our club has no ambition

[RayWalkers40yarder]

Its become painfully clear that we are just not going to get any further under the current regime. The club is crying out for serious investment that norm simply cannot provide. I predict a fall in gates this season along with low morale and a below middle table finish or relegation. Wasnt it barry fry who said promotion to the championship is worth approx 8 mill a year? Without new investment we have reached our plateau. 1000 negative ticks by this post will not alter the facts

[Rampant Zebra]

I said all along it was stupid to oust the previous board without a plan B. There are a lot of dreamers out there but the reality is that it isn't that easy running a football club.

[tisdeano]

I said all along it was stupid to oust the previous board without a plan B. There are a lot of dreamers out there but the reality is that it isn't that easy running a football club.

 

do you smoke crack cocaine ?

[Santa]

There was a plan B.

 

Even in the darkest days around Xmas 2011 there was a plan C when the SC put up an interim board.

 

The directors instead decided to tough it out, took us to the brink of administration and when that was the only option left to safeguard the club from it's creditors, they couldnt even do that properly and had to get the Council to do it for them.

[valiant_2003]

I disagree, while Norm is in need of a PR man, I don't think we lack ambition, more funds. Why should Smurf invest huge amounts of money if there isn't a guaranteed return on his investment. All it means is administration all over again.

As for wages new football league rules prevent spending beyond your means.

 

I just think we need someone to work with Smurthwaite and Adams when dealing with the media, so more positives come out of the club!

[matt 381]

The current regime gave us the boost we needed to get into league one with the Hughes and jones singings, and they've given us a good 1st season in league one. I agree it probably won't get much better than last season. But give smurf credit where it's due he's done alot for the club to make us an all round better business. The next step is investment to get us to the championship. Maybe snuff can't provide that but I don't expect that yet anyway. all I expect this season is to stay in the league which can be very difficult for league one clubs in there second season.

[blackdog]

What do you mean .....Bend the truth ?

[geosname]

I know what your saying but disagree slightly...

I think we probably have some ambition, whether its enough or not is debatable, but we are sadly lacking in ability off the pitch... we may also be lacking ability on the pitch at the start of the season if we dont sign some decent replacements.

For all the money smurf says he has thrown at vale it hasnt moved forward as a business. He now appears to want to move the business forward using only the profit generated by the business... great in principal... but if the business isnt making a profit or only making a small profit progress is hampered, either by the mounting debt caused by the loss or the small amount available to reinvest from the minimal profit.

[tisdeano]

I want a football club that pays for itself and is not reliant on people pumping money in, I think NS will deliver on that

[Another shropshire valiant]

Let's be realistic..... A club can only go as far as it's income will allow, Brentford have been promoted due to the fact that there chairman ( who is a lifelong Brentford fan ) pumps millions of pounds in each season; the revenue from TV has all but dried up for clubs outside the promised land that is the Premiership. We could reach the Championship if Mickey Adams uncovers some gems from the lower leagues, but without the funding of a multi millionaire it is difficult to see us staying there, I was fortunate to be following the Vale during the 90's when we had a great team and were holding our own in the then League 1, but we still only averaged gates of about 9,000 and that was playing clubs like West Ham, Leeds, Man City, WBA... etc, I don't see it as "lack of ambition" but more of "lack of a multi millionaire" I don't imagine Stoke would be were they are now if it was not for Peter Coats..... So until I win the Euro Millions I will have to be content to see a steady improvement on and off the pitch.... Though I do think this coming season will be a tough one given who we have lost

[Guppy 4 England]

Can we close down wind up threads

[Another shropshire valiant]

I don't see this as a wind up thread, but I do think that some fans have unreal expectations.... I would love to see the Vale in the championship or higher, but don't really see it happening in the short term.... But the infrastructure of the club has changed immensely over the past couple of seasons... Long may it continue.

[tisdeano]

I don't know whether its a wind up thread, however NS has put in more cash than all of the combined v2001 board members collectively over their total tenure, by a significant amount

[TheJoker]

Its become painfully clear that we are just not going to get any further under the current regime. The club is crying out for serious investment that norm simply cannot provide. I predict a fall in gates this season along with low morale and a below middle table finish or relegation. Wasnt it barry fry who said promotion to the championship is worth approx 8 mill a year? Without new investment we have reached our plateau. 1000 negative ticks by this post will not alter the facts

 

start carving the coffin. Smurf out!

[geosname]

start carving the coffin. Smurf out!

 

There isnt a need for that... a PR man who knows the value of good PR and has the ability to produce it... and commercial staff who can see past a pie and a pint night to generate income... would be a good start.