Always a Wasp

Quote from: Heathen on November 03, 2020, 10:25:58 PM

Quote from: DGP Wasp on November 03, 2020, 12:12:50 PM

Another big question mark over this would be Ealing's financial viability. 

Mike Gooley (aka Trailfinders), the owner, is worth around £400M. He is quoted as saying that he would invest whatever is needed, to secure a place for Ealing at the top table.

But Trailfinders cannot possibly be worth that kind of money in the present environment.  He may have been worth £400m at the start of this year when we were all still merrily booking our holidays, but that valuation has probably dropped off a cliff in the past 8 months.  Hardly solid foundations for a Premiership rugby club.  I have a soft spot for Ealing as I lived there for many years, at one time just a stone's throw from the Trailfinders sports ground.  I would hate to see them bite off more that they can chew and a wealthy owner's ego and ambition see them go the way of London Welsh.  I may be doing Gooley a disservice, but professional rugby clubs are loss making businesses, as are most travel firms at the moment.  Not a good position to be in.

Looking at Companies House, Trailfinders seems to be another web of companies. It seems he has 75% or more stock of 1 company.. via another company. I'm guessing his "worth" is valued by his 75% at a given time of trading (18 - 24 months ago). Like you say.. what's that worth now? Do travel companies own assets?

Changing the subject slightly.. their offices are in Earls Court. My first skiing holiday started there.. 1989. We (loosely connected friends from uni . . well it was a poly back then) took  a coach from Earls Court to Andorra.. only 30 hrs or something ( ) . I have a feeling it was Trailfinders.

Having promised myself I'd never do the same thing again.. glutton for punishment... I did, but closer that next time.. Trois Vallees in the Alps.

Back to rugby - to ringfence the EPL I don't see the need for 14 clubs (possibly bankrupting Ealing).. stick to 13 and 1 club has 1 week-end off every round?

I think SCW and EJ are/were blessed with talent.,, not themselves but managing assets. Would the results have been any different if someone else had the reigns.

As a player you need to believe in a purpose.. that might be monetary, that might be plaudits from your teammates, that might be family or partner encouraging you to be the best.. it might simply be knowing you won.. that you did try your hardest and came out on top..

All of us would love to represent Wasps.. or England.. Wales (WWW - Barry Nelmes). but none of us are that talented.. so all we can do is encourage and support..

Allez Allez Alez

Something for the off-season.

Hopefully as general sports fans with a passion for rugby, we watch other sports and think "He'd be a good prop" or "the wheels on him.. he'd make a good winger"

Here's the team (form other sports)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Stuart Pearce
7.
8.
9.

10.
11. Linford Christie
12.
13.
14.
15.

And when would that be.. and how many years?

I haven't watched any of Exeter's games since the restart (I used to watch their games instead of counting sheep to fall asleep) so some of the names are a mystery to me. Do they have some saffas now?

Their benched front row looks mighty though.

As long as the ref doesn't allow torpedo ruck entries (and we all know who they will be aiming at) and pushing before the ball leaves the 9's hands at the scrum, I think we'll have a chance.

Daly just isn’t catching a break since leaving ... 

To be fair.. he couldn't catch a high ball playing fullback either.


A waste of talent on the wing and at a fullback. I wouldn't swap him (or WLR) for Matteo.

Daly made the decision to see greener grass on the other side of the fence.

Turns out that grass wasn't real.

I think Brad must have had a difficult time when he moved here. The signing may have been triggered by discussions in the shadows (move to Eng and there's a good chance you can start an international career).

Things then probably didn't pan out how he had hoped and it probably took a bit of re-adjustment on his and his family's part.

I can't put my finger on why, but he seems like a changed man. Perhaps Jack and Tom Willis taking some of the media spotlight away from him has helped.

He's turned into a Richard Hill type player, going about his business, no-one really noticing.