the truth PLEASE

[pc27]

What the hell is going on?

when are the club going to give us some straight answers?

 

Rob Moores coloumn in the gazette this week:

 

quote ''we can talk all week players leaving and the reasons behind it but there is no point. Gary Calder is making it clear that players who are not in his plans next year are being allowed to leave''

 

Erm hello! Rob, it matters 100% why these players are going. do you think no one would bat an eye if man u sold beckham, scholes etc? there is clearly a serious financial reason why these players are being allowed to leave and we, the paying fans are not being told the real reasons why. As for the part about 'not in calders plans', Im sure Calder would love to have them in his plans, the wording of this article would suggest that Calder is chosing to let these lads go.

If I was Calder i wouldnt be too chuffed with Rob Moore as there are going to be many fans, maybe ones that dont read the stuff on here that are going to read this and instantly blame the manager.

 

Then we get to the cloud over george borg. He quits to save the club money. This would fit in what with all the players leaving. As far as im aware he hasnt got another job. Calder then slates Borg in his programme notes saying that Borg didnt quit 'cos of financial reasons.

Ok so why then did he quit? the club had the money to pay his wages to the end of the season (but not enough for the players?!) and he hasnt quit to go to another club. Seems strange of Borg to put himself on the footballing dole if the club could afford him?

 

Finally, how many more are going to go? im sure most thought Mark Graham was likely to be the last to go as he was probably a top earner but since then 3 more have gone.

the club needs to address these questions as the fans are going to drift away. If anyone from the club reads this, then please make some sort of statement to the fans, we have a right to know as without our support it aint going to get any easier. No one that uses this forum likes to write negatives but until someone can put the record straight its only going to continue and this is bad for us all.

please sort it out.

[Paul King]

I totally agree with pc27. If moore doesn't tell us our situation soon, i'll be singing;

MOORO OUT!!!!

[Guest]

Well said PC27

 

I think everyone is getting fed up with the lack of respect to the fans being shown by Mr Moore. I don't really want to slag anyone off but Mr Moore is coming across as very arrogant and its becoming a PR disaster.

 

He needs the fans support for the team rebuilding and the proposed move but his attitude is its my club I'll do what I want and I'm not telling you lot anything WRONG Mr Moore without the fans backing your stuffed. Can anyone tell me that they trust the bloke any more ?

 

You know your in trouble when loyal posters to this forum start losing faith - which I think is now happening.

 

I'm probably get some stick for this but after 25 years of support I'm voting with my feet and boycotting the rest of the season. No longer prepared to spend my time and money watching crap and being treated with no respect by the chairman.

 

I never thought I'd say this but I actually feel sorry for Calder, how can he do the job without the financial backing necessary for football at this level. Mr Moore must think we are all f**cking stupid saying these players are not in our plans.

 

Any-one for AFC Billericay ??

[Andy Walsh]

I can't blame you Mr Harry for boycotting the rest of the season and I'm sure many more will be joining you. I agree I feel sorry for Calder, he's got so much stick, but he has a tough job and I wouldn't blame him if he walked at the end of the season. I will continue to watch anyway.

 

MOORE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

www.billericaytownfc.20m.com

[Andy Walsh]

Is it me or is Rod Moore, Peter Risdale in disguise. They both let their managers over spend and poorly looked after their clubs finances, but they won't blame themselves for what's going wrong. They both don't seem to care about their clubs, only the money. We desperately need a new chairman.

 

www.billericaytownfc.20m.com

[Guest]

Couldn't agree more with this thread, we are very much the Leeds of the Ryman and Rod Moore does appear to be straight from the Risdale school of chairmanship. What this club needs is a complete change of management and a fresh start. Then maybe we can lift the gloom, get the crowds back and see our team fufill its potential.

[Paul King]

I totally agree, I think we need a new managment with more attacking flavour about them and not play for 0-0's. At the beggining of the season I actually believed we could win promotion, but now i think we will be battling against relagation next season with the current team!!!

[c'mon ricay]

wiht basildon and the currnet exdos casued by poor finicail moore should

 

to think with the 8,000 staduim at GP if the people of basildon dont come which i doubt they will then their could be attendees below 250 on saturdays

[pc27]

I know a few of you are saying thet you you feel sorry for calder but in a funny way rod Moore has taken the pressure of Calder but carving the team up. The were many many of us that were not happy with calders choice of tactics (cries of 3 at the back!), but at that stage we really did have a team capable of winning something but in many games the managers choice of tactics let us down despite having a wealth of talent to chose from. What im getting at is calder wasnt taking us anywhere with a strong tream and just because he has been quoted as paying the wages of the players recently does not make him a great manager.

