Peter McG......respect

[Christies Child]

In another post we talk of respect for the manager of which I've no problem.

But I have serious issues with the claim that Peter McG has abandoned us. If it wasn't for his money and financial commitment then our club (that we all claim to love but I do wonder at times how true that is) then we would still be a non league club going nowhere with little if any ambition.

Peter has quite rightly decided that after 20 years with the club that the time is right for a new era chaired by a new owner(s) who can continue with the sterling work and dedication that he has put into what is now an established FL club that is mainly due to his efforts and financial commitment over the years.

He deserves far better than for criticism to be made towards him if fact he deserves our respect and grateful thanks for what he has achieved on behalf of our club.

Peter a massive thank you from me and no doubt the vast majority of others.

Total respect Peter.....

[marky No.1]

Thanks Peter.. would you do it all again?

[Crazeenick]

Totally agree with CC.

It's entirely reasonable, and understandable, that Peter McG wishes to move on after 20 years at the helm. He has done a massive amount for the club and deserves our hearty thanks. He is leaving the club in pretty good financial shape - notwithstanding the shrinking gates issue, but that can be reversed fairly readily with new ownership, a return to attacking football (and possibly a new manager).

Thanks and good luck to Peter.

Here's hoping the new owner is passionate about the club and has some money to inject!

[Gone_Shrimping]

Thanks Peter , were it not for you we would probably have the delights of Conference North to look forward to rather than beating the likes of Wolves (twice) Coventry , Barnsley , Preston North End , Blackpool etc etc.

[outsider]

As someone once sang.

"Imagine no McGuigan ,
And where this club would be.
Still in the conference,
Away trip's to Bromley."

[MfcChris]

Who is criticising?

All I have heard is people saying he is lost interest. Which is fair to say.

[RedRedWine]

Full of respect for PMG, but by deciding now that he wants to sell leads me to believe that he has hung on a couple of years too long. During that period we have regressed on the pitch which is reflected by our declining crowds (just over 1,200 for a Saturday game last weekend at our new home). I think we all must know some familiar faces that now no longer get enjoyment out of watching the club and hence don't bother coming, which for me is a very sad state of affairs (I used to go to games with a group of 10-15, now its down to the three of us with season tickets and next year I'll probably be on me own!). It also seems to me that there has been a lot of boardroom division during the last couple of years, which has resulted in a number of board members leaving and/or appearing disinterested in the club.

I don't believe when PMG stated at the fans' forum that there would be a big announcement regarding investment into the club, that the announcement was going to be him selling his shares and effectively putting the club up for sale. Something he hoped was going to happen, has fallen through or not progressed as hoped IMO. It will be very interesting to see the loss that the club posts for the last financial year 01/05/14 - 30/05/15 in May, which it delayed in filing in order to continue talks with interested parties looking to invest in the club.

[black morse]

Fully agree with all this. He put the money in when it was wanted and brought us success. After 20 years I can't see anyone thinking he should continue to 'sub the club' and he has rightly decided that enough is enough and is trying to pass the ownership to others who can carry on the good work. 'Abandoning the club'? Absolute rubbish and an unworthy comment.

[black morse]

Who is criticising?

All I have heard is people saying he is lost interest. Which is fair to say.

The word 'abandoning' in respect of PMcG was on the New Manager thread.

[Shrimpy]

After 20 years I can't see anyone thinking he should continue to 'sub the club' and he has rightly decided that enough is enough and is trying to pass the ownership to others who can carry on the good work.

I'm in 2 minds on what I think of PMG at this current moment in time.

I agree with RRW in that this has probably come a couple of years too late but I'd need to know more about the circumstances before I laud him as a hero. If, as has been suggested, he is holding out for a substantial fee for the club running into the millions which is putting potential investors off (and has supposedly put people off in the past) then there's no way I can continue to think of him as some kind of club legend who deserves universal praise. If him holding out for money for his own personal gain is slowly killing the club and hindering any potential new investment then all the brilliant work he's done in the past will be ruined, he will be no better than the likes of Max Griggs and the bloke at Hornchurch whose name escapes me that bankrolled a club way beyond it's means before running out of money / losing interest and ultimately sending the clubs bankrupt. Now I don't know any of this for a fact but I've heard plenty of rumours that the main (and possibly only) thing stopping the club being sold is the price that PMG is holding out for it.

I can understand that PMG is more than within his rights to ask for a proportion of the money he's invested into the club back but for me, that isn't how being a chairman of a Conference / League 2 club works. You are never going to make money out of a club at this level (especially one our size), as a chairman you are more of a custodian, you are spending your own personal wealth to keep the club afloat and once the time comes you move aside to let the next very wealthy person or group of people take the reigns.

