Reflecting upon Leicester City's fantastic victory at Wembley, like many others I was struck by the unity of the Club from the owner downwards and how as a single club city the football club has not only embedded itself firmly within the community it serves but has become a beacon of what can be achieved without resorting to a self serving cartel like the European Super League.
The latest Chairman's Chat illustrates perfectly how far we have come whilst surviving the biggest threat to the future of EFL clubs in the history of the Football League in all its carnations. Sometimes when we are understandably focussing on the on pitch performance of the team and the ability of the of the Team Management to deliver results and performances we lose sight of the bigger picture.
Under Simon Hallett's guardianship (he rightly prefers this to ownership) we are financially stable with a genuine chance with prudency to achieve the elusive goal of true sustainability. We have a level of transparency from the Board that was not thought achievable. We have a stadium that meets modern standards and exceeds them in terms of the hospitality offer. The improved floodlighting is a welcome investment. Furthermore, it is capable of enlargement should our League position justify it. We have our own TV offer and a media presentation that is a quantum leap over previous seasons. Yes it is 'branding' but it uniquely encapsulates what the Club is about and promotes it remorsefully which is an essential prerequisite of communicating with the city and the region that the Club serves.
We also have training facilities that are a massive improvement, a pitch that stands comparison with any other and now an Academy set up that is worthy of the Club and promises long term dividends on the pitch and in terms of potential transfer income.
We have an amazing Argyle Community Trust
https://argylecommunitytrust.co.uk/ that often goes inexplicably under the radar but is the epitome of the Club embedding itself within the community it serves. We have the Green Taverners who funded, with fans support, a superb supporter's facility that adds to and complements the hospitality offer. What a remarkable achievement that is and probably unparalleled elsewhere in the Football league.
All this brings me to the potential of a share offer. If the survey of supporters gives the Board confidence to proceed (and the Pasoti survey shows a 75% interest / support) then we will have the opportunity to own a share of our Club - much like the pre-2011 situation. It may be symbolic, it may not make a purchaser money but it will be a treasured possession of association and membership of the Club and something to hand down to future generations of Argyle fans. Hopefully, other benefits of share ownership will be part of the subscription and add to the attraction.
It may not be for everyone, but the potential of a share offer only serves to illustrate as (hopefully) explained above there is probably no better time to be an Argyle supporter. We should rejoice in that. I am really proud to be part of it and I can't wait for the start of the season and be back at Home Park with everything that stands for.