As Mr harry said, rodMoore is turning this whole thing into a PR disaster but, who knows, if we were all given some facts, which we should have been long before now and not having to ask for them, then maybe the fans would be sympathetic or atleast a little understanding.

[Guest]

nbnbnb

[Guest]

The club has been heading for disaster for the past 4 years.

A majority of the longer term membership were blown away during Tony Thake's effort to take over the Chairmanship and this left the way for the Club to become the Chairman's personal fiefdom.

 

In the past the Club belonged to its members who were all long term supporters. Subsequently it was turned into a limited company owned by individuals.

 

During this time there have been several financial manoeuvres including the selling of shares, the appointment of a paid? Chief Executive, and culminating in the proposal to link up with Stadia Management.

 

Who owns the shares? What/how were they paid for, and what happened to the proceeds? Who knows!

 

Had the mangement team gone power crazy when they dreamed up the concept of a Chief Executive? Probably!

 

Finances have become increasingly desperate and this will get worse when Chelmsford leave...fact!

 

Reports give the projected cost of the new stadium at about £8 million. Stadia Management will want a decent return on such an investment, they could put it into a bank or building society and get interest of around £250K per year. If BTFC manage to continue to attract crowds 0f 600 (doubtful), that will generate gate income of about £150K-£200K per year or £5000 per week. Out of this comes players wages, say £3-4,000 per week, and running costs. It is doubtful if anything will be left over to set against Stadia Managements £8 million investment.

 

Some will argue that the £8million is the price the Company will pay to ride on BTFC's back to be able to develop other cash generating facilities. However, if and when this scheme is up and running, the stadium will be on Stadia Managements books as an £8 million asset generating zero income. They are not a charity and sooner or later the existing or future management of the company will move to get BTFC out and get in tenants who will generate more income. There is some conjecture that the tenant could be Southend United.

 

So this can be construed as another power crazy move, and one which could leave the Club homeless. Ah well, they can always return to their roots and play at Sun Corner!

 

In the meantime what are the prospects of a change in leadership? Probably none. In the past, when a Chairman's efforts had run their course Club members would elect someone else. In those days members owned the club but who owns it now?

 

In the current environment, anyone looking to move in will be faced with having to buy a controlling share AND take on unprecedented debt. Not a likely scenario.

 

So, during the past 4 years there has been no improvement in playing results; ownership has been given to who knows who; and by all accounts BTFC is skint in every sense of the word. What a record, but it is obviously the fault of the supporters. How silly of us all not to have realised this!

 

 

[Ryan.c]

Quote:

Who owns the shares? What/how were they paid for, and what happened to the proceeds?

The shareholders own the shares. Shares were first offered to supporters who paid for them with thier own money. Any shares left were offered to the general public. The proceeds of the shares went into ground improvements for New Lodge(this was pre- Stadia Management/Basildon).

 

Quote:

Had the mangement team gone power crazy when they dreamed up the concept of a Chief Executive? Probably

I'm not sure, but it might be a legal requirement to have a chief executive, director, secretary etc, (I'm sure somebody will put me right!)

 

Quote:

sooner or later the existing or future management of the company will move to get BTFC out and get in tenants who will generate more income. There is some conjecture that the tenant could be Southend United.

You see this is the problem and one of the reasons why I asked for a registered users board. It's crap like the above statement that make you wonder what planet some people live on.

 

[Ryan.c]

Quote:

In the meantime what are the prospects of a change in leadership? Probably none. In the past, when a Chairman's efforts had run their course Club members would elect someone else. In those days members owned the club but who owns it now?

Shareholders own the club. Any chairman is accountable to his members/shareholders.

 

Just a few other points whilst we're on the Baso theme:

All footballing matters are in the control of Billericay Town FC LTD. All money taken by Billericay Town FC LTD stays in that company. The other associated facilities that come with the stadium/redevelopment of New Lodge (Ball courts, gym etc) are to be run by Stadia Management. 75% of any profit will go to Billericay Town FC LTD, with the remaining 25% to Stadia. Now thats how I see it. Maybe I've missed something/am naive/just plain daft. I get the feeling that if this was all going ahead somewhere in Billericay, we'd all be rubbing our hands together, crowds would be still 600+ and we'd all be looking forward to the future. As for the current situation, I agree, the club needs to communicate with it's supporters more. Whether it be through the website, this forum, papers, newsletters etc it needs to be more pro-active in-informing us and stopping idle gossip that comes from lack of information. Yes the club has financial problems hence the recent cull we've seen. This has only been done to secure the future of the club, and as I understand it the ship is alot steadier. Finally, I cannot stress it more, that this is the time to support your club. Boycotting, staying away, only makes the current situation WORSE. We can all blame who whoever we want as to why we are in this situation, BUT IT AINT GONNA GET BETTER BY STAYING AWAY. We have NO MAJOR BACKER. A few Individuals in the club have dipped into thier own pockets to keep things going. This isn't a situation that is going happen indefinatly. The major source of income comes through the turnstile. This club needs your support NOW. Don't let our club become a (with all due respect) Harrow, Boreham Wood, Hampton. The good times will come again but with everybodys continued support they will come quicker. The strongest clubs are those whose supporters stick with it through the dark days. You know what you have to do.

