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Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)5/2/2021 09:42Fri Feb 5 09:42:29 2021

Views: 1175

Are you OK Arthur-not heard from you for a few days .

This site is a much poorer place with out your interesting and thoughtful posts.
Take care

Norm

Edited by Norm at 09:45:00 on 5th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur6/2/2021 09:09Sat Feb 6 09:09:22 2021In response to ArthurTop of thread

Views: 1537

I'm fine. Inside leg still 32"; had my vaccination (blunt needle in my rear end); my wife is still wondering if I love the Swans more than her; celebrated her 21st birthday last week and a golden wedding anniversary the day before (with blue shorts of course); tried to drive along the river at Laleham the other day - closed due to flooding, so I assume the pitch is flooded too; 3 emails to do today re Downings as the recipient said I can't complain in the one I have sent - have to make 3 separate complaints; it's another Saturday with no real football ....... So I am well. I haven't posted on a forum for all Swans fans. The new Chairman is a nice fellow. The retiring Chairman is a top man too for the football club. Not sure of the Boons - the late Alan put the whole Thames Club thing into existence; and Matthew didn't really seem to care so both the club and his business started to fail ........ and it's mt Grand daughters birthday today; \|Valentine's coming up; snowmen time today and tomorrow; Ambulance out for my Brentford supporting neighbour twice this week; A cup of coffee to make right now - and looking forward to read the fans views on anything too. I will leave you with the story of the Barnsley man who went into his local jeweller and asked him to make a statue of his dog in gold. 18 carat asked the jeweller. No you daft bugger. said the man, aitin' a bone like all dogs ....... My apologies to all Yorkshire readers!!!

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Re: Arthur

By gregs9/2/2021 13:39Tue Feb 9 13:39:21 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 944

Be interested in your comments about Alan Boon - he put his heart and soul into the club as well as thousands of pounds for a long time and never had anything but the best interests of the club at heart. You can see that as to what as happened since he sadly left us. You seem to be implying that he has to carry some of the blame for where the club is at the moment?......were there any issues when he was Chairman?

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Re: Arthur

By Voicefromthepast7/2/2021 11:45Sun Feb 7 11:45:10 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 1110

Arthur, can you expand on your statement 'Not sure of the Boons - the late Alan put the whole Thames Club thing into existence; and Matthew didn't really seem to care so both the club and his business started to fail' I'm intrigued as to how and why you have formed this opinion?

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur7/2/2021 14:13Sun Feb 7 14:13:53 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 1025

I'm intrigued by this, your second ever posting on this fans website ........Any fan wouldn't need n explanation. I'll explain this when you explain to me how you can justify people investing (presumably on recommendation) in the Thames Club in 2016. When you explain the return on their investments and the potential future returns, I'll expand my comments

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Re: Arthur

By Voicefromthepast9/2/2021 10:19Tue Feb 9 10:19:47 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 954

Well that appears to be two of us intrigued. You made a statement on a public forum and I asked you to explain the basis of that statement. To get an answer I apparently need to give you answers to an investment strategy question. I wasn't aware that you have to be a qualified accountant or an investment banker to post on a non league football forum but it would appear so. By the way, for the accountants amongst you, this my 6th post!

Edited by Voicefromthepast at 10:20:06 on 9th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur9/2/2021 22:28Tue Feb 9 22:28:47 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 906

