Leicester look to new Training Ground

[Munzie]

get established in the prem and rake in the money before you build fancy new facilities.

It's virtually impossible to get in the prem without the right facilities. Chicken versus the egg.

PS: I doubt we're talking about facilities such as the the big clubs.

[TrickyTrev]

If Milan can sell the land and build a training facility of equal quality outside of the city for cheaper then I have no problem with this. I don't see why the club needs an inner-city training complex anyway, doesn't make sense.

[TrickyTrev]

I suugested this would happen when MM arrived and got shot down.

We have a training ground, a pitch is a pitch why not add to it?

Fairly obvious we will sell the freehold on (nice) Belvoiir drive and lease another facility with a bit of the dosh going to kit it out.

Not the end of the world (unlesss you house over looks the training ground) maybe a bit worrying as will then have zero tangible assests.

Well presumably we will buy a new bit of land for the new complex, which is worth less but not valueless. The long term aim also has to be regaining ownership over the stadium.

[Lineker's Left Foot]

I don't think anyone buy's a football club without the intention of making money. It's business

Apart from Jack Walker who bought Blackburn in 1991 - he loved that club and used his own personal fortune.

[smudger63]

The facilities were known to be excellent. A new signing is hardly gonning to slag off the facilities of the club he's just joined.

Please tell me how this is a money making scheme. If we take what we have got and require better, how are we going to acheive this and make money? Any improvements/additions to ground size, quality, equipment will require further investment.

Unless Belvior Drive is built on a oil site or buried treasure is found when digging it up, I fail to see how we will sell this place, line Milan's pockets and get state of the art facilites.

But of course we dont know what they have lined up, do we.

Its not going to be anything that is going to cost more than we get for the training ground, is it, so just how good will it be.

Dont be suprised if we end up sharing the facilities at loughborough university, we`ve used it before, in pre season, and will be far cheaper than building a new training ground elsewhere.

The training ground is the biggest asset we have, its a massive area, and would be much sought after, by land developers.

To me, this smacks of asset stripping, but thats my opinion, but im sure, most people will not agree with me.

In the end, it will make no difference, cos we aint going to be told truth about how much money they get, and where it goes too.

You either believe milan is a very generous man, who is happy to pump money into our club, and that he wont get back, unless we get to the premier, in which case he will look to sell us at the first opportunity, as he did with pompey.

Or of course, you could be more cynical like me, (i think its my age, ) and believe that selling the training ground could be a way of getting some money back, if we dont get promoted, and he decides to offload us, and hes not able to sell us for the money he would like.

Milan is a buisness man, he makes money, thats what buisness men do.

[smudger63]

I suugested this would happen when MM arrived and got shot down.

We have a training ground, a pitch is a pitch why not add to it?

Fairly obvious we will sell the freehold on (nice) Belvoiir drive and lease another facility with a bit of the dosh going to kit it out.

Not the end of the world (unlesss you house over looks the training ground) maybe a bit worrying as will then have zero tangible assests.

Thats just it renards, my house does overlook the training ground,

Also very good point about us being left with no tangible assets.

[Jonbluefox9]

I think I remember Craig Levein saying that he wanted to expand and improve the training ground when he was manager so I wouldn't be surprised if Nigel Pearson has suggested this too. It wouldn't be the only reason, but he does seem keen on the Sports Science side of the game so he may have influenced this decision in some way. Ideally Belvoir Drive would be expanded but its location makes that difficult.

[Beeson_lcfc]

Well, i played for the academy for 4 years and tbh the facilities arnt that good.

But i totally disagree with the fact of seling belvoir drive and setting up somewhere else

Why? you can simply expand the main building, make it 2/3 story to help improve it and then take a step forward.

And the pitches. Yes they dont have that many but a pitch is a pitch isnt it?

Groundsman can make them better surely.

[Maybes]

If Milan wants to take us to the prem then sell us for a profit thats fine by me.

[davieG]

If Milan wants to take us to the prem then sell us for a profit thats fine by me.

Well I'm sure it's fine by everyone but you talk as if all he has to do is want it and it will happen, it just isn't that easy you ask Reading and Mr Madjeski (sp). Probably as rich as Mandaric, arguably invested more money than Mandaric, a proven Manager, parachute payments - but they're still in the Championship.

These debates aren't really about questioning being successful they're about what if he isn't, frankly a much more likely scenario. His whole strategy is 100% reliant on getting into the Premiership and quickly.

[smudger63]

If Milan wants to take us to the prem then sell us for a profit thats fine by me.

If milan wants to get us to the premiership and make a profit, its fine with all of us, but how patient is he going to be.

Not something hes known for!

If we dont make it to the premier or look like we will make in in the next 2 or 3 seasons, he will most likely walk away, and will be hoping to get his money back, by hook or by crook, that is the worrying thing for me.

Milan is NOT a Leicester fan, he is here cos he sees us as an investment, and thats great, but if things go tits up, he will offload us without hesitation, and then he will be looking to recoup any money he has put into the club.

[Head Honcho]

Haven't been down Belvoir Drive in over 20 years but it was pretty grim in them days.

I'm sure it's been modernised since then but maybe they've taken it as far as they can and feel a move is the best option.

[Ultra]

Milan is NOT a Leicester fan, he is here cos he sees us as an investment, and thats great, but if things go tits up, he will offload us without hesitation, and then he will be looking to recoup any money he has put into the club.

And they didn't last year?

