Kelvin Thomas

[GodalmingYellow]

Happier now than I was when I heard the news of Kelvin's departure.

The investment in equipment and proper conditioning coaches should pay dividends in terms of reduced injury problems.

I'm not sure IL will be able to keep to a promise of no short term loans.

IL certainly talks a good game. I wonder if the time he will offer OUFC will be sufficient to replace Kelvin's full time input. That's the biggest concern. There is no reason to believe he will be any less capable in the role, but being capable and putting in the hours when capable are very different.

An increase in playing budget is welcome, provided it doesn't lead to further borrowings. Perhaps the savings in Kelvin's £80k salary is being used on the player budget.

[slappy]

I'm surprised at the timing of this. IL says it was planned for KT to step down at the end of the season, but has now been brought forward a year, with a three month handover period. Back in January, the management buy-out of WSI finally freed up some more cash for IL, and also freed him up from working there as a consultant. IL has presumably realised that it is difficult to get out of L2 without spending money, and stagnation would see crowds drop, and an even harder task of not losing money each year. If he is ever going to cash in on OUFC, he needs it to be at least a league or two higher. Offers for a L2 club which barely breaks even wouldn't even cover his investment so far. But a L1 or Championship club would be attractive.

From his experience at Wigan Warriors, IL immediately cut out the highly paid players and managers, seeing that throwing money at the playing squad may be a short term fix, but long term clubs need to be investing in the infrastructure of the club: strength and conditioning diet fitness and injury recovery video technology to study player performance developing young players getting committed players to the club.

With IL taking many of these high level decisions, did KT feel marginalised, and felt he was right to step down, or was it just a suitable time to step aside and go back to Florida and his businesses there? Or was KT assigned some of the blame for not taking controlling of the playing budget, loanees, and injuries?

I treat the comment on a partnership with London Welsh for the stadium as the usual 'still looking to buy medium term' statement. LW are presumably much better off renting than buying (at say even 2 or 3 million contribution), and unless they get massive crowds and success that isn't going to change.

What IL has not said is anything about the management and coaching. It could be that IL is giving Wilder, Lewis and Melville another crack at the whip with hopefully a fitter squad of players. Or is IL letting the current players' contracts run out in preparation for new coaches and the players they want? We've not seen any players going out on loan or sold (other than naturally at end of contract). Other than Sean Rigg and Michael Raynes, we haven't signed any new long term players, and several players are out of contract at the end of the season (Wilder, Worley, Duberry, Batt, Capaldi, Leven, Whing, Heslop, Craddock, Potter, JPP, Smalley), leaving Clarke, Brown, Wright, Davis, Constable as 2 year contracts. The 'ban' on short term loans suggest that Wilder cannot pull the old trick of sending contracted players out on loan and using the savings to sign even more players on short term loans.

[Out of the gloom]

Two short but heartfelt words to KT – Thank you.

Well worth listening to IL interview, if you haven’t already: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00v7jn4 (starts around 2 hours: 04 minutes). Slightly disagree re LW, though appreciate he has to make the best of it. Everything else (sports science, budget, loans and working with CW) was very good. One characteristic about IL is his clarity, on what has happened, is happening and will happen. A no excuses culture, he will (and has) put his hand in his pocket, in return he will expect results. No grand visions and eternal journeys.

I am very positive about the change, and though quite certain to be negative at some point in the future , it is quite clear IL will be a chairman worthy of respect.

[joepoolman]

I've been slightly surprised that KT hasn't actually said anything about why he's leaving yet. The same person that told me about KT leaving the night before it was official also told me that he'd heard West Ham had a job for him, this would tie in with the good working relationship we have with WHU (2 loan players last year and a friendly on Tuesday).

[Kernow Yellow]

I can't help feeling that there must be more to this than meets the eye. Was KT feeling marginalised with all this London Welsh business going on? Was IL losing patience with the way the club was heading?

Whatever, the initial shock and sadness at losing a guy that has been comfortably the best Chairman the club has had in my 28 years of supporting OUFC has given way to a quiet optimism that Ian Lenagan might be the man to take us on to the next level. He has excellent experience of managing both profitable businesses and successful sports teams. His input could be exactly what we need.

But I've seen enough Chairmen come and go with promises of success before, only to leave us teetering on the brink of our very existence, so I'll certainly reserve judgement for now. That eerily quiet pre-season has suddenly sparked into life though, hasn't it?

[Snake]

£80k a year? More like closer to £200k per year....

I got my figures from the public club accounts, but if you want to enlighten Us more about the “£200k

[SWA]

I would argue that you are a poster &quotnot worth clicking on&quot, since all you ever do is bang on about Swansea City FC which is of no interest to OXFORD fans...

[Snake]

I would argue that you are a poster &quotnot worth clicking on&quot, since all you ever do is bang on about Swansea City FC which is of no interest to OXFORD fans...

Really sorry if I’ve bored you and any people about my ramblings on another club, but it is the close season and the grass is a concern now with the Wugby and I thought some people may be interested in the technology that allows a pass and move team to share its turf with egg chasers.

Anyway, I’ll ask again (nicely) – where did you get your £200k a year salary for Kelvin from? I’m not saying you’re wrong, just asking.

[Andrewmaha]

I would argue that you are a poster &quotnot worth clicking on&quot, since all you ever do is bang on about Swansea City FC which is of no interest to OXFORD fans...

WRONG

[SWA]

@Andrewmha - what is wrong?
@snake - sorry, cannot reveal the source on this one. £200k was said to include the leased Bentley too I believe...

[Hog]

What leased Bentley? The last vehicle I saw KT arrive in was a Ford Kuga. I've seen Kassam, IL and the sockless wonder in Bentley's over the years but not KT. Are you sure?

[GodalmingYellow]

@Andrewmha - what is wrong?
@snake - sorry, cannot reveal the source on this one. £200k was said to include the leased Bentley too I believe...

SWA, you are incorrect.

A company car is a benefit in kind which would be required to be reported in the company accounts under the Directors' remuneration note 4 on page 10 of the accounts. The note specifies a salary of £80,000 and no benefits in kind. Furthermore, a company car would need to be shown in the tangible fixed assets note 6 on page 11 of the accounts, but it isn't shown there.

[Andrewmaha]

@Andrewmha - what is wrong?
@snake - sorry, cannot reveal the source on this one. £200k was said to include the leased Bentley too I believe...

There is at least one other regular visitor to here who takes an interest into the affairs of the only Premier League team in Wales.

[Snake]

@Andrewmha - what is wrong?
@snake - sorry, cannot reveal the source on this one. £200k was said to include the leased Bentley too I believe...

Have you got back to your “source