Quote: PopTart "I would say though, in reference to the business v social club debate, in my opinion it is very definitely a business.
Sports clubs are a very specific business that rely on loyal customers but that is no different to Next, Cineworld or William Hill.
It is good to have a business that will get customers that buy your product no matter what you do, but equally, it should always be accepted that you can pick up and lose customers based on your decisions.
MC could decide the investment in the team should be reduced and could send us to Championship as a conscious business decision based on attendances and general income so that he can run the business more efficiently.
The loyal supporters will still come, but many will stop watching or watch elsewhere because the product has changed.
In sporting clubs, the customers (us) think they have a stake in the club.
Although there is a very clear emotional stake, they don't really have a say, except to not buy the product any more, which will influence the decision.
Same as for Marks and Spencer and any other retailer'"
If Trinity were a business in the real sense it would have died some time in the early 70's as would the game as a whole.
Ditto now, Carter isn't keeping the club going as a pure business interest as he knows he won't get much of his money back - who invests in a business where a loss is a certainty, come on, he'd be better off buying lottery tickets. His reasons may be many and complex and although he's intent on running it in a business like way which I admire he knows it's not ever going to perform like a real business and that is a fact.
So no a RL club is not and never will be a real business and will always depend on the goodwill of it's customers to survive in a way Tesco or any real business never could or would never expect to.
