[urlhttp://wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news/be-the-lucky-1873rd-member/2011/07/[/url

We have almost reached our target of 1873 members of club 1873 so we have reached 5000 members.

Another franchise box ticked in our application. I still don't think it will be enough to save us but at least we are trying our very best to tick as many boxes as possible.

Yep, and it's as dodgy as anything Tricky Dicky at Cas could dream up - well done AG on this one for playing the RFL at there own game.

However let's not forget that (as far as I'm aware) it's 5,000 season ticket holders that is the franchise box that gets ticked. It's yet to be seen if the RFL actually swallow this as part of that equation. Lets also not kid ourselves, this is as much a way of increasing regular revenue mostly from the existing supporter base as it is an attempt to secure a license. Nothing wrong with that but that is IMO how it is.

You are spot on. We are playing the RFL at their own game but you have to credit the club for trying what ever they can to secure a franchise.

If we are to improve as a club, much of it will come down to the average supporter putting his or her hands in their pockets, its the only way.
If the criteria states 5000 season ticket holders, there will be a lot of clubs short, but the previous adminitration is to blame for that, they had plenty of time to organise a one off, cheap season ticket deal, like bulls and hudds but they were too busy giving supporters reasons "not to contribute" rather than "to contribute".
Hats off to the club if they've pulled it off, playing the RFL at their own game, no doubt they will contrive to still kick us out, but we are giving them less room to manouver each day.
Lets go public with this one TRIN! shout it from the rooftops along with all our other Franchise ticks!!!!
Because otherwise nobody will know and the RFL wont tell anyone for us!!!!!1

Correct on all points.

I seem to be alone in worrying about Mr Glover's ability to fund the club. He has proven to me that he wants big things for the club, and that he wants to take us forward, but a man who's first move is to set up a lottery scheme may not have sufficient wonga to do what he really wants.

Time to ask Clipper man to come on board too?

As I said before, I’d rather him set the club up to be self-funding than dip into his own pocket to sustain the club. Relying on one man to bankroll the club is not the way to go IMO.

I don't know, but what I do know is that these schemes bare a remarkable resemblance to those being pushed by Ted & co before they went bang. Better packaged perhaps but the same. I can only guess they are working for AG because he still has credibility which Ted certainly didn't at the end.

I don't anything wrong with it as I believe we all should contribute. However AG will push the patience of Wakey fans if they don't see him matching our contribution with his own hard earned - I'm yet to see much evidence of that.

Seems to have made a bit of a rod for his own back with the fans if you ask me with the "we can spend the full cap" comment - assuming this was actually an actual quote rather than what somebody heard.

Quote ="Tommy Duckfingers"Seems to have made a bit of a rod for his own back with the fans if you ask me with the "we can spend the full cap" comment - assuming this was actually an actual quote rather than what somebody heard.'" www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480 "Our plans moving forward do produce the sustainable business I wanted for the club, allowing us to spend to full salary cap, providing a great commercial package and, as always, delivering some fantastic work in the Wakefield community." Significantly, this doesn't necessarily imply he'll bankroll us to enable us to spend the full cap - at least not the way I read it.

Quote ="Tommy Duckfingers"Seems to have made a bit of a rod for his own back with the fans if you ask me with the "we can spend the full cap" comment - assuming this was actually an actual quote rather than what somebody heard.'" www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480 "Our plans moving forward do produce the sustainable business I wanted for the club, allowing us to spend to full salary cap, providing a great commercial package and, as always, delivering some fantastic work in the Wakefield community." Significantly, this doesn't necessarily imply he'll bankroll us to enable us to spend the full cap - at least not the way I read it.

OK, not necessarily - but the implication is there. Do you reckon there any "self sufficient" clubs in the league that spend the full cap (without any bankrolling)?

Hull FC would potetially be the only one I could think of, maybe Wigan at a push.

What it relates to exactly, I honestly don't know. I read it in the context of our franchise application, and understood it to refer to our proposed business plan which, if implemented, would allow us to spend up to the full cap. I'm guessing the RFL would be more impressed by this than if AG had simply offered to fund the shortfall himself, but as I say, that's just my reading.

That is no surprise to me - the people expected to bankroll the club are us. Right or wrong that is very similar to the previous regime - the only difference is this regime hasn't built up any debt - yet.

Leeds?

As a principle he's got it spot on. Make the club sustainable regardless of whichever relatively transient character owns it.

The people of Wakefield want a big club, the people will have to fund a big club, until either we dig up a moneybags owner or we are at least successful enough for our commercial side to kick in and success drives further success.
Parkin was the answer everyone hoped for financially, as to if he was the right man for the job, the way he has been reportedly round every SL/Football club in the area sounding them out i'm not so sure.
AG gives us a future at one level or another, he has moved the club on commercially which will start to give us an advantage we haven't had, but its down to the people to stump up some hard earned to make something out of what we have currently.

Can't agree with you on this one.

Yes as a long term objective it's right but in the short term no. Leeds already were a strong club, we are not and have not been for 40 years. We need some investment to kick it off IMO no matter what happens.

Also as far as I remember Caddick did initially refinance the whole Headingley operation so they did have support.

Finally and this is not a criticism but if we should be as you suggest why have a chairman at all? The ST might as well get a loan and give AG his 30k back and run the club themselves - make TRB the CEO (he'd love that

) - job done. If directors don't put their hand in their pocket occasionally what is the point, their is nothing to suggest that what AG has done so far couldn't be done by almost any educated supporter.

I'd be surprised if the debt to AG was still only £30k. That presupposes that since he took over the club have been breaking even and have needed no further cash injections. Given the drop in attendances and the fact pre administration debts are still having to be paid every month I doubt that's the case.

30k is I believe what he paid for the club which is what he is due back. I would not have expected the club to have any debt as yet. In fact given the reasonable attendances and reduced wages bill we may even be running at a profit.

In all honestly i'd love to see the club in the hands of the supporters and perhaps a little naively believe that all sports clubs should look to be run in the same manner.

Who knows? We are not privvy to the financial affairs so we can only speculate. I think if the club had received the benefit of pre-administration revenues such as shirt sponserships etc and was not saddled with pre-administration debts it was not allowed to write off it might be cash generative but such as things are my guess is the opposite is true. Although perhaps offloading Jeffries has eased some cash pressure as I think he was one of the top earners.

AG did state during his address at ceder court that the club has taken up more time and a lot more money than he expected, so its probably fair to say he's put in more than 30K . Whether this is in the form of directors loans or he is just putting in the money out of the goodness of his heart is unknown.

Excellent new i was begging for abit of good news and now we have some.

. I was also hoping for a announcement regarding this as I thought we must be close.

I have no doubt he has put money in and more than he expected. Trinity is a financial sponge IMO because it's aspirations cannot be matched at the moment by it's attributes. That is what took Ted down and despite all his best intentions and well meant words will do the same to AG. Three years with no NM and thus no chance of SL will drain the life out of him - ditto if we stay in SL and don't get NM ASAP.

I honestly believe AG will need deep pockets to pull us through this in the short term. The members lottery is a good boost but I'm afraid he will need to match it with his own for the foreseeable. If we are to retain a SL set up all be it on a reduced scale IMO we will not be able to do this on Championship money alone.This is not pro Ted or anti Glover just a fact as I see it.

How the hell do we keep or sign the best young uns if we are not in SL