My brother in law has been out of work for so long that he is starting to talk with a Scouse accent ......
I apologise to Ron and other Liverpudlians who take offence to this remark. However, both jokes would not be allowed in any public forums - but they are allowed on private forums such as a football fans forum. From Manchester City to Accrington Stanley; from Torquay to Lockwood Youth, a fans forum is a PRIVATE forum for fans views. For your information, both jokes are taken from a Premier league club forum and are allowable. If a fans forum is to become a public forum then you need to start with the fans forums of Premier League clubs and work your way down. You seem to be taking offence about an innocent question as to when you should expect a return from an investment ..,, why; reasonable question. On some forums they ask for favourite records; box sets etc; questions about Covid; and Donald Trump. Anyway, as a long term Swans supporter, when did you start coming? Was it when Steve Corderey was manager; the Danny Gordon/ Louis Wells time; David W2heeler; Joe Aribo; Ali C; Louis T; Leroy and his green boots; or just when you joined the Thames Club. If my comments offend Matthew, I will apologise to him when I next see him at a match, he is still a director (I think) and a minority shareholder. Alternatively if he contacts me to let me know he is offended, and why, and doesn't accept my reasoning; then I will apologise to him on this forum. For those historians, the club originally owned the freehold before the existence of the Thames Club. It was part of Alan's reorganisation that created the current ownership situation which individuals within the club are still, I believe, trying to rectify to give the club a long term future at Wheatsheaf Park. I am sure Norm, who started this thread, will agree and we can go back to using the forum by fans, for the benefit of the fans, without people looking for nit picking legalities.


There was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman .......

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)10/2/2021 09:52Wed Feb 10 09:52:46 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 875

I do think this thread has evolved considerably from my enquiry about your health Arthur.

My first visit to WP was after the redevelopment-it was a league game against Wimbledon. Couple of games after i stood next to guy with snappy italian shoes eating a burger-it transpired he was the owner Alan Boon.
Unable to comment on the development finance but I do know that as owner he always ensured that the club was properly funded -from summer prep of the pitch down to a healthy playing budget.We ran a reserve team many players were on contracts ,there was a healthy and growing junior section and the academy was growing in stature each season. There was always a good working relationship with the clubs landlords.

Talking to ex players and former senior officials I know Alan was also a father figure to players if they had problems in their home life or private lives. He also gave apprenticeships and jobs to players if they were finding employment difficult.

The problems are of the current owners making.Why did the junior section move away -why did the Academy find a new home .Who was responsible -certainly not previous owners or even Thames club.

Edited by Norm at 09:53:57 on 10th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By gregs10/2/2021 15:51Wed Feb 10 15:51:28 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 885

Great points Norm. Alan was a fantastic chairman and that funding more often than not came out of his own pocket. Players loved him. You also need to remember what the place was like before the Thames Club and have to ask yourself at that time how much longer the club would have survived had he not done what he did. You can be sure that it had 100% of the club's best interests and future in mind. Sad that people have such short memories.
I cannot recall him asking the supporters to fund players wages - which I find difficult to understand now when there is apparently access to millions of pounds?

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Re: Arthur

By John Blair10/2/2021 21:51Wed Feb 10 21:51:00 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 889

Having been a supporter of the club since 1970 - and loyal home and away supporter for over 25 years of that - i don't think that anybody can dispute the level of money that Alan Boon put into the club in terms of the playing budget and pitch maintenance costs.
Alan was a very generous man who had the respect of a lot of people within the football fraternity.
Around the time of the 2007 and 2009 FA Cup runs it is no surprise that the club had one of the highest playing budgets at Step 3 level - a playing budget higher than a lot of Step 2 teams.
Alan thought nothing of dipping deeper into his pocket if he felt that it benefitted the club on the pitch. The joy on his face when we beat Stockport live on TV in November 2007 was a picture to savour and the party afterwards took some beating.
Whilst Alan loved the club the only question I would have is 'Why was the Freehold of the land sold to the Thames Club by Alan' . If this had not happened we would be the landlords rather than the tenants and wouldn't be suffering all the aggro that is currently going on with Downings/The Thames Club.

Matthew Boon became chairman/owner of STFC upon Alan's death but unfortunately didn't have the same level of enthusiasm shown by Alan and began to regard the club more as a business than an expensive hobby.
Personally I don't blame Matthew for this as more and more football clubs are now looked at as businesses rather than expensive hobbies for wealthy businessman.

However what I would like to say is that a lot of the clubs current problems are not down to the current ownership - although some people might choose to disagree !!
Joe Dixon did not sell the freehold of Wheatsheaf Park to the owners of the Thames Club.
This was down to Alan.
He also did not allow the Thames Club to :-
A) Reduce the size of the bar.
B) Take away the separate function room.
C) Remove the upstairs kitchen area and cellar room behind the bar.
D) Change the location of the clubs office and PA room.
These were all things that Matthew allowed to happen even though these were all areas stated in the lease as being for use by STFC rather than by the Thames Club.

