A fan's perspective of what's wrong at BP
Last updated : 15 June 2003 By Exiled Fan
The news that Athletic are the latest club in financial trouble brings home the fact to Latics fans in a way that couldn’t have been imagined several weeks ago. We finished the season with an incredible away record and were in the
play-offs for a chance of bringing Division One football to Boundary Park. We also had a Chairman (or ex-Chairman to be precise at that time) who had financed the club throughout the season and things were looking rosy all round.
Players had been brought in a fashion unimaginable since our drop from grace out of the Promised Land of the Premier League. Who would have thought that the loss to QPR would have such a devastating effect on the club?
Speculation has it that Mr. Moore has walked away from the club after promising so much. His intentions are clear for all to see as he made his announcement just before going off on holiday for two weeks. It also appears that Mr. Moore has lied to the fans. Ironically, just two weeks ago at an interview Mr. Moore said, “There's no problem for next season and we're well into the 5yr. plan and the money will be there.” The club encouraged supporters to buy their season tickets in advance and the supporters responded magnificently with record sales. This money meant that the club did not need a loan to complete the season. Moore also said that he was still going to put money in but not at the same rate.
Can anyone answer the following perplexing question? If Mr. Moore is still going to put money in and if we are not paying creditors, then surely that money should go towards paying people's wages in June - but no, that’s been stopped? We now have a situation where many of our contracted players can tear up their contracts after 14 days notice. Our out of contract players will also be leaving to find pastures new. Wouldn’t you under the same circumstances? As far as I can determine, Mr. Moore is not putting any more money in whatsoever despite what he says.
It's very worrying and the only daylight at the end of the tunnel is the commitment of Iain Dowie who must be commended for trying to keep the ship afloat. Mr. Moore on the other hand gives the impression of being the Captain
of the Titanic! Dowie desperately wants a saviour to come along rather than another club coming in for him. He has made his intentions appear clear that he wants to stay rather and continue what he's started. Anything which Dowie
and any potential investors might want to push through will now have to wait until Mr. Moore returns from holidays.
The trouble with most football clubs is that they are not cutting the cloth to match the suit. Greedy players are also to blame. Gone are the days when players used to have pride in their team. Local players playing for local teams meant something in a derby match of old. Now it’s teams full of foreign players on obscene wages just going through the motions. How can they ‘feel’ anything for their teams. The majority of them are simply there for the money.
I sincerely hope that the All Party Parliamentary Football Group do something positive like capping salaries and limiting the number of import players to get the game back to a respected level which the supporters can again afford
to watch.
The Supporters Trust is a step in the right direction but is doomed to failure. Anything that they can raise will just be a drop in the ocean. It was tried, tested and not viable through SAFE when they asked for contributions of £5 a month.
The trust is asking for contributions of about £12 a month and it’s not going to happen although they must be commended for trying to do something positive.
I don’t think it’s fair to put on the true fans who love the team so much. Some players in the game earn more than twice as much per. week as the fans earn in a year. It’s outrageous and must be stopped. Only then will the game return to the ‘beautiful game’ as we knew it.
Keep the Faith!
A concerned fan.
