ALK Capital or Farnell/Elkashashy takeover

[claptrappers_union]

You can’t compare the two sports - American football is basically played to make money, showing advertising, selling merchandise and even bringing food and drinks to your seat...

I’d be interested to know what fans really want... the club could run a survey, but at the end of the day, it wouldn’t surprise me if a simple selection of alcoholic beverages, a Holland’s Pie and (an affordable) Twix would be suffice for your average supporter.

I’d like to see more activity around the ground before kickoff too, but at the same time, It’s good to see so many local pubs benefiting from the foot-fall. We are a town centre club, not a playing in a stadium just off some motorway junction who need to entice supporters to come earlier and spend more money - so it’s difficult to have it both ways.

In my opinion, the stadium needs to be making money away from football matches... thats why the Bread Bin Plans (as a concept) wasn’t a ‘bad’ idea... it was just a ******* ridiculous thing to have in a town like Burnley probably. But if we were to redevelop Turf Moor, that’s where a lot of money needs investing - in the corporate and commercial areas.

[ClaretTony]

it wouldn’t surprise me if a simple selection of alcoholic beverages, a Holland’s Pie and (an affordable) Twix would be suffice for your average supporter.

I can only assume you don't go to many away games where they tend to offer a far better choice of food and drink. We offer less than we did 40-50 years ago.

[mkmel]

Walsall's Balti pies....Yummy!

[Vegas Claret]

anyone know what the food price/selection is like over in the Bundesliga ? There grounds always seem to be packed and are bouncing !

[scouseclaret]

I can only assume you don't go to many away games where they tend to offer a far better choice of food and drink. We offer less than we did 40-50 years ago.

Where? I’m sure there are one or two exceptions but in my experience it’s pretty bog-standard everywhere. (I remember in my first visit to the Emirates paying way over the odds for the most revolting cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted!)

The club have got some things right. I think the fan zone is excellent - quality ale at £3 a pint - what more do you want? A few more interesting food options maybe, like the excellent pizza van that used to be there? Maybe they just don’t sell enough to make it worthwhile.

[Grumps]

There's enough choice of food and drink away from the grounds, I don't have the need to buy anything in the ground, home or away. But if I did I would expect to pay over the odds, just like any other sports ground, concert venue, cinema etc etc. It's the way it is. Anyone expecting burnley to be any different clearly doesn't understand the business.

[mybloodisclaret]

anyone know what the food price/selection is like over in the Bundesliga ? There grounds always seem to be packed and are bouncing !

Been to the Allianz to watch Bayern previously, superb variety of food and drink, and all round excellent match day experience.

All the Bavarian classics on offer, pulled roast pork, jacket potatoes, foot long bratwurst etc. Exceptional Paulaner beer also served. I got a Bratwurst and large Paulaner for about a tenner. Not too cheap but was extremely good, the quality justified the price.

Ticket prices were cheap, base price was €16 for standing behind the goals, a little rowdy and noisey but that's how I like watching football. Middle tier seated tickets were under €40. It was 2017 when I went.

[BleedingClaret]

I want my supersized twix delivered to my seat by a cheerleader
Exciting times

[Murger]

I never understood why they stopped selling pie and peas. Basic error.

[BleedingClaret]

ALK Capital Investments

The ALKCI Stadium

[BleedingClaret]

I never understood why they stopped selling pie and peas. Basic error.

Mmmh should do gravy too
Chip butties

[Goody1975]

Mmmh should do gravy too
Chip butties

Some people might not want their view of the game blocked every ten minutes while you order more takeout.

[BleedingClaret]

Some people might not want their view of the game blocked every ten minutes while you order more takeout.

As you know Pal, I don’t care, and I’ll be making a priority of keeping my figure in the cuddly category

[Boss Hogg]

Personally liked the cheerleaders. Not everyone’s cup of tea but I’m all for it.

[Dodobdobodobo]

Re-incarnation of ‘the dancing dog troop’ perhaps

[FactualFrank]

Is today the day?

[Grumps]

Re-incarnation of ‘the dancing dog troop’ perhaps

No

[ClaretTony]

I never understood why they stopped selling pie and peas. Basic error.

And we used to have fish & chips on the Turf too although that's some years ago.

[ClaretTony]

Anyway, back to the takeover and I think I can confidently suggest it won't be before Christmas - still hopeful of it being this year though.

[FactualFrank]

Somebody on here said it was going to be before tomorrow's game.

