Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Vietnam91]

42 minutes ago, Sortmeout said:

I’ve got an interesting (and non-loaded) question for the Motherwell fans.

Do you think social media/the ability to access information online makes it easier or harder for someone to invest in or try to take over a club than it did 25 years ago.

Or, to ask the question another way, if The Well Society and social media etc are all as they are now do you think John Boyle would’ve been able to take the club over in the early SPL days.

25 years ago John Boyle offered a distinct difference from Chapman & Dickie and fan owned wasn't a thing or even on the horizon. I think the issue is John Boyle was from Bellshill, there was no education in cultural differences required, only a crash course in the details of a top league club. He was a multi-millionaire in the tens of millions and seemed to pay a fair price at the time (I can't recall). All of that is the opposite to now and is what sticks in a lot of our craws, so if social media was a thing back then I think it would be near unanimous to endorse Boyle.

If there was no social media now it's hard to say. Would enough people look at the details of the deal with enough scrutiny? Limited to discussing only with their family, peer group in the pub or at 5-a-sides? Certainly we wouldn't have the ability to see records posted up on Companies House and do background research. If there was no social media this Australian/Middle Eastern/Portuguese bid may have already secured the club.

On here, Twitter and SOL there are a few with a gift of putting a point across rationally, with excellent arguments, shining a light and exposing a contradictions or lack of continuity that many people may have missed so that's a win for social media in 2024.

I suspect there is a significant demographic who get their news from a red top, wouldn't know or be inclined to visit the club site, here, SOL or any other outlet. Many will assume the outgoing chairman will have the clubs interests at heart and his endorsement will carry a lot of weight.

There would be a need to have a public meeting or two, which is ironic because our board is hiding behind statements on the club website, so it seems they are glad of the social media age.

Edited Sunday at 19:32 by Vietnam91

[thisGRAEME]

46 minutes ago, Sortmeout said:

I’ve got an interesting (and non-loaded) question for the Motherwell fans.

Do you think social media/the ability to access information online makes it easier or harder for someone to invest in or try to take over a club than it did 25 years ago.

Or, to ask the question another way, if The Well Society and social media etc are all as they are now do you think John Boyle would’ve been able to take the club over in the early SPL days.

I wonder if it's a generational thing, more than a social media thing?

Folk of my age saw all manner of stupid plans blow up from various clubs like ourselves, Clydebank/Airdrie United, Livi, Gretna, a couple of Dundee's, so I'd say if you're in your 30s, you've probably got a very healthy level of scepticism towards any new owner/scheme because of these.

If you're in your teens or early twenties, you saw Rangers pop but broadly aside from that, almost everyone else has been faintly sensible for a while, so maybe you don't have that?

[standupforthemotherwell]

Surely the main difference from the Boyle takeover is that was essentially one local businessman buying shares from another so the fans wouldn't get a say.

Now that the fans own the majority of the club, they are expected to scrutinise any offer and would be privy to information that would never have been made public in any other ownership situation.

In terms of overall fan sentiment, Boyle was a local fan who was known to have plenty genuine cash from the sale of a well known company which would definitely have smoothed things. An American with no prior connection to the club, no concrete plan and minimal amounts of investment is much more difficult to get on board with. It seems more like a plaything than a genuine passion as with all previous owners.

[camer0n_mcd]

2 minutes ago, standupforthemotherwell said:

 An American with no prior connection to the club, no concrete plan and minimal amounts of investment is much more difficult to get on board with. It seems more like a plaything than a genuine passion as with all previous owners.

There's an incredible amount of people that seem enthralled by the thought of a Hollywood Superstar being interested in our great wee club.

[Wellin]

2 minutes ago, camer0n_mcd said:

There's an incredible amount of people that seem enthralled by the thought of a Hollywood Superstar being interested in our great wee club.

Not sure thats the case tbh. I've seen very few people say they are in support of this proposal 

Some people on Facebook but not that many 

[Swello]

9 minutes ago, standupforthemotherwell said:

ow that the fans own the majority of the club, they are expected to scrutinise any offer and would be privy to information that would never have been made public in any other ownership situation.

I'd have phoned Club Call to see what was up before forming my opinion.

[rowsdower]

Folk jizzing over "american" and "netflix" really breaks my brain.

[rowsdower]

3 minutes ago, Swello said:

I'd have phoned Club Call to see what was up before forming my opinion.

I think I might still owe my folks a few quid for those calls.

