StAndrew7

I think there's a fair few posters on here and there who already are. I would expect quite a few to go along tonight if they're able to as well and have a discussion with the Board to try and develop ideas/understand them better.

I wouldn't say you are, no. I think there's also a willful ignorance from some as to what happens if/when the Society can't keep up its mutual investment in the Club. I'm also hoping/expecting the Business Plan which the WS will be releasing in support of their proposal to cover this kind of thing off; so the key performance metrics, investment plans/returns for investors etc. will detail what targets the're proposing to have and how they're going to look at meeting them.

How else do you suggest a return on investment is provided, then? Returns on investment in any business are provided from, basically, three things (I'm being somewhat flippant here): 1) Profit related payments 2) Something being provided for free there would normally be a cost associated with 3) Receiving a percentage of the sale of an asset you helped develop or were involved with, or the related IP which you can then exploit for your own gain. What else are we meant to do when someone invests and wants their investment back or to make a profit on it, provided it's all worked out?

On top of @weeyin's examples, I'd suggest keeping an eye out for the Business Plan that's going to be released soon. I think it'll help answer these questions, alongside what @David has already said.

No, it's not the same. What @David said.

Yeah, I'm in the same situation as you; I'm living well outside the local area now and will be moving even further away, eventually. I think the key thing is that we all still feel connected to the club, no matter the geographical constraints. I'm sure more will come for those of us who are outside of the Lanarkshire area. I personally wouldn't read too much into the Fir Park stuff, other than it's our home, it's an emotional attraction for us all and we all have tremendous (and terrible) memories there.

On this; some of them are pretty clear, I thought? They're proposing increasing season ticket sales by targeting specific markets, towns and building a local Society presence in them, re-engaging with non-contributing members in their ranks to up their ability to raise funds annually (and increase the security of the Club as a result) and explore strategic investment opportunities.

That's it in a nutshell. No matter how it's phrased or framed, we're voting for or against Barmack next week. Yes, the Society will then get to progress its plan; but we can ALL be involved in that as fans and WS members and have our say in it, which is one of the key messages of their proposal.

Fair; I do think that will come over the next few days based on what's been said on here, but I'm not privvy to the details/comms plan. One thing I will say, is that the plan does gives potential increases for rejuvenating the membership numbers from dormant members into regular contributors, season ticket sales along with target areas/towns and markets and the support/growth of the women's team. So there's some detail provided there. It's also got a timeline for how the investments will progress if EB's scheme doesn't go through; so again, dates and key deliverables are there. It definitely feels like there is more to come; with the session on Wednesday and the ongoing comms in the press etc. I would hope you (and we all) get the details that we're wanting. I am feeling far, far more positive about it all now though. I hope people can see just how much has gone into this plan, all the while dealing with the investment stuff; remember this was always something the Society was planning on doing, it's had to be sped up because of the circumstances.

I think @David has already covered this off a bit; this is a proposal, it's not a formal business plan. There's KPIs and ROI projections in the background which form part of the Business Plan side and will be discussed/released in due course I think. There's a danger with things like this that you overwhelm with too much information and a drip feed/progressive release of things often helps get messages across more efficiently. I understand you're not feeling it and that's fair but I do think there's more in this than anything Barmack has proposed on Twitter/P&B or in any of the lengthy statements released by the Club/Exec Board.

Cannot wait for three season ending injuries in the league cup group.

Aye, it does feel very much like this sometimes:

Already doing this on Facebook and Twitter. Apparently this is all "just spin to move support away from the investment which is the real money". 🤦‍♂️ Interestingly, when I've replied to people to challenge them or provide a slightly more realistic take... there hasn't been a response.

Aye, I think the midfield essentially have the League Cup groups to demonstrate that they're able to contribute effectively (albeit against somewhat lower quality opposition); otherwise I think we'll be dipping into the loan market, or even looking to spend some Bair money on a more dynamic presence in there.

I think he was just making a general comment about people that are saying that, not you directly (as was I). 👍

Also, he's not. He's putting the money into the Society, who in turn give it to the Club as required. And aye. Just stop your DD then.

Pleased with that. Would quite like a RWB as well.

It's on their Twitter feed replying to the post of The Plan (although not in the e-mail that I can see): https://x.com/TheWellSociety/status/1807841972746436872 6:30pm - 8:30pm in the Centenary Suite on Wednesday.

"Strategic projects", man. Strategic. Projects.

I think there is a need for the Society Board to be very careful and diplomatic throughout all of this; they're a very public face of a very public opposition to something the Exec Board is pushing. I think resorting to calling out/naming and shaming wouldn't be in their best interests; it would just fuel the fire of those opposing them and give them more ammo to paint them as "daft wee lads and lasses who aren't business people". Being professional and doing things in the manner which they're doing them demonstrates an incredible level of control and dignity. They're also going to stand up on Wednesday and take questions and listen to their members/fans; something the Exec Board aren't willing to. That speaks volumes to their character and belief in what they're presenting. Edit: I think by all means we as fans/non-board members can call out the hypocrisy of certain ex-board members and others, but I think the current Board are handling themselves brilliantly.

I would be surprised if it doesn't; I'm assuming that the data presented represents the (for want of a better management consulting bullshit phrase) low hanging fruit in terms of percentages etc. so other towns would be on the list, too.

Copied this from my thoughts on P&B: Personally, I think it's absolutely spot on with everything it's saying; it's realistic, achievable and it embeds the club in the community, which I think the majority of fans and WS members would want to happen. It's well presented, professional and has clearly been developed with people who absolutely understand how this all works and have experience across the piece in terms of strategic investment, data analytics and business acumen. The plans also show up just how little has been done to tap into the local business market by the current Exec Board and Club leadership. I think this is the kind of thing that everyone can get behind. There's also enough emotional/heartfelt messaging in there to remind people just what it is that we have as a collective fan owned club. "Motherwell FC, with its rich history and passionate supporters, is a cornerstone of this effort. Fir Park is more than just a venue for matches; it’s a place where friendships are forged, memories are made, and dreams take flight." This bit properly choked me up; I fucking love my Club.

The Society Plan is now live: Our club, our future

I did wonder if it was a European thing i.e. needing homegrown players, but he's only signed for this season and they're not in Europe. Odd one.

So he can play between too... so a wing-back? 😅