Rampage

Yes, and before everyone piles in with yet more libellous comments or personal insults, it might be worth remembering that a successful outcome to the current situation is at least partly dependent on our former owner's continued cooperation. 

There is still a massive amount of information not in the public domain. I think a post mortem of Mel’s tenure should not be started until the new owners are in place. Perhaps then we will have the full story, and be able to comment factually on how he has performed.

It seems unlikely that Mel picked the players, decided the wages, did the solicitor work, wrote the accounts or fully understood all the ramifications of how the EFL operate. So many genuinely well informed opinions on here do not coincide. Seems like a morass to me. I am not defending Mel. I am waiting till all is made clear if it ever is made clear. Shooting for the Premiership is a high risk business. Some clubs got it right, some did not. We did not.

It seems unlikely that Mel picked the players, decided the wages, did the solicitor work, wrote the accounts or fully understood all the ramifications of how the EFL operate. So many genuinely well informed opinions on here do not coincide. Seems like a morass to me. I am not defending Mel. I am waiting till all is made clear if it ever is made clear. Shooting for the Premiership is a high risk business. Some clubs got it right, some did not. We did not.

It seems unlikely that Mel picked the players, decided the wages, did the solicitor work, wrote the accounts or fully understood all the ramifications of how the EFL operate. So many genuinely well informed opinions on here do not coincide. Seems like a morass to me. I am not defending Mel. I am waiting till all is made clear if it ever is made clear. Shooting for the Premiership is a high risk business. Some clubs got it right, some did not. We did not.

I think a big issue is he/ Derby was losing this sort of money back in 2017. Why? The club wasn’t being run in a sustainable way. Kamikaze spending on wages. 

Under really good ownership we could indeed again  become a Major Force.

I think most of us simply accept that none of things he has done or decisions he has made, leading us to the perilous position we find ourselves in, we done or made with any kind of malice intended. 
 
I’m not defending him, he needs to take primary responsibility, but I don’t believe he ever intended to harm the club or line his own pockets.

Yes. In many ways the insurance thing is the opposite. That  Force Majeure exclusion is to protect insurance companies from a wave of claims that could make them insolvent. It is a specific clause written by insurers to protect the insurers themselves. Whether it is being applied fairly is of course a different matter. 
The Force Majeure clause in the EFL Rules is to protect the clubs from suffering further penalties in the event of an insolvency event caused by a Force Majeure event not of their making . It is very specifically written and there is no doubt that as it is written in the EFL rules, COVID is a force majeuere event. Whether it caused Derby's insolvency event is another matter to be decided at the tribunal.
 
 
 

£18m for the year seems about right. These aren't normal times but we should be able to fund £13.5m from match day, TV etc over the next 9 months. I would doubt that any club has £10-20m sat in their bank. If they did that isn't the best business model. 
I think proof that DCFC can survive would be a projection of cash flow until the end of the season. They should be able to do that based on current wages etc

Glad you raised this. If the admins are successful in finding a buyer and sorting out HMRC and the dreaded efl, then surely it will dawn on the anti-Mel brigade that his agreement to waive his mountain of ‘soft loans’ was our salvation. 

well, maybe not 
A more interesting question is how the loans are waived. Because we know from the Samuelson documentary that after a sale, he could waive part of his loans periodically, and give us a massive FFP boost. I’m guessing the admins will not be pursuing that line, but let’s see 
PS if you have a son, daughter, niece or a nephew, they will be able to show you how to change your avatar 

What also interests me is how the movers shakers and decision makers in the EFL actually get the positions of authority. How did the rules get made, what votes and input did the members get in making them. It is a regulator,  it it is also an association of its members. 
 
Of course I understand it will look for members who by their actions damage other members but something is awry in its whole demeanour and public utterances.

I do not know how to change  my avatar, Cosmic. If Mel is prepared to write off £100 million of debt, I will wait for ALL the relevant information to come out. I have been a Rams fan for over 50 years. We will have a good idea by the end of January. No problem to me if I am the last fan to wait for a final summing up. Someone had to do it. COYR

I do not know how to change  my avatar, Cosmic. If Mel is prepared to write off £100 million of debt, I will wait for ALL the relevant information to come out. I have been a Rams fan for over 50 years. We will have a good idea by the end of January. No problem to me if I am the last fan to wait for a final summing up. Someone had to do it. COYR

I do not know how to change  my avatar, Cosmic. If Mel is prepared to write off £100 million of debt, I will wait for ALL the relevant information to come out. I have been a Rams fan for over 50 years. We will have a good idea by the end of January. No problem to me if I am the last fan to wait for a final summing up. Someone had to do it. COYR

I do not know how to change  my avatar, Cosmic. If Mel is prepared to write off £100 million of debt, I will wait for ALL the relevant information to come out. I have been a Rams fan for over 50 years. We will have a good idea by the end of January. No problem to me if I am the last fan to wait for a final summing up. Someone had to do it. COYR

Waggy paid off all his costs with two goals and a chest down for Roberts. Rooney saved us millions by keeping us up. Mel saved the Club's season by funding the purchase of Roberts who scored a vital goal. Season is over. We move on. COYR

Remember the statement for entering admin that we all castigated the club and Mel for? We said Mel was trying to absolve himself of any responsibility and just blaming everything on Covid. With what’s come to light now that statement was obviously scripted with the intention of giving a admins a reason to appeal to the points deduction for entering admin.
Wether intentional or not, the way he has separated the ground and training ground from the club is beneficial to us for deducting the debts. As long as he sells them back to the club and a good price like is being mentioned, then we’ll be left in a good place.

I thought on mel’s stTement at the time it was obvious the reasons why it was scripted that way… not Mel just making excuses. 
 
both Mel and the administrators have cited COVID and there are good reasons for that, not least because it’s true.

Administrators have said they are aiming to reduce current and future penalties. Any future penalties would be for P & s and I think it’s a fair point in mitigation that we didn’t knowingly break p & s

I have a feeling that when the dust settles, Mel will be seen to have done the best for the Rams that he could have done and found to have been let down by some people. We will see.

I have a feeling that when the dust settles, Mel will be seen to have done the best for the Rams that he could have done and found to have been let down by some people. We will see.

Ashley has the money in his pocket and could probably buy it tomorrow if he wants it. If he wants it, I cannot see anyone beating him to it. He is entirely focussed to get administration bargains. I would welcome him. We would not go into administration with Ashley. More likely that he would make a few quid out of us when somebody offers big good money for us.

I have a feeling that when the dust settles, Mel will be seen to have done the best for the Rams that he could have done and found to have been let down by some people. We will see.

Ashley has the money in his pocket and could probably buy it tomorrow if he wants it. If he wants it, I cannot see anyone beating him to it. He is entirely focussed to get administration bargains. I would welcome him. We would not go into administration with Ashley. More likely that he would make a few quid out of us when somebody offers big good money for us.