The Norman Mysteries

[Howjy04]

It goes back a long way.

 

I was on holiday in Scotland in 1976 and on a train from Edinburgh to Glasgow. I was reading a Scottish paper I'd bought at the station and saw that Motherwell had spent over £1m on players. I thought I'd follow their results for a while to see how they got on; 43 years later I'm still doing it.

 

That and being a Vale fan as well must mean something. Probably that I'm somehow damaged and/or certifiable.

Snap.

[Warren]

Sorry Warren, that was uncalled for from me. Just gets infuriating when others also support other more successful teams. When some of us are just stuck with Vale.

 

Thanks for the apology. I am committed to Port Vale. When I was prohibited from driving between for 6 months in 2017 because of a medical condition i continued to support Port Vale via bus, train and walking up from Longport. So I do make the effort.

[Bede]

Greasby? You live just round the corner from my mental sister. It's nice 'round there.

[Bycarsbill]

Don't know if anyone else picked up on the article in last Friday's The Times ranking the 92 league clubs in order of profitability for the 2017/18 season? Amazingly, PV were 18th out of the 92!! It shows Port Vale to have declared £1m profit! In fact, outside of the Premiership & Championship we were the 2nd most profitable club (after Exeter @ £2.4m)It also shows that 52 of the 72 clubs in the EFL making a loss (including Stoke -£32m,Aston Villa -£35m, Man Utd -£37m and Wolves a stonking £57m loss!!!) I wonder what 2018/19 season accounts will show when they're published next year?!

[dantheman]

I have said for a long time that our issue is not budget. It’s miss management that has been our problem. Penny pinching on managers that have miss spent money. Difficult combination to get a well run club and well run team.

[mattpvfc]

What's this about Norman being tied to us for another 36 months I've just read ????

[Doha]

A load of disingenuous crap worded to sound worse in his Nottingham Post interview than it actually is.

The purchase price was a massive rip off but had to be paid to save the club. The club and ground are fully owned by the Shanahans. The ground is being paid off over 3 years. 

What he's trying to claim as his 36 month "investment" is really just the purchase agreement for Vale Park.

Nothing more. He's gone. The club and ground are back in safe hands.

Image of sale agreement removed by Rob F - reason, not sure if we can post a private legal document in here Doha. Thanks, Rob

[Santa]

Smurthwaite and the National League hierarchy have an interesting relationship. For the last two years he has turned up at their end of season black tie event at Celtic Manor. I don't know who gets him in, maybe the Nuneaton people have spare tickets. Maybe he just loves a good schmooze.

[mattpvfc]

Ok cheers mate brill

1 hour ago, Doha said:

A load of disingenuous crap worded to sound worse in his Nottingham Post interview than it actually is.
The purchase price was a massive rip off but had to be paid to save the club. The club and ground are fully owned by the Shanahans. The ground is being paid off over 3 years. 
What he's trying to claim as his 36 month "investment" is really just the purchase agreement for Vale Park.
Nothing more. He's gone. The club and ground are back in safe hands.
 

[TJHValiant]

There is a point that if it is not paid over those three years, Norman could still try to repossess the ground. It is still subject to underlying worry, after all if the club proves a big liability or Synetics god forbid struggle for money, Norman could be back in town. 

No doubt being paid over 3 years means he gets lots of lovely interest paid out of ultimately Synetics, i.e club funds. 

[mr.hobblesworth]

I don't want to get banned like SourceoftheTrent did but....

[Santa]

I think the idea was to get as much in writing and watertight as possible so there’s no room for any misinterpretation.

As for the documents that got removed, they’re a matter of public record at CH if anyone is that interested. 

[Iron Curtain]

I posted this in the Carol and Levin buy the vale thread... but here seems more appropriate.........

The supporters club this evening shows once again how lucky we are to have Carol and Kevin!!

I know we shouldn’t dwell on the past so I will say this once... but hearing tonight how the old players were treated by the disgusting human that is Norman Smurthwaite made me furious!!!!!!

Anyone who defended him on here should be ashamed... or at the very least I hope they go to sleep at night knowing they were wrong and had he stayed around we would have been destroyed as a club! No wonder nothing was said after everything came out!

Rant over... promise I will move on now!!

[Iron Curtain]

22 minutes ago, TJHValiant said:

There is a point that if it is not paid over those three years, Norman could still try to repossess the ground. It is still subject to underlying worry, after all if the club proves a big liability or Synetics god forbid struggle for money, Norman could be back in town. 

No doubt being paid over 3 years means he gets lots of lovely interest paid out of ultimately Synetics, i.e club funds. 

Carol said tonight the money is budgeted and “locked away” to make the payments. Nothing to be worried about.

This is a perfectly normal and standard method of buying a business and the “charge” Norman calls a “Substantial investment” is only that in the eyes of the EFL. It means eff all in reality. Norman just wants to sound important... because he is an egotistical ****.