spur
Isthmian South
Posts: 857
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Post by spur on Aug 24, 2023 15:16:10 GMT
www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/24/lewes-fc-takeover-mercury-13-womens-footballHere's the Guardian take on it: 'takeover'. They fail to distinguish between takeover of the club as a whole, which clearly it wouldn't be, and takeover of the women's side, which in effect (a 51 per cent share) it would. But what kind of encouragement have they been given by our directors to sound so gung-ho in naming the club at this early stage?
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Post by nschlut on Aug 24, 2023 15:21:51 GMT
I'll preface this by saying that I am in the US and I've never been to Lewes, but I've been an owner for ~10 years.
I can't speak for all of your international owners across 40 countries, but I imagine most of us don't have ties to Lewes, but to the ideas that Lewes CFC stands for. I am a Lewes CFC owner because I am dissatisfied with the US sports ownership model, and I believe in the principles of community ownership, 1 owner 1 vote, and equal pay. Those are the core values that I'm investing in. I give my 50 quid a year because I think it is a worthy experiment to see if a club can hold those principles simultaneously.
If the board is now saying that experiment has failed, or that they would rather hitch their wagon to the whims of outside investors in order to try to compete at the highest tier possible, then why would I continue to invest in Lewes FC? If all I cared about was tiers, I could buy shares of a club that competes at a lot higher level than the Isthmian League.
Anyway, I'm against this. I don't care if "1 owner 1 vote" means that the women's and men's teams will eventually drop a tier. I have enjoyed being an owner with an equal vote, but I don't see any draw whatsoever in being a minority investor in a club across an ocean in a town I've never been to. I'd wish you all well and spend my 50 on beer.
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Post by seagullhhater on Aug 24, 2023 15:28:32 GMT
My initial worry is that it is the consortium’s plan would be to offload the men’s team in the future leaving them high and dry. Has this been considered by the board of directors or maybe this would suit their own desires? Obviously when the women’s team came into being they started with precious little and had no facilities to call their own so shared the Dripping Pan and all facilities with the men. It soon became very clear to me , together with more than a few of the long standing fans of Lewes that I know, that it appeared that the men’s team were becoming almost irrelevant. Everything has seemed to be geared towards equality ( it should work both ways) with non stop publicity being sought and received in particular to the progress of the women’s team. I ceased being an ‘owner’ of Lewes FC ‘community’owned club about 3 years ago as I had serious doubts about the intentions of the club . I still watch the occasional men’s match but I’m no way near as regular a fan as I was. My loss I know , but I have very strong feelings about where I believe this club has gone recently. I ,for one, would be more than happy for all connections between the men’s and women’s teams be severed , with a return to the local men’s non league club that we once were. Maybe with local people actually volunteering to help with the running of the club and with local players we could relate too on the team sheet we could return to the real ‘community club’ that we all once enjoyed. This is obviously dependant on the men not being evicted from the Dripping Pan of course.Perhaps Lewes Women fc could apply to ground share with the Brighton women down in Falmer or even in Crawley . Lol .
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Post by nschlut on Aug 24, 2023 15:33:55 GMT
Also, I want to point out that the women's team drifting down a tier is a happy problem. It means that more clubs are investing in the women's game.
A club with our budget was able to put a team in the Women's Championship because hardly anyone else was taking the women's game seriously. Now they are. Our women's team will find it more difficult to stay in the Championship, whether we take outside investment or not. It's fine. It's good.
I wish that the USWNT were as dominant as they were a decade ago. But they were dominant because not enough other countries had taken the women's game seriously enough for long enough to compete at our level. That time is over, hopefully forever. It's fine. It's good.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2023 16:01:31 GMT
well said barry...foreign investment dear oh dear weve heard that narrative before with other clubs and it hasnt always worked out the eagle eyed among us will be watching developments most carefully
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Post by Trojandog (Terry M) on Aug 24, 2023 16:06:36 GMT
My initial worry is that it is the consortium’s plan would be to offload the men’s team in the future leaving them high and dry. Has this been considered by the board of directors or maybe this would suit their own desires? Obviously when the women’s team came into being they started with precious little and had no facilities to call their own so shared the Dripping Pan and all facilities with the men. It soon became very clear to me , together with more than a few of the long standing fans of Lewes that I know, that it appeared that the men’s team were becoming almost irrelevant. Everything has seemed to be geared towards equality ( it should work both ways) with non stop publicity being sought and received in particular to the progress of the women’s team. I ceased being an ‘owner’ of Lewes FC ‘community’owned club about 3 years ago as I had serious doubts about the intentions of the club . I still watch the occasional men’s match but I’m no way near as regular a fan as I was. My loss I know , but I have very strong feelings about where I believe this club has gone recently. I ,for one, would be more than happy for all connections between the men’s and women’s teams be severed , with a return to the local men’s non league club that we once were. Maybe with local people actually volunteering to help with the running of the club and with local players we could relate too on the team sheet we could return to the real ‘community club’ that we all once enjoyed. This is obviously dependant on the men not being evicted from the Dripping Pan of course.Perhaps Lewes Women fc could apply to ground share with the Brighton women down in Falmer or even in Crawley . Lol . The consortium can't "offload the men's team" as the men's team will be nothing to do with the consortium. The men's team have benefitted hugely from the existence of the women's team. It wasn't the men's team that attracted sponsors like Lyle & Scott and Xero. The new £800k hybrid pitch was a direct result of the women being in the Women's Championship. Yes, the proposed investment is into the women's squad, but that investment will bring huge improvements across the whole club. Better staffing, increased expertise, affiliations with other clubs, improvements to infrastructure such as training facilities will benefit the entire club; mens squad, pathway, U18s, junior squads etc...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2023 16:10:08 GMT
well said spur what encouragement indeed???