People need to be aware of these facts before blaming the current ownership for everything that has gone wrong on or off the pitch.

And on another note 'boost the budget' schemes to assist with the playing budget are not something invented by STFC and the current ownership.
More and more non- league clubs run these and have been for a number of years.
Under the last 2 years of Matthew Boon's ownership the club were running a '12th Man Scheme' with supporters contributing towards the clubs running costs to take some of the financial pressure off of Matthew.
I know this for a fact as I was one of those contributing into it every month.

Edited by John Blair at 21:53:57 on 10th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)11/2/2021 09:21Thu Feb 11 09:21:45 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 822

But john-the actions taken during the last couple of years have risen because of the relationship breaking down between the new owners and the Thames club.Something that never happened during the previous owners time.

Also the juniors and academy moved away as I mentioned before . Never been explained why. I therefore can only assume it was due to a breakdown in relationship with the new owners and the two sections .

John a pattern has emerged don't you think

In my view this started wth the non payment of monies due legally to Thames club followed by the threat by Joe of a second court case. As you know Staines court upheld that the debt was due and then doubled the amount payable because Joe or his legal representatives failed to make an appearance in court at the first hearing

If you rent aflat or buy a house the first thing any one does is make sure they can afford rent/ mortgage and all outgoings-you dont proceed then pass round the begging bowl to make up the any short fall. Like wise if I was to buy a football I'd check out the costs involved to maintain the club at the level before completeting the purchase . I would not go ahead knowing I did not have funds to provide a playing budget or monies due to my landlord. Wish i could purchase but younger blood is need not a golden oldie !!!!!!!

I think its great that Joe has millions available to purchase the freehold and fully support the move but dont understand why he was not prepared to use a small amount o fthe funds to provide a playing budget.

A statement confirming Joes continung ownership would be welcomed together with an update on the freehold purchase.

Looking forward to hearing the new chairmans plans and initiativess so that we can start building for the future together

stay safe

Edited by Norm at 09:25:50 on 11th February 2021
Edited by Norm at 09:26:35 on 11th February 2021
Edited by Norm at 09:27:44 on 11th February 2021
Edited by Norm at 09:34:53 on 11th February 2021
Edited by Norm at 09:38:34 on 11th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By BigBadSwan (Swandico)11/2/2021 10:34Thu Feb 11 10:34:53 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 834

I think what we are forgetting here is that without Joe we wouldn't have a football club at all. Has he made mistakes ? Absolutely, but I thank him for our existence today.

Someone was paying Paul Barnes, Someone is paying the players, someone is paying the bills so maybe we need to show a little more gratitude than to blame him for everything that has gone wrong.... Because that is far from true.

Full respect to Alan and Matthew, we had our most successful years under Alans tenure but we must remember they were not perfect either. Imagine if they had the marketing skills and foresight to have put a boost the budget in place 5-10 years ago, you never know promotion to the conference national could have been achieved. We had regular crowds of 5/600, imagine 5 quid per week from that lot. It would have added up!

The clubs fortunes started to turn in the last several years of Matthews tenure, remember it was under him we were relegated embarrassingly from the conference south after two absolutely appalling managerial appointments. But because it was Matthews money people were scared to criticize and actually felt sorry for him. People don't seem to be showing Joe the same sympathy.

Please also remember that as it stands we are second in the league... If the league had continued who knows what could have happened.

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)11/2/2021 11:42Thu Feb 11 11:42:57 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 802

Very good points well made Big bad swan.

However, Matthew was not a football man and from what I understand would have preferred the family connection could have ended with the sad death of his father - the club was his "baby".However one of his fathers last wishes was that he continued to do his best to support the club.

He honoured his promise for as long as he was able to do so, at a very difficult time , following his bereavement and
having to cope, it now appears, with severe business problems.

I think the club was very forunate to have the family support for so long and we do not do ourselves any favours by blaming current problems on them .

