Quite impressed by how this has gone from Hull fans talking about Rovers, to Rovers fans discussing Hull.

I am not disagreeing with the way accounts work, I am disagreeing with how a profit can be made out of the club!!!

This is getting silly now!!!!

I know very well how accounts work thank you very much!!!

And falling out over it.

When you make comments like this, expect people to pull you up on it and ask you to explain what the hell you're going on about:

And the exclamation mark on your keyboard.

Yes, went a bit mad with them!!!!!!!

Do you know what the Glazers did?

I do.

If Pearson has similar ideas he should be able to generate enough funds to build himself a small conservatory. Nothing too showy, mind.

I like FONT. Him and alexwest are my two current favourites.

Bringing the thread back to topic...

NH - Cutting cloth accordingly, fans need to expect short term pain, we need to blood youngsters, don't expect too much
AP - Will spend the cap, good times almost back (BEL13VE), we need to buy more young English stock to be competitive, expect top 4 (BEL13VE)

AP is new to all this and has lots of great ideas supported by one of the largest support bases in the SLE, NH has tried and tried to make a go of HKR but without the Red Army voting with their feet finding it very difficult.

How is that on topic?

So disappointed to have missed this afternoon's exchanges.



As far as Rovers go, the messaging could scarcely have been clearer or more consistent this season from the board. After 7+ years of shovelling money in, and, up to 2010, an upward linear progression line on the graph, the trajectory has flat-lined and the club has settled into a consistent 7th-10th place. Not too shabby, but, as MR has articulated, it feels disappointing after the over-delivery in 2009 and getting stuck on the "consolidate" rung of the ladder, unable to reach "challenge".

The massive challenge in front of Rovers is delivering a 10k average. For all we can label Hudgell an astute businessman, the club has recorded losses over £2m during his tenure. This is fine as the three backers of the club have been comfortable to fund it. But I guess there [ucould[/u be an element of giddiness on his part to over-anticipate the latent fan base, simply because of the depth of his passion for the club. Plenty of directors fall in love with their own product with an inflated view of the numbers of customers who will do likewise. Whilst the physical capacity of the ground will no longer be a barrier, downgrading the squad at precisely the time when gates need to step on [ucould[/u make things difficult. The landscape of a double dip recession clearly won't help.

And then the question of who takes the club on next. I personally doubt Crossland would want to. His business is in Warrington, he lives in the Midlands I think. Might work if he put the money up and got someone like Lakin in. But to really challenge needs a fan base like Leeds or Wigan have or a genuine megabucks backer. The Allams are the obvious candidates, but the rumour seems to have gone quiet and the prospect of Pearson and Allam Snr hosting a board meeting for the City of Hull Academy Ltd seems remote.

From FC's perspective, the outlook is a bit brighter IMO. The fact that some Rovers fans say Pearson's only in it to make money and sell the club at a profit is very encouraging for us, because this cannot come about without success on the pitch in the short to medium term. Pearson is talking a great fight, with some limited evidence of delivery so far, but for us the context is 5 years of Agar, poor/average signings and regular derby drubbings. Depending on September 3rd announcements, I think (hope) fans will have grounds to re-engage with the club. Our challenge on gates is probably greater than Rovers though, probably sub 11k average this year and needs to be 14k.

Pearson's motivation is a bit unclear IMO. He said he wanted to buy the club years ago, and at the point he did buy he was still working for City. But I just can't see there's much cash to be made here - he's got to be in it for a few years to get any return and RL as a sport is skint. But the really key point is this, and one made at the time of takeover - there are very very few people interested in buying. So to whom will he sell to make his FC fortune? Er.....

The other thing potentially preventing success for both clubs is that obviously neither operate in a vacuum. Wigan, Leeds and Saints won't give 2 shiny bits that Hull and Rovers are bringing some academy players through, because, guess what, they've been doing it for years, are already much better at it than us, and will not be looking to stand still. The decline of Bradford will presumably assist us, and it looks like Huddersfield may struggle more next year. But I'd expect big improvements from London and Widnes, and Wakefield seem to have got their act together.

A big test for both clubs next year; for Rovers whether a dialled down business model works, for FC whether some consistent improvement can be seen and fans attracted back. Looking forward to it.

Scary thing is, I'm not even sure it is a deliberate troll.

Great post Mrs B

Okay - I suppose we can discuss Rovers finances. Sensibly.



A few words spun in the opposite direction and I'd go along with much of that. As you say, not too shabby - I've few regrets on their behalf, but it wasn't my money (well a tiny fraction of it was, but you know what I mean).




Again some good points - post it on the Hull board if you like and I'll give you my thoughts. Hypocritical I know, but I did say a few pages back that is where it belongs.

As a RL club been sold for more than the owner paid for it in recent times?
Or is the general trend to wait until it all goes t*ts up and pick it up for
a lower sum?

I don't know, but it's not the first place I'd consider if I was looking for a return on my investment. Doubly so in these straitened times.

This is the bit I have never understood about Pearson buying Hull FC.
I cannot see how he can turn Hull FC into a club big enough to
sell for more than the £2-3million reported plus any losses incured
building the club back up into profit.

It does not matter who he signs, crowds of 14,500 needed just to break even
are a tough ask in the current climate.

I think that we all know the only way to make any money of RL in Hull............and it does not involve 2 pro teams.

Personally I don't think AP or any other chairman is in rugby to make money, as there simply isn't any money to make. Football's one of the biggest sports in the world and most clubs are run at a loss so what chance do little rugby clubs have of making a lot of money?

I agree, maybe AP just wants the prestige of owning a sports team.

When he bought the club he said that he was the only person to make an offer for the club, hardly something with great resale value.

I agree with this, these people have their fingers in other pies in order to make their coin. An average person will buy a playstation to play with and keep entertained, however if you had some serious coin you just buy a sports team for the buzz.

When you look at the companies that Adam Pearson is involved with at a Directors level.
They are not big companies or generating serious amounts of cash.

[urlhttp://company-director-check.co.uk/director/907726211[/url

thats what i thought he tried to buy 3 football clubs but couldnt raise the cash a rugby club 10 times cheaper and like you say he has the prestige of owning a sports club whether hes interested in rugby or not

Why have the Mods allowed this thread to be derailled by talk about AP?

What has AP got to do with NHs comments?

If the forum want to discuss AP then why don't they do it on the FC site or start up another topic titled 'AP' on here!