Interesting view from a Luton town fan taken from 606

[DDD In The Fine City 1]

Be thankful for what you have.

League One Norwich City

by spixworthmadhatter (U13716891) 27 June 2009

Forgive me, as an ageing lifetime Luton fan, for coming onto your board with an article, but I feel I have to attempt to put matters into some perspective. The recent article from Weaver about season ticket rebates at Norwich, I found very interesting if not somewhat disturbing given that Mr. Foulger, despite his lack of PR, is ploughing more money into your club and appears to be attracting criticism for so doing. At Luton, we have had no money for many seasons and yet continued to speculate by bringing in players for transfer fees and salaries the club clearly could not afford in an attempt to climb to better things. This, as has been proved, is a disasterous policy which, to anyone with a modicum of financial common sense could see would only lead the club into ruin. As a direct result of this mismanagement we find ourselves in the blue square league.

But thanks to the determined efforts of some of our fans who are also astute businessmen, we now are being run within the clubs finanacial means and are now debt free. This of course, only through entering administration for the third time in nine years.
But, at least we do still have our club, hopefully well set up to start the climb back to respectability.

I tell you all this, which is probably of little interest to you, purely to make the point that Norwich City must beware going down the same long road to oblivion. Don''t expect your Board to throw money it doesn''t have at playing staff in the attempt to achieve success - it rarely works. Norwich are hugely in debt and must stabalise their finanacies. The climb to better times may well take a few years and will only be achieved through sensible planning. Despite your misgivings about Delia, her husband, and Foulger, you have people running your club who are fans and not property developers asset stripping the club in an attempt to make themselves, as individuals, richer. That is what happened at Luton. Please, put to one side your grievencies toward the Board members and pull together as one, if only to avoid the disaster, in football terms, of doing a Luton. I love my club and now feel complete optimism for the future. I would hate for the club of my adopted home to suffer a similar scenario as that of the last three seasons at Kenilworth Road. Keep the faith, even in these times, a change of ownership at Norwich will not neccessarily improve matters. Good luck for the coming season.

[DGC 0]

This makes an extremely poignant and valid point i believe. Sometimes (often in fact) in life it really is a case of better the devil you know.

[Yelloow Since 72 56]

I think that this independent view of the rebate issue hits the nail on the head. I support the right of those who claimed their rebates back but applaud those that didn''t. Changes have been made with a new CEO and new Directors soon to be coming in. McNally has placed a huge emphasis on playing staff as the priority and I think it''s time to move on and put support behind the club. I also think that Foulger has the right to be disappointed at the result.

[Yobocop 1,444]

I''m the other way around from this bloke (my home town Norwich, adopted town Luton) and I can see the damage that has been done to Luton in the past and how they are fixing it now, its a long process that we don''t want to get ourselves involved in.

Great post and best of luck to Luton next season.

[Shaun Tilly Lace 0]

That is indeed food for thought and makes for interesting reading. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[0ridgemanddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

I sincerely hope that Luton return to league football at the earliest opportunity.

[Rock the Boat 0]

Except, of course, it was the property development route and all the other off-field activities that have done in Norwich City just as this guy is saying happened at Luton Town. Instead of investing the monies we had into building a quality team, the NCFC board diverted cash into unsellable land assets.

[newyorkcanary 14]

Great post. We are in a bad way right now, but the sky is not falling.

[Buzz Killington 0]

[quote user="Rock the Boat"]Except, of course, it was the property development route and all the other off-field activities that have done in Norwich City just as this guy is saying happened at Luton Town. Instead of investing the monies we had into building a quality team, the NCFC board diverted cash into unsellable land assets.[/quote]

so are you saying that land was a bad Investment 10 years ago? Coz I bet the land we own is alot more valuable than when we bought it, even in the current climate.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,035]

The fundamental difference between Luton and Norwich however is that Luton are a relatively small clubs with small gates who are where they are because of financial mismanagment. We on the other hand cannot blame finances for being relegated out of the championship, the reason why we are where we are is because of shocking mis-management and decisions made over the last 4 years, can anyone blame Norwich fans for not having faith in the board??. Two of them got the chop, the problem still lies within the club whilst the other two still remain.

[Arthur Whittle 0]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[Arthur Whittle 0]

[quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[/quote]About time you were sentenced! [;)]

[Desert Fox 0]

Buzz Killington,

The original purchase of land by Chase was (with the benefit of hindsight) a good deal, although it could be argued that the opportunity cost (i.e. failure to stay in the Prem) was much greater.

The real crime that has been committed by our Board is to buy more land and spend signifcant sums on trying to develop this at the wrong time in the economic cycle. I am not saying this with the benefit of hindsight either having personally liquidated all my investments in property three years ago.

