Everyone keeps rabbiting on about Brighton as a model to follow, but the fact is they have an owner with a sizeable cheque book and ties to the club. Parish has the latter but perhaps not a big enough cheque book. Harris, Blitzer and Textor have no personal connection to Palace and it is clear we are an investment to them. Without the personal attachment I imagine they are less likely to gamble, like Bloom did with Brighton. Bloom's risk is now paying dividends, with some of his risks now paying off big time. Another thing that taps into Bloom's gambling past is that they have bought a lot of players on relatively low fees from across the globe since he took control with most failing to make it but the ones that do have been standout players. Putting aside the rivalry, there is a lot to be envious of with what they've achieved.

Our investment in young British/Irish players for the academy could bear fruit in a few years time and we could be the the next feeder club for the larger clubs like Brighton or Southampton. Maybe that is the gamble our club have decided to take? Maybe it is a Dougie masterstroke.

Of course we don't want another Goldberg or Jordan situation, but it would be nice to have owners who actually show some public love for Palace, rather than referring to us as a part of some portfolio (as Textor refers to us). Maybe I am just an old romantic. Maybe one of the player's could sh*g one of the owner's wives and then at least we'd have something to sing about them like the good old days.

I’m no accountant, so, reading between the lines, how does that impact the value of the club as a saleable asset. I presume buying the club would therefore mean buying more than one business? Would that also make it difficult for the club to borrow funds if the assets are held in a separate business?

There is only one business although it's contained in a number of different limited companies for reasons unknown to me.

The number of companies won't affect the club's ability to borrow as the lender would probably insist on cross company guarantees and cross debentures

The graduation from academy football to elite football is very low only 0.5% of 16 year olds make it and kids entering as 9yo the figure reduces to only 0.18% so the chances of running a football club at EPL level, from academy output is very unlikely. The standard these days is extremely high and you only have to look at all levels of EPL and EFL teams to see how cosmopolitan teams are these days compared to the distant past when teams were mainly made up of home produced talent.

You need a worldwide scouting network these days to find the talent at reasonable prices, something we struggle at.

As far as I'm aware the current CP Academy is the combined effort of Derry/Mccarthy and Academy Director Garry Issott, there is no mention of DF being involved and rightly so as its his job to find us the right talent at the right price for the here and now, something that again we struggle to achieve.

Gallagher's first loan was to Charlton in League 1. Harry Kane's first was Leyton Orient.

It's what happens on their subsequent loan that gives a pointer.

I agree but this isn't consistent with some fairly strident opinion expressed after we beat West Ham.

Edited by Rachid Rachid Rachid (28 Jan 2023 10.19pm)