Again why did Paul Barnes leave when we were in such a good position-we should be told -so that we do not form assumptions from the various snippets that are emerging

Edited by Norm at 11:43:37 on 11th February 2021
Edited by Norm at 11:49:22 on 11th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By BigBadSwan (Swandico)11/2/2021 12:07Thu Feb 11 12:07:17 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 816

Hi Norm, Yes I agree and the Barnes decision was a weird one. But him moving a division down probably explains it was a financially motivated move.

I'm sorry but we will have to agree to disagree , the club started to drop in stature during his tenure and so did his own business leaving many people without jobs at short notice. No coincidence there.

The club was not operated correctly as a business and key members of the "board" were Matthews pals and not anyone that knew what to do in moments of crisis or even the day to day running of the football club.

I really think we need to move away from the "any criticism at previous owners is a direct attack on the boon legacy" People need to learn to accept responsibility and take criticism.

Look at Michelle for example... She currently works for the Thames Club but appears to offer absolutely no help to broker relations between the two parties. It would be beneficial for her as maybe people would start using the bar again (Thus improving her takings) Again... It shows you they do not know how to run a business properly.

I agree we cannot blame certain problems on them and the club was extremely fortunate to have the Boon family's support for a long time which is why I was so surprised they turned their back so quickly on the club.

The foundations of todays problems do stem from the previous owners , whilst they are not fully responsible they certainly put the club in a bad position when they left, the unexpected move to the southern league certainly didn't help.

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Re: Arthur

By allen b11/2/2021 20:17Thu Feb 11 20:17:56 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 845

Bigbadswan "...the state they left it in" was "the richest football club in the country" no debt whatsoever. Difficult to criticise the Boon's for that.

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Re: Arthur

By John Blair11/2/2021 21:19Thu Feb 11 21:19:29 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 795

Calling Staines the 'richest club in the country with no debt whatsoever' is somewhat far fetched.
When Matthew Boon sold the club in 2018 the club had debts. The accounts for the last period that Matthew was owner of STFC show this.
Matthew sold a club -in name only- with little or no assets.
STFC don't own the ground - we are the tenants.
STFC don't own the building - our limited use of parts of it are as tenants.
When Joe bought STFC in the Summer of 2018 there were no players,no manager/coaching staff and little help given by the clubs previous committee.
The manager had quit at half time in the Middx Senior Cup Final - two weeks before the end of the season - and the players had been told to find other clubs by the departing manager and by the outgoing chairman.
If you don't believe this you would be wise to speak to some of those players.
Joe Dixon has made mistakes since taking on the club in June 2018. At the end of the day he is human. After all, find me somebody in any walk of life that hasn't made mistakes in life - work or personal -
People need to get behind the club and help the owner and the newly appointed chairman progress this club forward both on and off the pitch.
The past is the past !!!
What has been done has been done !!
This club needs unity amongst supporters to help the clubs aim to progress this club back to a higher level.

Edited by John Blair at 21:20:35 on 11th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By Swan (Swan fan)11/2/2021 21:55Thu Feb 11 21:55:34 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 757

So what exactly did Joe Dixon and his consortium purchase?

As has been said the club had debt and no assets except possibly a bag of balls and some training bibs?

What I’ve never really understood is that the consortium of high flying business men then uncovered some sort of financial dispute with the landlord that since seems to have prevented the club moving forwards or even standing still for that matter. All that seems to have been said is that the outcome of the Court case is awaited. Have I missed anything recently with regards to the Court case and any sort of ruling?

Very little official information seems to come from the club or it’s owner(s). We are told the owner(s) have made a multi million pound offer to buy the freehold but hasn’t been able to fund a playing budget. It seems a decent manager would rather drop down the pyramid to get away ASAP?

I feel for the genuine fans and dedicated volunteers but something doesn’t feel right about the current ownership. Are they keeping you in the dark and feeding bullshit I wonder?

