Mel Morris interview on Radio Derby 1pm

[CornwallRam]

10 minutes ago, Mckram said:

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 confirming 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.

 

But isn't the reason that he's borrowed from MSD to get through Covid?

I do understand and have some sympathy about the impacts of Covid, but surely it has also reduced the cost of the playing staff? We outclassed Stoke with several players on £4,500 a week - that's a direct impact of Covid. I'm really not sure that it is a good reason to pull the plug now. 

[cannable]

1 minute ago, David said:

My personal view for what it's worth is he sounded deflated towards the end of the interview. A beaten man.

Despite a lack of raw emotion shown on air, I genuinely think Friday would have hurt him massively as this wouldn't have been anywhere in his plans.

I understand this will not be any comfort to any of the staff that will lose their jobs, or creditors unpaid who my thoughts are with right now as they face an extremely tough week ahead.

Tomorrow I will be opening a jobs board on the forum, if any of you have a business or hear of vacancies in the local area please post them.

Also if you know anyone that has/will be lose their job through this process, give them a heads up.

Saturday showed what an incredible fan base we have when we come together, let's help try and make the impact as minimal as possible. ?

I was thinking food banks as well, as a suggestion.

Who knows, and I don’t mean this flippantly, we may be funding club transport if things are that bad.

[kevinhectoring]

21 minutes ago, SillyBilly said:

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. I

I think MSD has security over the stadium. 

[Icomeinpeace]

44 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.

As a Forest fan I have no axe to grind here and as I've said I feeling genuinely appalled at what's happened to your club but can I just say that I and I suspect many external observers will find your attitude incredibly generous almost to point of disbelief. I mean of course he wanted success everyone does, but the way he's gone about it is surely unforgiveable. He has knowingly and willingly sold/mortgaged almost every bit of your club. He has recklessly played fast and loose with regulations and guidelines, not just of the EFL but of the  HMRC. These regulations aren't  new and cannot be described as anti-Derby - instead he has at every turn it seems taken decisions that would/will have dire consequences for the whole DCFC institution; the club, the players business the length and breadth of the city.... 

As for what happens now, well the the administrators are in control. Any legal actions being taken by creditors will stop so you can't go in to compulsory liquidation (moratorium). The administrator will put a plan together and must submit that proposals to all creditors within 8 weeks of the administration starting.

The administrators role is to act in the interests of eh people who are owed money by Derby, not in not Derby's interests, and if they  believe that the club is not a viable entity going forward then the administrators can/will liquidate the company.

Given the info Mel just implied re some of the outstanding issues, I hate to say it but liquation is really not out of the question at all. Sorry guys

re buyers- the thing to consider is that as DCFC doesn't own the stadium of the training ground either I believe, the club's only assets are the players - so not much. Plus your debt is around £37 Million as its 26 Million to HMRC, 6 Million in transfer fees and 5 Million roughly to Cocu and his staff. So any new buyer is looking at buying a club and paying off those debts, when they only get the players for it .... and you'll probably be in League 21 after a +20 points deduction .... seriously guys, good luck.

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Icomeinpeace
spelling

[SillyBilly]

7 minutes ago, IslandExile said:

You read it like that.

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

Take your point and we will ultimately see and I hope you are right. Doesn't make much sense to me on the face of it with the collapsing deals but we can only hope. A deal would have been a lot easier to strike where prospective owners had an assurance to swiftly take back the ground on the cheap. I don't buy Mel's line that the sale of the club was principally impacted by COVID; Mel took out the most valuable asset the club has and therefore effectively rendered it valueless IMO. And yet seemingly expected a buyer to come in buy all of his debt obligations without the same security of assets that Mel had when he bought in. Surely administration was the inevitable conclusion on this basis. And it is a direct result of the stadium being held by Mel and his position to use it as at least a partial recovery of his losses. 

[Ellafella]

1 hour ago, samwcave said:

“It’s absolutely all about COVID” 

answer me this then Mel… why isn’t every other club in admin? 
 

he. Is. Clueless. 

He does explain that.

[G STAR RAM]

6 minutes ago, Chester40 said:

Was there any discussion about what 'administration' means in practice. Any sense of a master plan other than getting rid..?  How many points he thinks will be deducted ultimately? What the resubmitted books say/mean? What's happening with Wassall/Mac? Will Rooney stay? Will we have to sell everyone? Is relegation a certainty? 

Nope, nothing important was really asked, seemed more about pointing out MMs mistakes and making him say sorry.

I'm absolutely none the wiser about our financial situation than I was before the interview. 

If anything its left more questions than answers.

[Ewe Ram]

20 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

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

Of course. I don’t read it anyway ?

[G STAR RAM]

8 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

I dont think we have lost the stadium yet. 

