During the week, I noticed, doing my editorial rounds, an interesting comment had been posted by one of the Vital Luton fraternity.
The comment posted by Sad Patter, covered two topics, one of which I hope we’ll discuss today and another that should pop up sometime over the weekend.
The first topic, hopefully, to be discussed is transparency.
In his comment, Sad Patter recalled a scandal that engulfed the club, during a previous ownership, where it became, as reported, in a very enlightening article by the Guardian
that Luton had become embroiled in a situation whereby their former manager, Mike Newell, had negotiated a contract whereby he was entitled to 10% of any transfer fee for players the club sold, resulting, if you click on the link to the article, a considerable amount of money being siphoned out of the club.
Now, I should point out that the clause in his contract was by no means illegal, but it was pointed out that it could be considered to be in bad taste considering Newell had, previously criticised agents for doing much the same thing.
As a result, Sad Platter points out that once the hullabaloo had died down and those responsible had long departed, the new ownership inferred that there would be complete transparency when it came to transfers.
If that was to be the case, the question is asked why so many of our transfer dealings are now summed up, when it comes to a fee, as undisclosed?
Now, I am in no way suggesting something sinister is going on far from it, indeed I have every faith in the current board who have and continue to do so, performed admirably in what can, at best, be described as trying times over the last few years with financial income affected by COVID-19 and the dramatic rise in the cost of living.
Indeed, as Sad Platter pointed out, the ‘undisclosed fee’ may well be a ruse to conceal just how much money the Hatters have, or have spent, on transfers when it comes to other clubs poking their noses into our affairs.
But wouldn’t it be nice if, just on the odd occasion, those in charge actually told us how much a player cost, for example Carlton Morris, who is supposed to be our most expensive signing but nobody, outside the club, seems to know just how much he cost.
Just a thought as we eagerly await the weekend and a second trip, in a matter of days, to the DW Stadium to take on Wigan Athletic.
Sat here in the editorial chair, I’d appreciate your views in the comment facility, even if it is to just tell me and Sad Platter to wind our necks in!
COYH’s
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don’t ever wind your neck in. whatever the morris deal was, it seems a good deal so far.COYH.
Playing devil’s advocate, with the club continuing to sell our best players over that period without injecting it back into the club, could Newell’s clause be a deterrent to the board for trying to run the club into the ground for profit… Well established they saw him as a ‘bully’ towards them and would fit the character.
Stole a lot from us and ultimately cost us a place in the league pyramid, but did drive out a lot of the rot and corruption and had he not have been the person in charge, is there a possibility we could have gone under if that situation did not tragically come to a head in a rapidly escalating fashion?
Interesting theory, I guess we’ll never know though.
It’s a good question about the fees we pay and received for players but I remember not so long ago we had this very argument and was told both sides . I for one would like to know the fees paid as it shows openness from the board but with this board I trust . Coyh.