The future of Eastleigh?

[ForeverUnited]

It looks like Steward Donald current Chairman and Owner of Eastleigh is apart of a group that is going to buy Sunderland FC. What will this mean for Eastleigh with Donald being involved with both Eastleigh and Sunderland? All subject to EFL approval.

https://twitter.com/x/status/990563001441968129

 

[chief]

It says in the statement that he's leaving Eastleigh. With all those big contracts, they're fckd.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Dale Vince to buy Coventry next please.

 

[Harrier94]

They'll need another moneyman if they have any sort of hope of staying afloat.

 

[Pliny Harris]

Will the airport car park income still keep The Vision alive?

 

[Jemfy]

I guess it's a good time of the season for it to happen, if there is such a thing. Players and clubs will become aware that they may be available to transfer cheap/free to offload the contracts of the better players. Contracts are often written in such a way so as to not have to pay the players over the summer when there is no income to cover it.

 

[B2TF]

What will happen to them? Exactly what everybody said WOULD happen to them. And good riddance.

 

[Raymondo316]

Well he changed his mind a lot in 7 days

"Asked what would happen regarding owning Eastleigh if he was to be involved at Sunderland, Donald added: "Yeah it is not possible, in all honesty I have some attractive football clubs that would have made me money and I have said I can get involved if it doesn't affect Eastleigh but it has both times so I have just said no.
It is extremely unlikely anything will happen but if remotely something did happen it would mean I would have to let Eastleigh go but it would have to be an absolutely sensational deal for that to be the case. "I have put an awful lot of hard work and money into Eastleigh and I have ambitions of getting them in the Championship. "If for any reason this deal looks different to all the others put on my desk, this club is debt free and run a certain way and there is no way on this earth I would ever jeopardise Eastleigh's future over making some pounds somewhere else."

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/spor...tium-looking-to-buy-out-ellis-short-1-9129113

 

[Tranmerewhite]

They'll need another moneyman if they have any sort of hope of staying afloat.

Well he changed his mind a lot in 7 days

"Asked what would happen regarding owning Eastleigh if he was to be involved at Sunderland, Donald added: "Yeah it is not possible, in all honesty I have some attractive football clubs that would have made me money and I have said I can get involved if it doesn't affect Eastleigh but it has both times so I have just said no.
It is extremely unlikely anything will happen but if remotely something did happen it would mean I would have to let Eastleigh go but it would have to be an absolutely sensational deal for that to be the case. "I have put an awful lot of hard work and money into Eastleigh and I have ambitions of getting them in the Championship. "If for any reason this deal looks different to all the others put on my desk, this club is debt free and run a certain way and there is no way on this earth I would ever jeopardise Eastleigh's future over making some pounds somewhere else."

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/spor...tium-looking-to-buy-out-ellis-short-1-9129113

So many contradictions in that statement it gave me a headache.

 

[ForeverUnited]

It is with great sadness and regret that I have to inform the Eastleigh fans that I have put our football club up for sale. I have spent over six years at the club and from the very first moment I arrived I have been welcomed and treated with great respect and kindness and I am truly grateful for the support everyone has given regardless of how well the team have performed at any given time.

It is an emotional decision for me and one that I did not expect to have to make. However, with my potential involvement in Sunderland, it is a condition that I must relinquish control of Eastleigh. If the rules were different I would have loved to remain with the club for many years to come.

Eastleigh has become, and will always be, extremely close to my heart. I have always tried to look after the club to the best of my ability and this will never be more important than now when considering perspective new owner/s.

The football club is in the strongest financial position it has ever been in. With a much-improved stadium and increased revenues enabling the club the ability to seriously compete in the top tier of non-league football and whilst I have been unable to deliver League football, I hope the fans will reflect on my chairmanship as a positive one.

My focus now must move to finding a suitable owner who will understand the ethos of the club. It is vital to ensure that the club continues to provide affordable football and progresses on the field whilst incurring absolutely no debt. I always ensured Eastleigh was run without debt and that any money provided was never going to create any debt.

I would like to assure the fans that I will not charge for the sale of the club and do my very best to ensure that the club is passed to an individual or group that understands these principles and is committed to continuing them.

I will obviously remain as owner for a short period and hopefully, I will get to see some of you before I depart and if not I will return and watch as many games as I can.

Thank you all again for making my ownership such an enjoyable experience.

https://www.eastleighfc.com/statement-a-message-from-stewart-donald/

Official statement.

 

[Raymondo316]

How long before Richard Hill is announced as Sunderland manager.....

 

[The_Boss]

I'm sure Eastleigh Fan will be along shortly to give us the lowdown from the board room!

 

[GTFCfish]

At least now Macclesfield are up they can lend Eastleigh their begging buckets in preparation for what they have to come.

