Mel Morris interview on Radio Derby 1pm

[eccles the ram]

Was supposedly switching off after 15 minutes but I lied! I wanted to hear all of it! Like a masochist! Problem is I enjoyed every moment !!!!

[LazloW]

It may be understandable, but he really is in ‘damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t’ territory here (see the ‘apology’ issue - complaints that he hasn’t apologised, then when he does, complaints that it’s all insincere and hollow). 

Edited September 19, 2021 by LazloW

[RoyMac5]

Just now, Ewe Ram said:

I understood that interview, I’m glad I listened without prejudging what was said. I feel a lot of fans wouldn’t accept anything he said whatever. Which I think is incredibly sad. 

Lol.

We have heard most of his excuses before. Only the Covid ones are new. I'll read Nicholson's mostly verbatim write up thanks.

[SillyBilly]

10 minutes ago, IslandExile said:

Those slamming Mel should pause for a moment to think about his intentions.

I do not - for a minute - think he's intended to run the club down.

He has spent millions, not to run the club into debt, but to chase the dream. We all supported that chase.

Even though he's managed things badly, which he admits, I do believe that he genuinely thinks the only way he can get new owners in is to put the club into administration.

I'm very far from happy about that, actually been crying about it, but I think it's sincere on his part.

The coyness on the stadium tells it all IMO (and lack of follow through from Ed to determine how it is brought back into DCFC hands), quite obtuse statement regarding his ownership of stadium, only a reference that across the overall sum of his tenure, even despite retention of the stadium, that he will still lose out. So what does that mean? It basically reads to me  that he has gambled, lost, and taken the stadium as a form of collateral to reduce his loss. If he was as benevolent as he claims he is he'd gift the stadium back to the club and truly walk away with nothing, he obviously has no intention of doing that. So his recklessness to get out of this division was effectively mortgaged against our home which Lionel Pickering ultimately gifted the city and club. I don't care about a lot of things but to lose our stadium in this is unforgivable, the stadium should be an asset with the club in this admin package, the fact it isn't is a real, real shame.

Edited September 19, 2021 by SillyBilly

[Inverurie Ram]

Keep on supporting Derby County Football Club. D.C.F.C. Love, Life & Unity.

 

[Ram-Alf]

8 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

 

He says he's lost £200 million. I think he said that, just over the weekend, fifteen potential buyers expressed an interest.

He bet on Stoke to win?

[Van der MoodHoover]

Did the interview get into the details of WHY administration could bring buyers to the table - how much of the debt is estimated to be written off (and who owns that debt)? 

[Woodypecker]

With all player-values (everywhere except the Prem/Europe!) diving, and the revenue losses due to Covid (which aren't an excuse...a Force Majeure occurence!), this all leads me to wonder how many other Championship clubs are in deep sh !t now with FFP and P&S? 

Forest...14 managers in 10 years, those departing not poached for fees but booted out in disgrace....some big player transfers....as an aggrieved Rams fan, I have to expect the same harsh level of scrutiny and punishment that the EFL is visiting on my club. 

Soon, the bottom three or more!) of the Championship should comprise of non-compliant clubs fighting back points deductions all season!

[Ewe Ram]

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

Lol.

We have heard most of his excuses before. Only the Covid ones are new. I'll read Nicholson's mostly verbatim write up thanks.

You and everyone else calling him have your opinions and I have mine. I don’t share the opinions of a lot of people. But I am an intelligent adult and I’m standing up to what I think. 

[CBRammette]

2 minutes ago, Raich Carter said:

He has a very interesting tone - not quite but almost disinterested / disconnected. He sometimes sounds bothered but often just quite cold and calculated. He doesn't get ruffled at all but I thought the whole 'that's a great question' was patronising.

My 2p is that he's going to try and recover some of his money via selling the stadium back but they're talking about £60m to get the club out of debt / admin but not sure if that includes the (£80m?) stadium...

Most likely case for him is £200m investment - £30m return. That's gotta hurt...

At work we deal with alot of self- made business men. They often are like that especially if they are the technical ones who have the ideas. Dont think you can really be anything other than detached. Thats why they usually have people people to do that side of it. The problem is as Mel is a fan he wanted to do all that when usually in his businesses you perhaps wouldnt see him out front. Not as worried about that but that he can help administrators get us through this

[Don't Panic]

1 minute ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Did the interview get into the details of WHY administration could bring buyers to the table - how much of the debt is estimated to be written off (and who owns that debt)? 

Ermmmmmmmmm

 

 

 

 

 

 

no

[Mckram]

I think he did well there.

