the clubs 120 year history you mean?
Very tricky situation. Not sure what to believe – without Jeff B Walsall would have gone to the dogs, with Jeff B will never rise to the level we all hope they will. One thing I am sure about is the cycle of Walsall FC will continue – god manager comes in, does very well, gets team up to place where it needs investment to be taken on to next level, investment doesn’t come, manager resigns/sacked…. and so it will continue. Happened with Colin Lee, has now happened with Richard Money and sort of happened to Ray Graydon. It’s just one of those things… we are what we are. A well-run club that will sometimes be relegated and sometimes be promoted.