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Holland: Without Owner's Backing I'd Be Worried About Administration
Tuesday, 7th Jul 2020 18:59

Former skipper Matt Holland believes the Blues could have been pushed into administration by the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis had they not got the backing of owner Marcus Evans.

Championship Wigan went into administration last week, although apparently largely for reasons not connected to the pandemic, and other clubs in the lower leagues are expected to follow them.

Town are facing a loss of income which in a worst case scenario could push towards £10 million.

The club estimate the cost of refunding ticket money owed to fans, both season ticket holders and those with matchday tickets, at around £800,000 on top of approaching £1 million in income already lost from those games.

As reported last month, three-quarters of existing season ticket holders have renewed for 2020/21, however the missing quarter, around 3,000 fans, amounts to a reduction of £1 million in income on last year.

The club has also missed out on an anticipated commercial income of around £600,000 since the start of the crisis, while expected revenue from screening Euro 2020 games in the FanZone won’t now be brought in until next summer.

In addition, it’s understood that club and EFL sponsors have clawed back some of their cash due to the unplayed games. Town have also missed out on income from their iFollow service.


As things stand it appears certain that some of the new season will be played either behind closed doors or with few fans present. That is likely to mean the club will probably have to pay back some of the £3 million received for 2020/21 season tickets at some stage, while it’s estimated they will miss out on £4 million in matchday income from tickets, hospitality, sponsorship, advertising and concourse takings.

The Community Trust, which was relaunched early in the season, has also lost income of £100,000 due to the pandemic.

In order to cut costs, Town have furloughed most of their off-field staff since May - with owner Evans making up the other 20 per cent of their salaries - while it’s understood discussions are ongoing regarding further financial support for clubs in the lower leagues - from either the Government or Premier League - which would help facilitate a September start for the new season.

Even in a normal season, Evans covers a significant shortfall of around £5-£6 million unless cash is brought in via player trading.

“In the Premier League it’s the TV money that really counts but in the divisions below, matchday revenue is vital,” Holland told the club site.

“If you can’t get fans into games for a period of time - say for much of next season - you have a real problem. There will be a lot of clubs in serious trouble. It’s the biggest threat to the football pyramid, what is happening and could happen.

“Ipswich are obviously still my club and when I look at the size of the club, the attendances, the wage bill will be at the higher end for sure, it will be one of the hardest hit in League One. Sunderland and Portsmouth the same.

“I know Marcus Evans has got his critics but if he wasn’t at Ipswich now and putting the money he does into the club, I’d hate to think what would happen. You could be looking at administration. Without his backing, I’d be worried big time.

“I think other clubs will follow Wigan and go into administration, especially if they are safe in their league with the 12-point deduction.”

The ex-Republic of Ireland international, Town's skipper during their spell in administration in 2003, believes the current crisis is a chance for football to get its financial house in better order.

“There is talk of salary caps in League One and Two and I can see that happening,” he added.

“Then you look at the Championship. I read that at one club 107 per cent of turnover was being spent on player wages [Town’s was 106.97 per cent in 2018/19]. I’m not a mathematician but that can’t be right.

“If you are paying out a lot more than you are getting in, sooner or later you are going to be in trouble.

“Clubs are gambling on getting into the Premier League. Fans want you to spend fortunes on players as well because they want to get in the Premier League but there has to be some realism.

“It’s got to be sustainable model and maybe football will change now. I think it needs to change.”


Photo: Action Images



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BlueNomad added 11:09 - Jul 8
Anger clouds your judgement in a war so you would probably be a bit dangerous to be near.

As for joy - there have been games and results that I have really enjoyed over the past 13 years. I have also been gutted on many occasions but within an hour or so I have got over it and moved on. This constant rage about ME, the club, managers and players achieves nothing, unless of course you feel the appalling behaviour of some against MM was reasonable. The bottom line is we will still have a club. Be grateful for that at this time and perhaps then we might find we can climb out of the wreckage that is going to be L1 and 2.
5

Bluearmy_81 added 11:11 - Jul 8
All this... "if he walks..." Grow some balls!! He can't just 'walk,' well he could but then there would be plenty of suitors after a 'free' club (he's not after the debt back, he's said this and you all trust him right?!) So we might end up with an owner who invests properly and gets us heading in the right direction?! Is it wrong to wish for that?! Ashley would be miles better than Evans simply for this reason...
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Bluearmy_81 added 11:15 - Jul 8
I think you have an image of me permanently seething and cursing Evans!! Incorrect. I just call it as I see it. Its a pity some of you weren't as passive and accepting over the years, we might not have been in the sorry state we are had you stood up for and fought for your club a bit more.
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rabbit added 12:29 - Jul 8
Bluearmy_81 you are caling Elmwood (Elmswell!!) out for his lack of fight and passion, and others for being passive, just remind us all, where were you when a protest was arranged and can you tell us what happened to the protest you were promising on your churlish facebook page.
Of course you won't answer.
Lets face it you don't actually follow ITFC, claiming that you live too far away, when many other supporters make regular even longer round trips
-1

