Telegraph - Dave Walder Comments (I had forgotten he was still with us)

[NellyWellyWaspy]

At the training ground?

[Neils]

At the training ground?

Surely now owned by someone else!!

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Chris Holland, never Wasps, but an ardent fan and director also of Wasps? What else could he use the ground for?

[WonkyWasp]

To rebuild Wasps would surely rate with the labours of Hercules? Rebuild team, build stadium, placate locals, provide car parking,  and a thousand other things, plus cash and trust  Pretty impossible, sadly.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

To rebuild Wasps would surely rate with the labours of Hercules? Rebuild team, build stadium, placate locals, provide car parking,  and a thousand other things, plus cash and trust  Pretty impossible, sadly.

A big wad of cash, yes. But, if you were starting in a local league, simply a pitch and a stand to start with. Maybe a clubhouse. Much as most local clubs have.

[WonkyWasp]

I'd go, plus family.

[WonkyWasp]

Not so sure local residents would be as keen though.

[DGP Wasp]

To rebuild Wasps would surely rate with the labours of Hercules? Rebuild team, build stadium, placate locals, provide car parking,  and a thousand other things, plus cash and trust  Pretty impossible, sadly.

A big wad of cash, yes. But, if you were starting in a local league, simply a pitch and a stand to start with. Maybe a clubhouse. Much as most local clubs have.

Wasps have exactly that at Twyford Avenue.  The notion that the "professional" club that broke away in the 90s could now rejoin at the bottom of the pyramid below their less illustrious sibling is surely a non-starter.  If  the Wasps name is to re-emerge from all of this, then that is in the hands of the existing amateur club and whether or not it has any appetite to operate at anything significantly above their current level.

There was a line in the statement about continued interest in the rugby side, but what exactly would someone be buying?  A badge (with the Wasp facing the wrong way!)

[Peej]

Exactly. Our professional club is, sadly (and to an extent I'm still not sure I've personally come to terms with), dead. Like professional London Scottish, Richmond etc went to the wall and the current versions are the amateur rebuilds.

There's a lot of talk about rescue packages and bridging loans, but why throw good money after what is quite literally bad? Even if we were desperately unlucky it's undeniable that the business as a whole has been poorly managed for years. I just can't get over the unpaid tax invoice - in what world do advisers or business not know to make sure the HMRC get first crack at your money? Bloody amateur. And here we are.

Doesn't make it any easier to take. And I'm sure if it was another club dropping into the abyss we'd be talking about nabbing P shares too - if only for a desperate injection of cash. 

The whole thing is just a shit show. But I can't see us as innocent victims.

[WonkyWasp]

DGP . . . Yes, I've been thinking for the last 2 weeks  -   THAT's what comes from turning the Wasp round the wrong way. 

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I just can't get over the unpaid tax invoice - in what world do advisers or business not know to make sure the HMRC get first crack at your money? Bloody amateur. And here we are.

At the risk of sounding unpopular this isn't strictly accurate.  Yes we had a tax bill, no we couldn't pay it. But a lot of businesses are in that position, especially right now.  We negotiated a payment plan with HMRC and were sticking to that plan. For whatever reason HMRC went back on that agreement and we were unable to pay them the full amount. That is what kickstarted this whole thing.

[Peej]

We made ourselves a hostage to fortune then. And like not being able to repay the loan, there's a bit of a pattern.

Seems those in charge gambled and lost. Thems the breaks.

[Rossm]

I just can't get over the unpaid tax invoice - in what world do advisers or business not know to make sure the HMRC get first crack at your money? Bloody amateur. And here we are.

At the risk of sounding unpopular this isn't strictly accurate.  Yes we had a tax bill, no we couldn't pay it. But a lot of businesses are in that position, especially right now.  We negotiated a payment plan with HMRC and were sticking to that plan. For whatever reason HMRC went back on that agreement and we were unable to pay them the full amount. That is what kickstarted this whole thing.

I've always hated the revenue since I was 17, when they relentlessly pursued me for 19s 6d. I had to write them a grovelling letter of apology. Still irks me to this day.

[DGP Wasp]

DGP . . . Yes, I've been thinking for the last 2 weeks  -   THAT's what comes from turning the Wasp round the wrong way.

The marketing guff that passed for an explanation at the time of the rebrand was that the old logo appeared to be looking backwards while the new one was seen to be looking forwards.  It's all about perspective.  Turns out the old logo had been looking forwards all along, and now all the new one can do is look back.  In anger.