We did in June 2018.

[therealhantsram]

I have been broadly speaking a Mel supporter.

With admin I was basically neutral having not heard all sides of the story.

 

I can now say that interview was a complete Prince Andrew.

 

Not an ounce of emotion, or regret, or culpability, or indeed empathy for the people he is putting out of work.

 

Shocking stuff.

 

 

[Woodypecker]

Not sure how it is possible, given human nature, for a super-rich buyer of a football club NOT to acquire it as at least in part as a vanity project. Unless it's a non-League community club!

Mel's no different to many....but tragically couldn't deliver the dream.

Jack Walker succeeded, who else...Doug Ellis at Villa (for a spell)? No doubt a few other local heroes.

I'm sure the Middle-Eastern football invaders and Americans want to join the corporate 'trophy' route to glory and media income (as well as the MUFC Glazer-style financial shufflings) 

Who do we actually respect and smile about as good, sincere, successful  custodians, when we think of recent high-profile ownership regimes? Leicester? Beats me!

Edited September 19, 2021 by Woodypecker

[Chester40]

1 minute ago, G STAR RAM said:

Nope, nothing important was really asked, seemed more about pointing out MMs mistakes and making him say sorry.

I'm absolutely none the wiser about our financial situation than I was before the interview. 

If anything its left more questions than answers.

Great eh. Couldn't give a fig if he's sorry... What's happening next is all that interests me. 

[deano180]

17 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

He said there were lots interested but i get impression he said they seemed to just be waiting for lower price (rather than efl to be sorted). Said one who came back this week was someone who had expressed interest and gone. 

Dawes should be then questioning why MM never lowered his price to relieve this issue we now face months later via Admin

[DCFC27]

Does anyone have a link to the play back? 

[deano180]

15 minutes ago, Yani P said:

I think Mel admitted he had played his hand very badly so that potential buyers knew they would get a better deal by playing a waiting game..

He never said this, he showed his hand by negotiating a deal which then fell through, the hand would then be known, people talk

[IlsonDerby]

May have interpreted it differently to some but to me it sounded like he was keeping the stadium to ensure it was safe from the admin process? 

[Archie]

5 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

I dont think we have lost the stadium yet. You dont know what he will do with it. I may be naive but i think he genuinely sounded as if he would work with the administrators on that. Perhaps he sees it as his chance to make amends for where we are. I am disgusted at where we are at but lets see. 

I hope you're right but he gave very little away concerning it and gave no assurances at all. If he wants to appease the fans, this should have been part of Friday's announcement but wasn't. He's a business man that wants as much back as possible despite him being directly responsible for the mistakes which led to the stadium sale in the first place.  

I wanted him to invest in the club and push for the promised land as we all did, but not at such a huge cost to the club. He was only a temporary custodian and should have had the business acumen to behave as such. 

[Ellafella]

6 minutes ago, David said:

My personal view for what it's worth is he sounded deflated towards the end of the interview. A beaten man.

Despite a lack of raw emotion shown on air, I genuinely think Friday would have hurt him massively as this wouldn't have been anywhere in his plans.

I understand this will not be any comfort to any of the staff that will lose their jobs, or creditors unpaid who my thoughts are with right now as they face an extremely tough week ahead.

Tomorrow I will be opening a jobs board on the forum, if any of you have a business or hear of vacancies in the local area please post them.

Also if you know anyone that has/will be lose their job through this process, give them a heads up.

Saturday showed what an incredible fan base we have when we come together, let's help try and make the impact as minimal as possible. ?

Superb @David. We need to get involved, coordinate and organise. Everyone has a part to play. I’ve got an idea how some £ could be raised to go back into the club but I’d need help. I need someone with brains, and time. ?‍♂️

[RadioactiveWaste]

5 minutes ago, Icomeinpeace said:

I mean of course he wanted success everyone does, but the way he's gone about it is surely unforgiveable. He has knowingly and willingly sold/mortgaged almost every bit of your club. He has recklessly played fast and loose with regulations and guidelines, not just of the EFL but of the  HMRC. These regulations aren't  new and cannot be described as anti-Derby - instead he has at every turn it seems taken decisions that would/will have dire consequences for the whole DCFC institution; the club, the players business the length and breadth of the city.... 

 

I think that view is widespread amongst Derby fans now, if it wasn't before.

 

[Bob The Badger]

38 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Mel effectively says there was a trigger (something to do with him wanting to sell but covering the losses until that happened?) which meant parties interested in buying the club were always going to be happy to wait for admin before moving as it was going to be in their interest to take the club on debt free. Which is why he claims this is in the best interests of the club now, as it will move that process along.

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

I think @Eatonramsaid £200m and was ridiculed.

Quite honestly, he deserves ridiculing, but apparently not for that.