Skip to main content

Burnley's 'journey'

Speculation and critical comment continues to surround the takeover of Burnley.  Some of this may just arise from envy that an 'unfashionable' club like the Clarets could attract an investor, but there is enough substance to merit consideration.

The report below from off the pitch.com contains as many questions as answers.   Calling them a 'small' team seems a bit harsh given the club's historical and recent record.   I don't like the word 'journey' in a football context very much and I doubt whether it is much used in Burnley, e.g., people don't say 'I'm going on a journey to Blackburn.'  In this case, a destination has been identified, but getting there may be more tricky.

Asked for a comment, the local Claret said: 'I am both apprehensive and a bit excited by the new model. Faced with the realities of the transfer market Mr. Pace seems to have followed his predecessors in doing nothing. Predecessors also talked about a “global brand”, but I’m pretty sceptical. Can we imagine half of Asia sporting a claret shirt and daydreaming about climbing Pendle, eating potato pies and seeing the legendary Turf Moor (now rebranded as “The Happy Place”) from the inside? Still, let’s enjoy the moment.'

Off the pitch.com argue, 'The Burnley takeover looks fragile. The financial commitment from the new owners seems rather small and problems could occur due to the lack of financial power and secured backing from banks.'

'At the same time Alan Pace and the ALK team have started a very interesting journey with Burnley FC. They want to turn a small Premier League team into a commercial success on the global scene. That’s a brilliantly ambitious plan – but also a tricky one.'

'So far Alan Pace and ALK are saying all the right things – but we can’t judge them until we have seen how they react when things go wrong. It is then that they will show everyone whether they have properly understood the kind of asset they have acquired.'

'One major question is the power of Sean Dyche at Burnley. What is the fit like between Dyche and the new American owners? And not least - what is left at Burnley if Dyche departs? How strong is the infrastructure and the strategy at the club?'

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Threat of financial calamity removed from Baggies

West Bromwich Albion had effectively been in decline ever since the club was sold to a Chinese consortium in August 2016, paying a figure north of £200m to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s stake. Controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai’s ownership was fairly disastrous for the club, but his unloved tenure finally came to an end after Bilkul Football WBA, a company ultimately owned by Florida-based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his father Dr Kiran Patel, acquired an 87.8% shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This change in ownership was urgently required, due to the numerous financial problems facing West Brom, including growing high-interest debt and serious cash flow concerns, following years of no investment from the former owner. Indeed, West Brom’s auditors had already rung the alarm bell in the 2021/22 accounts when they cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern without making player s...
1 comment
Read more

Gold standard ground boosts Tottenham's income

The gold standard in European football grounds is the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in north London, a £1bn construction project completed in 2019. Its impact on the club’s finances has become increasingly clear as the effects of the pandemic have faded. Previously, the average fan would spend less than £2 inside the ground on a typical match day, but now that figure is about £16, thanks to new facilities including the longest bar in Europe and an on-site microbrewery. Capacity has gone up from 36,000 at the club’s previous home of White Hart Lane to 62,000.  The new stadium — built on land adjacent to White Hart Lane — has opened the door to a broad range of other events that have helped to push commercial income up from €117mn in 2018 to €215mn in 2022. Last year, Tottenham hosted US singer Beyoncé for five nights on her global Renaissance tour, two NFL matches, as well as rugby games and heavyweight boxing bouts.  Money brought in from football has gone up too. Match day ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spurs to sell minority stake

Tottenham Hotspur is in talks to sell a minority stake in a deal that could value it at up to £3.75 billion and pave the way for Joe Lewis and his family to sever ties with the Premier League football club. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is seeking an investment that values the club at between £3.5 billion and £3.75 billion, including debt. While the terms of any deal have not been finalised, City sources expect Spurs to sell about 10 per cent. The club is being advised by bankers from Rothschild on the sale. Tottenham wants to raise fresh capital for new player signings and to help fund the development of an academy for its women’s team, as well as a 30-storey hotel next to its north London stadium. The financier Amanda Staveley, who brokered the deal for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to take over Newcastle United, is understood to be among the parties to have expressed an interest in Tottenham. Staveley’s fund, PCP Capital Partners, has raised about £500 million to ...
Post a Comment
Read more