[Simon BTFC]

Southend were offered the Gloucester Park site some time ago and turned it down. Stadia will make the same amount of money whoever plays there as their cut will come from the businesses associated with the ground.

 

If anybody wants to take over the club they will not have to buy a controlling stake - indeed they will not be allowed to as one of the conditions of the floatation was that nobody could own more than 20% of the shares.

[Guest]

Can someone tell me who the company secretary is of Billericay Town Football Club Ltd ? and who are the major shareholders ?

[Guest]

We've all read this crap in the press before. It doesn't answer the question as to why in the LONG TERM Stadia Management will put up with BTFC playing in an £8 million asset from which they get no return. Sure its a good yarn in the present phase cos they need BTFC to get planning permission.

Many non league teams have been kicked out of grounds that THEY OWNED so it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of a team that doesn't own its playing premises. If you've got to have a Landlord, I'd sooner have the Council than any private company. BTFC Management is great pontificating its knowledge of the law in general, and company law in particular. It admits that any board has a duty to shareholders but omits to say that this includes an obligation to maximise shareholder returns. Stadia management wont be doing this if they let BTFC occupy their £8 million stadium for the longer term.

They must have got a labour spin doctor to write the answer about share ownership. Bottom line is that a club which was once owned by supporters when it was a membership organisation is now owned by private individuals. The sleight of hand in accomplishing this might be OK in some people's minds if it had moved the Club forward instead of ever closer to bankruptcy.For many of us it can never be justified regardles of success. To get control a new Chairman will have to buy shares or get pledges from enough existing shareholders; its a fair bet that this will be a lot more complicated than having a vote among members.

 

I guess its just as well BTFC didn't own New Lodge otherwise that too would be in the pawnshop.

 

Finally, why don't they respond to the issue of a paid Chief Executive. BTFC is not HFBC and paying a CEO could never be justified, even less when he has driven the outfit close to bankruptcy. So why can't we be told what he has paid himself in cash or kind and when and how he will repay it. Like all the other accounting issues at the Club we will never get a full and substantiated answer.

[Andy Walsh]

We are finally going to have some of our questions answered in this week's Gazette. It will be interesting to see what Rod Moore has to say and whether he takes any of the blame for the current situation or blames Gary Calder.

 

www.billericaytownfc.20m.com

[GazzaBTFC]

I agree with Ryan C.

 

All this support when we were top of the game and winning buit where is it now. The club needs you. Forget your feelings about Rod Moore or Gary Calder (I have an opinion here but prefer to keep it to myself) and help support the club. It is your club. All this talk about boycotting the rest of the season is only making matters worse.

[Guest]

The reason we are not attending games is that we feel we should be told the truth of whats going on at the club, we have supported loyaly and now am told that I have to go and buy a newspaper to find out, a few years ago when the club became a limited company nobody mentioned this sort of thing, only how great for the club and supporters that it would be, to me and I suggest most supporters it seems that some gross mismanagement has taken place, well isnt it time that the buck stopped being pushed around and the truth of what has happened be said , running a football club is like running ones own household ,if you overspend your budget you go skint, and it woukld appear thats what we are. I rather liked the new name Skint United ! In the future how are we going to attract new players when they know what track record we have , players do talk amongst themselves and as we all know bad news travels fast !! Answers now please.

[Guest]

Once again you have not got the balls to come on this forum with your proper name.

 

I have to ask why are you scared of people knowing who you are do you have something to hide.

 

There are many clubs at our level and at the top going through difficult times and some may not come out the other side.

 

House keeping of funds ready for next season is sensible and I would rather be in our position than say Huddersfield or Leeds Utd in debt and possible starring at relegation.

 

It is disappointing and difficult times but we will come out the other side a stronger club ready to push forward next season, which you are aware of is a key season with the possible implementation in Season 2004/05 of the new Conference structure.

 

To finally say why not come to the club and ask your questions if you cannot afford the cost of a paper and I can guarantee you will earn respect from the chairman and have your concerns answered.

 

Andy Turner

BTSA Chairman.