Edited by Swan fan at 21:57:50 on 11th February 2021
Edited by Swan fan at 21:58:15 on 11th February 2021

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Re: Arthur

By southstreetswan11/2/2021 21:11Thu Feb 11 21:11:05 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 774

What happend when land was sold of , who got that money was it the club ? they sold the land before building anything ...

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Re: Arthur

By John Blair11/2/2021 21:28Thu Feb 11 21:28:14 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 777

South Street Swan - the answer to that question is that Alan Boon owned STFC at the time the freehold of the land was sold.
Alan - if he were still alive- could tell you what the land was sold for and what the money from that sale was used for.

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Re: Arthur

By southstreetswan11/2/2021 21:43Thu Feb 11 21:43:23 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 753

When land got sold does anyone know who made the cash ?? boons didn't build tames club.how much did they actually pay out. land was worth millions what did club get out of it and where'd it go?

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur11/2/2021 22:09Thu Feb 11 22:09:34 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 743

I really think you need to check the historical records, the land was transferred through companies where the directors were Alaqn and Matthew. This formed the basis of my original comments. I have said I will apologise to Matthew if he feels wronged and can satisfactorily answer the questions. I have no doubt Alan had the club at his heart. I have joined the chants of Alan Boon' yellow and blue army on more than one occasion. I do not believe Alan ever envisaged that his actions would have put the club in the state we are in today. However, this is persisting in trying to cause division amongst the fans which does not benefit the club in any shape or form. We are where we are. There is only way out - that is to get behind Joe and the bid he has made. We need to ensure the Thames Club and Downings are permitted no other use for the land than as a football ground - this will include objections at Council Planning meetings, petitions etc. We then will need to hold Joe to his promise of long term football at Wheatsheaf Park until hopefully the club outgrows the stadium (I, personally, don't expect to see that day!!). Once the tenure is set, it is our job to make sure we have a competitive team in whichever league we are playing where the playing budget can be funded by sponsorships, attendances and other club income (such as the club shop, club garments, memorabilia and special functions. Let's stop the wrangling, it only helps the Thames Club to see divided loyalties. Let's accept the past, warts and all, as the past.v bWe need to get the club in a fit state to go forward

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Re: Arthur

By southstreetswan11/2/2021 22:15Thu Feb 11 22:15:56 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 866

I agree we have to be united. Lets be honest its been very poor under Joe at times painful. Just want to know if Alan Boon made the money the money off of the land or the club ? I know he didn't build the Thames Club land was sold before. So where did that money go ? if it went to the club what did it go on . that was millions of pounds worth of land. maybe not as generous as he seemed.

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Re: Arthur

By John Blair11/2/2021 22:09Thu Feb 11 22:09:34 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 773

You are asking questions that cannot be answered by anybody on this forum.
If you want to find the answers you would have to ask the owners of STFC at the time of the freehold sale 20 odd years ago - maybe they can give you the answers as to what the sale price of the freehold was and what the money was used for.
Good luck with that !!!!

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Re: Arthur

By southstreetswan11/2/2021 22:28Thu Feb 11 22:28:21 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 725

yeh but its got to be relevant to the situation John. Clubs fucked.we now have a shit chairman/owner who knows what his plan is. Club used to have a ground that got sold off for what ? a shitty lease that doesn't protect us and a terrible landlord. Why don't the Boons answer where the money went ??? it was the clubs land not theirs ?? was worth millions where did it go ? if they pocketed it would of been far more money than they ever 'spent'. ask the right questions.all just Smoke and mirrors

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur11/2/2021 22:53Thu Feb 11 22:53:59 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 775

You are just like my dog ...... have to have the last word. If you really want to know about the past, firstly look at the Thames Club records - you don't need to be Max Whitlock to access the Thames Club; go to the Companies House records and look at the companies that included Alan Boon and Matthew boon as Directors. You may also like to see the list of Downings LLP directors and look at their other directorships. It will give you the information you have. Then, after you have washed your mouth out with soap and water, try talking and negotiating with Joe. The offer is on the table. It's a better return than you've given those investors you told to put money into the thames Club. Crawl back into your hole and leave your pseudonym behind as Voice From the past did when challenged