The other huge mistake they have made is trying to play at being a property developer without bringing in a joint venture partner to share expertise. How many property development companies run sucessfull football teams? What skills did our Board think they had collectively to pull off one of the largest developments in Norfolk?

Whilost they may have thought that they were trying to create value for the club which coul be invetsed in the team downstream, their stretgyu has backfired spectacularly and partly explains where some of transfer fee receipts have not been invetsed in the team depsite starements to the contrary. Put simply, they have picked the wrng stargey and executed it poorly and have admitted (at the last AGM) they do not have a clue how to change tack.

 

[Desert Fox 0]

Buzz,

I forgot to add that there is no way on earth that the land (excluding Chase''s purchases) is worth anywhere near what they pai for it and have spent developing it. This is why it remains in limbo (incurring interest payments) because they cant sell it or afford to continue developing it.

[Arthur Whittle 0]

[quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[/quote]About time you were sentenced! [;)][/quote]

I''m serving life with Doris mate!

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[/quote]About time you were sentenced! [;)][/quote]

I''m serving life with Doris mate!

[/quote]

Do you have completely separate cells Arthur and, if so, are you allowed conjugal visits?

[Arthur Whittle 0]

[quote user="YankeeCanary"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[/quote]About time you were sentenced! [;)][/quote]

I''m serving life with Doris mate!

[/quote]

Do you have completely separate cells Arthur and, if so, are you allowed conjugal visits?

[/quote]

LOL, I should''ve said Under Doris.....[:)]

[Arthur Whittle 0]

[quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="YankeeCanary"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[/quote]About time you were sentenced! [;)][/quote]

I''m serving life with Doris mate!

[/quote]

Do you have completely separate cells Arthur and, if so, are you allowed conjugal visits?

[/quote]

LOL, I should''ve said Under Doris.....[:)]

[/quote]

Now I''ve set myself up for some sexual innuendo no doubt![:$]

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="YankeeCanary"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"][quote user="Arthur Whittle OBE"]

Utter crap. The Debt has got worse, the Team seems to be in permanent decline, we have no current players coming through to warrant any significant future large transfer and all this under the stewardship of our so called ''Custodians'' Its those pathetic Board Members who have failed to pull in the same direction as the Loyal fans. To compare Luton to Norwich is a joke.[:@]

I suggest you post this letter on the Burney, Stoke, Hull, And many who

imo

 are much smaller but ultimatly more ambitious and watch the re4action you get, i bet they''ll laugh their heads off.

[/quote]

not sure what happened to the sentencing.........

[/quote]About time you were sentenced! [;)][/quote]

I''m serving life with Doris mate!

[/quote]

Do you have completely separate cells Arthur and, if so, are you allowed conjugal visits?

[/quote]

LOL, I should''ve said Under Doris.....[:)]

[/quote]

It doesn''t get much better than that Arthur. Kind of explains your recent disappearance where many though your life had passed by.

[Nuff Said 5,960]

[quote user="Rock the Boat"]Except, of course, it was the property development route and all the other off-field activities that have done in Norwich City just as this guy is saying happened at Luton Town. Instead of investing the monies we had into building a quality team, the NCFC board diverted cash into unsellable land assets.[/quote]Are you deliberately missing the point, or have you just not taken the time to understand it? The point about property developers in the original post was, I believe, that other clubs have had investment from parties who saw that the ground had redevelopment potential and that they - not the club - could profit from that. Although you could justifiably argue that the club has made mistakes in its property dealings, the point the original post is making is that we are fortunate not to be at the mercy of property developers who have little interest in the future of the club.

[Buzz Killington 0]

I can see the logic though. When times are good, buy some land. Look at how many people bought a house 20 years ago, for 20k, and they now own a plot worth 250k. It makes sense to try and get in on it. However, whilst this would be a great idea in some instances, I don''t believe it''s viable for financing a football team. I''m not disagreeing with anyone. Obviously it hasn''t worked, but I''m saying I can see why the club were advised to do it. You''d have thought they''d have learnt from the whole chase thing. Apparently not....

[JuanVelasco 27]

[quote user="Buzz Killington"][quote user="Rock the Boat"]Except, of course, it was the property development route and all the other off-field activities that have done in Norwich City just as this guy is saying happened at Luton Town. Instead of investing the monies we had into building a quality team, the NCFC board diverted cash into unsellable land assets.[/quote] so are you saying that land was a bad Investment 10 years ago? Coz I bet the land we own is alot more valuable than when we bought it, even in the current climate.[/quote]

Were talking about the land we bought LAST YEAR! for £2.5m, with a loan that we are paying real life interest on!

[Buzz Killington 0]

Last year? Seriously? How do you know that?