I would be shocked if Mr Brent has the money to buy the free hold.I imagine it will be on the never never and part of the money juggling that seems to be a constant at Argyle.Brent appears to fear any scrutiny which is more than a little worrying.
-
This site is sponsored by Lang & Potter.
AFT Chair's Update Club Statement
- Thread starter Josh Pope
- Start date
If James Brent doesn't understand why fans might want to be ‘holding the club to account’, especially after the circumstances that led to him owning the club, then maybe it's time for him to try and sell up.
Trev501
🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸
🏆 Callum Wright 23/24
Jam First
Brickfields Donor
✨Pasoti Donor✨
🌟Sparksy Mural🌟
Perhaps he will if he feels the fanbase are not behind him. There will also be nothing to stop him selling to the highest bidder regardless of their intentions for the club :-(Argy1e":10hag1el said:
It's his club, he saved us, it's his money.
Let him get on with it. He doesn't owe the AFT anything, particularly freebies and perks.
Unless the bank sheet is telling us red or he's doing anything illegal leave him to it.
He's a successful businessman and this is one of his ventures.
In how many industries would you expect a say at board level because you didn't like a product?
Let him get on with it. He doesn't owe the AFT anything, particularly freebies and perks.
Unless the bank sheet is telling us red or he's doing anything illegal leave him to it.
He's a successful businessman and this is one of his ventures.
In how many industries would you expect a say at board level because you didn't like a product?
He doesn't own the Club he is the current custodian. Semantics I know but it's important to remember
He is many things - but I don't think he is that "successful" in his business ventures. He appears to rob Peter to pay Paul, and stay ahead of the game.
I can only apologise to Peter about that too.Pafcineurope":367oufv5 said:
I do wonder about the timing of this announcement. If the last contact with the Club was in May, and the AFT have been having some time off during the summer, have relations gone down hill so rapidly that this is a bargaining tool on the Trust's part?
Always sat on the fence with Brent, but increasingly it seems he wants to hide things. People only want to hide things when they don't want others to know said things.
What doesn't he want fans to know?
I would guess (I have no actual idea) Brent was banking on the initial development plans to go through. Now they are not he is scrambling around to try and find alternatives that will help him recoup his and his wife's money. However he is trying do to this will ultimately not serve the clubs best interests or he would tell us.
He seems to have alienated the council and now is on the verge of alienating the fans. Two groups he doesn't want against him what ever his plans are.
What doesn't he want fans to know?
I would guess (I have no actual idea) Brent was banking on the initial development plans to go through. Now they are not he is scrambling around to try and find alternatives that will help him recoup his and his wife's money. However he is trying do to this will ultimately not serve the clubs best interests or he would tell us.
He seems to have alienated the council and now is on the verge of alienating the fans. Two groups he doesn't want against him what ever his plans are.
Thomas Edwards":3uy66l6v said:
I think I disagree with every line of that :lol:. Though I'll leave the one about 'successful businessman' to others who I can already hear frantically typing out scathing responses.
I'm particularly bored of the line wheeled out very often that football is like any other industry - 'you go to the cinema or the theatre and pay your money to be entertained, and football is no different' is one you hear a lot.
It is different, a football club (especially one like Argyle) is almost entirely built on people's loyalty, family ties, emotion, sense of place, belonging, and much more. Why the hell would we turn up otherwise? It ain't for the entertainment and comfy seats. Argyle belongs to ALL of us, so no he shouldn't just be allowed to 'get on with it' no questions asked.
This is how I see things from a business point of view. JB has made the club self sufficient and does not work outside that mantra. If we are to get any development it will be from profits built from within. When we do get anything like a grandstand or a valuable club as a going concern to be sold as a complete package ie with freehold he will have made a very tidy profit. That's what it's all about, profit. As a business man I would not expect anything else. For those that say he has had a lot of failures, yes you're right! However, you'll find that the majority of successful people in business have also had many failures, even Warren Buffett! (He's no Buffett!) Most people in business are cold hearted when it comes to the decision making as well. Not something as a fan of the club wishes to hear due to the emotive nature of being a fan.
I fully understand his actions and see reasons for them. I also see and understand the building sense of mistrust through lack of transparency.
Over this whole subject I think we all have to be careful in what we say and type as things develop for better (yes things could get a lot better) or for worse (not as bad as 6 years ago) or just plain flat lining which is a big fear of many.
I have seen a man who took over the club when we were at deaths door who wasn't a fan of the sport who has become a fan, who speaks passionately about the club (you can see it in his eyes when you speak to him) and believe it or not gives a monkeys. Yes he will always look for a way to make profit, that's business, but giving a monkeys makes quite a lot of difference and until I see anything different I'll stick to these views leaning to the JB side.
Finally, fan groups, pressure groups, housing associations and many other bodies in a similar vein mean well and also have very noble causes but can be really preventative towards progress. Don't get me wrong I am not saying AFT are wrong nor doing a bad job or have done but i'm trying to put an even balance to the discussion from both sides.
Difficult innit!
I fully understand his actions and see reasons for them. I also see and understand the building sense of mistrust through lack of transparency.
Over this whole subject I think we all have to be careful in what we say and type as things develop for better (yes things could get a lot better) or for worse (not as bad as 6 years ago) or just plain flat lining which is a big fear of many.
I have seen a man who took over the club when we were at deaths door who wasn't a fan of the sport who has become a fan, who speaks passionately about the club (you can see it in his eyes when you speak to him) and believe it or not gives a monkeys. Yes he will always look for a way to make profit, that's business, but giving a monkeys makes quite a lot of difference and until I see anything different I'll stick to these views leaning to the JB side.
Finally, fan groups, pressure groups, housing associations and many other bodies in a similar vein mean well and also have very noble causes but can be really preventative towards progress. Don't get me wrong I am not saying AFT are wrong nor doing a bad job or have done but i'm trying to put an even balance to the discussion from both sides.
Difficult innit!
Pettgreen":9fqe5rg8 said:
That's fine, but James Brent said this in 2012...
"We will take fan involvement and corporate governance to a level that has not been seen thus far so we're certainly trying to put the fans at the centre of the football club," he said.
"It is trying to put fans at the centre of the club where they should be. In League One and League Two, with the regional clubs, the passion of the supporters is huge. It's right that you give supporters the right to influence the direction the club is going."
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11750/7435988/Brent-pledges-transparency
Does he still want to take 'fan involvement...to a level that has not been seen thus far' and 'put the fans at the centre of the football club'?
Yep totally agree. Naivety comes to my mind. I reckon with hindsight he wouldn't have said it. Then again he might had to have said it to convince the FL that he was the right man for the club to survive! Trouble is we don't know all the facts. None of us do!
D
daniel m
Guest
Thomas Edwards":3s7fvalh said:
Freebies and perks !!! plenty of them going on, in and around the Directors Box over the last few years.