Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[rowsdower]

Our keeper being third choice behind Angus Gunn is a red neck, we need to tone down the social media stuff.

[TheMotherwell1]

Please spare a thought for those of us travelling to Cologne tomorrow

[David1979]

11 hours ago, Cedrics Mighty Well Army said:

I'm very much in favour of re-negotiating with EB. Let's see if we can improve things at our end without just dismissing the guy as a charlatan.

It may work out. It may not work. But give it a chance.

In my humble opinion, any revised deal needs to be fundamentally altered on his part, not ours. We do not need to make any improvements on our side. Any proposal he offers must surely include the following:

Either a significantly larger financial investment or an agreement that the Well Society retains a minimum of 51% shareholding. I'm fairly certain that when some Well Society members voted in the online poll expressing a willingness to consider giving up fan ownership for the right deal, they did not envisage a scenario where an investor's financial outlay would be £1.95 million over six years. Meanwhile, the Well Society membership, through increased contributions and writing off 50% of the loan it gave the club, would have a total financial outlay of £1,784,000 over the same six-year period.

For an additional £166,000 from Erik Barmack, we are losing 25% of our shares while he gains 49%.

Surely, a deal cannot be made unless the above terms are fundamentally altered? Agreeing to those conditions would make us the laughing stock of Scottish football. We might as well close the tin-pot thread and declare "Motherwell" as the most tin-pot entity ever seen in our game.

We would become known as the football club that achieved what many others aspire to—being fan-owned—only to discard it for what amounts to the price of a three-bedroom new-build house in Wishaw.

['WellDel]

27 minutes ago, David1979 said:

In my humble opinion, any revised deal needs to be fundamentally altered on his part, not ours. We do not need to make any improvements on our side. Any proposal he offers must surely include the following:

Either a significantly larger financial investment or an agreement that the Well Society retains a minimum of 51% shareholding. I'm fairly certain that when some Well Society members voted in the online poll expressing a willingness to consider giving up fan ownership for the right deal, they did not envisage a scenario where an investor's financial outlay would be £1.95 million over six years. Meanwhile, the Well Society membership, through increased contributions and writing off 50% of the loan it gave the club, would have a total financial outlay of £1,784,000 over the same six-year period.

For an additional £166,000 from Erik Barmack, we are losing 25% of our shares while he gains 49%.

Surely, a deal cannot be made unless the above terms are fundamentally altered? Agreeing to those conditions would make us the laughing stock of Scottish football. We might as well close the tin-pot thread and declare "Motherwell" as the most tin-pot entity ever seen in our game.

We would become known as the football club that achieved what many others aspire to—being fan-owned—only to discard it for what amounts to the price of a three-bedroom new-build house in Wishaw.

People actually pay to live in Wishaw?

[capt_oats]

13 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

Words mean nothing without actions

They say they don't like the timing of the vote. Well simply chage the timing of the vote. The cluib cannot make the Well Society vote on a proposal with no input from the society. They are getting led by the nose here.

if there are issues they need to step up and take control.

Agreed.

They’re on the board that owns the Football Club. Act like it and take ownership of the situation rather than being cucks about the whole thing.

If they aren’t happy with the timeline then do something about it.

[well fan for life]

10 hours ago, Gianfranco said:

I think Sods would have been an upgrade on Ralston tbf.

Reckon we could have dug a hole or stuck a traffic cone out there and it would have been as effective.

[capt_oats]

Here's Johnny...

I take it Stuparević will be next.

Edited June 15 by capt_oats

[KirkySuperSub]

We certainly like our two year deals...

[eliphas]

19 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Here's Johnny...

I take it Stuparević will be next.

These wee head shot things are proper menacing. Maybe the team set up will be a team of menacing b*****ds for 24/25

[Ill Ray]

The A league gives me the fear just now. Hopefully this guy works out. 

[ropy]

Does it mention a position? Or will the tombola come into effect

[capt_oats]

Just now, ropy said:

Does it mention a position? Or will the tombola come into effect

The article on the official doesn't but he's a right back who can also play right side of the 3. Scott Burns also mentioned he can play as a defensive mid.

[ropy]

The team’s coming together, might be a dull August 

[capt_oats]

22 minutes ago, ropy said:

The team’s coming together, might be a dull August 

Kettlewell's whole chat was that he wanted as many in early as possible and pre-season starts on the 18th.

Assuming Stuparević is next to be announced we're probably a goalkeeper, an attacking mid plus a couple of LWBs and CBs (depending on how we view SODs) to go.