The club should be being offered to potential new owners for a nominal fee providing they have the inclination and means to move the club on, sustain it in the Football League and provide a bright future. If it isn't and new owners are balking at the price then I'm sorry but PMG's legacy will be tarnished.

[Posh]

Full of respect for PMG, but by deciding now that he wants to sell leads me to believe that he has hung on a couple of years too long. During that period we have regressed on the pitch which is reflected by our declining crowds (just over 1,200 for a Saturday game last weekend at our new home). I think we all must know some familiar faces that now no longer get enjoyment out of watching the club and hence don't bother coming, which for me is a very sad state of affairs (I used to go to games with a group of 10-15, now its down to the three of us with season tickets and next year I'll probably be on me own!). It also seems to me that there has been a lot of boardroom division during the last couple of years, which has resulted in a number of board members leaving and/or appearing disinterested in the club.

I don't believe when PMG stated at the fans' forum that there would be a big announcement regarding investment into the club, that the announcement was going to be him selling his shares and effectively putting the club up for sale. Something he hoped was going to happen, has fallen through or not progressed as hoped IMO. It will be very interesting to see the loss that the club posts for the last financial year 01/05/14 - 30/05/15 in May, which it delayed in filing in order to continue talks with interested parties looking to invest in the club.

Well said.

However I think it started with the move. It was supposed to be a new era in a fit-for-purpose state of the art ground. Instead the ground was cobbled together and ill-thought through when they realised the money wasn't there post-recession. Instead of recreating what was great about Christie Park all the effort and most of the money went into sponsor boxes and other income generation, which have all struggled.

Over the last couple of seasons the dawning reality is that it hasn't worked as he expected. He lacks the money to turn it around and so it became a battle off it with deals done that alienated other directors. Having tried everything to turn it around some good, some desperate he's now run out of ideas and no one else in his team has any either. So now is the time to hand it on. As you say though its probably two years late.

[Christies Child]

Posh quite rightly points to the lack of funds being generated from various revenue streams which have all struggled since our move to The Globe.

However it is hoped that as and when a new owner(s) take over that areas responsible for increased revenue stream are given a complete overhaul and that fresh ideas and thinking are introduced not only to increase revenue but also to improve the image of the club throughout the area which in the eyes of the majority I would suggest is pretty poor.

Changes inevitably bring casualties but our club needs to get out of this downwards spiral that it appears to be on at the moment....and pretty quickly before it follows the likes of Barrow and Southport both of whom have seen better days in their history.

We have a good club which should be the centre of the community; unfortunately it isn't.....at the moment.

Maybe the fresh ideas and thinking of SADARSE can provide some input into improve communication with the fans which would be a welcome start and along with new owners see the revival in our club to what we all know it is more than capable of becoming.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Posh quite rightly points to the lack of funds being generated from various revenue streams which have all struggled since our move to The Globe.

However it is hoped that as and when a new owner(s) take over that areas responsible for increased revenue stream are given a complete overhaul and that fresh ideas and thinking are introduced not only to increase revenue but also to improve the image of the club throughout the area which in the eyes of the majority I would suggest is pretty poor.

We have a good club which should be the centre of the community; unfortunately it isn't.....at the moment.

Maybe the fresh ideas and thinking of SADARSE can provide some input into improve communication with the fans which would be a welcome start and along with new owners see the revival in our club to what we all know it is more than capable of becoming.

If the "Globe Grill" had been done properly it would take money 7 nights a week. First of all give it a proper name. Then make it into a proper "Sports Bar" a bit like the one at Fleetwood. Have normal food available FFS we make pies ! Have special offers on and publicise them with signs out on the spare land on the road.

Then there's the Gym !

[Shrimpy]

If the "Globe Grill" had been done properly it would take money 7 nights a week. First of all give it a proper name. Then make it into a proper "Sports Bar" a bit like the one at Fleetwood. Have normal food available FFS we make pies ! Have special offers on and publicise them with signs out on the spare land on the road.!

Also, don't let another business offering exactly the same product open a stones throw away from your premises.

[Keith]

I definitely agree, that with all the current negativity, it is easily overlooked by some, what a mess the club would be in now if not for Peter and for that we should be eternally grateful. The ground move hasn't worked out as hoped, but if we'd remained at Christie Park, we'd be stuffed by now. Without PMG, we'd be playing Lancaster, I doubt if we'd even have remained in the Conference.

So yes, let's not lose sight of the good. I'm sure we will overcome the current problems and his legacy will be a much stronger club than the one he first joined.

