Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:27 am  

Just thought I'd throw something out there for a bit of a discussion... and see how people feel about having a club that is bankrolled.

Recently there have been discussions regarding where the club are financially. There have been reports about tax bills... and we are forever hearing that we are limited due to our finances. Now obviously in these days where money is key in sport, it's always a worry, and a club like Salford are always looking over their shoulder.

So as fans... How do we feel ?

Lets just say a wealthy businessman came our way and wanted to buy out the club. He wanted to plough money in hand over fist to turn us into the number one club in the country... and he certainly had the funds to do it.

Would we welcome it ? Would we want it ? Would we want to be the Manchester City of rugby league ? Would we want to be the new Warrington Wolves ?

Or....

Is it against everything you stand for as a sports fan ? Do you feel that it's unsporting for a club to dominate due to just having more money than everybody else... when it's generated simply by this process of bankrolling ? Would you sooner see Salford be Salford and pray for that day we win something due to simply hard work ? Would it feel better to win something due to hard work, or would it matter where the money came from ?

These kind of situations can leave you in a similar position to Portsmouth... so is it worth the risk ?

(... and for the record... This isn't a pre-empt to some inside info of a wealthy investor... It was just something I was thinking about)

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:59 am  

LoyalFan wrote:

Just thought I'd throw something out there for a bit of a discussion... and see how people feel about having a club that is bankrolled.

Recently there have been discussions regarding where the club are financially. There have been reports about tax bills... and we are forever hearing that we are limited due to our finances. Now obviously in these days where money is key in sport, it's always a worry, and a club like Salford are always looking over their shoulder.

So as fans... How do we feel ?

Lets just say a wealthy businessman came our way and wanted to buy out the club. He wanted to plough money in hand over fist to turn us into the number one club in the country... and he certainly had the funds to do it.

Would we welcome it ? Would we want it ? Would we want to be the Manchester City of rugby league ? Would we want to be the new Warrington Wolves ?

Or....

Is it against everything you stand for as a sports fan ? Do you feel that it's unsporting for a club to dominate due to just having more money than everybody else... when it's generated simply by this process of bankrolling ? Would you sooner see Salford be Salford and pray for that day we win something due to simply hard work ? Would it feel better to win something due to hard work, or would it matter where the money came from ?

These kind of situations can leave you in a similar position to Portsmouth... so is it worth the risk ?

(... and for the record... This isn't a pre-empt to some inside info of a wealthy investor... It was just something I was thinking about)

Well if you look at the big clubs in super league they all have had there success by buying there way to titles, yes you could argue that teams like saints, Leeds and Wigan have brought through some good academy products but with them a Stella signing from the NRL to give them the extra edge, I'd love a Fred done or someone of his wealth to take over at the club and return us to the top again, i don't think any Salford fan wouldnt want this?

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:05 am  

The salary cap in RL prevents bankrolling on the Chelski/Man City scale, is it desirable? ,course it is

What you do want is a wealthy benefactor that allows you to compete financially to sign the best talent, but also one who is sensible enough to spend the extra 10% on long term marketing and community based projects that will eventually provide enough support and income to have a self susstaining club without any outside investement

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:14 am  

Brian Snape injected a lot of money into the club and gave us a team that was a joy to behold - though it should have won more trophies I think. Would I like to see it again? You bet your bottom dollar I would!

But, it would cost a lot more and the Salary Cap regulations mean that one club could not buy its way to success. I suppose money nowadays means that you can buy yourself into being a top team.

Mind you, I am very impressed by the progress we are making at the moment and I am enjoying this season more than I have enjoyed recent seasons - and we're off to France on Thursday. What price a fourth win on the trot?

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:22 am  

Starbug wrote:

The salary cap in RL prevents bankrolling on the Chelski/Man City scale, is it desirable? ,course it is

What you do want is a wealthy benefactor that allows you to compete financially to sign the best talent, but also one who is sensible enough to spend the extra 10% on long term marketing and community based projects that will eventually provide enough support and income to have a self susstaining club without any outside investement

They are ways around the salary cap Starbug don't be so sure that's stopping the big clubs from paying top roller to there stars, are you telling me that most of Warringtons players are all not on Adrian morleys wages. I know what goes on in RL it's definately not all by the book!

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:35 am  

RED LEAGUE wrote:

They are ways around the salary cap Starbug don't be so sure that's stopping the big clubs from paying top roller to there stars, are you telling me that most of Warringtons players are all not on Adrian morleys wages. I know what goes on in RL it's definately not all by the book!

I'm fully aware of the various ' loopholes ' , but they still dont equate to the 2 ' Charity ' clubs I mentioned

If you look at footy there are 2 specific groups

Utd,Liverpool,Arsenal are all essentially businesses, self financing

City, Chelsea, sporting Charities massively propped up by indiviuals or other businesses, both oil based in their cases

Everybody else falls somewhere between the 2 options

The ideal option is having the support of the second but trying to attain the first by investement in more than just the playing squad, as we are currently seeing the target of Champions league millions is so vital, and now we have 6 chasing 4 , some clubs could find themselves in trouble

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:06 pm  

I think everyone would love to have the security of a bankrolled club. However I dont want to end up like a saints fan!
For me the last year we were in NL1 was a real dull season. Turning up expecting to win and taking no joy from winning. It was as though there was no effort involved both on and off the field. Infact the GF was the only game that got me excited.

That for me was how it must be to be a saints fan. You see it in there attitude to everything with the club.
I'm sure people will disagree with me about this but I want us to compete, win a few things but not dominate completely. A sugar daddy could provide this if one ever materialized.

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:19 pm  

You'd have to be bonkers not to want a sugar daddy like Ken davy or David Hughes

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:23 pm  

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

I'm sure people will disagree with me about this but I want us to compete, win a few things but not dominate completely. A sugar daddy could provide this if one ever materialized.

I agree with this. Of course, I'd love to see a successful Salford winning things, who wouldn't? But it'd become boring if it got to the point where every season, it's simply a matter of whether we'll finish first or second. I'm a United fan as well as a Salford fan, and I've always found supporting Salford to be much more interesting/exciting. I'd like to have the money so we're capable of winning things, but not to the point where we simply steamroll everyone else on the way there.

Re: Would we welcome a wealthy investor ? Discuss. : Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:32 pm  

Think the obvious answer would be yes, there would need to be investment other than just going out and buying the best players.

I've always thought that Salford needs scouts looking for the best young and amature talent, maybe a tie in with an Aussie club to send the best of the best over for a years training in the sun and then hopefully reap the rewardws of not having to buy all the best players as they are already ours. You read that Fagas lives with Shirley and I often think what if the club had money to buy a large old house and get more talent like him over here all sharing accomodation, healthy eating and creating that team spirt from a very early age.

Think any sugar Daddy would be able to employ the best people for all roles, everyone remembers what happened at Bradford when they had the best marketing, can you imagine what could be done for Salford with a healthy budget to promote a club in a big city with an attractive brand of rugby being played on the field.

I said before the start of the season and I stick by it that if Salford make a decent fist of the new stadium then a new backer would come forward, I mean would you have wanted to throw good money after bad at the Willows?. Fred Done, the guy who owns Peel or any number of the highly sucesfull business types from Salford would see that with the new port on it's way next door, retail land all around the new site and a very prominent position next to a major motorway makes Salford one of (if not the best) investment oppertunities in RL in the UK.