tressell
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 156
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Post by tressell on Aug 24, 2023 19:27:35 GMT
The death of a football club. Clubs have always been dependent on businessmen. But this smacks of corporate interests and being allowed all because its about women. The political vanity project of a couple of people will lead to problems
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spur
Isthmian South
Posts: 857
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Post by spur on Aug 24, 2023 20:49:08 GMT
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Thebigman
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 232
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Post by Thebigman on Aug 24, 2023 21:39:14 GMT
The death of a football club. Clubs have always been dependent on businessmen. But this smacks of corporate interests and being allowed all because its about women. The political vanity project of a couple of people will lead to problems exactly tressell i seem to remember some one who used to contribute on here ages ago ROOKERY who mentioned more than once about the womens side of things being a vanity project of 2 board members and surprise surprise he was slated for saying such things and yet fast forward to the present and waddya know he was right It’s funny how different people see things….. this ‘vanity’ project as has been described above has assisted the club massively. The publicity has no doubt driven ownership numbers to an all time high, we have an amazing pitch and have generated sponsorship deals unheard of for a club of our size. Now we have a club that people want to invest in as a result. From my point of view it has all been positive even if I was sceptical about the equality stance at the beginning! With regards to the investment itself, it feels to me like a massive opportunity to continue the upward curve of the club as a whole, yes the woman’s team will get the cash injection but as pointed out in the email and by Stuart both teams will no doubt benefit. I find it strange that the vast majority on here are against the move, not many clubs of our size would get this opportunity and personally I think it should be grasped with both hands |
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dicksmith
Sussex County Division One
COYR
Posts: 298
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Post by dicksmith on Aug 24, 2023 22:54:26 GMT
From my point of view it has all been positive even if I was skeptical about the equality stance at the beginning! With regards to the investment itself, it feels to me like a massive opportunity to continue the upward curve of the club as a whole, yes the woman’s team will get the cash injection but as pointed out in the email and by Stuart both teams will no doubt benefit. I find it strange that the vast majority on here are against the move, not many clubs of our size would get this opportunity and personally I think it should be grasped with both hands It's always those DAMN wummin.... They just couldn't leave this a real man's sport! Come on guys..... don't let your misogynistic side show so easily. What the women's side has done for the Club is amazing. Frankly, it might not have survived this far without them. A misogynist will eagerly search for opportunities to put women “in their place.” He has a wide variety of tactics he can use to insult women, degrade them, make them feel bad, and ultimately make himself feel superior. His jokes will be degrading towards women. |
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wm
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 207
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Post by wm on Aug 24, 2023 23:05:31 GMT
Will whippets, flat caps, woodbines and pints of Mackeson be mandatory? That comment makes you sound like a right patronising ****, IMHO. |
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wm
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 207
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Post by wm on Aug 24, 2023 23:17:13 GMT
On the most basic level, the question for our club is this: Someone wants to buy our spot in the Women's Championship. Should we sell it? This is the most succinct comment in this whole thread. I imagine a few individuals involved in the decision are envisaging a nice salary increase... |
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Post by Trojandog (Terry M) on Aug 24, 2023 23:32:15 GMT
dick how quick you are to use the term misogynist because it doesnt follow the official narrative emanating from board room level...could it be that the new pitch was a sweetener to seal the deal hence this out of the blue investment mmm The Premier League are giving out an £800k sweetener to little old Lewes? Wow! |
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Post by Trojandog (Terry M) on Aug 24, 2023 23:33:18 GMT
On the most basic level, the question for our club is this: Someone wants to buy our spot in the Women's Championship. Should we sell it? This is the most succinct comment in this whole thread. I imagine a few individuals involved in the decision are envisaging a nice salary increase... Er..., the board are all unpaid volunteers. |
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Post by gonefishing046 on Aug 24, 2023 23:35:13 GMT
From my point of view it has all been positive even if I was skeptical about the equality stance at the beginning! With regards to the investment itself, it feels to me like a massive opportunity to continue the upward curve of the club as a whole, yes the woman’s team will get the cash injection but as pointed out in the email and by Stuart both teams will no doubt benefit. I find it strange that the vast majority on here are against the move, not many clubs of our size would get this opportunity and personally I think it should be grasped with both hands It's always those DAMN wummin.... They just couldn't leave this a real man's sport! Come on guys..... don't let your misogynistic side show so easily. What the women's side has done for the Club is amazing. Frankly, it might not have survived this far without them. A misogynist will eagerly search for opportunities to put women “in their place.” He has a wide variety of tactics he can use to insult women, degrade them, make them feel bad, and ultimately make himself feel superior. His jokes will be degrading towards women. |
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Post by nschlut on Aug 25, 2023 3:34:45 GMT
