Jump to content

Question


moorside roughyed

Recommended Posts

Well then we now appear to be completely homeless after surrendering the lease on whitebank and appear to have accrued more debt as a result. How do we contact the club in case we have a query, where would we be purchasing ou season tickets from and where would we be collecting them from?.The current situation in the club not even having a landline is a bit amatuerish. The team retaining our position in the championship has been fantastic but I suppose this latest development takes a little of the lustre of it.Its going to be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 128
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Hi MR,

I think the debt to the Council has been wiped out due to giving up the Whitebank lease, well that's how I read it from the options that were listed by the Council. I maybe wrong though.

 

Now then, no home, hmm sounds familiar that doesn't it unfortunately. I'm guessing that the mobile number for the club will still operate.As for offices etc time will tell on that. I agree with you though it all has taken the shine and attention away from the players and coaching staff a bit. TBH I know we moan about a lack of info from the club but personally I feel all this about Whitebank could have at least waited til after Sunday when the season ends. Strange timing to break the news. Hang onto your hats kids, its gonna be another bumpy ride til everything gets sorted. The best news the club could release now is that we are staying at BF next season and sort out ST/admission prices. At least we would know we have a ground to play from next season then!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fully agree 34. I'm just going to keep smiling and look back on the achievements of those lads this season.

As you know I support the team not the regime but this is now starting to feel like a death from a thousand cuts. Financially, surely the club has to hit a tipping point with the debts that it keeps accruing.....no business can survive this way.

With reference to the debt to OMBC I read it that they may well persue the debt and if they do that doesn't look too good for us and not forgetting the kit fiasco this season. Really worrying time if creditors decide to force recovery of outstanding debt.

However I'll keep turning up with my lad for my "fix" and cheer the guys on until one day, as it seems the inevitable demise of the club happens under the current regime.......

Give us a TEEEEE

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The council have been overly tolerant towards Mr Hamilton and his backsliding over rent payments. It was kind of them to let him have the less embarrassing option of surrendering the lease on White bank.

They have said they will still pursue the debt for payment and as a council tax payer I'll be contacting several councillors I know to see that they do!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The position with Whitebank and how it will be developed, who will be the main tenant etc.has no bearing on this year or even next year as far as the team is concerned.

 

We have just secured championship status against all the odds and in my opinion the priorities need to be something like;

 

1. Bower Fold for next year

2. Commercial Manager to bring investors on board

3. Marketing Manager to sell the cub to the people of Stalybridge and the stay aways from Oldham

4. Kit supplier with an outlet for replica kit etc.

 

I am sure there are other things (players for example) but if we want to consolidate next year we need to be a bit more professional.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The statement from the club said that the lease on Whitebank had been given back to the council, not that the club is homeless and that Whitebank is no longer the base, so there's no reason to believe otherwise unless we are advised so, in due course. 

 

Also, reading the statements from both our club and Avro FC, it appears that the plan is well advanced and the planning application is imminent, so I assume that is the reason for the timing of those initial statements - before anyone 'got wind of it' and the rumours started. Mind you, that happens anyway, so it's a no-win situation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Council statement in the MEN clearly stated that they will still seek all money owed.

The debt is not written off.

Sounded to me like we may have an issue with kit suppliers also, who stopped producing merchandise with the inference that they hadn't been paid for what they had already done.

Never mind, just add these debts to the other £420,000 in debts identified in the last published accounts of the club.

Yep. You read that right.

Not sure what our current assets would be now we don't have the lease on Whitebank?

CH's laptop maybe, and the decals on his car. Oh, and there might be 50p and a Batman badge in the petty cash tin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The position with Whitebank and how it will be developed, who will be the main tenant etc.has no bearing on this year or even next year as far as the team is concerned.

We have just secured championship status against all the odds and in my opinion the priorities need to be something like;

1. Bower Fold for next year

2. Commercial Manager to bring investors on board

3. Marketing Manager to sell the cub to the people of Stalybridge and the stay aways from Oldham

4. Kit supplier with an outlet for replica kit etc.

I am sure there are other things (players for example) but if we want to consolidate next year we need to be a bit more professional.

Even if the Commercial AND Marketing manager were the same role/person the club could not afford it. Anyone worth their salt will cost £50k plus on costs.

The club doesn't see the speculate to accumulate argument. They would never do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey HOTB, Do you realise just what a big favour Chris did for us when he stopped those fan meetings...I  was gobsmacked when I heard the lease of whitebank had been surrendered....with an unserviced debt, and owed to OMBC to cap it all...

