Investment

[richinspain]

The Kirsch has plenty of free time 

[MadAmster]

Virtually debt free? The most recently published Statement of Accounts showed the club made an operating loss of £10M in 2023 and owing £36M to Clowes Developments. I suspect we will have made a loss again last season, less than that of the year before, but still a loss. I presume DC will have plugged that hole in the finances so let's guess at a £5M loss making it £41M we'd owe Clowes Developments.

[Foreveram]

1 hour ago, MadAmster said:

Virtually debt free? The most recently published Statement of Accounts showed the club made an operating loss of £10M in 2023 and owing £36M to Clowes Developments. I suspect we will have made a loss again last season, less than that of the year before, but still a loss. I presume DC will have plugged that hole in the finances so let's guess at a £5M loss making it £41M we'd owe Clowes Developments.

I presume they mean external debt, lots of clubs are in debt to their owners to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds.

[MadAmster]

20 hours ago, Foreveram said:

I presume they mean external debt, lots of clubs are in debt to their owners to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds.

£40M is around 20% of DC's total worth, much of which is tied up in land, buildings, plant, machinery, building materials and a football stadium. Not much of it will be in liquid assets meaning he won't be able to keep pumping millions each year into the club as that would damage his building business. he's not going to sell off land or buildings etc to fund DCFC. That's why he has consistently said the club will be run sustainably and self sufficiently.

[Jayram]

3 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

£40M is around 20% of DC's total worth, much of which is tied up in land, buildings, plant, machinery, building materials and a football stadium. Not much of it will be in liquid assets meaning he won't be able to keep pumping millions each year into the club as that would damage his building business. he's not going to sell off land or buildings etc to fund DCFC. That's why he has consistently said the club will be run sustainably and self sufficiently.

Which will probably mean we will become at best another Rotherham, yo-yoing between the Championship and L1, at worst drop back into L1 and be stuck down there for a good few seasons. This is not a criticism of Mr Clowes; it’s just that the reality is that you cannot be sustainable and competitive at Championship level. Outside investment will have to be sought if we are to progress as a club at this level. 

[MadAmster]

13 minutes ago, Jayram said:

Which will probably mean we will become at best another Rotherham, yo-yoing between the Championship and L1, at worst drop back into L1 and be stuck down there for a good few seasons. This is not a criticism of Mr Clowes; it’s just that the reality is that you cannot be sustainable and competitive at Championship level. Outside investment will have to be sought if we are to progress as a club at this level. 

From bits and bobs in the media and club interviews, it seems DC has mentioned a few times he'd welcome external investment and would like to remain involved to prevent things going haywire again. He isn't, apparently, currently actively looking for any.

Edited August 16 by MadAmster

[Reggie Greenwood]

46 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

From bits and bobs in the media and club interviews, it seems DC has mentioned a few times he'd welcome external investment and would like to remain involved to prevent things going haywire again. He isn't, apparently, currently actively looking for any.

I can confirm he is looking for investment and there is a high profile ex Man U employee involved. 
caveat as stated any investment will be on DC’s terms and only with someone properly vetted and he trusts to do the right thing by DCFC. 
No more fake shieks , Alonzo’s or bent Yanks. 
So it probably won’t be a quick process. 

[Animal is a Ram]

1 minute ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

I can confirm he is looking for investment and there is a high profile ex Man U employee involved. 
caveat as stated any investment will be on DC’s terms and only with someone properly vetted and he trusts to do the right thing by DCFC. 
No more fake shieks , Alonzo’s or bent Yanks. 
So it probably won’t be a quick process. 

Please don't be Ed Woodward. 😂

This time we can afford to be more choosy - the life of the club is safe.

[MackworthRamIsGod]

2 minutes ago, Animal is a Ram said:

Please don't be Ed Woodward. 😂

This time we can afford to be more choosy - the life of the club is safe.

Makes sense for it to be him. or Richard Arnold.

[Comrade 86]

1 hour ago, MadAmster said:

From bits and bobs in the media and club interviews, it seems DC has mentioned a few times he'd welcome external investment and would like to remain involved to prevent things going haywire again. He isn't, apparently, currently actively looking for any.

