| Trust Statement May 2020 22:00 - May 4 with 2663 views | Darran |
The Supporters’ Trust would like to offer our thoughts and best wishes to all Swansea City fans and their families at this difficult time. We are currently living through quite exceptional times which have caused difficulties for us all but also great hardship for many. Our thanks go to everyone who is working so hard to keep us safe, looking after those who need medical attention and those who are keeping vital services running at this time.
As much as we would, in normal circumstances, like to think of football as important, this current crisis is demonstrating that many things are much more so. However, football clubs are important assets to the community, and can provide great comfort and support to fans. Clubs also play an important role in supporting various aspects of community life. The continued existence of football clubs is massively important to local communities across the country and will be especially so in the future.
We are seeing how football clubs can help the community close to home, with the Liberty Stadium being used by the NHS to run training courses to help on-board new and returning healthcare workers quicker than would otherwise be possible, and this week the stadium car park will be turned into a drive-through testing unit for health and social care staff. The Swans have also been active in supporting the local community, through such actions as their recent auction of Swans memorabilia, the proceeds of which are being used to provide meals, food provisions and other vital supplies for the elderly, vulnerable and those in need. We are proud to see our football club being proactive in working with the local community during this crisis.
As many businesses in many industries are finding out, the current circumstances will have a significant impact on the funds coming in, for the duration of this crisis and for some time beyond. This is something that all football clubs, especially those outside the Premier League, will be particularly affected by. For the period that football matches take place without crowds there would be no ticket revenue, or money from matchday hospitality, sponsorship, refreshments etc. The longer matches are unable to be played, or are played behind closed doors, clubs will find it more and more difficult to pay the bills and keep their heads above water. It is clear that the football industry, like many others, is going to see a significant downturn in the coming months and years.
The Trust, through our Supporter Director, has been in regular discussion with the club’s management team during the current crisis. Also, our Finance subgroup held a productive meeting with the club to discuss the actions it is taking and the various potential scenarios that could arise in the coming weeks and months. We know the club will be making further announcements, on such key issues as season tickets, in the coming weeks and we have also been paying close attention to the various announcements that have already been made as the club seeks to navigate a way through the financial issues that will arise from the current crisis. We note that the club has made use of the Government’s scheme to furlough a large number of staff and, while the Government will pay 80% of those wages, the club is to be applauded for topping this up and ensuring those members of staff are not financially disadvantaged to this change of circumstances. While t he Trust is disappointed that the Club has had to make use of taxpayer money for this purpose, we appreciate that this was unavoidable while other costs remain at their current levels.
The Trust also notes the recent announcement that the Club has agreed a deal with the playing squad and senior leadership to take a 20% deferral of salaries for three months, to be repaid once football is restarted in front of crowds.
While any action that can alleviate short-term cashflow issues is to be welcomed, we should be clear what deferrals mean. They are an agreement to repay the deferred money at some point in the future. While that may be manageable and appropriate for a short period of time, it is very likely that social distancing regulations are going to be in place for quite some time and it is difficult to see football being played in front of crowds at any point in the near future. Maybe not until next year or even longer. We simply do not know how long these measures will be in place.
That will have a devastating impact on the finances of all football clubs, particularly those like ours that rely on matchday revenues to pay the bills. As Swans fans know better than anyone, a club that spends more than it brings in is not sustainable and will run into major difficulties very quickly. Therefore, The Trust urges all parties to work together to find a way to ensure our club can find a financial path through this crisis.
In terms of the playing squad and management teams, we need to ensure our costs match the new realities. It is patently clear that deferring costs until some unspecified point in the future is unsustainable. Without promotion to the Premier League, or a significant amount of investment, there will be no realistic way to pay them in the future. Cuts to the wage bill and other operating costs will be necessary for the duration of this crisis, and potentially longer as the economy tries to recover. In particular, the stance of the PFA (which is strongly advising its members) needs to change. The longer footballers and their union refuse to accept that a cut in wages is necessary, the more chance that we will see clubs enter administration or liquidation. This may seem unfair, however it is a harsh reality that costs cannot remain the same when revenues are cut so dramatically. Also, all parties across the footballing world need to wake up to the re ality that it cannot be right that clubs claim taxpayers money to pay the wages of employees earning a “normal” wage while highly paid players and others refuse to accept anything other than deferrals to ensure they still get paid in full, even if it is in the future.
