Good morning Alan, nice to speak to you again and hope you are well...

I agree with quite a lot of what you say, the principles are correct and well intended especially for a club moving forward, but this model we have been fed with has been moving us in the opposite direction. This is why I think the Football Team is needed MORE by the landlords than the Football Team need the landlords.

It was purported to us that the 3G pitches would be the saviour of the contemporary plight back in 2010 / 2011 season and there was a mad rush to get 20 teams at youth level to get the charter standard kite mark to release the funding. Which we did, myself being part of that team that did so. Then the whole entire landscape changed before our very eyes, once the kitemark was received, people started getting sacked almost on a weekly basis, their services dispensed with; ALL of them GOOD football people and have gone on to much bigger and better things and were willing to take the club forward in that direction but were smite down when intuition reared it anarchistic head. We were PROMISED that the 3G pitches would benefit the football TEAM, it didn't. People get fed this information to placate them and so keep things nice and quiet, but like our very own conservative party, but what actually happens is quite different. As a result, like you say, we are where we are.

I think the setup needs to be explained as well.

As I understand it there are 3 companies at IF. First is the company that OWNS the ground. Second is the company that is the tenant and therefore RENTS the ground. Thirdly there is the company that PLAY football there, namely the first team. THE ACADEMY fall into the company that RENT the facility and NOT what people would think would be the football side of things. The ACADEMY and YOUTH football are nothing to do with the FOOTBALL TEAM company, its also part of the tenant company. The first team are TOTALLY separate.

In other words, there are no obligations from any company to any of the other 2 companies to invest, to procure on behalf of, or to even act in any specific performance. NONE is liable on the actions of the other.

THIS is where we are being duped.

The asset is NOTHING to do with the FOOTBALL TEAM which is where I think many people are totally missing the point. The landlord OWNS the property and can do with it what he likes. HE NEEDS the football team there to procure outside funding to make the asset more rich. You would think making the asset rich would be investment for the FOOTBALL TEAM, but like I say, there is NO obligation to feed any of the other companies. TMUFC - THE FOOTBALL TEAM rent the facility on match days AND THAT IS IT, which means you get gate receipts, program receipts, maybe the bar? and all other ancilliaries. OUT OF THAT the FOOTBALL TEAM have to pay RENT there and so honestly what do you think is left?

The 3G pitches are under the auspices of the company that RENT the facility, that is its OWN income, it doesn't fall under the remits of the FOOTBALL TEAM and has no obligation to invest or pass that money onwards to the FOOTBALL TEAM.

Landlord OWNS the facility, a TENANT company RENTS the facility and the FOOTBALL TEAM also rent areas of the facility.

That is why people who are head of these companies tend to do well and get nice new houses, and cars and there is no obligation of their companies to pass any money onwards.

Any investment into the FOOTBALL TEAM would have to be personal or through sponsorship, and this is where it is going backwards.

Now WE have to ask ourselves. Is anyone really giving a Rubbish upstairs? Does it look like it?

I would love to be positive my good friend but I bet not a lot of people realised the set up there; it is very hard to be positive when the reality of it is being covered up and / or being verbally placated to the fans and being fed total tosh every year at the pre-season meetings.

The perpetual bullshit wagon rolls on.

Take care buddy, and keep up the good support.! It's good people like you that keep this forum alive.. 

Last edited by The Administrator (23/10/2015 9:38 am)

Likewise buddy, I hope you are also well.
I bow to your superior knowledge regarding the insider dealings regarding what went on behind closed doors, none of which surprises me, disappoints yes, but not surprise. I always take with a pinch of salt what people tell me when they think that is what I want to hear, as the outcome is usually the opposite, once their needs have been met.
Regarding the business structure, this is good business sense and anybody who thought the opposite, were at best naieve. You do not set up an organization of separate enteties to have them all financially connected, otherwise if one fails it drags the rest down like dominoes, perhaps that is what nearly happened with the "Hub", hence the need for the change.
As I have said in the past, we are well aware of the situation the club finds itself in, and unfortunately my personal view is, reality in a few years time could be far worse, especially once or if, the funding comes in for the development of the far side. Is that for the benefit of "Tooting" of course not.
The only way forward in my view is for the members club to be run by stronger people, and for the supporters, and I include myself in this, to take a more active support in helping the club to grow, so proving to Mr. Adkins the true value of the football club to the overall setup.
Finally I would suggest this, why not organise a supporters meeting somewhere, where people who seriously have the interest of the club at heart can meet to discuss ways of taking the club forward.
By getting together, only then will things improve.
I feel ther venue would not need to be too large unfortunately.

I take on board what you are saying, but at the end of the day, what divine right do we as supporters have to expect another person to fund our Saturdays when we are prepared to do nothing in return, except turn up.
I go back to what I said before, how many supporters, apart from the faithfull few who are doing it already for which we should be eternally gratefull, would be prepared to meet up to discuss ways of taking the club to the wider community to increase our fan base, also to give up some spare time for fund raising, and to discuss further ways of progressing the club to be a more important cog in the big wheel that is "Imperial Fields" then we might have a right to express our views regarding further funding.
I think I know what the negative response will be.
One major point which I feel is more pertinent than others made by ourselves is that until our owner accepts the fact that he has not the ability, no matter how well meaning, to choose a manager who can improve the team and at least get us up into the Premier division again, I feel we will stay on this perpetual slide downwards, which as we all know will only have one ending, something I am sure he does not want, like the rest of us.