£990,754 loss last season

[barrowfan]

So we have lost over £900,000 for TWO years not just one. Has the Evening Mail cottoned on yet?

[DaveP]

We lost over £900k for last year alone. I've not looked at the previous years figures but think it was a bout £800k for the previous year .

This loss is represented by monies owed to the owner by the company ie money he has pumped in.

[Londonblue]

The scary thing is that the loss is being fully covered by the owner via his company...

No idea whether the loss is similar for the current year.

[saltcellar]

I'm sure Paul Casson IS a millionaire. However, to maintain a football club nowadays (even at National League level) you need to be a many times multi-millionaire and I'm not sure Mr Casson is at that level.

out of curiosity...wonder how deep Mr C's pockets are?

I believe that while not a billionaire he has several hundred millions.

[Londonblue]

out of curiosity...wonder how deep Mr C's pockets are?

I believe that while not a billionaire he has several hundred millions.

Really?

I have no idea of course, but I didn't get the impression he was a multi millionaire.

[The Real Slim Azza]

out of curiosity...wonder how deep Mr C's pockets are?

I believe that while not a billionaire he has several hundred millions.

No chance

[russell_anderson]

out of curiosity...wonder how deep Mr C's pockets are?

I believe that while not a billionaire he has several hundred millions.

What evidence do you have for that? I don't know that he hasn't BUT my judgement is based on the fact that while the likes of Fleetwood, Forest Green and AFC Fylde have rich owners, those owners are pouring money into new infrastructure while Barrow's owner is not. That tells me that either he doesn't have the money to do it or he doesn't have the interest to do it. I believe he must have the interest otherwise I can't see any reason why he would have bought the club and, therefore, my conclusion is he can't afford to do it.

[boyliegladbach]

I believe that while not a billionaire he has several hundred millions.

What evidence do you have for that? I don't know that he hasn't BUT my judgement is based on the fact that while the likes of Fleetwood, Forest Green and AFC Fylde have rich owners, those owners are pouring money into new infrastructure while Barrow's owner is not. That tells me that either he doesn't have the money to do it or he doesn't have the interest to do it. I believe he must have the interest otherwise I can't see any reason why he would have bought the club and, therefore, my conclusion is he can't afford to do it.

How many years were FGR fylde and Fleetwood owners in charge before they built new grounds? Anyone know?

[Londonblue]

What evidence do you have for that? I don't know that he hasn't BUT my judgement is based on the fact that while the likes of Fleetwood, Forest Green and AFC Fylde have rich owners, those owners are pouring money into new infrastructure while Barrow's owner is not. That tells me that either he doesn't have the money to do it or he doesn't have the interest to do it. I believe he must have the interest otherwise I can't see any reason why he would have bought the club and, therefore, my conclusion is he can't afford to do it.

How many years were FGR fylde and Fleetwood owners in charge before they built new grounds? Anyone know?

Dale Vince became the majority shareholder of FGR in 2010 and I believe Ecotricity (his renewable energy company) is now the ultimate owner. Not sure when their new stadium was announced - was it in 2015?

Interestingly, they made a loss of around £2.5m last year and have net liabilities of £5.4m - all of which are owed to group undertakings e.g. Ecotricity.

They also have to have guarantees that the ultimate owner won't call in their debts so that it can carry on as a going concern.

Not sure how the new stadium is being funded, but they 5 times the liabilities that Barrow have. The flip side to this is that you can see things are being done. How they would manage under Financial Fair Play rules if they ever got the football league is another matter.

[Suffolk Blue]

David Haythornthwaite I believe took over AFC Fylde when they were still Kirkham & Wesham. This would've cost him little by todays standards and although Fylde immediately had the problem of seeking a ground they did not have the problem of a crumbling ruin to maintain.

Whilst DH has been in charge for a number of years at Fylde, the Mill Farm (current ground) plan was floated immediately and has been at the heart of Fylde's development plans since that time. That it took 5 years plus to deliver and involved a stay at Kellemargh Park - which earned them the nickname "AFC Field" - shouldn't detract from the fact that the current ground with its petrol station, KFC and Lidl outlets, generous parking and internal sports bar facilities was always what they planned and was available to anybody to see if they chose to look at them. Most chose to believe that their plans like so many others were "pie in the sky" and couldn't be fulfilled outside of the League but they were wrong.

