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

[Lancastergreen]

I think it's highly unlikely our current squad will witness cack players you've mentioned

 

[Leon Horn]

But why risk paying money for players they may never make us any return? Simon Walton being the prime example.

 

[Biggs]

Also a quality training ground makes us more attractive to quality players. Not just because it's their office and where they will spend most of their time as an Argyle player, but because it shows them the club is serious and going places. A quality training ground is also more equipped with the tools and facilities they need to improve as footballers.

And very marginal gains but maybe if it's on the A38 and slightly more accessible than going into Plymouth proper, that chips away 1-2% at the location issue. Or maybe it even has residential digs and family areas for wives and kids to stay in. Lots of benefits to better infrastructure that we probably haven't even thought of yet.

 

[JannerinCardiff]

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.

At least this will increase our capacity and it’s in an area of the ground where the price of a standard ticket is in the most expensive part of the ground. (not inc hospitality)

 

[Green Flash]

Very surprised the cost of the grandstand remedial works are not the responsibility of the architect and/or the contractors. It is plainly not fit for purpose

 

[IJN]

They did what they were asked.

 

[MGM]

I might be wrong, but l dont think this 20% is about the money.

This inintial investment is about getting them onboard. Getting them involved. And develop working relationships and see if all parties are happy with their involvement and how the club is run. It’s not good finding out after larger investments and therefore taking a bigger stake holding that everyone isn’t on board with their philosophy of how Argyle should be run.

This in my eyes is introduction money. Introducing them to the fans. So the fans get to know them and feel more at ease . It also gives them a platform to get their feet under the table. Get to know the club and the surroundings better.

Then l imagine we will go big. Training facilities / ground for example. With maybe SH and Argyle Green sharing the costs. And other projects they have up their sleeve. And once a real working bond between Argyle Green and SH has developed then we might really see changes in the ownership model. But for now l think it’s more steady as we go.

 

[rsp4]

But why risk paying money for players they may never make us any return? Simon Walton being the prime example.

Disagree about Simon Walton.

If you listen to his interviews last year he was treated appallingly by the management team here, signed on a mad contract which he says himself was totally mad ( now there's always 2 x sides to a story) but he stood by us through our darkest hour and some. I have a lot of time for this ex player tbh.

What I will say and have said a few times on here is I can't remember the last time we spent a large amount (for us) on a player and it working out. Nearly all our 'big" money signings over the last 20 years or so have bombed.

 

[Devizes Green]

Very surprised the cost of the grandstand remedial works are not the responsibility of the architect and/or the contractors. It is plainly not fit for purpose

It does seem a monumental cxxx up by someone where the remedial cost seems to be about 40/50% of the original spend which I think was about £9 million

 

[Argyle Nutter]

It does seem a monumental cxxx up by someone where the remedial cost seems to be about 40/50% of the original spend which I think was about £9 million

Or to look at it from a different angle, the overlay of the existing terrace was 40% more than we could afford at the time. I personally don’t think the office’s are the real issue. The area that has caused to biggest issue is by boxing in the eaves under the mayflower causing a massive pinch point to house the aircon, and other associated plant. I don’t think the club realised how much this space was used by people even if they had to stoop to use it.

 

[Green Flash]

They did what they were asked.

Then it is an inexplicable cock-up by by the club - I could have told them from the outset as could the majority of supporters that they could not afford to make the concourse narrower or put in seats that make the already inadequate leg room even worse

 

[Biggs]

Again, maybe I’m sounding like I designed it myself but I think there’s possibly a tad too much criticism. It’s increasing the legroom and widening the concourse, it’s not a total cock up requiring a fundamental rebuild.

Even if everything was perfect with the original build, it’s entirely possible we‘d have gone back in to improve it once we’d got more cash. Bit of a guess, but it seems likely that the offices could go, so maybe the whole upper floor of the stand is given over to a spacious fan area? Maybe that sort of improvement would have happened anyway even if the concourse was wide enough.

We didn’t have cash then so had to compromise because the grandstand HAD to happen urgently, now we have some spending power and we maybe don‘t need to compromise. Just one of those things, I think.

 

[Mr Gillingham]

The Grandstand seems to me that it's become a massive white elephant. If a large chunk of the £4 million needs to be spent sorting out the shortfalls then the question has to be asked why didn't they build new? Buy cheap, buy twice springs to mind. The seating in the upper tier appears cramped and the majority of the lower tier is uncovered and fans get soaking wet when it rains. And to think fans on here mocked Gillinghams away end.

 

[Bryan Tregunna]

It seems that decisions were made based on information and money available at the time. Sometimes, it happens that way. The alternative is to wait until all the information and all the money is available and nothing happens.
The third option is to wait until time travel is reality.

 

[IJN]

It does seem a monumental cxxx up by someone where the remedial cost seems to be about 40/50% of the original spend which I think was about £9 million

Where did you get the 40%/50% from?