Edited June 15 by capt_oats

[KirkySuperSub]

1 hour ago, Ill Ray said:

The A league gives me the fear just now. Hopefully this guy works out. 

Perth Glory ended the season bottom of the table, 4 points adrift, with 69 goals conceded in 27 games...he appears to have played in 24 of those games...

Edited June 15 by KirkySuperSub

[MurrayWell]

Good players can play in shite teams. 

Let's see how the guy plays for us. 

[one m in Motherwell]

He’s another handsome big b*****d, so all good on that front

[KirkySuperSub]

14 minutes ago, MurrayWell said:

Good players can play in shite teams. 

Let's see how the guy plays for us. 

Absolutely

[Vietnam91]

On 14/06/2024 at 02:03, Erik Barmack said:

So ... it's a complicated process that not even keyboard warriors on this board, full of brim and snark, understand.  But sure, direct your focus at 7 drafts (there haven't been seven drafts).

On your bet ... at least, in part, you'd be wrong.

Irony of suggesting my post was snarky with a tetchy reply is not lost.

If anyone hasn’t worked out, Erik and I have spoken at length for months, I also understand I am one of many. The first night we spoke I conveyed “football clubs in the UK have a particular and unique connection with the community. Please be sympathetic to this” and requested “noble intentions only”.

I’ll also make it clear before any accusations are levelled that I explicitly told him all the way though I did not want to know the contents of the offer until it was released publicly despite him offering to share because that was correct. I did not have any privilege to see it in advance of any other rank and file WS member. To be fair he never did…..

However, when I’m asked open questions such as “how much do you think the club is worth?”, answer to then find justification of £4m or less with some weird permutations and ignoring of inconvenient facts I tell him this is dangerous territory to get into trying to erode the value of the club by seemingly tyre kicking it.

When I’m asked about the WS loan and I say it’s sacrosanct, I’m told it needs to be written off in full because it affects additional investors.

When I’m asked what I think would be a fair make up of board seats and told “oh no no that’s impossible” …. You get the picture. It doesn’t take much to get a feel for the ballpark his offer was operating in.

On Monday when I saw it, I was actually lost for words (irony not lost on me), it was so much worse than I expected and I have already steeled myself for it. A 4.5 hour meeting of the WS/CEO weeks before does not suggest everything is rosy. But the reality, well the red mist descended, not gonna lie.

The reason for my accusation, well all the way through this Erik has tested the water, when it meets resistance, he edges it on an inch to see if it that becomes palatable until the inevitable pushback, gauges the lie of the land and it moves again.

Now getting back to the recurring theme of irony, as its a constant theme, the January “Geez yer dosh” video, full of extolling community and supporter owned references, cast with extra’s from a WS member mailer and the recently resigned co-chairman peek-a-booing through a window, Erik submits draft 1. With plans to kill fan ownership, the theme of the video did not sink in evidently.

We were told this at the AGM in mid February that the two offers deemed credible had to come back with better terms as at present they needed changes. Draft 2.

Erik advises, due to my stance and how I articulate my concerns, I have influenced his proposal. Erm …. Cheers? Draft 3

Then there is the 2-3 “bonkers” game at Dens and the Well Bois/Block E 50+1 protest followed by a fruity response on Twitter, that I thought actually made him have a major epiphany. I’m advised of more changes. Draft 4.

Then here in person for the HIbs game, meeting with the Club board and WS board face to face. Draft 5.

After the mammoth May 20th meeting. I don’t know if Erik altered anything, I’d expect that a draft 6 was made off the back of it but I can’t speak to that.

And now after seeing the projected fallout on all social media and forums. Draft 6/7.

As I said, I think because this deal is so unfair and in Erik’s favour there has been so much fat included that Erik’s can throw the odd scrap and get praise from some quarters.

What concerns me this is sold as a spirit of a kind of kumbaya collaboration and some are giving Erik the benefit of the doubt when the reality is he has been told by so many, so often, of red lines and we still got Monday’s offer.

Finally, citing the achievements of a club that seemingly have raised £1m highlights perfectly how money does not equate to success. Unless securing 12th in a league of 18 this past season on 6 points less than finishing equal on points in 2022-23 to a team managed by Si Ferry and Paul “Slaney” Slane is aspirational. …. not a sterling example.

To be considered competent and serious this really can’t descend into a never-ending game of “OK, what about if I do this?”.

Edited June 15 by Vietnam91

[ropy]

1 hour ago, KirkySuperSub said:

Perth Glory ended the season bottom of the table, 4 points adrift, with 69 goals conceded in 27 games...he appears to have played in 24 of those games...

How many clean sheets?