He has indeed, though he stressed it would need to be the right kind of investor, which I take to mean nobody like the Glazers looking to immediately leverage the 'asset'. I was immediately and immensely grateful when he stepped up to save the club and the stadium and even if it results in a few relatively dull seasons of consolidation, I still believe we're very lucky to have him at the helm.

[trappatoni]

3 hours ago, MackworthRamIsGod said:

Makes sense for it to be him. or Richard Arnold.

Beckham trying the multi club model - we're the uk branch -  he's going to use his profile to bring in a host of American celebrity investors.   Saw it in a dream.  

[Eoghan1884]

Maz who seems to know stuff because I’m pretty sure he cuts a lot of the players hair. Seems to think Niall Horan is going to be investing in the club. I asked him myself is he dreaming or fact and he reckons fact. Not sure if it’s true but would make sense. A boy whos loved the club since birth wanting to help Clowes out. 

[Reggie Greenwood]

15 minutes ago, Eoghan1884 said:

Maz who seems to know stuff because I’m pretty sure he cuts a lot of the players hair. Seems to think Niall Horan is going to be investing in the club. I asked him myself is he dreaming or fact and he reckons fact. Not sure if it’s true but would make sense. A boy whos loved the club since birth wanting to help Clowes out. 

A quick internet search has Horan worth $70 mill , would think if he is involved it would be part of a consortium. 
 

[Comrade 86]

4 minutes ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

A quick internet search has Horan worth $70 mill , would think if he is involved it would be part of a consortium. 
 

Thought the same buyt perhaps it's simply a philanthropic donation to help us strengthen the side a tad, rather than something more formal. A notional shareholding with no daily input, just the satisfaction of seeing your team do well? Be nice, wouldn't it! 🫰

Edited August 19 by Comrade 86

[Eoghan1884]

7 minutes ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

A quick internet search has Horan worth $70 mill , would think if he is involved it would be part of a consortium. 
 

I agree, I also think it’d be part of a consortium. It could also be a small bit of investment to help us for a few seasons while we look for serious investment. A lot of net worths are also seriously wrong and nearly every one is an estimation.

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

8 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

Thought the same buyt perhaps it's simply a philanthropic donation to help us strengthen the side a tad, rather than something more formal. A notional shareholding with no daily input, just the satisfaction of seeing your team do well? Be nice, wouldn't it! 🫰

Genuine question, how would FFP account for that? For example (and I know this isn't what will happen here) If someone turns around to a club and says "Here you go folks, here is £25 million in no strings attached cash from which I want and expect zero return", what do the EFL do with that? Just treat it as income?

Edited August 19 by JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta

[Ghost of Clough]

31 minutes ago, Eoghan1884 said:

Maz who seems to know stuff because I’m pretty sure he cuts a lot of the players hair. Seems to think Niall Horan is going to be investing in the club. I asked him myself is he dreaming or fact and he reckons fact. Not sure if it’s true but would make sense. A boy whos loved the club since birth wanting to help Clowes out. 

Wants to be the Derby equivalent of Ed Sheeran?

[Eoghan1884]

Just now, Ghost of Clough said:

Wants to be the Derby equivalent of Ed Sheeran?

Sounds good to me, it’s worked out pretty well for them 

[Big Trav]

Similar route to Wrexham I’ve heard 

[Comrade 86]

17 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Genuine question, how would FFP account for that? For example (and I know this isn't what will happen here) If someone turns around to a club and says "Here you go folks, here is £25 million in no strings attached cash from which I want and expect zero return", what do the EFL do with that? Just treat it as income?

I think it'd have to be an equity jobby, but I don't think we need worry about breaching FFP anytime soon, as the volumes are very modest to date. I suspect we will again show a loss this year, but L1 losses are not counted (no FFP constraints in L1) and coming from where we have, Clowes and Pearce will be more mindful than most. 

If, as suggested, it may be Horan, the sums will not be particularly significant as while he's wealthy, he's not in the same stratosphere as some of the owners in this league.

All complete guesswork, I concede, but it's a nice way to begin the week and if Maz is correct and it's happening soon, might we get that striker we all want, or a German CB?