Evan Ferguson F Brighton b.2004

[Razors left peg]

There's a lot of similarities between Bazunu and Ferguson at the moment. Both hugely impressive as teenagers, both had big injuries which led to massive loss of form. Bazunu a bit under the radar at moment but both need a big bounce back year if we are going to consider them top class players

[EalingGreen]

All football fans are delusional, and should be... but having a holier than thou attitude as a Brentford fan is quite something.

You really don't have a clue about any of this - maybe you should quit while you're behind?

For one thing, I'm a lifelong Spurs fan - Season Ticket holder, was in Bilbao etc. But as it happens, I have an "in" at Brentford (check "Ealing" and "Brentford" on a map of West London) and since they are almost always at home when Spurs are away (and v.v.), I get to see nearly as many of their home games as Tottenham's. Indeed I've been popping down the road since the days when they were slumming it in the 3rd (even 4th) Division Of course, there was no contradiction between the two until a certain Mr. Benham came along, but while I greatly admire what they now do, my good wishes towards them are firmly suspended for two games a season.

You completely missed my point in the above. I said that if a no d1ckheads policy was enforced in football every club would struggle to field a team of 11, including Brentford. Every single club has their fair share of d1ckheads, if you think that Brentford are the only club that can weed them out when dealing with rich, driven, cocky , 20 somethings lads, then fair play! Id love to have that level of dedication and blind support for any club.

Oh dear, if you're going to comment on the All Blacks' "No Di ck heads" policy, you might educate yourself as to what it actually means. That is, it has nothing to do with a person's private life, rather it concerns his professional one. And if the former doesn't intrude on the latter, that's what counts.

To take some current examples, if you believe half the stuff about Kyle Walker (sex parties during Covid, numerous mistresses, prostitutes etc), then he'd fail your test. But in the world of professional football, the guy has had well over a decade at the very top of the game, with several top clubs/managers and with England. Compare that eg with Marcus Rashford, who clearly began to believe his own publicity and went missing on benders to Belfast when he should have been getting his head down on the training ground at Carrington - a 'Poundshop George Best', if you like.

Now of course all clubs look to root out (unprofessional) di ck heads, but some will overlook still their precadillos if they also possess great talent and they persuade themselves that they can still get a tune out of them - see eg Balotelli or Pogba, to name two other Manchester players.

However, if you look at Brentford's record, it is better than the great majority of clubs, if only because they can't afford to get it wrong in the same way as others. Or maybe you can list some of the failures for me?

As Ive said, I actually like how Brentford do business. They scout extremely well but they are also a massive money making machine for their owner, who made his money in the gambling business.... so maybe a little less of the superiority complex wouldnt go astray.

Wow! It just gets worse. A "massive money making machine", is it?

A quick check on the club's accounts for 2022/23 (the most recent I have to hand), shows that Benham had invested £104m of his own money in the club, in the form of both equity and interest-free loans (much of the latter non-recourse). And of that sum, £28m went towards the building of the new stadium. The remainder was put up by the site developers, who hope to make a profit from the sale of up to 1,000 flats. However, they have to get their cut first, with Benham getting a share of any profits only after sales have reached a certain level. Meaning there is no guarantee he will get back any, never mind all, of his stadium stake. While on buying the club from the Supporters' Trust, he agreed to grant them a Golden Share, which would allow them to veto any sale by him of the stadium without their say so.

He is not an especially wealthy man (by PL club owner standards at least) and all this undoubtedly constitutes a large part of his personal wealth. He does not take a salary or dividends Now he has said he's open to selling a share, even a majority, of the club to outside investors, but that is only to fund a progression to the next level beyond his own means. However, he has to date declined a number of enquiries or firm offers, since he wasn't sure about their motives and competence.

And talking of "motives", none of this should be a surprise, since he is a (genuine) boyhood fan, from his time being brought up in the area. (Yep, 3rd Division days for him, too, though unlike me, he did aways as well). While he is also on the record as pointing to an ambition to pass the club on to his son some day.

Anyhow, you were saying?

[Razors left peg]

Good man, nice essay. If you dont think a club that is regularly in the Premiership, that sells as well as Brentford do, isnt a massive money making machine then Im not sure an economics lesson would even be beneficial to you!

Anyways.... Evan being linked with Roma today according to Sky Italia apparently.


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