Cash reserves and FFP

[Socrates]

Interesting thoughts above. Non football income can be counted but only as long as related to the running of the club's core business. Leisure developments on the land around the stadium would count general investments won't.

Interest free loan is NOT a good idea. They would simply calculate the interest at market rate and knock it off meantime accounts show us in debt and that backs up the pro ffp case and them saying we could go out of business if money withdrawn. Share issues to the owner are much better way to get money in cheaply and permanently. That is how they will surely fund the new academy and training complex and how they should fund other investment - ground expansion and / or a leisure complex.

How would they fund something like a lobster dinner for example?

Thank you for your intelligent and thoughtful contribution to the debate.

[Im_Spartacus]

Silver medalist I am afraid. Already had this idea,and FFP only applies to football related streams of income. In the same way that anything spent on the youth academy or infrastructure of the club isn't taken into consideration, neither would an investment portfolio.

No it doesnt.

Hence the reasons hotels, etc count towards the income figure. Only footballing EXPENDITURE counts for ffp, the source of the income, provided it is football related is irrelevant so long as is genuine income. They cant close that down because under FFP the most successful clubs will have to become much more entrepreneurial and innovative with how they generate income.

Im sure for example you would say that Manchester United cola is not really football related is it? So by the same token, why can you not start an investment fund branded as the "Manchester City" fund.....it neednt be open to anyone with less than a billion to invest......but it is a product endorsed by the club, in the sa,e way as a can of pop, a set of bed linen or any other commodity.

It would tie uefa up into so many knots it would take years to unravel.

And if uefa did move to ban an investment like this, it would pretty much prove beyond any doubt that ffp has zero to do with protecting clubs finances (how much more protected can you get than being entirely self funding?), and more to do with rich owners.

[Socrates]

The brand name built up from football adds value to a product and can be argued therefore to be football related (eg ragcola). Question would be, what way is the investment fund a product? What was described above isn't a product. If it was an investment fund branded by Man City and open to everyone, then you could say was the brand was adding value. Could end up a huge fund not just the owners and could make money for the club on a commission basis. That would be a workable plan...

[Ted Hughes]

The brand name built up from football adds value to a product and can be argued therefore to be football related (eg ragcola). Question would be, what way is the investment fund a product? What was described above isn't a product. If it was an investment fund branded by Man City and open to everyone, then you could say was the brand was adding value. Could end up a huge fund not just the owners and could make money for the club on a commission basis. That would be a workable plan...

Once again UEFA will be wading into murkey waters with this imo. I don't know for sure, but I'd be very surprised if quite a few of the top clubs don't already have financial interests which are not branded.

[Nickyboy]

Can we not just sell reserve players to Al Jazzera FC for £ 20m a pop using Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson & Stuart Downing as benchmarks of market value?

[Mikhail Chigorin]

The brand name built up from football adds value to a product and can be argued therefore to be football related (eg ragcola). Question would be, what way is the investment fund a product? What was described above isn't a product. If it was an investment fund branded by Man City and open to everyone, then you could say was the brand was adding value. Could end up a huge fund not just the owners and could make money for the club on a commission basis. That would be a workable plan...

Given the financial acumen and overall expertise of our owners, surely subtle ideas such as this must be on one of their enlightened agendas somewhere, waiting to be unveiled whenever it's appropriate to do so ??

PS Only just noticed it (apologies for being so laggardly) but is that an Aztec Camera 'quotation' at the foot of your posts ??

[Socrates]

The brand name built up from football adds value to a product and can be argued therefore to be football related (eg ragcola). Question would be, what way is the investment fund a product? What was described above isn't a product. If it was an investment fund branded by Man City and open to everyone, then you could say was the brand was adding value. Could end up a huge fund not just the owners and could make money for the club on a commission basis. That would be a workable plan...

Given the financial acumen and overall expertise of our owners, surely subtle ideas such as this must be on one of their enlightened agendas somewhere, waiting to be unveiled whenever it's appropriate to do so ??

PS Only just noticed it (apologies for being so laggardly) but is that an Aztec Camera 'quotation' at the foot of your posts ??

One would hope so,

kinda, is Roddy Frame solo which is really the same thing, song called Crossing Newbury Street :)

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Thanks, old chum, for the information.

I'd been going through mental contortions trying to recall where I'd seen/heard it. It's a nice word painting all round.