Simon Hallett's explanation of yesterday's investment news.

[Biggs]

I think the money men are somewhere linked with his American work somewhere along the line and he has suggested Argyle could be a possible Premier League team in the near future and the money will return to them in bundles!

SH was clear that he and his work has nothing to do with the investors before they got in contact. It’s a pure coincidence that they’re both US based.

And way I read it, SH had to dampen the investor’s enthusiasm rather than the other way around.

 

[Biggs]

(For me I struggle to see Argyle Green's money going towards training facilities and the like - I just can't see how they would secure a return on their investment).

But surely if Argyle build a… let’s say… £5m training ground, then that is an asset to the club and thus increases the club’s value and the return made on selling the club. It’s not really any different to a new grandstand, is it?

Either way, it makes the club better which enhances the chances of getting promotion, which makes the club more valuable.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Yep - the more I think about it the more a mixed use commercial development at Higher Home Park makes sense - and a hotel could easily be a part of it. I would suggest sorting out the final phase of the Mayflower may also be part of this - even Bobby's Garden. (For me I struggle to see Argyle Green's money going towards training facilities and the like - I just can't see how they would secure a return on their investment).

So Simon has clearly been working on this for a long time - he even gets the key player over to Home Park last March to show him around the real estate. He then ensures that the surrounding site is tidied up - and that it can blend in/complement such a development. All done. He then persuades Argyle Green to invest in PAFC as a first step to creating a very interesting new future. All done.

But our new investors will want a return - despite SH's persuasive skills they do not have the green blood that runs through Simon and the rest of us. They invest the £4M to enable the "project" to get off the ground - enabling PAFC to start the planning and procurement process. Once build ready then perhaps PAFC do the full development on their own with further investment - but how do Argyle Green get a return if done this way?

Perhaps Stage 2 is some form of joint venture established with PAFC as a major shareholder with Argyle Green LLC providing the rest of it? Or even a James Brent involvement? (Either way that approach allows PAFC and Argyle Green to both secure a return and own a tradeable asset. And allows PAFC to be protected in the way that SH is so keen to see).

Who knows - but Simon is a very clever and influential businessman. And luckily for us he does seem very keen to protect the legacy that we all love so much, Apologies for an old chaps musings - but I really do find all of this very exciting!

I mentioned before that any new training facility could have a commercial building like a hotel attached to it to enable the consortium to bring some return on their investment.

 

[Graham Clark]

In a recent comment to Plymouth Live it was stated that in relation to the provision of an ice rink at Higher Home Park, "The funding of fit-out costs, construction costs across the UK have increased and investment values for comparable leisure properties have fallen." and that "this led to a viability gap and a large loss on the project".

Thoughts of the Club part funding it as part of a multi-use project are fanciful as inflation is to hit double figures and disposable income is to come under severe pressure. The same would for a hotel. Being a non-prime site for a hotel Higher Home Park would only be of interest to budget operators and there has been a significant investment by them in other parts of the City. It is notable that the planned hotel at 'Western Gate' on the site of the Vets by the park and ride car park is yet to commence construction despite being approved over two years ago and that is in a more visible and strategic location.

In my view the investment in the Club should only be related to infrastructure that improves the football club. Any ventures into non-football related projects such as ice rinks, hotels and other sporting or entertainment venues should be for others to speculate upon and bear the losses that speculation could bring.

 

[NLG]

Argyle Green could actually buy the land (and obligations) from Brent and build their own Ice hockey/Basketball franchise + Hotel and shared office facilities alongside the Argyle ground, thus extending the Argyle brand.. They are developers after all. The money that Argyle received could in this case still be used for purchasing land for academy/training facility elsewhere in the city. This investment is just a small first step in the building of a much larger Argyle franchise IMO

 

[Tugboat]

I mentioned before that any new training facility could have a commercial building like a hotel attached to it to enable the consortium to bring some return on their investment.

Would they find the financing for the hotel and we fund the training ground money?

 

[rsp4]

Is ice skating popular? I mean I have zero interest personally and never have. Never been pavilions skating. And I don't know many that have to be honest. I don't get this fascination with ice rinks. There's better things to build surely?

I went to Rollerrena when I was 14. Twisted my ankle badly and never got on anything that clamps to your foot again🤣🤣😍

 

[JannerinCardiff]

I've supported Argyle for nearly 50 years and I've just got a special feeling about what's happening at the Club. I've never met Simon Hallett but I think he's going to take us further than we've ever been before.

Sounds a bit Star Trekky that Steve… 😂

 

[Andy B.]

I went to Rollerrena when I was 14. Twisted my ankle badly and never got on anything that clamps to your foot again🤣🤣😍

I used to go down Coxside for that...never for skating..we'd play pool and chase the girls.

 

[Argyleloyal]

I’m sure I’ve seen on Plymouth Live a while back that before covid hit that Jame Brent stuck a deal with some regarding the ice rink to be the operator and he was going to pay for the code of the building and they was going to pay for the fit out cost but then they (who ever they was) pulled out. So maybe tArgyle Green LLC will do a deal to become the operator

 

[Jannerz]

I went to Rollerrena when I was 14. Twisted my ankle badly and never got on anything that clamps to your foot again🤣🤣😍

Ah, those were the days. Trying to look cool to impress the girls, while desperately fighting gravity to stay upright was always met with disaster.

 

[JannerinCardiff]

I used to go down Coxside for that...never for skating..we'd play pool and chase the girls.

Me too 😀

 

[Mark Smith]

Is this the wrong thread to query the use that the £4m is being put to? I see today that “a large chunk” of the £4m will be used to fix the problems with the grandstand. Really? Underwhelming if so.

 

[Lancastergreen]

All the essential work will be done first, then they will look at not important things like football

 

[Leon Horn]

All the essential work will be done first, then they will look at not important things like football

Would rather them spend it on infrastructure that will make us money on a constant basis, rather than repeating the mistakes of the past and wasting it on players like Yoann Folly and Steve Maclean.