This sort of thing gets said in American sports all the time, and it's never true. Why would a foreign investment consortium spend money on improving our infrastructure a single penny beyond what maximizes their investment? What do they care about our junior squads? What's in it for them? I invest in Lewes FC because it's important to me that a club exist somewhere in the world that has these values. That's my payoff. Mercury 13 is going to want to see dividends. They are investing tens of millions of pounds in women's football across the world because they see an emerging market and they want to extract something from it. It's an exciting investment opportunity for them, not for us. So you are saying that they would appoint a nutritionist and ban him or her from talking to anyone outside the women's squad? Or turn the 3G into a training centre with changing rooms, showers, gym, treatment room, and ban the men's team from using it?? Throughout the higher echelons of the football world, women's teams benefit from investment into the parent club's infrastructure, yet uniquely at Lewes, the men won't benefit from similar investment? Why yes, that is what I’m saying. I am saying that a private equity firm is probably overstating the tangential benefits of their investment. You’re talking about big clubs that have men’s, women’s, and youth sides, who all benefit from sharing resources. That’s not what our board is talking about. Lewes FC would no longer have a women’s side. We would keep our men’s side (the thing that many on here have acknowledged is a financial drag) and our community-based youth programs (which, I assume, also don’t bring in a ton of money). Mercury 13 would buy our hard-earned place in the Women’s Championship and call their team “Lewes FC.” They want to do this because it’d be quicker and cheaper than earning a spot on their own. The Mercury 13 argument is that some of their investment will trickle down to the parts of Lewes FC that we keep. I, personally, was not born yesterday, so my skepticism is raised when I hear a private equity firm talking about benefits trickling down. We’d be giving up the Lewes FC Women, the strongest part of our brand. It’s the part of our club that attracts advertisers and owners from around the world. It’s also the part of the club that has had the most success on the pitch, and I’ll selfishly add that it’s the only part of the club that I regularly make time to watch. We’d be banking on the benevolence of a private equity firm that is bragging about taking on nine figures of debt globally over the next few years. We’d be selling low just as women’s football takes off in England, like when Homer Simpson sold his stock for $25 on the morning before it went vertical. And we’re convinced that this is a financial no-brainer? Mercury 13 would have no financial incentive to share any resources with us. They’d have no stake in our men’s side, the Lewes community, or local Lewes youth players of any gender. Their only financial incentive will be to win enough matches to stay in the Championship, but they’ll be badly overmatched, just like we are now. Well-funded women’s teams are coming, and that’s a good thing, but we’re treating it like an existential problem. But sure, maybe Mercury 13 will spend recklessly and a team wearing “Lewes FC” shirts will hold on to that Championship spot for a season or two longer than we could through community ownership. What a win for gender equity that will be. |
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dicksmith
Sussex County Division One
COYR
Posts: 298
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Post by dicksmith on Aug 25, 2023 4:36:57 GMT
Lewes FC would no longer have a women’s side. We would keep our men’s side (the thing that many on here have acknowledged is a financial drag) and our community-based youth programs (which, I assume, also don’t bring in a ton of money). Mercury 13 would buy our hard-earned place in the Women’s Championship and call their team “Lewes FC.” They want to do this because it’d be quicker and cheaper than earning a spot on their own. The Mercury 13 argument is that some of their investment will trickle down to the parts of Lewes FC that we keep. I, personally, was not born yesterday, so my skepticism is raised when I hear a private equity firm talking about benefits trickling down. We’d be giving up the Lewes FC Women, the strongest part of our brand. It’s the part of our club that attracts advertisers and owners from around the world. It’s also the part of the club that has had the most success on the pitch, and I’ll selfishly add that it’s the only part of the club that I regularly make time to watch. We’d be banking on the benevolence of a private equity firm that is bragging about taking on nine figures of debt globally over the next few years. We’d be selling low just as women’s football takes off in England, like when Homer Simpson sold his stock for $25 on the morning before it went vertical. And we’re convinced that this is a financial no-brainer? Mercury 13 would have no financial incentive to share any resources with us. They’d have no stake in our men’s side, the Lewes community, or local Lewes youth players of any gender. Their only financial incentive will be to win enough matches to stay in the Championship, but they’ll be badly overmatched, just like we are now. Well-funded women’s teams are coming, and that’s a good thing, but we’re treating it like an existential problem. But sure, maybe Mercury 13 will spend recklessly and a team wearing “Lewes FC” shirts will hold on to that Championship spot for a season or two longer than we could through community ownership. What a win for gender equity that will be. Perhaps consider Mercury 13 deal providing new and additional infrastructure to Lewes FC. Perhaps a training center.....perhaps additional training grounds. Perhaps even additions to the Pan. These are things that Lewes FC could use to stay competitive in the rising cost pictures. Right now, our women's playing budget is in the bottom 25% of the WCL. We're looking at barely more than an average of 10K per season per player. To be competitive in the WCL today probably means a playing budget of twice our current one, and to be a top 3 team a budget of 3X. There is no way that Lewes, structured as it is, can reach those numbers. Plus, players that can command those numbers are also looking for some good infrastructure typical of large parent clubs. Mercury 13 can help with those numbers. Despite some not wanting to see it, the women's team with its values and success has gone a long way to helping bring Lewes recognition AND help fund the men's team. Unusual as typically it is the other way around. |