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Re: Arthur

By southstreetswan12/2/2021 14:02Fri Feb 12 14:02:47 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 722

Arthur you have a talking dog ? id sure like to see it Voicefromthepast is right we can only talk about facts

Fact

1. The present owner chairman or whatever he is is shit and doesnt care probably never has

2. The Boons sold the land with building permission

3. The Boons didnt build the Thames Club and didnt spend a penny on the development of the stadium

4. The lease that was given to the club is shit 'protection my arse'

Questions

1. Who made the money from the sale of the land? that was club money where did it go?

2. Why do people still like the Boons after what they have seem to have done to our football club?

DonT take my word for it check the facts its all there. don't know why people are scared to question the reason our club is fucked. NOT DIFFICULT.

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)12/2/2021 15:13Fri Feb 12 15:13:18 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 689

As i started this thread in a very innocent way -did not expect it to take the turne and twists it has.Perhaps I can end it also.

Not possible to change history but we can learn from the mistakes (sounds like Mr. Hindsight ) and develop a structure and model which can rebuild the club and be competative again.

1. we need a manager with a good track record who will commit for the long term
2. Any promises made to the manager when he joins must be honoured.
3.The club must pay its bills as and when due
4.Training facilities including all weather surfaces must be found so that the pitch can recover between matches
5.Must have a hardcore of players on contracts so that we can build season on season
6.Youth team section established in order to develop players for first team
7Must have active commercial manager who has connections in the local business community and has big personality to reach out for new sources of income.
8 .Regular and honest updates to supporters so that they are kept informed
9 Quarterly meetings arranged between club and supporters at start of each season which MUST be held as planned .Must be held no matter what.
10Club WEBSITE to be managed to provide world with positive and up to date information and news -must make viewers want to support the club.

Lets go and get it done

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Re: Arthur

By southstreetswan12/2/2021 15:27Fri Feb 12 15:27:35 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 683

Norm I know you care about the club and your a great bloke but what you say is absolutely bollocks. The Club has nothing left. No fans show up they have no bar they have no money and no land and all of this was because of the Boons. Your now relying on owners who you say yourself dont care about the club to fund it. IF you want TO save the club we as fans need to ask questions of the past. WE need to know why the land was sold off all those years ago for millions.Im sorry but the idea that the Boons are these generous local Philanthropists father figures need to be put on ice until they tell us what happened to the money from the land sale. Where did it go ? what was it used for ? we wouldnt be in this position if it wasnt for that.

Only then can we move forward. How do you expect the club to move forward with the lease that they've got at the moment?

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Re: Arthur

By BigBadSwan (Swandico)12/2/2021 15:48Fri Feb 12 15:48:15 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 716

It's true, the way I see it is there is literally 0 income other than gate money which is probably at an all time low.

Several of the action points Norm has raised will require substantial investment

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur12/2/2021 18:47Fri Feb 12 18:47:43 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 657

Norm is absolutely right. He started this with a note to me. There are those of you who want to keep raking up the past and dwelling on the mistakes of the past. To say there are no supporters is complete nonsense. The future is there. The lease still has a few years to run. There is an offer to buy the freehold at a commercial value is there. The club has been funded in recent seasons with virtually no income and there is no reason to believe this will not be the case in the future. If common sense prevails and the freehold deal is completed the future is secured. Bad mouthing the chairman who only recently stepped down is way out of order and complete nonsense. Let's close the thread - Norman to me - and help the club progress as has been promised - with Norman's road map as part of the way to a bright future

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Re: Arthur

By Voicefromthepast12/2/2021 11:10Fri Feb 12 11:10:52 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 794

Arthur… I have not ‘crawled back into my hole’ as you have suggested but have been sitting at my computer screen absolutely staggered by some of the posts that have appeared on this thread. Despite your view that this is a ‘private’ forum the fact of it is that any member of the public can access and view it. If it were a ‘private’ forum then members would, I guess, have to be invited? The fact that, as I’ve said, any member of the public can access the forum, it concerns me that there are some posts that are nothing short of libellous. I would strongly advise those posting to think more carefully before making speculative and non fact based statements. As you have said Arthur, none of this is helping the clubs current plight.
Regarding your question as to when I started supporting Staines Town FC, to satisfy your curiosity, Bruce Butler was manager and Buster Brown was the Chairman. So a long time ago!

