Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[RandomGuy.]

3 minutes ago, Kyle said:

I think there will be more than just full backs before the deadline to be honest. 

I'd say so.

[Jamie_B]

I think there will be more than just full backs before the deadline to be honest. 

If we’re able to offload one or both of Anderson and McMillan then I’d expect so too.

[PauloPerth]

That's me done. If i remember more I'll post it over the next couple of days.

This is just my interpretation of what was said. If others were in attendance and read it differently then please comment.

I'm not trying to pitch it from any particular viewpoint, just how i picked it up.   I quite strongly believe that things like this should be in the wider domain and are not just for the few who attend.  

Next time if the club filmed it I think it would be great. Though you might would not get the same level of openness on certain issues possibly.

Overall, very worthwhile in my opinion and well done to those who were involved in it.

 

[mizfit]

Few interesting points raised in the meeting then.


Also, thank Christ Stevie May has signed on, 2 year deal with an option for the 3rd year is good business.

[7-2]

Excellent Paulo. It's obviously been a stunning event as that's more information released about the club in a couple of hours than there has been over the last 30 years. Great stuff.

[7-2]

16 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

Finally, and quite fittingly, we just had to spend £20k on a new tractor for the groundsman. 

Pity they didn't stretch to £20,010 and get him some club socks as well.

[Mr Positive, sometimes.]

The issue re giving the Old firm 3 stands has indeed been discussed by the board a reasonable amount and given serious consideration. 

If our crowds continue to drop. Particularly for those games then it's absolutely going to happen. Like it or not. If our own fans won't go to support our own team then they'll have no choice. 

[strawman]

9 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

That's me done. If i remember more I'll post it over the next couple of days.

This is just my interpretation of what was said. If others were in attendance and read it differently then please comment.

I'm not trying to pitch it from any particular viewpoint, just how i picked it up.   I quite strongly believe that things like this should be in the wider domain and are not just for the few who attend.  

Next time if the club filmed it I think it would be great. Though you might would not get the same level of openness on certain issues possibly.

Overall, very worthwhile in my opinion and well done to those who were involved in it.

 

Excellent summary of tonight, I was there and you ve reminded me of some bits.

Things  I took from tonight in addition to what you ve wrote.

we ve less than 700 adult season ticket holders, that surprised me it was as low as that.

 

He was very open talking about the Stevie May transfer.

He never mentioned Vine, just Stevie Mays agent but is appears the blame lies there, deal all agreed and waiting for clearance to register Stevie but Vine didn’t send the paperwork on and he wanted to use it as a bargaining chip, looked for more money so Saints walked away. Vine also tried to get more money out of Aberdeen for May leaving as well which they wouldn’t agree to.

If Tommy hadn’t been desperate for getting May I got impression that would have been it but eventually Brown picked up the phone to Stewart Milne and a deal was done but with Saints paying some of the money Aberdeen had to pay May if I understood right.

 

[RandomGuy.]

On 28/08/2019 at 08:58, mizfit said:

Anyone at Bury worth snapping or all they all just youngsters?

Callum Booth, who was talked about on here, moved down there this Summer.

[RandomGuy.]

3 minutes ago, strawman said:

He never mentioned Vine, just Stevie Mays agent but is appears the blame lies there, deal all agreed and waiting for clearance to register Stevie but Vine didn’t send the paperwork on and he wanted to use it as a bargaining chip, looked for more money so Saints walked away. Vine also tried to get more money out of Aberdeen for May leaving as well which they wouldn’t agree to.

If Tommy hadn’t been desperate for getting May I got impression that would have been it but eventually Brown picked up the phone to Stewart Milne and a deal was done but with Saints paying some of the money Aberdeen had to pay May if I understood right.

Did they talk about how it fell apart the second time?

[Fife Saint]

Great wee nuggets from the open evening. I do not envy anyone trying to balance the books and fans interests aybthe same time.

Thanks for sharing.

[Valentino Bolognese]

6 minutes ago, 7-2 said:

Pity they didn't stretch to £20,010 and get him some club socks as well.

Is he not the Hibs fan?

Anyway that's a great write up @PauloPerth, sincere thanks.  It actually sounds like a grown-up discussion which I have to admit I was worried it would not be. 

Reading between the lines my suspicion that he may be gearing up for sale is still at the back of my mind. It sounds as much like a city briefing / shareholder session as much as anything else (wasn't there so no idea if that was the tone).  Construction is already in a tough place because of Brexit, and there are some pretty worrying signs ahead.  I'd not want to be distracted by a football club either TBF. P&L loss of -£190k is immaterial given what's on the balance sheet, unless we've done a Bury and mortgaged McDairmid, and sold the loan to the extended family. 

He's right that we need to work the merchandise harder and use more and better routes to market, ideally our own channels. Not sure why this is/has taken so long though. Expecting a queue outside Campus Sports in the morning.

What I can't understand is fans of the club saying we should give the OF more of the stadium. They already have too much. It's our ground, it's our home. I don't care if there's 50 of us, they should never be allowed to make it theirs. The commercials (in this case) are irrelevant. 