From an ownership perspective, we urge our fellow shareholders to work with us to find a solution to these and other issues. While we are clear that the club needs to be run in a sustainable manner, we are currently living through exceptional times and all parties need to work together to ensure the club’s survival.
The future of our football club is of great importance to us all. Without appropriate action being taken, its future is at risk. We urge all parties to work together to ensure our club comes through this, for all our sakes.
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:01 - May 4 with 2360 views | longlostjack |
No mention of the potential legal action. Why? |  |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:08 - May 4 with 2339 views | builthjack |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:01 - May 4 by longlostjack |
No mention of the potential legal action. Why? |
That's a seperate issue. |  |
| Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:18 - May 4 with 2327 views | Swanjaxs |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:01 - May 4 by longlostjack |
No mention of the potential legal action. Why? |
Because it will never happen 👠|  |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:21 - May 4 with 2317 views | dickythorpe |
At least the owners have been practicing social distancing for some time now. |  | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:02 - May 4 with 2237 views | builthjack |
I agree that the greedy b@stards, players, management, chairman and others, could and should have taken a substantial pay cut. | |
| Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:07 - May 4 with 2231 views | longlostjack |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:08 - May 4 by builthjack |
That's a seperate issue. |
That’s as maybe. Put an update in a parallel statement then. | |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 15:43 - May 5 with 1940 views | sP7qupUf |
Wonder what they will do about all those season tickets bought in advance if there is a delay in restarting football until January? Bit like airlines/holidays....cash refund? |  | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 17:33 - May 5 with 1885 views | monmouth |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:07 - May 4 by longlostjack |
That’s as maybe. Put an update in a parallel statement then. |
If only the Trust had circa 20m in reserve in case the Yanks decide to do a runner and the club ends up on skid row eh. It's only four years since they were cheated out of it though, fair play. |  |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 18:49 - May 5 with 1818 views | swancity |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:07 - May 4 by longlostjack |
That’s as maybe. Put an update in a parallel statement then. |
You’d need to join the Trust apparently if you want to know what’s going on ... | |
| Only an idiot would eat a turkey curry on Christmas day |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 06:52 - May 6 with 1658 views | bennytheblue |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 17:33 - May 5 by monmouth |
If only the Trust had circa 20m in reserve in case the Yanks decide to do a runner and the club ends up on skid row eh. It's only four years since they were cheated out of it though, fair play. |
That point right there is shocking and the needs sorting. How can you sell something and not get what you are owed when you own 20%. That 20% should be in the bank right now. Enough to buy the club back with the mahussive shit storm that’s brewing. |  | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:12 - May 6 with 1575 views | vetchonian |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 06:52 - May 6 by bennytheblue |
That point right there is shocking and the needs sorting. How can you sell something and not get what you are owed when you own 20%. That 20% should be in the bank right now. Enough to buy the club back with the mahussive shit storm that’s brewing. |
Shouldnt you be more concerned about where you will find the cash to pay Nantes? | |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:28 - May 6 with 1558 views | jacabertawe |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:18 - May 4 by Swanjaxs |
Because it will never happen 👠|
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| Britishness...is a political synonym for Englishness which extends English culture over the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish. - Gwynfor Evans
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 11:53 - May 6 with 1507 views | Swanjaxs |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:28 - May 6 by jacabertawe |
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Excellent contribution to the thread ðŸ‘🻠| |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 12:16 - May 6 with 1492 views | chad |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 11:53 - May 6 by Swanjaxs |
Excellent contribution to the thread ðŸ‘🻠|
A bit like us, a sleeping partner caught napping. |  | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 13:29 - May 6 with 1445 views | NotLoyal |
