Put Your Chequebook Away Hayes

Tory Goon

Yes it’s that time of year again. New Year, New Window, New Squad. As far as I’m concerned though, the transfer window can be slammed shut and Mr Hayes can put away his shiny new chequebook. This isn’t going to happen though, of course. Manager Paul Lambert is already talking up signing a new striker in the local press and fans have been quick to jump on his every word, examining it for every possible nuance to ascertain that Player X will be joining us from Y on Thursday. The latest rumour is that Chris Sutton will be joining his brother at Adams Park. One hopes that Dave Peters will drag Paul Lambert out to scotch such a rumour so that he can fill the pages of the Bucks Free Press this Friday.

One wonders, though, where all the money is coming from? The recent PLC AGM showed a loss of just under £700,000, that despite income from player sales of Roger Johnson and Kevin Betsy and a Semi-Final Carling Cup Run, while the club’s net assets were reduced yet further to NEGATIVE £2.2 Million. If the rumours are to be believed, this year’s losses will be on a similar scale while we will not have the income from player sales and are out of all the cup competitions.

Of course our more naïve readers will be pointing out that the money situation doesn’t matter as we are being bankrolled by Steve Hayes. In the nicest possible way this is utter rubbish. While Hayes is providing the cash up front, he is not gifting the club the money; rather, he is building up a nice stash of loan notes with which in the future it may be possible to hold the club to ransom, i.e. when he wants to remove the 25% ownership restriction and buy a hotel! He may not have specified when he will be repaid his money, but rest assured that time is coming.

Buying new players now may help us achieve a rise up the league in the short term and even, it is hoped secure promotion to the Nirvana of League One where all clubs are dripping with milk and honey. In the medium to longer term, however, we dig ourselves even further in to financial turmoil and future temptation.

For all our sakes, please Mr Hayes put your chequebook away!

02.01.2008. 14:27

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