For Old Isthmian - We are top of the league, say we are top of the league ...

5-1

Now it's 4-1

I suspect the minority investors may be Mr JG and more of his wealthy friends.

Whoops ... not yet.

4-1

3-1

"Blank check" should be "Blank cheque" there - sorry, it was a mis-typing rather than me suddenly turning American.

OI - you can also argue that if we become dependent on an investor to fund our ongoing losses then they will have "de facto" control of the club, as they could always get their way by simply threatening to cut off the funding tap. That said, I agree that any rational investor who is funding our ongoing losses is going to want some form of operational control agreement, whatever the theoretical voting rights attached to their shareholding, nobody gives a blank check to an organisation they can't control.

Nick raises an interesting point about what safeguards the investors would demand if they haven't run for the hills given recent events. As he says, they need to know they are effectively in control even if it looks like we have more than 50%. You don't leave a relatively big investment in the hands of those, who with the best will in the world, are effectively amateurs. I wonder if some form of agreed Pre-Pack Administration would be possible where if at some point we go into administration, they quickly own the company on favourable terms.

Hence if the "bond market" eg buyers of debr, perceive the UK Govt will breach its debt ceiling (see Liz Truss ...) the marjet will price up Gilts and our debt servicing exp will go even higher

Now 2-1 ...

For those who might be interested it's currently Radcliffe 1 - Hebburn 1 after 26 mins.

Totally agree with OI's post - the commercial rate for an unsecured loan to the DT would be well over 10% (as they themselves have effectively admitted). If people want to lend to them at 5% as a donation (or below-market rate loan if you prefer) then that is fine - but we shouldn't pretend that this would be a rational investment as it isn't (ie nobody other than an AFCW supporter or someone who doesn't understand risk would even consider this as an investment). Ironically, probably the one thing that might make it a good deal would be Trigger's scenario of a deep-pocketed minority investor waiting to buy in, who would essentially agree to fund our losses (and hence would in practice, even if not in theory, would have control of the club)

Silk, it's just another financial product which you earns a return on based on a) the time value of money at a given point, and b) the risk associated with it

The risk free 5 year bond rate is currently about 4.7%, you then add your risk factor on top of that. The fact that we know we'd be paying double figures for a commercial loan give you an idea what the risk factor is (and Plough Lane Bonds are not secured against the ground). I'd want 12-15% to invest in an organisation such as the Dons Trust on a purely commercial basis.

Investment grade bonds/ non investment grade? Secured/ unsecured ? Maturity of bond? Theres a lot of variables, where does the 4-5% figure come from ?

At least your investment in a bank/Building society is covered by the FCA for 120k.

The average rate for investing in bonds is 4-5% so we are giving a competitive rate if we are offering 5%. I think some people are confusing the return you get from bonds and the amount of interest you pay on loans. The only question you have to ask is if you trust the interest and original stake will be paid.

Maybe they’re not interested in playing the bureaucracy game RK and feel that administration is a far easier and faster route to ending fan ownership. The board have already shown that they’re willing to go outside the constitution and outside of members’ wishes (Proxygate) so why bother playing those silly games?

Naz - not piggy backing off a men’s team but owned by a sugarmummy worth 1.1 billion. Many of our fans would hold their noses up at that…

* Which is a shame, because Ryan Hall and the then management EXCEPTED they seem an okay club.

If both us and Bromley go down we will play them again next season

Yeah you mentioned trams last night, Meadow. I thought about getting home that way but couldn't easily work out a way to get to Croydon or wherever to then get the tram to Wimbledon. Oh well, looks like we may not play them there again in the near future. Another Sutton. Which is a shame, because Ryan Hall and the then management they seem an okay club.

Naz, I got two trams and a bus and it took just over an hour. The return journey was a nightmare as some buses were diverted near Hayes Lane. I walked down to Hayes station and picked up the bus there. I got home just after midnight.