This is 'The New Vision':

 

[E10rifle]

Back to the abyss you go.

 

[Swedes]

They will be filed in the same category as Histon and Grays Athletic.

 

[Bluandwite]

At least now Macclesfield are up they can lend Eastleigh their begging buckets in preparation for what they have to come.

This is 'The New Vision':

View attachment 8227

How very dare you.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Alas THE VISIONTM is dead in Hampshire but fear not it lives on in Tyne and Wear. Richard Hill is already wetting the bed at the thought of his 2022 Champions League winners medal, finally THE VISIONTM is on it's way to world domination.

 

[Luke Imp]

No more free tickets for the locals.

 

[Luke Imp]

Eastleigh haven't done it well with all that money, have they? A new stand or two that they didn't really need anyway, but on the pitch if they'd focussed their efforts on bringing in younger players rather than continually going for the 30yr+, ex FL players then they may have fared better.

Tonnes of wasted money there.

 

[MTFC_07]

No more free tickets for the locals.

Over time, they are going to suffer from a huge double whammy. They have been giving out a combination of season tickets for adults priced at £120 and lots of games with free entry. They did this whilst they were being backed heavily and for some of this time, did well in the National League. They are now, without the backing, going to have to price their season tickets at around treble the previous amount, £300+, to remain sustainable, and there will be no free games. People will be effectively asked to pay 3x the money to watch a relegation battling team, who are poorer and less value for money entertainment wise than before. This, for me, is why small backed teams who offer out these cheap season tickets while the going is good, are not using good business models. Eastleigh are not alone in that strategy in the National League.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Over time, they are going to suffer from a huge double whammy. They have been giving out a combination of season tickets for adults priced at £120 and lots of games with free entry. They did this whilst they were being backed heavily and for some of this time, did well in the National League. They are now, without the backing, going to have to price their season tickets at around treble the previous amount, £300+, to remain sustainable, and there will be no free games. People will be effectively asked to pay 3x the money to watch a relegation battling team, who are poorer and less value for money entertainment wise than before. This, for me, is why small backed teams who offer out these cheap season tickets while the going is good, are not using good business models. Eastleigh are not alone in that strategy in the National League.

But the good times will last forever, won't they?

 

[Shotsfan1993]

Eastleigh just need to focus on getting another 44 points next season, as they'll take 6 off us as normal

 

[DarkSithLord]

More
Looks as if #Eastleigh lost £37,000 a week under Stewart Donald last season so the new owner is well used to running a football club that haemmorages cash if he takes over #SASFC

 

[HertsWolf]

Eastleigh haven't done it well with all that money,.....

Tonnes of wasted money there.

And Sunderland, here he comes! Being able to waste shedloads of cash on useless players? Perfect fit.

 

[HertsWolf]

Over time, they are going to suffer from a huge double whammy. They have been giving out a combination of season tickets for adults priced at £120 and lots of games with free entry. They did this whilst they were being backed heavily and for some of this time, did well in the National League. They are now, without the backing, going to have to price their season tickets at around treble the previous amount, £300+, to remain sustainable, and there will be no free games. People will be effectively asked to pay 3x the money to watch a relegation battling team, who are poorer and less value for money entertainment wise than before. This, for me, is why small backed teams who offer out these cheap season tickets while the going is good, are not using good business models. Eastleigh are not alone in that strategy in the National League.

To be fair, the alternative is watching Saints. So the numbers could holdup.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Mark Jewell has taken the reins as Chairman at Eastleigh with Andy Hessenthaler remaining as manager

 

[Luke Imp]

I see Richard Hill has gone again.

He seems to go in and out of Eastleigh like Allen does at Barnet.

 

[Eastleigh Fan]

Things have certainly changed at EFC & although any club would miss its main benfactor, we have a £2.5m turn over business, so will be ok for a while. However, attendances are dropping and so are secondary spends. All of the big contract player deals are up at the end of this season, so i'm sure we'll see us cutting our cloth accordingly & the wage bill greatly reduced.
The strangest thing of all is now that SD has gone, there seems to be a 50/50 take on whether he was good for us or not. We do have alot of new facilities, but the average fan doesnt use them, as they are pretty much Exec/corporate facilities. The football on the pitch has been poor for 3 seasons now & the blame for that is being put squarly on SD's shoulders by alot of fans.
At the end of the day, as i have always said, we only went up one level under SD, so even if we dropped back down one level, we would be back where we started, but with a better ground. That really woudnt be the end of the world to me. The Connie south was so much more enjoyable anyway.

 

[Joseph Smith]

Cool, it's decided then Eastleigh will take voluntary relegation. Are there three more volunteers?

 

[Farleigh]

Maidstone are currently doing their very best to join them.