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Re: Arthur

By BigBadSwan (Swandico)12/2/2021 11:26Fri Feb 12 11:26:23 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 720

Then I would assume as a long term "supporter" of the club you would also like the answers to these questions ?

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Re: Arthur

By Inspector Morse12/2/2021 09:38Fri Feb 12 09:38:04 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 1023

I think looking at the past is relevant as it helps us understand the current plight of the football club. Who did own the land when it was sold off for the redevelopment and how much was it sold for? If it was the Boon family when did they acquire the land from the football club and how much was paid? Did they ever own it? As said in the thread above when it was sold for redevelopment it would have raised millions – who got that money? I don’t believe it was the football club? Maybe it helped fund a nice office block in Bridge Street which remained in the Boon name despite their business failing, or a villa in Spain? I am sure the budding accountants amongst us can find some answers? The bottom line is the Football Club wasn’t worth anything when it was sold by Matthew, so where did all the money go?

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur12/2/2021 10:08Fri Feb 12 10:08:53 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 760

Is this really relevant to the future of the club?


Yours as ever

Lewis

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)11/2/2021 12:46Thu Feb 11 12:46:25 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 871

Dont have any problems at all -its good to get this forum active and for everyone to respect and take on board differing opinions.having an active fan base is a healthy sign both at the ground cheering on the team and on the clubs forums expressing ideas ,thoughts etc.So many good constructive thoughts get aired ,which |i hope are looked at by the clubs officers so that they can respond in the right way.Theres alot of untapped resources amongst supporters which are not being utilised

My ongoing wish is that the clubs primary website(our window to the world) was in better shape-always thought the one taken down 3 years ago so much better than the current one. Hope the new chairman can action-or maybe readers think the new one is an improvement!

Clubs at our level thrive on a close relationship between management and supporters. However, it does need the club to be honest and transparent and keep supporters informed with information -not bland statements which simply beg more questions .

take care

PS now off for my keyboard skills lesson

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Re: Arthur

By Arthur10/2/2021 22:41Wed Feb 10 22:41:42 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 969

This is a very good resume. However, I think I need to stress here this is not a Boon versus current ownership thread. Those who would try yo turn Wheatsheaf Park into tennis courts, initially and ultimately residential developments want to see disunity and disharmony amongst us. As far as I know, Joe Dixon's offer for the freehold is still on the table. The future of the club, within the town is dependent upon existing use for the land. We can see that the flooding in Guildford Street, just down the road shows that the drainage systems in the borough are under strain from the increasing propensity to flooding in the area. We need to get this message out to the inhabitants of the borough and more importantly to the councillors and the planning people. Supporting Joe is the only way forward. Like Alan, he has put a lot of his own money into the running of the club. The funding from gate receipts and boost the budget is clearly not enough to fund the squads we have to be competitive in our league. There are questions about where the money went from the redevelopment of the ground and the sale of the freehold went. The Directors of the companies involved with that have the answers. We can't check with Alan, and none of us would speak ill of the dead anyway. However, our job is to keep presenting a united front to the Thames Club and to Downings to show that we still all want to see football at Wheatsheaf Park. The offer of a fair value for the existing use of the property to a company that has yet to make a profit and give a return to its stakeholders seems to be a no brainer - unless the control of the Thames Club is not within the realms of its shareholders; but the control is with a third party company!! As fans we need to be; for this time, as one. Come on you Swans - come on United .......

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)10/2/2021 14:40Wed Feb 10 14:40:55 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 900

On further reflection, I think Alan may have had a ciggy on the go at the same time as enjoying his burger.

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Re: Arthur

By Surreysage (Norm)6/2/2021 09:36Sat Feb 6 09:36:57 2021In response to Re: ArthurTop of thread

Views: 1125

Good to hear all is well in the Arthur household.

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