Paul Ragan no longer Owner of the Steelers?

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#43
Its more than a crime, its a hanging offence to some. Should we just happen to put a bloomin entertaining team on the ice this coming season, then thats time to truelly committ harri karri. Myself i cant wait to see the new season begin, and watch my team perform, as they surely will do.
 

Chris

Administrator
#45
Its more than a crime, its a hanging offence to some. Should we just happen to put a bloomin entertaining team on the ice this coming season, then thats time to truelly committ harri karri. Myself i cant wait to see the new season begin, and watch my team perform, as they surely will do.
Bit like you labeling everyone the 'doom squad' when they didn't have a reply you liked on the other thread then?

Chris.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#46
Wondering how long it was going to take to see your response, and guess what my friend you didnt let me down one iota, 6 mins aint that bad you know. So much more to say but hey ho whats the point.
HAPPY HOCKEY DAYS.
 

Chris

Administrator
#48
So once again, you have no real reply to something I post?

Apparently posting anything negative, or not super positive all the time somehow means everyone is some sort of merchant of doom.

Maybe you're still thinking along the lines that because I live in Nottingham during the season somehow my opinion still isn't valid?

What's the point indeed.

Chris.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#49
Oh please dont use the Nottingham excuse anymore its like a re-repeating record, god so boring. I have a excuse for being on here at 9-30 on a Thursday, i am a boring old pensioner who has just spent the last 3 hrs talking to the council about our rink and has nothing else to do. Whats your excuse Mister Devils Man.
HAPPY HOCKEY DAYS.
 

Chris

Administrator
#50
Oh please dont use the Nottingham excuse anymore its like a re-repeating record, god so boring. I have a excuse for being on here at 9-30 on a Thursday, i am a boring old pensioner who has just spent the last 3 hrs talking to the council about our rink and has nothing else to do. Whats your excuse Mister Devils Man.
HAPPY HOCKEY DAYS.
Well, i'm still waiting for you to admit what a ridiculous post it was, and then to explain to why my opinion isn't valid.

Why am I on here, well I don't really need a reason, but if you want one, because I paid the hosting costs, I paid for the software used on the website, I paid for the software that runs alongside the forums, I spend a lot of my time making sure the boards run, I spend a lot of time running/organising MNL, and because it's 9:30pm and I have no money to be out.

I didn't realise I needed all those reasons to use my own forum because you don't like what i've posted recently.

Chris.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#51
Ok fine, then lets just come to the conclussion that you dont like me, and to be honest i cant stand you. So there we are, so due to the fact that we are probably boring the hell out of other people that may have something constructive to say, lets call it a day, after all its your ball and not mine.
VERY VERY HAPPY HOCKEY DAYS. ;)
 

Chris

Administrator
#52
Fair enough.

Not sure how you've come to that conclusion, it's wrong, but I imagine that won't change anything.

It's not my ball, i'm not the only person who runs these forums, and you're well aware of that. Infact this discussion happened some time ago, on here and on facebook when I put my foot in it spectacularly and then made my apologies for acting like a moron.

You asked for reasons, now you don't like the reasons i've given...

Chris.
 
#54
thunder_rd said:
Just Read Paul's statement.
I have to say I am happy with the outcome. A professional business man totally focused on managing the best Team in the League. For all it's faults "the League that is". Don't loose focus that this guy loves his hockey as we all do.
Tough business decision sometime have to be taken.
Ownership of the Squlealers in what ever % is of no interest to me. Good that he has handed over the leash to another guy.
He saved the Squealer no matter what anyone says. We enjoyed some great games against them last season and to have lost them would be a total disaster. I remember the loss of Durham Wasps, hated the sons! but what a great night. Gone!
Relieved the My season ticket is valid. I renewed mine weeks ago. Can't wait for the new season to come around.
Now is the time to get behind the Guy and give him our support.
Can't be asked to read through some of the negative stuff around the Squealers and the past.
Clean sheet!
New team! Got a lot to live up to!
New Management!
Best Coach!
Best pound for pound supporters!
Bring it on.
Get behind them!