 

I have a quote for everyone who was involved in those meetings...

 

Work with Chris..."Thats a no Brainer!" 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The MEN statement also says negotiations on the debt are still ongoing too, so we will see. Big Red maybe you can also chase the council for all the money they have pumped into ###### projects that wasted your money like Sports Park 2000, Beal Valley Golf Course and the monies they have helped Latics out with,while your at it ask them what happened to the promise of a new ground for the rugby after the backhanded way they made fortunes out of the sale of Watersheddings. It was also kind of Oldham council to give us the biggest tip in pro sport too, I wouldn't have paid rent on it either considering its not even fit to graze pigs on. ORLFC entered into the agreement so rightly they should have paid as per that agreement. Personally I wouldn't want to set foot anywhere near that ground again, as the saying goes you cant polish a ######.

 

On top of all that, no one except the council and CH know what was in the lease conditions,have OMBC not met obligations as per it? Who Knows.

 

At the end of the day the timing of all this is shocking, surely it could have waited a week or so til the season was done instead of taking the gloss off a great season on the pitch, with a fab bunch of players. We that go don't even get the luxury of basking in the glory for a week before another crisis rocks the boat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you've got it the wrong way round. The council have waited til the season is concluded so as not to disrupt the team.

And they have let him 'surrender the lease' and talk to Avro about the future. They could have evicted the club any time they wanted and cut them out of the Avro deal completely.

Yet fans still continue to bite the hand that feeds them. The club exists only because our creditors continue to allow it.

If I was the leader of the Council reading this forum, I'd be thinking 'These people are going to slag us off whatever we do, so let's get as much of our money as we can even if it shuts em down.'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a limited company isn't it?

One with a shocking track record of paying it's bills.

No room for sentiment when it's public money.

Businesses in the town centre would have been closed much earlier if they had behaved in such a cavalier way towards rent and rates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well you continue in your quest to ensure semi professional rugby league dies in this town. However maybe it's for the best that you don't upset us fans by coming on to the Oldham forum to advance your plans! Oh and is there a congratulations from you for the effort the team have put in over the course of the season? I thought not....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you imagine any other private sector, limited company being run so badly for so many years that when it comes to point of complete collapse.....

THE CUSTOMERS BLAME THE LOCAL COUNCIL and not the people who have run the company.

It's a businesses responsibility 100% to be able to run and service it's affairs within its resources. This includes legal responsibilities like rent and business rates.

Any businessman should a. know this and b. be able to do it - particularly when it is given favourable rates and more time to pay them.

Whatever else the council do or don't do with Council Tax, funding bids for the arts, economic regeneration etc is totally irrelevant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that would be a very childish attitude to take especially from a leader of a council but then again we are talking about Oldham Council so who knows....

Why is it childish. It is public funds the council sorely needs after having government grants halved in the last five years.

The ONLY benefit to the council of not demanding the cash is to improve its reputation as a caring, sporting authority. But if they are not getting that benefit anyway.....it is a sound business decision, in the interests of the town's tax payers, to get the money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you imagine any other private sector, limited company being run so badly for so many years that when it comes to point of complete collapse.....

THE CUSTOMERS BLAME THE LOCAL COUNCIL and not the people who have run the company.

It's a businesses responsibility 100% to be able to run and service it's affairs within its resources. This includes legal responsibilities like rent and business rates.

Any businessman should a. know this and b. be able to do it - particularly when it is given favourable rates and more time to pay them.

But when said business man was promised that to start him off, he'd be given nice new premises, but then had the rug pulled and was grudgingly given use of a rickety old shed at rip-off rates, then it puts a bit of a different complexion on things.

OMBC reneging on previous promises have put the club on the back foot for the past twenty years, I'm surprised it's survived in ANY form whatsoever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe the customers are disillusioned with the way that this club has been treated by said council over the past few decades? Maybe the council should give more consideration to rugby league in this town instead of sticking them in that dump of a nothingness at Whitebank then expecting ridiculous amounts of money for the privilege! Could the club be managed better? ABSOLUTELY! Of course it is CH's responsibility! This club and its team represent the once proud town of Oldham, you would hope the council would do all it could to assist where possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where else in Oldham was there an established stadium not in use that they could have been given?

Why do you think they expect ridiculous amounts of money for the privilege? Do you know the monthly/annual rent and business rates charge? If you do I'd be really interested to see it. If they are extortionate I'll admit it, but I really really doubt they are.

We could probably find out with a freedom of information request.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.