I don't believe for one second that what somebody has posted on this thread, isn't true.

[Boss Hogg]

It could still be during Christmas as we are only on the 2nd day.

[ClaretTony]

It could still be during Christmas as we are only on the 2nd day.

Then I'm confident

[CrosspoolClarets]

San Francisco Giants have the advantage that they budget for 100,000 people with a nine hour total buying period over 3 days. We have 20,000 people for less than an hour buying period, with perhaps no game for a fortnight.

There are indeed headwinds faced by football here, but other US sports, and, as others have said, Bayern, also offer far better produce.

The mentality is one big problem (e.g. if decision makers decide Burnley fans won’t want decent food or drink etc). Another big problem is stadium layout and segregation - being cooped up in one area means outlets would need replicating (e.g. if we had a “pulled pork sandwich bar” that would be needed in 7 areas unless it was outside in the fanzone, which isn’t big enough to expand significantly. A third big problem as you say is the infrequency of football and that the selling goes on for just a couple of hours, but again, if others do it, why not us.

I’m getting fed up with “can’t be done” attitudes, life is too short. I’m desperately hoping ALK take over and offer some positive new ideas which quite dramatically change the fan experience off the pitch. I suspect that would need some major redevelopment, which could be hard to prove beneficial in a business case, but I’ll wait and see.

[ClaretTony]

Somebody on here said it was going to be before tomorrow's game.

I don't believe for one second that what somebody has posted on this thread, isn't true.

Was that me? I did, at one point, think it might be done before Christmas.

[ClaretTony]

I’m getting fed up with “can’t be done” attitudes

That's been Burnley FC for a long time

[Boss Hogg]

I’m not keen on the pictures of set meals and meal deals only with nothing else. From memory think they do this at Newcastle in away end. Think this an American ism we could do without. Give me a cup of tea and a pie any day. To win the fans over a good gesture would be to reduce price of twix ( and tea).

[arise_sir_charge]

Is there anything less funny on here than the regular ‘Twix’ references?

[BleedingClaret]

18000 crowd not 80000
Ultimately we’ll make money by advertisements and attracting better young players and ultimately selling off the best

[BleedingClaret]

Is there anything less funny on here than the regular ‘Twix’ references?

Yes the constant schoolgirl squabbling

[jojomk1]

Have we signed anyone yet ?

[arise_sir_charge]

Yes the constant schoolgirl squabbling

No, the Twix references are worse.

[ClaretTony]

No, the Twix references are worse.

I do think the catering at Burnley needs massively revitalising but I have far more interest in what ALK's plans are going to be for our football club. I know one or two things, including player development, but I am keen to know how they plan to take our club forward on the commercial side etc. We don't seem to have grabbed the Premier League opportunity as much as we might have over these past five years.

[Swizzlestick]

Somebody on here said it was going to be before tomorrow's game.

I don't believe for one second that what somebody has posted on this thread, isn't true.

They were just quoting what Boden said on Twitter who intimated that it could be before the Leeds game.

[Jakubs Tash]

Somebody on here said it was going to be before tomorrow's game.

I don't believe for one second that what somebody has posted on this thread, isn't true.

Or, some on here haven’t read the post properly. Also really difficult to believe, I know....

[bobinho]

Is there anything less funny on here than the regular ‘Twix’ references?

Adeola Friday... which has morphed into adeola every day of the week.

[FactualFrank]

Was that me? I did, at one point, think it might be done before Christmas.

No, wasn't you, but forget who it was.

[nil_desperandum]

Maybe it’s my fault for not inserting a smiley

A smiley might have done the job.
I got it immediately, (and agreed with you), but the actual confusion was caused by not using quotation marks, which would have made it clear to those who didn't know, that it was a quote, rather than your own serious opinion.
Someone else did the same later where they posted:
We'll have no trouble here (rather than "We'll have no trouble here")
I don't consider myself to be one of the "grammar / punctuation / spelling" police, but there are times, especially when making a little joke that details such as quotation marks can make a huge difference to context.
(Hopefully, I haven't come across as a "smarta**e" there. It 's intended to be a useful observation.)

[Funkydrummer]

Maybe they want to tie the acquisition in with the acquisition of the cricket ground too !!!!

Absolutely no evidence for this, just a passing thought.

Just imagine the great commercial opportunities that would provide.

[ClaretTony]

Maybe they want to tie the acquisition in with the acquisition of the cricket ground too !!!!

