Did anyone else see the RTE Sport headline? It read:”Niall Quinn plays down forthcoming losses.” And it frankly sent me heading towards apoplectic rage.
How many more defeats are we to play down, Niall, I wanted to ask.
Let us not just yet forget the Win/Draw/Loss sequence since the last game – Premier game – we won, against Arsenal:
LLDLLDDLLDDDLD
Of course, I had only to read the RTE story to see that our chairman was talking about money, not how we perform on the pitch.
This is how the story goes:
(The) Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has revealed the club’s latest accounts will show a loss – but only because of their investment in the team.
The audited figures are due to be released in the next few weeks, but Quinn and (the) chief executive Steve Walton insist the Black Cats remain on a firm financial footing with (the) owner Ellis Short having converted a £48million loan into shares last summer.
Quinn told the club’s official website, www.safc.com: ‘We are about to release our audited figures in the next few weeks and I’m happy that will provide more enlightenment for our fans.
‘The accounts will show the word “loss”, but that should really be interpreted as “extra signings”.
‘We could easily have shown a profit, but we wouldn’t have Michael Turner, Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole or Lorik Cana.
‘We have a situation now where we have a great chance of going forward’.”
Well, it’s great to be in a position where we don’t need to be looking over oour shoulders for the depressing advance fat cat bankers.
But Niall and Ellis – and, of course, Steve Bruce – must, in the unlikely event that this needs stressing yet again, influence something ON the pitch to ensure that come August, we are not kicking off at Elland Road or Ashton Gate. Especially if they’re relying on future season ticket sales in any their calculations.
Colin Randall
Season ticket renewals plopped on the mat at Sixsmith Towers the day after the Fulham game. My first reaction was to aim for the recycling bag – my throwing is more accurate than the players passing – but I didn’t and the forms are sat in my draw awaiting a couple of wins.
The mood is so low among many fans that there is a move to wait until the last possible minute before making a decision that defines happiness or misery for another 10 months of the year.
Quinny may have to face up to a cash flow shortage next season; the football bubble is about to burst.