Investment by a Supporters Co-operative?

ilikecheese · May 25, 2015

Let's get this started...I'll open up a paypal count for you all to deposit money in...

Toffeelover · May 25, 2015

roydo said:
Look at it differently Tubes.

The owners/shareholders still own EFC.

The supporters build and finance a stadium, with whatever selling GP fetches being part of an agreement.

EFC then lease "Our" stadium, so the attraction to an outsider to buy EFC is increased massively.

Seemed to work quite well for City, and probably will for West Ham.

Mate, seen it recorded some where recently GP is only worth about 6 mill.

Toffeelover · May 25, 2015

Woolly Blue said:
I kind of agree with you, but ...

We lease Finch Farm from the council. So, theoretically, if the Council can raise capital for a regeneration of the area from <whereever> then, theoretically, the council could lease Walton Hall Park Stadium to the club. The club pay the council, and the council then pay off the people who have raised the capital.

Highly unlikely, but not totally impossible.

Wooly, correct if I am wrong but originally did we own Finch Farm and the club sold it and then leased it back. Some where along the line the Council then acquired it,

Fresh Prince of Belle Val · May 25, 2015

Not sure if I can raise the £2, I'll have to wait till my birthday.

Moomin · May 25, 2015

I would not offer a quid while the current lot are in charge.

Woolly Blue · May 25, 2015

Toffeelover said:
woolly, correct if I am wrong but originally did we own Finch Farm and the club sold it and then leased it back. Some where along the line the Council then acquired it,

Yep, that's about it.

According to wiki we sold the land to ROM Capital for about £2 million, they carried out about £9 million's worth of improvements and leased it back to us. They later put it up for sale for ~ £15 million and eventually sold it to the council for ~ £13 million and the lease has been renegogiated.

My gut reaction is that something similar would be the preferred option for a new stadium whereby someone else funds the development and then leases it to us. It would then depend on whether or not we could make enough money with more bums on seats in both normal and hospitality areas, extra matchday revenue and other commerical activity to safely take on board the extra cost associated with the lease.

If money could be raised from some sort of co-operative in a "not for profit" kind of way then it would reduce the risk of taking any lease on.