Absolutely no evidence for this, just a passing thought.

Just imagine the great commefcial opportunities that would provide.

Don't think there is any suggestion of the cricket club being involved

[Top Claret]

Sounds like some are more interested in the catering than the actual football. If food is your thing you need to dig deep and go corporate, if that is what floats your boat.

You can't expect the club to serve anything other than what they do at the moment, the concourses aren't big enough to deal with mile long cues for chip butties and neither do they have the room to add ovens etc.

[mybloodisclaret]

I do think the catering at Burnley needs massively revitalising but I have far more interest in what ALK's plans are going to be for our football club. I know one or two things, including player development, but I am keen to know how they plan to take our club forward on the commercial side etc. We don't seem to have grabbed the Premier League opportunity as much as we might have over these past five years.

Tony are you aware of any plans by ALK to redevelop the ground or parts of it?

[arise_sir_charge]

[quote=arise_sir_charge post_id=<a href="tel:1448778">1448778</a> time=<a href="tel:1608981417">1608981417</a> user_id=278]
Is there anything less funny on here than the regular ‘Twix’ references?

Adeola Friday... which has morphed into adeola every day of the week.
[/quote]

That’s a fair point although I can easily avoid that thread where as the tedious Twix references sneak up on you.

Also for clarity I’m far more interested in what ALK plan for the team than I am for the kiosks!

[bobinho]

The cricket ground is the easy and most obvious answer to a PL standard ground redevelopment. Of course whoever owns the cricket ground will know that too.

[ClaretTony]

Tony are you aware of any plans by ALK to redevelop the ground or parts of it?

All I know is that they like the ground being close to the town centre so earlier suggestions of them wanting to move us seem to be extremely wide of the mark. I very much doubt that the cricket club will be moving anywhere soon so I think we can forget that one.

[Woodleyclaret]

The ground needs little changes as we need all funds to be spent on squad improvement
The Cricket Field stand could be made 100% home fans with the Lower JHU made away support up to half way line
This just needs the building of new walkways which is a cheap alternative to wholesale demolition

[Duffer_]

The likely pros and cons of investment/change in ownership as I see it but there are too many unknowns to not have a degree of scepticism, at least until more details emerge. What do others think in terms of pros and cons?

Possible Pros
Improved liquidity which makes us more resilient (for example, in covid times)

More appetite to explore wider commercial opportunities and revenue (inc corporate and overseas)

More short-term activity in the transfer market (hard to be less than the last window)

A way through the impasse between SD and MG, which increases the likelihood of SD staying

Communication between Board and fans may improve

Possible Cons
Harder to see how we bounce back quicker if we're relegated (I won't labour that point any more than I already have but I think it is a big one).

We have another mouth to feed - investors expect returns. We are not generating significant profits as it is. The current Board, although set to realise an obscene capital gain, have taken no remuneration.

We are no longer owned or controlled by fans (fwiw)

Uncertainty around the new investors' strategy. I am not seeing the potential for asset stripping but a moneyball strategy might see us sell key players earlier than at present

[Devils_Advocate]

Biggest possible con for me is that they do what a lot folk want and invest in the team to improve us and keep us in this division but get the recruitment badly wrong.

Ending up with a group of Jack Rodwell type players who are on big long contracts and not good enough is what can lead to teams going down and being left with unmanageable wage bills

If they then try and chase their losses and throw the parachute payments at getting us straight back up then it only increases the risk of us ending with a Championship/League 1 squad on Prem money and in the sh*t financially.

Unless they are another Venkys prepared to keep throwing good money after bad we would end up a little *cked as a club

[jojomk1]

Biggest possible con for me is that they do what a lot folk want and invest in the team to improve us and keep us in this division but get the recruitment badly wrong.

No change there then

[Devils_Advocate]

No change there then

You should have cut my quote 6 words earlier for full effect

[Taffy on the wing]

Sounds like some are more interested in the catering than the actual football. If food is your thing you need to dig deep and go corporate, if that is what floats your boat.

You can't expect the club to serve anything other than what they do at the moment, the concourses aren't big enough to deal with mile long cues for chip butties and neither do they have the room to add ovens etc.

Food is definitely the thing in the US.
Try going to the Cinema here in L.A. they'll bring a Hamburger and fries to go with your cocktail.
The downside is the waitress standing in front of the screen, the talking and the endless rustling and chomping!........Oh and the smell.
Be careful what you wish for.