[Lukovic]

Saw a poll on one of the Motherwell Facebook pages that was about 67% favour of the deal.

Again don't think most are members of the Well Society society but aye the general discussion level on there would make you want to claw your eyes out with the failure to grasp what the Well Society actually does.

[Sortmeout]

Thanks for the replies to the earlier question, I know there were a lot of variables and “what-ifs” in trying to even consider the answer.

I agree it’s totally different with Boyle as he is local but I wonder if unknown Julio Boilio had offered to invest £3m, for example, in Motherwell back in 1998 or whenever it was that it would’ve probably been accepted.

I think social media has given fans a far bigger voice at least to voice concerns if nothing else. 25 years ago your options would either be write a letter directly to the club or set up an actual protest.

[camer0n_mcd]

15 minutes ago, Wellin said:

Not sure thats the case tbh. I've seen very few people say they are in support of this proposal 

Some people on Facebook but not that many 

After last week's update to the deal I'd say overall opinion has probably shifted. On here and on SO people have him sussed but I think a lot of people are happy enough with the 50.1% amendment.

Edited Sunday at 20:12 by camer0n_mcd

[TheMotherwell1]

5 minutes ago, camer0n_mcd said:

After last week's update to the deal I'd say overall opinion has probably shifted. On here and on SO people have him sussed but I think a lot of people are happy enough with the 50.1% amendment.

Brain donors.

[well again]

17 minutes ago, TheMotherwell1 said:

Brain donors.

Brain dead.

[Wellin]

28 minutes ago, camer0n_mcd said:

After last week's update to the deal I'd say overall opinion has probably shifted. On here and on SO people have him sussed but I think a lot of people are happy enough with the 50.1% amendment.

How many people voted? 

[Swello]

35 minutes ago, camer0n_mcd said:

After last week's update to the deal I'd say overall opinion has probably shifted. On here and on SO people have him sussed but I think a lot of people are happy enough with the 50.1% amendment.

The interesting thing will be how many of the people who are massively (and performatively) negative towards fan ownership are actually paid up members of the fan ownership organisation and part of the vote. I would guess the Venn diagram won't be overlapping all that much...

[rowsdower]

There is no rational and sane reason for voting for this Barmack proposal.  I can only assume that those in favor of it haven't read it, or just hate the Well Society.

The Society really need to do more to dispell this false sense of urgency, and make sure the facts get out before this vote. Are there any public forums planned from the Society side?

[Wellin]

My mum is a member of the well society and is very computer literate but doesn't have an account on here or on SOL. I suspect a lot of people will be in the same situation. 

 

[Vietnam91]

You can get those percentage returns by and large if 26 people voted. There's nothing on sample size, if everyone who voted on question 1 did so on question 2 and if they were WS members? If so we have 19 people dissenting (all unverified). Let's keep the head.

 

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

1 hour ago, Sortmeout said:

Thanks for the replies to the earlier question, I know there were a lot of variables and “what-ifs” in trying to even consider the answer.

I agree it’s totally different with Boyle as he is local but I wonder if unknown Julio Boilio had offered to invest £3m, for example, in Motherwell back in 1998 or whenever it was that it would’ve probably been accepted.

I think social media has given fans a far bigger voice at least to voice concerns if nothing else. 25 years ago your options would either be write a letter directly to the club or set up an actual protest.

I was only 8 in 1998 so I may not have the best recollection of that, but in 1998 the league was rebranding to the SPL to minick the EPL down south, the number of foreign players in the league was rapidly increasing and there probably wasn't enough data on how things ended with exotic owners for people not to be taken in by something exciting.

I agree completely about social media changing the complexion of a takeover deal in 1998 compared to today.

Back then, fans would've had to read both statements and but for speaking to a few close pals, or reading articles in the red tops, drawn their own conclusion.

More than voicing concerns to the club, it's probably sharing of opinions with fellow fans that's the big one. I'm confident I'd have reached the conclusion I have done without it - but there are probably lots who have had their heads turned by information shared on here regarding the bid.

Similarly, there's probably people in the Facebook comments who've seen some pound shop accountant say that fan ownership isn't working because St. Mirren allegedly beat us to the signing of Shaun Rooney and subscribe to the line of thinking that we need any money we can get.

[CoF]

I'd like to hear a well society representative speak on Sportsound or Clyde SSB to generate more widespread coverage of not only the society's position, but to shed some light on the farce that is the executive board. I know those programmes are not for everyone these days, but it's a chance to reach a demographic who aren't particularly online.