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Post by gonefishing046 on Aug 25, 2023 6:37:40 GMT
Lewes FC would no longer have a women’s side. We would keep our men’s side (the thing that many on here have acknowledged is a financial drag) and our community-based youth programs (which, I assume, also don’t bring in a ton of money). Mercury 13 would buy our hard-earned place in the Women’s Championship and call their team “Lewes FC.” They want to do this because it’d be quicker and cheaper than earning a spot on their own. The Mercury 13 argument is that some of their investment will trickle down to the parts of Lewes FC that we keep. I, personally, was not born yesterday, so my skepticism is raised when I hear a private equity firm talking about benefits trickling down. We’d be giving up the Lewes FC Women, the strongest part of our brand. It’s the part of our club that attracts advertisers and owners from around the world. It’s also the part of the club that has had the most success on the pitch, and I’ll selfishly add that it’s the only part of the club that I regularly make time to watch. We’d be banking on the benevolence of a private equity firm that is bragging about taking on nine figures of debt globally over the next few years. We’d be selling low just as women’s football takes off in England, like when Homer Simpson sold his stock for $25 on the morning before it went vertical. And we’re convinced that this is a financial no-brainer? Mercury 13 would have no financial incentive to share any resources with us. They’d have no stake in our men’s side, the Lewes community, or local Lewes youth players of any gender. Their only financial incentive will be to win enough matches to stay in the Championship, but they’ll be badly overmatched, just like we are now. Well-funded women’s teams are coming, and that’s a good thing, but we’re treating it like an existential problem. But sure, maybe Mercury 13 will spend recklessly and a team wearing “Lewes FC” shirts will hold on to that Championship spot for a season or two longer than we could through community ownership. What a win for gender equity that will be. Perhaps consider Mercury 13 deal providing new and additional infrastructure to Lewes FC. Perhaps a training center.....perhaps additional training grounds. Perhaps even additions to the Pan. These are things that Lewes FC could use to stay competitive in the rising cost pictures. Right now, our women's playing budget is in the bottom 25% of the WCL. We're looking at barely more than an average of 10K per season per player. To be competitive in the WCL today probably means a playing budget of twice our current one, and to be a top 3 team a budget of 3X. There is no way that Lewes, structured as it is, can reach those numbers. Plus, players that can command those numbers are also looking for some good infrastructure typical of large parent clubs. Mercury 13 can help with those numbers. Despite some not wanting to see it, the women's team with its values and success has gone a long way to helping bring Lewes recognition AND help fund the men's team. Unusual as typically it is the other way around. |
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Post by gonefishing046 on Aug 25, 2023 6:43:53 GMT
Why does a person on here suggest it's an anti woman thing that is a ridiculous comment. Know one on here as said that. It's about 100% fan ownership ,which will not be maintained. Look at mercury 13. They are an investment company. They will not spend hundreds of thousands improving everything too the lever some people suggest. They will invest too a certain level then move Lewes ladies on by selling too whoever. They see a huge profit opportunity due too our popular ethos and the huge money that is rightly entering the woman's game
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Post by sedlescombe on Aug 25, 2023 6:47:12 GMT
There was an irony reading through the article in The Athletic and Maggies comment that the investment company were the right people to talk to because they shared the clubs values, yet they are so committed to those values that they want to take over just one of the teams. So many of us have taken pride in the fact that the club split the budgets equally yet and the first wafting of a venture capitalists chequebook we are ready to abandon those principles. If they are so committed to our values why aren’t they wanting both teams?
We are a cheap “IN” to the English game. That’s it, any trickle down benefits will be incidental. You don’t spend that much money without having very tight control over where it is going. I presume if we know that they share our values so closely we know where that investment fund came from. Any Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds? I don’t doubt for a moment that Mercury can take take the club further than fan ownership because they have deeper pockets. The question is do we care? If we wanted “success” we might all be supporting Manchester City, yet we don’t. We support a local team that represents us.
Perhaps I am wide of the mark. I didn’t get the email (literally and perhaps figuratively) so am picking up on comments here and The Athletic article and it’s hard not to feel a little bit queasy that the people who promoted equal budgets and equality FC ( and rightly so) will be the same people who tell us we should set the women’s team free.
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Post by Trojandog (Terry M) on Aug 25, 2023 6:49:50 GMT
A reality check - In all these comments, no-one has suggested an alternative apart from 'stay as we are'. If we do that, the club is doomed to decline. It's already started. The budget for this season is unchanged from last season. Allowing for inflation, that's a budget cut. Do we do the same next season and the season afterwards? Of the four key full-time members of staff who left at the end of last season, only one has so far been replaced and he's part-time. Some staff are now doing multiple roles resulting in massive stress. At the moment, the position of Financial Controller is being multitasked by someone with no training in accountancy. So what should we do? Seek some elusive sugar daddy? Pray for a global company to sponsor us at £5m a year? Find more owners? -We appear to increase ownership by about 200 a year; that's £10k which doesn't even cover the inflation on the playing budgets. Other clubs are investing massively. We aren't, can't, and never will be able to under the current system.
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