Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Cash curbs for new boss
Wednesday 21st January 2009, 11:27AM GMT.
Chris Hutchings started work at Walsall today with a £350,000 black hole in the Saddlers finances.
Chairman Jeff Bonser revealed the shortfall in income and predicted that up to 10 clubs could enter administration this season because of the recession.
But a bullish Bonser insisted Walsall will not be among them and ruled out forcing new boss Hutchings to sell players to balance the books.
“We are around £350,000 down on gate receipts and season ticket sales on where we were last year,” said Bonser. “When you’ve got Woolworths closing, Marks and Spencer closing shops, Aston Martin and Jaguar in trouble and thousands of redundancies announced every day football clubs aren’t immune. A lot of people have lost their jobs and although they are supporting Walsall from their armchairs they cannot afford to come to the club.”
Bonser, speaking to the Express & Star after unveiling Hutchings and Martin O’Connor as his new management team, was adamant Hutchings would not be forced to sell players.
But he refused to rule out the January sale of want-away defender Anthony Gerrard, who remains on the transfer list as his own request after Bonser turned down a £350,000 summer bid from Southampton.
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Was thinking about going this saturday but having read JB’s comments again there’s no way. When will he realise the main issue for the stay-away fans is him being at the club!
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Why doesn’t my football club just keep its mouth shut. Did they think for one second before they decided to issue this press story. The PR at Walsall has always been a joke. Bonser, Whalley, start to think about what the fans want before you open your big mouths.
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The black hole is about the same value as the rent the club have to pay! Wonder what our biggest fan can do about that?
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Once again the Express & Star swallows and regurgitates the Bonser line without question. If the credit crunch is the reason Walsall gates are down, why are they down by 25%, when the rest of the league is only down by 5%??
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Ooooh it’s all down to the recession is it Mr Bonser?
That’s why our attendances are down MUCH more than the average I suppose?
Anything to avoid admitting many fans are staying away because of YOU.
What exactly was the point of this press release Bonser? Did you think it would get hundreds of stayaways to suddenly flood back? Only when you finally depart will many find it worthwhile to return.
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This club goes from bad to worse! If WFC owned its own land instead of being your tenents Mr Bonser,perhaps we would be heavily in the black instead of being heavily in the red. That goes for every year, not just this!
The new management appointment is a good one, but if Mr Bonser is waiting for the fans to come flooding back after this, then he should think again!
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same old same old
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Why don’t you try reducing the admission prices then!
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Grow up Walsall ‘fans’! By all means stay away if you don’t like the product, but don’t then blame Bonser if your dastardly plot succeeds and the club goes to the wall!…. not unless you can find this elusive fantasy Moneybags who’s going to give us his/her millions. Bonser can’t sell cos no one wants to buy and no amount of moaning will change that! ‘Fan-power’ didn’t work at Newcastle in the current economic climate, and it certainly ain’t gonna work here!
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I had begun to feel a bit more optimistic following the managerial appointment, but once again JB is there to drag me down into the depths of pessimism .
Why is it never his fault?????
Maybe by saying right, you all say I don’t invest, I will invest £100k on transfer fees.
THAT will get people in the ground again. showing you do “love the club”. A more positive management appointment will only bring people back coupled with a more positive transfer policy!
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You wont get the fans behind you JB,until YOU get behind the fans,instead of doing these press release’s which the Express& Dingle take hook,line and sinker,without question,get amongst the fans,stand in walsall town centre,approach 500 people and ask them “why will you not be at the Banks’s on saturday?”take all the answers to the next board meeting and discuss.
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Having maybe one back a few fans with the new appointment the club shoot thereselves in the foot with this statement. JB is right about the recession, businesses closing etc. what he doesn’t mention is that property prices and rents have fallen through the floor, how about reducing yours Jeff. Also, for gods sake get a good PR man that way you might not alienate people by opening your mouth and inserting your foot.
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no one will ever buy walsall because although bonser is happy to sell the club he refuse,s to sell the land its built on, giving him an anual income of whatever he chooses to charge, and lets face it knowing him it would,nt be long before the rent increase,s by shed loads each year, if he were to sell the club he so-called loves !!!!
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So yet again, a new manager comes in, but he can’t spend any money, because there isn’t any.
Who would have thought that a black hole even existed? Its probably down to all of us stay-at-home fans no doubt. If we kept spending our money, then there would be no problems – after all, there is nothing wrong at all with the way club is being run – or should that be ‘run-down’!!
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Very bizarre comment to make… This just invites clubs to come in and make derisory offers for Gerrard knowing we need the money, espeically as a new manager might want to bring some players in.
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9.Steve… What are you on mate? Its people like you that enables Mr Bonser to continue to drag the club through the dirt! I for one, would welcome the club going to the wall. That way, a new start with a new owner would give the fans some hope. The new owner could also buy the club at its real value, and not the ridiculous amounts that JB wants, which is why there is no interest! Wake up!
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Give Steve a chance – I see his point. I am not a Bonser apologist but I see the point he is trying to make: for whatever reason, the club’s income is £350k less than we thought it would be at this stage of the season. I don’t see the point in “fans” staying away – it’s only hurting the club as Bonser’s rent will be paid regardless. Bonser won’t allow the club to go into administration as he would lose out financially, and it is not in his interests to “run the club down” if he’s looking to sell it. C’mon you stayaways, get back to the Banks’s and support the team. Up The Saddlers.
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16 Wayne. If that is the case then please support someone else because you are not a proper fan. If this is really what you want then wake up to yourself.
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Question:
If we are down 350k this season out of budget, but…last season we had an unforseen and non-budgeted £1.4 million from Danny Fox and Scott Dann, so surely we must be £1,000,000 up ????
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What Bonser is really saying is, “Damn, I wish I’d have snapped Southamptons hands off & taken the 350K last Summer. Everyone, Gerrards yours, give me your best offer…..”
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