With all due respects to the trust, their job is the protection of the fans rights and the forthcoming season. Not a political statement about the virus. |  |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:42 - May 6 with 1330 views | marchamjack |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 13:29 - May 6 by NotLoyal |
With all due respects to the trust, their job is the protection of the fans rights and the forthcoming season. Not a political statement about the virus. |
In fairness to the Trust that statement largely called out the players to do their bit as otherwise it’ll harm the club and in turn harm us fans. Which I think is absolutely correct and hopefully us a wake up call to the fanboys lauding the players for taking a wage deferral... |  |
| Oh,..Dave, what's occuring? |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:01 - May 6 with 1312 views | monmouth |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:42 - May 6 by marchamjack |
In fairness to the Trust that statement largely called out the players to do their bit as otherwise it’ll harm the club and in turn harm us fans. Which I think is absolutely correct and hopefully us a wake up call to the fanboys lauding the players for taking a wage deferral... |
Hardly, seeing as nobody will ever see it apart from a Relative handful of people. I haven’t seen it publicised anywhere except to Trust members and in this thread.. I might be wrong, but I don’t think it will shift sentiment one jot, even though I agree wholeheartedly with the substance of the message. | |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:51 - May 7 with 1176 views | NotLoyal |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 22:42 - May 6 by marchamjack |
In fairness to the Trust that statement largely called out the players to do their bit as otherwise it’ll harm the club and in turn harm us fans. Which I think is absolutely correct and hopefully us a wake up call to the fanboys lauding the players for taking a wage deferral... |
Doesn't go far enough, too much pussy footing around, Ayew has earned half a million quid since this so called lockdown has started, and there's numerous others who have done fck all. Call them out. | |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 00:10 - May 8 with 1168 views | NeathJack |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:01 - May 6 by monmouth |
Hardly, seeing as nobody will ever see it apart from a Relative handful of people. I haven’t seen it publicised anywhere except to Trust members and in this thread.. I might be wrong, but I don’t think it will shift sentiment one jot, even though I agree wholeheartedly with the substance of the message. |
Aye. If only it had been publicised more widely like on the Beeb for instance...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52545612 |  | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 09:17 - May 8 with 1093 views | splJack |
Toothless. | | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:42 - May 8 with 1042 views | Nortbankboy |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 23:51 - May 7 by NotLoyal |
Doesn't go far enough, too much pussy footing around, Ayew has earned half a million quid since this so called lockdown has started, and there's numerous others who have done fck all. Call them out. |
If you don't honour contracts you'll never get players to sign for u in the future | | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 11:37 - May 8 with 1003 views | monmouth |
I said I might be wrong....:) | |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 12:48 - May 8 with 961 views | JBT95 |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:42 - May 8 by Nortbankboy |
If you don't honour contracts you'll never get players to sign for u in the future |
And if we do then there'll be no players to sign anyway cause the club won't exist. |  | | |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 13:27 - May 8 with 933 views | Catullus |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:42 - May 8 by Nortbankboy |
If you don't honour contracts you'll never get players to sign for u in the future |
With the vast majority of clubs in exactly the same position, who will all these players sign for?
It's not just about contracts, it's about saving the league as we know it from oblivion. If players demand their full wages, at every club, fairly soon there'll be a lot of players looking for new clubs as their old club went under. Which club wants to sign a player so mercenary? In normal circumstances it happens all the time of course, but it's hardly normal right now. | |
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| Trust Statement May 2020 on 14:53 - May 8 with 911 views | NotLoyal |
| Trust Statement May 2020 on 10:42 - May 8 by Nortbankboy |
If you don't honour contracts you'll never get players to sign for u in the future |
Fck em, don’t play for us then, I’m not saying don’t honour contracts I’m saying play beyond your contract to finish the season or you can’t play anywhere. | |
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