The turnstile time to serve issue extends to catering too, which is an area we need to up the ante. In a previous life I was involved in the catering operations at an English Premiership ground and I know we could serve better, warmer and faster with a few simple improvements. Not a massive issue but missing the first 5 minutes of the second half when #14 is completing his hat trick will be a scunner. 

Going to try to get to the next one. Love the dull commercial stuff. 

 

[PauloPerth]

SB gave an account of the May saga that was so detailed it was day by day, who phoned who etc.  It would take pages to relay it all.

All shook and agreed about 5 minutes before KO at Ross County match, then Vine came back with 4 additional clauses a couple of days later.  Adding upto over £50k extra I'm pretty sure the figure quoted. Saints said no on principle, but also because if word got out agents could change a deal after its agreed Saints would suffer from this again.

There was something about May's agent had agreed a severance fee with Aberdeen. Once he had been released by Aberdeen he was to contact Saints and he would get signed for us.  Saints kept checking spfl registrations site to see if May was released but nothing appeared. Saints wondered it was because Aberdeen staff were in Georgia on Europa business so there'd been a delay.  

Turned out SB phoned Milne who had a sweary rant about the agent.  Once the deal with Saints had been agreed, he'd gone back to Aberdeen and wanted a bigger severance payment from them than the one that had already been agreed with them.  Aberdeen said f**k off.  So it didn't happen.

Thats why for the deal to go through Saints have had to make up the balance of the severance fee, and we maybe can't afford another player (other than the full backs mentioned).

 

[john1962]

That's me done. If i remember more I'll post it over the next couple of days.
This is just my interpretation of what was said. If others were in attendance and read it differently then please comment.
I'm not trying to pitch it from any particular viewpoint, just how i picked it up.   I quite strongly believe that things like this should be in the wider domain and are not just for the few who attend.  
Next time if the club filmed it I think it would be great. Though you might would not get the same level of openness on certain issues possibly.
Overall, very worthwhile in my opinion and well done to those who were involved in it.
 

Thanks very much for all this. Really appreciate it.

[The Saintee]

Vine is an utter clown.

[The Real Saints]

I’m late to the party, but what a glorious day. Welcome home, sweet prince. Shame he couldn’t have the number 17, but I guess 14 is also an iconic number and the best alternative.

 

Thanks for your Q&A info, Paulo.

 

[jamamafegan]

Giving the Old Firm three stands is a terrible, terrible thing to do. I actually looked at that Rangers fixture in September today and thought I might get myself to the game. It’s hard enough bringing myself to go to these games as it is, but if Saints give them 3 stands I’m out. I can’t bare to go to a game and see McDiarmid full of bigoted, sectarian c***s who will probably leave as easy winners on the day. There is nothing worse than being in that environment.

[Valentino Bolognese]

3 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

Giving the Old Firm three stands is a terrible, terrible thing to do. I actually looked at that Rangers fixture in September today and thought I might get myself to the game. It’s hard enough bringing myself to go to these games as it is, but if Saints give them 3 stands I’m out. I can’t bare to go to a game and see McDiarmid full of bigoted, sectarian c***s who will probably leave as easy winners on the day. There is nothing worse than being in that environment.

700 of our season tickets are adults, which leaves a big balance as children. We already lose the family stand on OF days and we're a 'family friendly' club. I don't just think that's a line I honestly think it is part of the ethos of the club, and it makes sense. 

As it is I can't bring my young boy to an OF game (his choice as much as mine after his last Celtic game) but when he's a couple of years older he might come back. If they get 3 stands I would go but I'd never bring him, and I can't image any parent bringing a child. 

Basically, it would undermine us trying to bring on the next generation of fans. 

And it's just wrong. 

[PauloPerth]

A few other things that have come back to me:

We will be charging OF fans £30 for games at McD this season to make extra money from them. I think that's what they charge us anyway?

It means Saints fan walk ups will also be charged this, but there will be again be the deal where if they go with a season ticket holder then they get it much cheaper.

 

We had 3 bids for Jason Kerr during the summer, from 2 or 3 different clubs.  There was interest in Clark but no bids.

Someone reckoned we sold May too cheaply the first time round. SB said a players' value is only what clubs are willing to pay for him.  May had a bit of time left on his Saints contract, but his contract with his agent expired on the 31st December, so his agent was desperately pushing for a move to cash in.  SB said once a player wants to move you have no choice but just get as much money as you can.  Wednesday was the biggest offer, but it was also over 2 years whereas the others were mostly over 4 years which Saints thought was too risky with the climate of clubs going bust down there.

SB was asked about including sell on clauses. There was one on the May deal but it wasn't reached. However Saints reckon it was, but the figure stated wasn't accurate so as to avoid paying Saints their cut.  There was a very strong implication of an underhand payment to keep the stated price down.  Saints looked into pursuing it through the English league/ FA, but it couldn't be proven at all.

SB admitted it was a learning curve for Saints, and any future deals would be worded differently.

Edited August 30, 2019 by PauloPerth

[The Real Saints]

Someone reckoned we sold May too cheaply the first time round. SB said a players' value is only what clubs are willing to pay for him.  

 

 

Classic Steve Brown. I’m going to try out that tactic when I do my weekly food shop tomorrow. £1.35 for a two litre bottle of full-fat milk? I don’t think so, mate. I value it at approximately 70p.