[Christies Child]

Posh quite rightly points to the lack of funds being generated from various revenue streams which have all struggled since our move to The Globe.

However it is hoped that as and when a new owner(s) take over that areas responsible for increased revenue stream are given a complete overhaul and that fresh ideas and thinking are introduced not only to increase revenue but also to improve the image of the club throughout the area which in the eyes of the majority I would suggest is pretty poor.

We have a good club which should be the centre of the community; unfortunately it isn't.....at the moment.

Maybe the fresh ideas and thinking of SADARSE can provide some input into improve communication with the fans which would be a welcome start and along with new owners see the revival in our club to what we all know it is more than capable of becoming.

If the "Globe Grill" had been done properly it would take money 7 nights a week. First of all give it a proper name. Then make it into a proper "Sports Bar" a bit like the one at Fleetwood. Have normal food available FFS we make pies ! Have special offers on and publicise them with signs out on the spare land on the road.

Then there's the Gym !

Totally agree and this has already been mentioned as an area that needs working on. It should be the bar of choice for at the very least the new housing estate being built adjacent to the ground and a promotional campaign to attract their custom and other areas close to the Globe MUST be a priority.

I for one would love to see a regular Comedy Club become a monthly feature at The Globe Grill (and I don't mean on the pitch ) Other towns have them where up and coming comedians can learn their trade and could, with the right promotion become a regular haunt for the University Students living in the town as well as others.

It will be interesting to see what the turn out will be for the Morecambe and Wise comedy final at the club later this month. What an opportunity for the club to gather feed back from those attending for future promotions.

[Seasider9601]

If the "Globe Grill" had been done properly it would take money 7 nights a week. First of all give it a proper name. Then make it into a proper "Sports Bar" a bit like the one at Fleetwood. Have normal food available FFS we make pies ! Have special offers on and publicise them with signs out on the spare land on the road.!

Also, don't let another business offering exactly the same product open a stones throw away from your premises.

Two businesses in reality.

The Globe Bar & Grill (jeees... AWFUL name. Change it ) failed miserably after what, a matter of just months of being open?? We then had The Hurley Flyer built right in front of it....

The LA3 gym then opened at Heysham High School just over the bridge and is absolutely thriving. Lack of promotion and publicity of our own in house gym resulted in it shutting down again after only a few months having failed miserably.

All it takes (sorry, I mean would have TAKEN) was some decent promotion.

Make the GB&G a supporters orientated bar as G_S states above. Make it more fan friendly. It should be the hub of the pre match congregation point pre and post match. But it isn't.

Rename it Charlie's Bar as well !!!!

[marky No.1]

Make the GB&G a supporters orientated bar as G_S states above. Make it more fan friendly. It should be the hub of the pre match congregation point pre and post match. But it isn't.
![/quote]

We say this each and every week when we are spending lunchtime in the Mitchell, Cricket Club, Hurley or even the Caravan Park.
You go to other grounds and often their fans bars are thriving. At 1pm last week, other than 'us' there were probably 5 people In the Globe Bar and then upstairs in the W&L no walk in fans at the bar at all before 2.15.
One of the 1st jobs to sort out for any new owners imo
Queue 25 long at half time for pies, mind you.

[sandgrown]

Full of respect for PMG, but by deciding now that he wants to sell leads me to believe that he has hung on a couple of years too long. During that period we have regressed on the pitch which is reflected by our declining crowds (just over 1,200 for a Saturday game last weekend at our new home). I think we all must know some familiar faces that now no longer get enjoyment out of watching the club and hence don't bother coming, which for me is a very sad state of affairs (I used to go to games with a group of 10-15, now its down to the three of us with season tickets and next year I'll probably be on me own!). It also seems to me that there has been a lot of boardroom division during the last couple of years, which has resulted in a number of board members leaving and/or appearing disinterested in the club.

I don't believe when PMG stated at the fans' forum that there would be a big announcement regarding investment into the club, that the announcement was going to be him selling his shares and effectively putting the club up for sale. Something he hoped was going to happen, has fallen through or not progressed as hoped IMO. It will be very interesting to see the loss that the club posts for the last financial year 01/05/14 - 30/05/15 in May, which it delayed in filing in order to continue talks with interested parties looking to invest in the club.

+1

[sandgrown]

After 20 years I can't see anyone thinking he should continue to 'sub the club' and he has rightly decided that enough is enough and is trying to pass the ownership to others who can carry on the good work.

I'm in 2 minds on what I think of PMG at this current moment in time.