I'm not a fan either of Fylde or their owner. Rightly or wrongly my view is that Paul Casson as well as being a successful business man is undoubtedly a fan and has the club in his heart. As a result I actually believe that he tends to listen to stakeholders including supporters perhaps more than others would or should. In doing so he pays a price in terms of popularity, discussion about his personal wealth, credibility and sometimes has his integrity questioned. He also controls his business from across the Atlantic whereas the Fylde owner lives very close to the site.

There are many aspects of the Fylde development that I'm envious of as a BAFC fan. There is no doubt that they have been very impressive commercially, and have an infrastructure already far more sustainable than our own. There has been a significant amount of investment running into millions of that there is no doubt and their owner has - until recently at least - shouldered the burden of this. By the way - although I'm not in the least bit privy to their owner's finances, I cannot see any evidence that he would be significantly wealthier the our own. He has a successful local business behind him but is definitely not in the Dale Vince league. The difference has been that he has been able to plan and build his choice of stadium and has then surrounded it with his choice of commercial outlets - all of whom pay rent to him as well as bringing in hundreds of potential additional supporters. Gates have gone from an average of 400 at KP to 1800 this season.

The reason I'm not a Fylde enthusiast? In my opinion their ownership by comparison with our own is rather autocratic and is fuelled by the passion/obsession of a single person who's motives may not be wholly focussed on the club/community. The type of criticism, open discussion and dissent that is characteristic of this forum would certainly not go down too well in Fylde. I may be wrong but I don't think I've ever seen a set of published accounts for Fylde. Access to their forum is restricted, rights (e.g. filming rights) are controlled and there seems a much more distant relationship between the club and its supporters.

When I read certain members on this stating their "rights" to discuss whatever matters they choose or deliver whatever verdict they like on whatever subject either because of their "senior" supporter status or because there is believed to be some constitutional right to free speech which must be seen to be upheld, it does make me chuckle.

[Londonblue]

An interesting summary of Fylde - thank you Suffolk Blue.

I do have to comment on your final sentence though. As long as forum members are not abusing individuals, breaking the law or going against standards drawn up on this forum, they should be free to say what they like whether people agree with it or not.

Otherwise, what is the point...

[HenneysKnee]

Don't get me wrong Fylde attendances would probably have always grown in a new ground but I'm not sure if it would have been to the same extent if Blackpool fans hadn't stopped attending their own games

[The Real Slim Azza]

Don't get me wrong Fylde attendances would probably have always grown in a new ground but I'm not sure if it would have been to the same extent if Blackpool fans hadn't stopped attending their own games

..... and if the same new fans hadn't seen any of the vast advertising they do.

Fylde are doing it right. Very impressive.

[Suffolk Blue]

Its difficult to assess how many Blackpool fans have defected to Fylde or if and when they will leak back to Blackpool. Not in the near future probably as black clouds continue to hover over Bloomfield Road. Clearly if fans believe they will get a happier experience at Fylde and Fylde continue to progress then many may never go back until Blackpool reasserts itself as a force capable of League 1/Championship status. The interesting comparison is with fans of PNE. Kirkham is slightly closer to Blackpool than Preston but not much and about half the locals have allegiance not to the seasiders but to the knob-enders. Yet there is very little evidence that PNE fans are leaking to Fylde which suggests that a happier situation at Blackpool would mean a return for many old faithfuls.

I know many in the vicinity of Fylde that swear blind that Fylde is just a stepping stone for the current owner to a purchase of Blackpool - he has previously expressed his interest. If that were to happen Fylde's owner may quickly become an absentee landlord and some pretty bleak (dare I say Vaughan-like) scenarios begin to appear. However for the time being I agree with a former member of this forum - Fylde are indeed doing it right.

[The Tomahawk Kid]

I think you'll find that Blackpool fans will return (if any have actually defected) to Bloomfield Road once Oyston has gone. I know a few PNE fans - any suggestion that they would start supporting Fylde would be treated with hilarity.