Lets all go back in time a bit, 9 months to be more precise. We the fans were all excited for the coming season but there was some frustration about the lack of ambition in the transfer market. Looking back on the season how often did we see that lack of ambition cost us. All those 0-0 draws that the team were on to of but lacked that cutting edge. All the last minute goals that cost the team a draw again after we were on top, again lacking that cutting edge. How many games did teams exploit the lack of threat up front to put the team away with abandon. Where would we be now if we had taken the plunge last summer and let Lennon build the team he wanted.
Well for a start the club would probably be around the bottom half of mid table. Neil Lennon would still be in charge of the team and we may well be looking ahead to the next season or two with some anticipation. Perhaps Lennon would be the one?, how long until he takes us to the premiership again?. It wouldn't be all positive. We are all aware of the financial situation the club was in. That cloud would be still hanging over the club and some players may not have been earning there contracts. On the whole though BWFC would be looking up. Perhaps our stronger showing would have brought in more interest from outside investors. We could now be in position of having a sugar daddy ready to bankroll Lennon's push to the premiership. If only we had bought a striker.
Or would we?. Lets say we had spent a few more million on players and wages. Hoping to secure promotion as soon as possible or even new investment. How would that have been any different that the season before or the one before that?. The fact is that the club was never a tempting investment until the price was rock bottom. Even then the back room dealing very nearly derailed the process.Add to that the HMRC dealings and the picture starts to look even worse. could we have been able to make good on any payments after spending millions on players. How would our inflated wage bill have helped us when the club struggled at times to pay the staff?. Had the club invested last summer would it still be here now?. What would have happened with the winding up petition?.
Of course had we invested in the squad then Eddie Davis was still putting money into the club. That would have meant that the tax issues may not have arisen this season. They would have at some point though and may have been even more dire. In the end relegation may be the best thing that could have happened this season regardless of the situation. The sale of the club has been forced and that has reset the clubs finances to a degree. I know things are far from Ideal but the club still exists. We fans may well be in for some tough times for the next few years but were used to that. What we now need is good forward planning and a long term strategy.
Does anyone see it differently?.
The costs of a striker?
posted on 17/4/16
Benny, a good point about the scouting network. We used to have a very good scouting network when Sam was at the club but as with other key members of the staff, when Sam went most of them followed him and other drifted away.
posted on 17/4/16
From now you can only sign or loan players in the summer and January transfer Windows. The emergency loan system that the championship and football league have been using has now ended so come September the squad you have is what you go with although you can sign out of work players like Bolton did with ameobi and gudjohnsen and heskey last season.
posted on 17/4/16
That's for a normal club Benny we are still under the embargo and watchful eye of the FL. If you go back what just about 6 years ago Big Ed told Phil to sort the spending out and be self sufficient cut thee cloth or else he'd pull the plug. Given how long ago it was now there's a lot of damage done in the years of failing to heed the warnings.
Now we can't sign anybody if we could we would be hard pushed to raise the bus fare to sign a player. The next season we'll be starting off with a cobbled patched up squad of what's left and freebies if we are allowed any with the FL keeping watch it will be like the club is a wearing a straight jacket we'll need a steady start to avoid lurking too close to the bottom for the first few months.
posted on 18/4/16
For an alternate view of the Bolton V Moddlesbrough game watch
https://youtu.be/o50r-4beS5M
posted on 18/4/16
It's really hard to call in terms of the future. I think Wigan were in a healthier state than we are now when they got relegated last year and I can't see us bouncing back straight away. I'd loved to be proved wrong though. I do believe that the results since Lennon's departure show that he wasn't the greatest problem. In fact I thunk he's a decent manager who did the best in a dismal financial position. I don't really blame Eddie Davies either. He ploughed his own money in for years. The whole model was unsustainable.
I have fond memories of last time we were in the third (and fourth) division so it's not all doom and gloom here.... but in terms of the club - I do fear difficult times ahead.
posted on 19/4/16
We are not going to be in the same shape as Wigan were when they went down. I don't expect us getting back up to the Championship any time soon.
Eddie, and Gartside were the cause of the clubs downfall. No doubt about it. You have a respected business man and an accountant. Between them they couldn't come up with a plan to keep the club on an even keel. They even paid for an in depth report on what should be done when we were relegated and what did they do? They totally ignored the information and advice. Criminal!
posted on 19/4/16
There's no sign of the embargo being lifted any time soon. In fact I still can't find any confirmation that the League has been provided with the books it asked for when the embargo was imposed let alone that they've begun to assess them.
As things stand we can't even sign a player who wants to play for free and that won't change until the League has received and inspected books that were due in almost a year ago.
I don't blame SS for the initial failure as they weren't here when the books were due but the silence from them since the takeover on this subject does worry me. Where are those books? Do SS have them? Do they even know who does if they don't?
While not wishing to speak ill of the dead Phil Gartside has a lot to answer for and even more so does Ed Davies. I think it could be years, maybe as much as a decade before we see even Championship football let alone Premier League football at the Macron again.
posted on 19/4/16
I tend to agree... I just feel with Eddie Davies the guy ploughed millions of his own money into the club - so we have to be appreciative of that.... But very good point about "a respected business man and an accountant". I don't expect to see Premier League football in the next decade. What will be the impact on attendances? Last time we were in the third division we had great away following but crowds of 5 - 6000 seemed normal at Burnden. It seems like the fan base hasn't suffered too badly despite hellish circumstances since the departure of Big Sam and particularly since the Stoke game that we never recovered from.
posted on 20/4/16
Billy, I can tell you my worst memories of what was then our lowest point was standing on the terraces of Burnden Park with probably just over a couple of thousand supporters. Not a pretty sight, so it depends on what happens over the next few years as to what the impact on attendances are. For one thing, I don't expect them to be on the up for some time.
posted on 20/4/16
When Big Sam was in charge we had gates around 25,000. We are now under 15,000 Come the new season we could be under 10,000 Is that enough to sustain the club without new investment? I very much doubt it.