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Post by Trojandog (Terry M) on Aug 24, 2023 16:10:09 GMT
My initial worry is that it is the consortium’s plan would be to offload the men’s team in the future leaving them high and dry. Has this been considered by the board of directors or maybe this would suit their own desires? Obviously when the women’s team came into being they started with precious little and had no facilities to call their own so shared the Dripping Pan and all facilities with the men. It soon became very clear to me , together with more than a few of the long standing fans of Lewes that I know, that it appeared that the men’s team were becoming almost irrelevant. Everything has seemed to be geared towards equality ( it should work both ways) with non stop publicity being sought and received in particular to the progress of the women’s team. I ceased being an ‘owner’ of Lewes FC ‘community’owned club about 3 years ago as I had serious doubts about the intentions of the club . I still watch the occasional men’s match but I’m no way near as regular a fan as I was. My loss I know , but I have very strong feelings about where I believe this club has gone recently. I ,for one, would be more than happy for all connections between the men’s and women’s teams be severed , with a return to the local men’s non league club that we once were. Maybe with local people actually volunteering to help with the running of the club and with local players we could relate too on the team sheet we could return to the real ‘community club’ that we all once enjoyed. This is obviously dependant on the men not being evicted from the Dripping Pan of course.Perhaps Lewes Women fc could apply to ground share with the Brighton women down in Falmer or even in Crawley . Lol . "I ,for one, would be more than happy for all connections between the men’s and women’s teams be severed , with a return to the local men’s non league club that we once were" Will whippets, flat caps, woodbines and pints of Mackeson be mandatory?
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youngspur
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 144
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Post by youngspur on Aug 24, 2023 16:10:13 GMT
One silver lining amid all the justified concern: this time we will at least get a vote, a privilege that was never granted to the owners back when the most momentous decision in the history of the club - the equalisation of playing budgets - was imposed. Ever since that announcement, the idea of a community ownership model in which owners get a say on anything important has rung just a little hollow.
As others have already said, this whole deal smacks of an admission of failure in the pursuit of a truly self-sufficient community-run club and vindicates the scepticism with which the equality initiative was originally met. Once again, and for the avoidance of all doubt, to question the sustainability of equal pay is not, and never has been, the same as wishing ill on the women's game. Instead, this latest move, in the wake of which some would undoubtedly be more 'equal' than others, invites the perennial question of whether the board, wreathed as it is in its own incense, is apathetic about the men's team.
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Post by Barry Collins on Aug 24, 2023 16:27:38 GMT
I've yet to see any firm commitment that owners will get to vote on this, although I'd very much expect that to be the case. One silver lining amid all the justified concern: this time we will at least get a vote, a privilege that was never granted to the owners back when the most momentous decision in the history of the club - the equalisation of playing budgets - was imposed. Ever since that announcement, the idea of a community ownership model in which owners get a say on anything important has rung just a little hollow. As others have already said, this whole deal smacks of an admission of failure in the pursuit of a truly self-sufficient community-run club and vindicates the scepticism with which the equality initiative was originally met. Once again, and for the avoidance of all doubt, to question the sustainability of equal pay is not, and never has been, the same as wishing ill on the women's game. Instead, this latest move, in the wake of which some would undoubtedly be more 'equal' than others, invites the perennial question of whether the board, wreathed as it is in its own incense, is apathetic about the men's team.
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spur
Isthmian South
Posts: 857
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Post by spur on Aug 24, 2023 16:34:12 GMT
That's a good point, Barry, but surely . ... And there would be a mass scuttling of the ship if such a decision was taken without owners' approval.
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tressell
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 156
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Post by tressell on Aug 24, 2023 16:49:55 GMT
Equality is rising tide apparently
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dicksmith
Sussex County Division One
COYR
Posts: 298
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Post by dicksmith on Aug 24, 2023 17:09:16 GMT
I've yet to see any firm commitment that owners will get to vote on this, although I'd very much expect that to be the case. One silver lining amid all the justified concern: this time we will at least get a vote, a privilege that was never granted to the owners back when the most momentous decision in the history of the club - the equalisation of playing budgets - was imposed. Ever since that announcement, the idea of a community ownership model in which owners get a say on anything important has rung just a little hollow. As others have already said, this whole deal smacks of an admission of failure in the pursuit of a truly self-sufficient community-run club and vindicates the scepticism with which the equality initiative was originally met. Once again, and for the avoidance of all doubt, to question the sustainability of equal pay is not, and never has been, the same as wishing ill on the women's game. Instead, this latest move, in the wake of which some would undoubtedly be more 'equal' than others, invites the perennial question of whether the board, wreathed as it is in its own incense, is apathetic about the men's team. I can't find a copy of the Club's by-laws, but typically it is the vote of the Board of Directors that counts. We "owners" voted for the board members, and in doing so passed our opinions and votes to them.
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spur
Isthmian South
Posts: 857
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Post by spur on Aug 24, 2023 17:21:58 GMT
Whatever the rulebook says, it would be a travesty for the owners not to be given a vote on this.
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Post by nschlut on Aug 24, 2023 17:40:52 GMT
Yes, the proposed investment is into the women's squad, but that investment will bring huge improvements across the whole club. Better staffing, increased expertise, affiliations with other clubs, improvements to infrastructure such as training facilities will benefit the entire club; mens squad, pathway, U18s, junior squads etc... 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.
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