As much as we can hope for an owner who has billions, it’s not realistic. They all want us at the cheapest price and know that administration is the best way to do that. They’ve forced Mel’s hand and he knows that long term this is the best for the club. Also Mel knows the EFL will never give us a fair run without him gone.

He’s never set out to ruin the club and I’m fairly certain if any of us had the money he had we would have tried to do the same.

The amortisation part was a risk, but the EFL didn’t say a word for years and we were conforming to the financial standards. How someone that is not an accountant gets the final say over an accountant I’ll never know.

As much as everyone can say covid can’t be used as an excuse, it’s had a massive contribution towards it. Our turnover was one of the largest in the championship, probably the biggest of clubs that don’t get parachute payments. We’ve been hit harder than any other club and the timing of Covid came at the end of our big spending.

Interesting what he said about only 2 teams that have been promoted since P&S was brought in have not broken the rules. Shows how broken the system is.

We beat Villa at Wembley and none of this ever happens.

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Mckram

[RadioactiveWaste]

My take aways from that:

Ed Dawes is no Paxo, but did try his best.

Lot of reputation management from Mel.

Lot of "we did nothing wrang"

Lot of delusional notions about what risks were taken, why and misrepresentation of what "best interests" are.

Some admission of error "but only for the purest motives"

Appology a bit shallow sounding.

Admin more a last ditch move to be rid of us (or rather paying for us) because buyers would rather pay Xp per pound of debt than all of it than an unavoidable insolvancy.

He's annoyed he had to keep funding his total liability even after he decided he wanted rid of it in 2019.....

Mel still owns PP.

[RoyMac5]

1 minute ago, Ewe Ram said:

You and everyone else calling him have your opinions and I have mine. I don’t share the opinions of a lot of people. But I am an intelligent adult and I’m standing up to what I think. 

You stand up to what you like. Not got a problem with that. I shall reply as I want.

[CBRammette]

14 minutes ago, Zag zig said:

Did he say 15 enquiries over the weekend, maybe 2 or 3 serious?

I think he said 15 - listened back but wasnt overly clear. 50 seems too many unless we can count up from here other than Sage who has done it?

[Archie]

Don't get all upset that he's lost or invested circa 200 million - a lot of this was from his terrible, terrible mistakes and having to try to cover these through buying the stadium because he breached ffp. Hes walked away with a stadium that noone will buy if the admins want a quick, cheap sale. It's his now and doesn't sound like he will hand it back. This should be donated to the city or something similar and shouldn't be a bargaining chip in any future deal. His mistakes and his losses, not the clubs. Tragic we've lost the stadium and have racked up so much debt when we were on a strong financial footing before he bought the club. 

[IslandExile]

3 minutes ago, SillyBilly said:

The coyness on the stadium tells it all IMO (and lack of follow through from Ed to determine how it is brought back into DCFC hands), quite obtuse statement regarding his ownership of stadium, only a reference that across the overall sum of his tenure, even despite retention of the stadium, that he will still lose out. So what does that mean? It basically reads to me  that he has gambled, lost, and taken the stadium as a form of collateral to reduce his loss. If he was as benevolent as he claims he is he'd gift the stadium back to the club and truly walk away with nothing, he obviously has no intention of doing that. So his recklessness to get out of this division was effectively mortgaged against our home which Lionel Pickering ultimately gifted the city and club. I don't care about a lot of things but to lose our stadium in this is unforgivable, the stadium should be an asset with the club in this admin package, the fact it isn't is a real, real shame.

You read it like that.

I read it differently. That he may indeed "gift the stadium (or sell cheaply)" to the new owners.

[Archie]

5 minutes ago, SillyBilly said:

The coyness on the stadium tells it all IMO (and lack of follow through from Ed to determine how it is brought back into DCFC hands), quite obtuse statement regarding his ownership of stadium, only a reference that across the overall sum of his tenure, even despite retention of the stadium, that he will still lose out. So what does that mean? It basically reads to me  that he has gambled, lost, and taken the stadium as a form of collateral to reduce his loss. If he was as benevolent as he claims he is he'd gift the stadium back to the club and truly walk away with nothing, he obviously has no intention of doing that. So his recklessness to get out of this division was effectively mortgaged against our home which Lionel Pickering ultimately gifted the city and club. I don't care about a lot of things but to lose our stadium in this is unforgivable, the stadium should be an asset with the club in this admin package, the fact it isn't is a real, real shame.

Spot on and just written similar. I'm outraged by this and this discussion should have been front and centre of the interview

[G STAR RAM]

1 hour ago, Yani P said:

Hired by?

The club.

[Yani P]

Lost/invested are very different things..and although pushed he didn't clarify did he? All he said was he wouldn't make money on the deal..