Budget v other League 1 teams

[Guiri Green]

It's not just bums on seats though is it. There's so many variables to compare.
Random examples:-

Ticket prices- dont know how we compare.
Smaller crowds in smaller stadium - less stewarding.
Estate maintenance - debatable in the case of HHP !
Travel costs - we must be at least 4 hours from everywhere / rarely travel anywhere and back on the day. Coach costs etc etc.
Chairman who is more Business Manager than Benefactor.

Wages ? Probably not in our case.

 

[IJN]

So which ones true? Because that's pretty much a u-turn from what he's broadcasting publicly, or has he been told to 'toe the line' a bit more to deflect some criticism being directed at the way the club is being run. The summer recruitment also screams of a squad built on a shoestring.

I've no idea really, like you, I'm mystified.

All I do know is this board will not extend themselves and none of them have ever said they would spend money we haven't got.

 

[Argy1e]

For obvious reasons there have been a lot of comments about Argyle's playing budget this season in comparison with other League 1 teams. I thought I would take a naive look at the other teams in the league and make a gut instinct evaluation of whether I think they should have a bigger or smaller budget than Argyle based on typical crowd size, recent history, tradition etc. Here is my list - which ones are wrong and why? I suspect there are some that have wealthy owners that I am not aware of (Fleetwood?) and, of course, there are all kinds of other hidden factors that will influence things. As I said, this is just me going by gut instinct.

Bigger than Argyle?
Peterborough
Bradford
Wigan
Scunthorpe
Charlton
Rotherham
MK Dons?
Oxford
Bristol Rovers
Portsmouth
Southend?

Smaller than Argyle?
Shrewsbury
Blackpool
Fleetwood?
Walsall?
Doncaster?
Rochdale
Wimbledon
Northampton
Bury
Gillingham?
Oldham

Bury, Doncaster, Fleetwood, Northampton and Shrewsbury I assume would have bigger budgets than ours based off previous seasons.

 

[Deacster]

Either way, its about value for money. Right now, most of teams and their respective manager has used their budget to greater effect. I think Careys delay in decision making has cost us more than we knew at the time, as players such as Lameiras and Ainsworth were signed to help fill the void than didn't need filling. That said, Adams hasn't addressed key areas such as an outfield captain and midfield general. Didn't most posters here spot we were light up top? Plus that was before Taylors injury.

 

[gariboldi]

Trouble with Argyle is we always penny pinch to the point it backfires. It's an entertainment industry. That's the core product. . You only get bums in seats when there's something worth watching. We cut off our own life source.

 

[samjones]

Crowds are already dropping and the exodus after the 3rd goal on Saturday was embarrassing.
At this rate we will be down to the hardcore season tickets holders and a few POTD making 6,000 crowds and less than a winning team in Division 4

 

[the corkscrew]

Bottom line is Brent and Hallett need to bring another investor into the club

 

[Rob GT4]

So which ones true? Because that's pretty much a u-turn from what he's broadcasting publicly, or has he been told to 'toe the line' a bit more to deflect some criticism being directed at the way the club is being run. The summer recruitment also screams of a squad built on a shoestring.

I've no idea really, like you, I'm mystified.

All I do know is this board will not extend themselves and none of them have ever said they would spend money we haven't got.

I'd be surprised if anybody actually wants the club to overspend beyond our means, we merely want to see a budget that reflects our standing within the league in terms of attendances and unbudgeted income that comes into the club so that we are on a level playing field with other clubs not fighting with a hand tied behind our backs

 

[SWTT]

Well said Rob

 

[gaspargomez]

... and yet a successful team would attract 8,000 - 10,000+ fans every week. Those would not be season ticket holders and would be paying the best part of £25 per head.

As for the "the board wont spend what they don't have" argument, I don't want to see the club bankrupted. However, a degree of modest overspend in order to improve the product on the pitch may prove good business sense.

Its unclear to some where Brent's priorities lay. You want to people to buy your product, you have to invest in it.

 

[The Doctor]

I stress, my hope for this thread was not for another discussion of Argyle's finances and the Board but for some thoughts/opinions of other clubs' likely/possible playing budget in relation to ours. For example, which clubs have wealthy owners (Bristol Rovers). I'd be fascinated to know what, say, Shrewsbury's budget is compared to ours and if it is bigger then how?

 

[HC Green]

Unbudgeted income can only be spent once, so do you spend it on something that increases your day to day expenditure like wages that you can't guarantee having the money for in future years.

 

[Beyton Green]

Or trouser it?

 

[Andy Holland]

Don't be silly, how can we be expected to be able to compete with financial behemoths like Shewsbury, don't you know we were only in administration 7 years ago?

 

[Keyham Pilgrim]

To be honest I have no idea what our budget is and how it compares to other League 1 clubs. I would be surprised and disappointed if it was in the bottom four though as we well have far better attendances than many others. I would expect us to be between 12 and 16 on the budget front considering how many owners are subsiding their clubs. However I do think DA could have used his budget better. Judging by the car Wylde drives he is hardly being paid peanuts and I can only speculate that Ainsworth would be on roughly the same. Personally I think their wages would be better spent on a proven forward because they don't seem to fit into DA plans.