you know what, there's only one point in all of that, that I can agree with

Tough business decision sometime have to be taken
other than that I would implore that everyone proceeds into this new season with extreme caution

Don't loose focus that this guy loves his hockey as we all do.
Do you really really think so? Paul Ragan stumbled across Ice Hockey about 18 months ago when he was drafted in to "advise" on Matt Burges businesses. He then charged "consultancy fees" and then closed the company. He inherited Rink Corp and was hoping that they were going to be awarded the Tender for the new Ice arena. When this didn't happen, it seems that the business was diverted to buying a Polo Events company. Now to have 2 Ice Hockey clubs and a Polo events company in the same pot does not strike me as being "Professional" If he really did love Hockey and HAD done a small amount of research, he would have quickly told that most Hockey clubs in this country lose on average £150k per year. No due diligence needed here, just picking up a phone and asking around

New Management!
but it's not new management, it's the same management that has so alienated the Sponsors and quite a few of the fan base. Albeit there's a lot less of them, but do you really believe that Paul Ragan wants to get his hands dirty running the club? Ask yourself this, if he really has that much money, why is he wanting to work on the shop floor of a minority sports club that regularly returns no profit?

Get behind them!
I will get behind the team once they are on the Ice. Which will be a tall order as the cash injection that the team needs to start the season is no longer available. Where is the money going to come from to get the playeers here? to pay the deposits for the housing? there's loads of questions to ask

Until then, I will wait a whole season. A whole season for the SAME back office staff to redeem themselves and bring the club around. They dragged it down in a year, so I will reserve judgement when they've tried to resolve the issues over the same timescale.

Now before anyone says that the debt was inherited, IT WASN'T. the club was put into administration when Paul Ragan took control, therefore it didn't take any debt forward. They purchased the Steelers with very little of their debt. They then closed Rink Corp with a substantial debt. Where is the money.

I keep feeling like I have to apologise for being negative, and looking at what has just happened in this thread, it's dangerous to even stray off the happy medium. But I am a realist and these are the facts, and until the "SAME" management prove to me that they can run the club, I'll be concerned.

From what others are saying, the ability to maintain and communicate with sponsors should be rectified immidietaly. As we all know Ice Hockey is a minorty sport that survives week to week via volunteers and by "SMALL" scale local sponsors who care about the sport. it seems a really difficult business model to understand :?
 
#55
Interesting that over in Sheffield we have some sponsors (some of them that have not been around in a long time) that are back at the table because Ragan has gone. Read into that what you will.

Confirmation from other sponsors also that Tony Smith has dealt personally with them within hours of taking ownership of the club after waiting weeks for the previous management to get in touch.

Finally he said tonight that he isn't interested in making any money from the Steelers, he just wants the club to be successful on and off the ice.....can the same be said for Paul Ragan????

I think we have had a lucky escape.
 

Finny

Well-Known Member
#56
Dickie Dunn said:
Now before anyone says that the debt was inherited, IT WASN'T. the club was put into administration when Paul Ragan took control, therefore it didn't take any debt forward.
That's the first I have heard of that?
I would have thought if the club was put into administration we would have had similar outrage and fear last time as we did now.
Did I miss this or was it no common knowledge?
 

Finny

Well-Known Member
#57
robbo2306 said:
Interesting that over in Sheffield we have some sponsors (some of them that have not been around in a long time) that are back at the table because Ragan has gone. Read into that what you will.
Were they sponsors under Ragan in the second half of last season?
We had a lot of sponsors come back when Bob Phillips left. Which is the same situation as you?
 

TheStub

Active Member
#58
Brent and Paul said many times at the forum that we went through this last summer, and that they liquidated Burges company

I think Brent even opened with it.
 

Finny

Well-Known Member
#59
Hmmm...I thought he meant that we were in the same position financially but opted not to liquidate the club that time.
If that is the case, I'm surprised there wasn't more fuss of it made at the time.
 
#60
If i remember rightly it was taken over so quick there was no time for everything that had happened, plus it was during the season we all had games to think about not during a boring off season!!
 
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