Bluearmy_81 added 12:34 - Jul 8
You're such a crashing bore rabbit. I didn't organise the protest so it wasn't mine to attend. Unfortunately at present, despite us being a joke club/laughing stock, on the whole town supporters aren't bothered enough to take action and honour their place as' fans' by doing what fans are supposed to do, standing up for their club. I regularly attend away games as you know. Now bore off
-1

rabbit added 12:51 - Jul 8
Haha Bluearmy_81 you are a classic, the protest was there for people to attend, you simply didn't bother.
Also interesting that you admit your facebook page is a total failure.
You consider me a crashing bore because you are unable to respond to the points I make, crashing bore is what so many people consider you to be with your infernal, mostly off topic and generally unsubstantiated comments.
As for away games that you attend, it is rare, I think it was around 4 this season.
0

Lathers added 13:16 - Jul 8
State the obvious Matt. How many clubs would be in the sh&t if it wasn't for their owner? How many people would be out of work if it wasn't for furlough? Bottom line is Evans is a cr@p football club owner and the only positive thing people can say about him is that he spends his own money to keep us going, which is HIS decision. He's the one who will take this club towards administration based on his awful decision making. Best thing for everyone would be for him to sell to someone who actually knows what they are doing before this club heads into L2.
0

BlueNomad added 13:20 - Jul 8
So - we can stand up and fight a man who chooses to use some of his immense wealth to keep our club afloat and so bend him to our will to the extent he will give up and go. We can do so by getting “angry” on a fans forum, criticise anyone not quite as “angry”, make some banners, start an on-line petition and then........er not sure.

I wish I had realised that earlier. The scales have been removed from my eyes.
0

Cheshire_Blue added 13:54 - Jul 8
We are where we are because the numpties hounded Mick McCarthy out and now they have to live with it. Pity they couldn't tell the wood from the trees. Don't go blaming Mr Evans whose money keeps us afloat. How many people would be prepared to spend vast sums of their money providing entertainment in one form or another for around 15,000 people on a regular basis?
-1

LonE17Blue added 14:41 - Jul 8
Marcus brought the club when it was fashionable to do so, particularly with the Kensington and Chelsea elite.
However, Marcus wanted instant success.
His bad Management decisions led to him deciding not to invest in our team any further.
Like any business, if you don't invest to achieve your desired goals, of course the business will depreciate.
Marcus is a wealthy individual and a very successful businessman, but the challenge of running a successful football club, hit home, and he was clearly out of his depth.
The problem for us, is that we chose the wrong owner. ME is not the only person who has wealth and wanted to run a football club particularly back in those days.
I think some comments on here are quite patronising.
It's ME who chose not to invest in our club after only a few seasons, and it's ME who has taken the backwards in reverse gear.
For this should we be grateful?
If he cared about our club he would resume investing at a rate that pushes us forward, and able to challenge suitably.
But it seems that he has left us to rot.

0

Bluearmy_81 added 15:06 - Jul 8
E17, some on here are thankful for that!! You couldn't make it up, it's just bizarre
0

Lathers added 16:01 - Jul 8
@ Cheshire Blue - the numpties that hounded McCarthy out??? Seriously? You're still going on about that? Let it go, maybe see a specialist to help you? So you're saying that's the reason the club has been in terminal decline for over a decade? Letting McCarthy go? If only you had been on the board to advise them then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess! Get a grip man! Can't believe you are still harping on about that old b&gger! Our club has been in decline for years, despite the boring McCarthy years which only served to slow down the inevitable...
0

Dockerblue added 19:03 - Jul 8
Sorry RobsonWark, tried to up vote you but keeps telling me l,ve already voted. Totally agree with your post, the club is going nowhere with him in the team.
0

StavangerBlue added 19:47 - Jul 8
It may be true that we could well be in an even worse situation now if ME was not currently involved with the club. However, ME has again and again failed to strengthen the squad when he should have done, appointed the wrong people time and time again (Clegg, Keane, Hurst), so it is safe to say we would not be in League One if he had not taken over. We are in the position because of him and his poor decisions. The club has been in decline for the past ten years!

I am no fan of Norwich (similar to ITFC in scale) but they are a better ran club. They have a strategic plan (Prem & Champ ping pong for parachute payments), they sell players at a value they see benefit, and they invest wisely but on the whole they are making it work. The fact Norwich are in the Premier (well for a few weeks more) just shows how badly we have declined. It is painful to see NCFC fly so high and beat the likes of Man City while we cannot beat Accrington Stanley.

Ipswich in comparison sell players for ridiculously low values (at the worst times Murphy & Waghorn for instance) and fail to invest in quality players in the hope of finding a cheap bargain. The squad has declined in ability year on year yet our "star" youngsters never seem to come through a la Dozzell, Bishop etc.

In MHO next year will be a struggle and we will be lucky to make the playoffs being mid-table also-rans once again mainly due to inconsistent form. The only way we are getting out of League One is by moving to League Two.

In short, has Evans been good for the club? No. Will Evans invest to get us back in the Championship? No. It is a very difficult road ahead.
2

Bluearmy_81 added 09:35 - Jul 9
You can't criticise the landowner Stavanger!! Go back to Serfdom school where you can learn how to be a quiet little compliant sheep/serf.
-1

MurcianITCC added 10:35 - Jul 9
Like it or not Matt is right, we'd be out of business if not for ME..this pandemic will break alot of businesses, and many more will struggle including he the ME group.
BA81...pack your bags and go support another team, you're not supporting this one.
3

Bluearmy_81 added 11:39 - Jul 9
Murcia, you'll blindly support Evans into non league. Not as far to go as you think. Who'll have been the true supporter of ITFC then. I'm so ashamed of so called fans like you, it's so poor, almost beyond words...
-2


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