He's had to spend a lot more on us than he expected. The only way he'll get the money back is if we're promoted to the Premier League and stay there for at least a couple of seasons.

I doubt whether the City Council will object to Belvoir Drive being sold off, but other authorities in the county may be less co-operative about developing another site.

[DanTheFox07]

I think this is very important in showing ambition and we will undoubtedly need these better facilties to be able to compete on a higher level. I also think that this will help us in attracting new players as they get an insight into what were trying to do here.

[Jay]

In principal I like the idea of brand new facilities doesn't matter if we have been there for years it's not like the players live around the corner most probably travel from miles away every day.

I know the club for pre season last year spent time at Loughborough Uni and I can't help thinking this is just going to be a blatant example of asset striping and we will end up at Loughborough Uni on a permanent basis being spun some rubbish about it's top of the range, world class, futuristic facilities when in fact it's just going to be flogging off one of the biggest and last remaining assets we have.

I can see us not owning a training ground and not owning a stadium in the near future which wouldn't be a good sign for the future imo.

[Guest]

In principal I like the idea of brand new facilities doesn't matter if we have been there for years it's not like the players live around the corner most probably travel from miles away every day.

I know the club for pre season last year spent time at Loughborough Uni and I can't help thinking this is just going to be a blatant example of asset striping and we will end up at Loughborough Uni on a permanent basis being spun some rubbish about it's top of the range, world class, futuristic facilities when in fact it's just going to be flogging off one of the biggest and last remaining assets we have.

I can see us not owning a training ground and not owning a stadium in the near future which wouldn't be a good sign for the future imo.

This is one of my fears too.

[Hullfox]

As long as we turn in a performance week in week out, I don't give a monkeys whether we own the ground, training pitch or match balls.

[davieG]

As long as we turn in a performance week in week out, I don't give a monkeys whether we own the ground, training pitch or match balls.

I do! Because those things give you stability and inner strength and perhaps more importantly these days saleability because if your squad is crap and worth diddly squat and your transient owner decides he's had enough there's nothing left to sell and no one would want to buy, the consequences of failure are horrendous and more likely to involve disappearing off the football stage.

Let no one forget that unless you're one of the very biggest teams football success is momentary.

[lou]

I do! Because those things give you stability and inner strength and perhaps more importantly these days saleability because if your squad is crap and worth diddly squat and your transient owner decides he's had enough there's nothing left to sell and no one would want to buy, the consequences of failure are horrendous and more likely to involve disappearing off the football stage.

Let no one forget that unless you're one of the very biggest teams football success is momentary.

Plus the training facilities are one the main things players look at when theyre thinkin of joining us. So often it gets a mention when new players are asked why they picked a certain club to sign for.

[Hullfox]

I do! Because those things give you stability and inner strength and perhaps more importantly these days saleability because if your squad is crap and worth diddly squat and your transient owner decides he's had enough there's nothing left to sell and no one would want to buy, the consequences of failure are horrendous and more likely to involve disappearing off the football stage.

Let no one forget that unless you're one of the very biggest teams football success is momentary.

I don't.

Personally I don't see how owning a training ground gives you stability and inner strength.

Hull City do not own their ground and have a training ground which cost £1 million. I do not view them as being either unstable or lacking inner strength to be honest.

[davieG]

I don't.

Personally I don't see how owning a training ground gives you stability and inner strength.

Hull City do not own their ground and have a training ground which cost £1 million. I do not view them as being either unstable or lacking inner strength to be honest.

Not whilst they remain successful and have a rich owner but those things can change in the blink of an eye and then you're left with nothing.

I even doubt Mandaric would have been so keen to buy us if we'd not had the Training Facilities as collateral. When I say stability I'm not talking about football succes as such but about actually exisitng and the inner strength is in the ability to loan against that collateral.

[Hullfox]

Plus the training facilities are one the main things players look at when theyre thinkin of joining us. So often it gets a mention when new players are asked why they picked a certain club to sign for.

Disagree there Lou.

Ask Jimmy Bullard Kevin Kilbane, Bernard Mendy and others why they signed for the Tigers, bet training facilities don't get a mention.

Two pitches and a shed.

[lou]

Disagree there Lou.

Ask Jimmy Bullard Kevin Kilbane, Bernard Mendy and others why they signed for the Tigers, bet training facilities don't get a mention.

Two pitches and a shed.

Ive heard hundreds of players mention training facilities in interviews when theyve just signed for a new club - Its all about overall impressions.

Youre entitled to disagree.... but youre wrong!

[Hullfox]

Ive heard hundreds of players mention training facilities in interviews when theyve just signed for a new club - Its all about overall impressions.

Youre entitled to disagree.... but youre wrong!

£45,000 a week and shit training facilities or £30,000 a week with state of the art facilities? you choose.

When you've chosen the higher waged option and are introduced to the press and public you're hardly likely to diss the facilities are you.

You carry on believing everything you hear men say and you'll learn soon enough........

[Jay]

Not whilst they remain successful and have a rich owner but those things can change in the blink of an eye and then you're left with nothing.

I even doubt Mandaric would have been so keen to buy us if we'd not had the Training Facilities as collateral. When I say stability I'm not talking about football succes as such but about actually exisitng and the inner strength is in the ability to loan against that collateral.

which is in a way similar to the situation at Stockport County, I admit it's probably the extreme but as a club they don't own a ground, lease a training pitch, have no assets whatsoever they don't even have any staff all the ticket office and so on is all Sale Sharks so as soon as they have a cash flow problem they are basically screwed