CCFC is essentially now just a Youth team (2 Viewers)

Yes, we signed those players for millions. Good old Mr Richardson. You know, when we were relegated our wage bill was 120% of our income. So, while it was nice to see Keane and McAllister, the very reason we are in the mess we are - obviously not helped by SISU - is because we signed those players in the first place.

Jimmy Hill's Chin said:

To think we could once sign top class players for millions with an international reputation like Robbie Keane, Gary McAllister, Dion Dublin, Roland Nilssen and Mustapha Hadji.

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torchomatic said:

You know, when we were relegated our wage bill was 120% of our income.

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And according to the most recent set of accounts, the wage bill is still 120% of total revenue (I think you meant revenue right, not income). Anyway that's financial progress for you, SISU style.

Yeah, sorry I meant revenue.

singers_pore said:

And according to the most recent set of accounts, the wage bill is still 120% of total revenue (I think you meant revenue right, not income). Anyway that's financial progress for you, SISU style.

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But would this be the case if the 6,000 or so that have stopped attending were still going?

Jimmy Hill's Chin said:

Get the impression that if SISU are still here next season (as I expect they will be) we will be left with basically a youth team with the majority of players under 20. Anyone decent who does well will of course be sold and the dross will remain. We are slowly being turned into the likes of Coventry Sphinx (no disrespect) where most of our players are apprentices from the local area. Part of the problem with this approach is for every Ben Turner or Stuart Pearce, there are scores of Jermaine Grandisons who will find their level in League Two or lower and this could be where we end up. To think we could once sign top class players for millions with an international reputation like Robbie Keane, Gary McAllister, Dion Dublin, Roland Nilssen and Mustapha Hadji.

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I can't remember where I read it, but at the time Clouting was appointed someone who claimed to know him, wrote that when he was originally interviewed for the CEO's role, SISU (I'm guesing it was Onye, but I don't know that) said that their idea was to sell the higher earning players and basically fill the team with graduates from the youth team. In this version of events, Clouting explained to them that this would lead to disaster on the pitch and in turn this would exacerbate rather than solve the financial problems.

Given what's happened, you start to wonder if Clouting initially persuaded them that their plan was nonsense, but that SISU then changed their minds resulting in Clouting's departure (under a confidentiality agreement of course) and the gradual (although the transfer window is open for a few weeks more) dismantling of the team.