I agree with RRW in that this has probably come a couple of years too late but I'd need to know more about the circumstances before I laud him as a hero. If, as has been suggested, he is holding out for a substantial fee for the club running into the millions which is putting potential investors off (and has supposedly put people off in the past) then there's no way I can continue to think of him as some kind of club legend who deserves universal praise. If him holding out for money for his own personal gain is slowly killing the club and hindering any potential new investment then all the brilliant work he's done in the past will be ruined, he will be no better than the likes of Max Griggs and the bloke at Hornchurch whose name escapes me that bankrolled a club way beyond it's means before running out of money / losing interest and ultimately sending the clubs bankrupt. Now I don't know any of this for a fact but I've heard plenty of rumours that the main (and possibly only) thing stopping the club being sold is the price that PMG is holding out for it.

I can understand that PMG is more than within his rights to ask for a proportion of the money he's invested into the club back but for me, that isn't how being a chairman of a Conference / League 2 club works. You are never going to make money out of a club at this level (especially one our size), as a chairman you are more of a custodian, you are spending your own personal wealth to keep the club afloat and once the time comes you move aside to let the next very wealthy person or group of people take the reigns.

The club should be being offered to potential new owners for a nominal fee providing they have the inclination and means to move the club on, sustain it in the Football League and provide a bright future. If it isn't and new owners are balking at the price then I'm sorry but PMG's legacy will be tarnished.

+1

[sandgrown]

Full of respect for PMG, but by deciding now that he wants to sell leads me to believe that he has hung on a couple of years too long. During that period we have regressed on the pitch which is reflected by our declining crowds (just over 1,200 for a Saturday game last weekend at our new home). I think we all must know some familiar faces that now no longer get enjoyment out of watching the club and hence don't bother coming, which for me is a very sad state of affairs (I used to go to games with a group of 10-15, now its down to the three of us with season tickets and next year I'll probably be on me own!). It also seems to me that there has been a lot of boardroom division during the last couple of years, which has resulted in a number of board members leaving and/or appearing disinterested in the club.

I don't believe when PMG stated at the fans' forum that there would be a big announcement regarding investment into the club, that the announcement was going to be him selling his shares and effectively putting the club up for sale. Something he hoped was going to happen, has fallen through or not progressed as hoped IMO. It will be very interesting to see the loss that the club posts for the last financial year 01/05/14 - 30/05/15 in May, which it delayed in filing in order to continue talks with interested parties looking to invest in the club.

Well said.

However I think it started with the move. It was supposed to be a new era in a fit-for-purpose state of the art ground. Instead the ground was cobbled together and ill-thought through when they realised the money wasn't there post-recession. Instead of recreating what was great about Christie Park all the effort and most of the money went into sponsor boxes and other income generation, which have all struggled.

Over the last couple of seasons the dawning reality is that it hasn't worked as he expected. He lacks the money to turn it around and so it became a battle off it with deals done that alienated other directors. Having tried everything to turn it around some good, some desperate he's now run out of ideas and no one else in his team has any either. So now is the time to hand it on. As you say though its probably two years late.

+1

[George Dawes]

I'll reserve judgment, it appears PMG asking price is too much.

we could easily in the next season or two when crowds decrease even further, be facing bankruptcy.

then looking back who will fans blame and ask where did it go wrong?

I'm pretty sure Leeds fans had respect for Ridsdale before things went Pete Tong, when he got the to the promised land in the champions league.


let's see what happens..

[Christies Child]

There is no evidence to suggest that Peter is holding out for a massive figure, so all the talk that he is is pure speculation. I'm confident that as and when an offer to buy has been formally made that we will be informed until then it's all rumour and speculation.

[George Dawes]

There is no evidence to suggest that Peter is holding out for a massive figure, so all the talk that he is is pure speculation. I'm confident that as and when an offer to buy has been formally made that we will be informed until then it's all rumour and speculation.

a few seasons ago at a fans forum , PMG was asked a question regarding the sale of the club, or are you selling the club.

the answer was something like 'no, but if somebody was to offer 20 million or was it 12 million? come to my office and we'll talk

Seriously you could buy a bigger n better club(investment) from a Businessman's point of view for that sort of money.

Who is criticising?

All I have heard is people saying he is lost interest. Which is fair to say.

The word 'abandoning' in respect of PMcG was on the New Manager thread.

the word abandoning wasn't used, the word abandoned was used and if you define that word, lost interest will come into that bracket.

it was in used in a counter argument with you saying where better off with PMG heading for bankruptcy than Risdale, and me saying what's the worst thing what can happen?

then CC starting this thread knowing certain people will be reading in order to get into people's good books for when he walks into the W&L this coming saturday,