The Indy today-James Brent

X Isle wrote:

Fairy snuff but he's 'in it' for neither financial reasons OR footballing ones.

On finance I say that with the caviat that of course he's not in it to LOSE money either, he didn't get where he is today Reggie and all that.

On football what we saw on Saturday was better IMHO that the new signing holding up a scarf for the press, they're just an employee, they obviously don't really give a sh1t about Argyle beyond their contractual obligations. I'm told he was very much clueless to the football side of things back in the first flush of the process but that with involvement came interest, with every game came an awakening. Now i'm not saying he's now a diehard, far from it i'm sure, but he does give a sh1t now. I don't think it was fake with a badge kissing player, he genuinely enjoyed himself and 'gets' it. And that's important in a way because if you're in business it's better to be passionate about the product.

His actual expressed motivations were/are two-fold.

Firstly he's a proud westcountryman and wants strong westcountry brands to do well, to that end he wanted to retain a professional football team on the peninsula, especially one so relatively high profile as we are. Secondly he watched the plight of the staff and genuinely admired the way they conducted themselves, going on from that the way the fanbase continued to be positive too.

Those two reasons are his motivation, not football or personal profit. It's why he wasn't prepared to pay for exclusivity, for the sake of a) the brand and b) the staff/fans he just wanted us to survive and 'be there'. To me his only error in the process was not to explain that to people better, he got branded with the 'reluctant' tag when in truth his standpoint was noble and pretty much selfless. He just wanted us to carry on and if someone else could achieve that he wouldn't stand in their way, but ultimately he wouldn't let us die.

We've seen those motivations acted upon so it seems they're genuine. Regarding the continuence of PAFC he's stepped in to make the backstop catch as he said he would. Regarding the staff and fans Fletch admitted on TV that he's met them face to face and has already communicated more in a few days than the others did in the last few months, he certainly communicated his intentions far more openly and honestly to the fans than the othetr mob did. He's making good on his stated motivations therefore.

I'm sure he knows full well that Argyle won't be the financial jewel in his portfolio but if he brings his brand of good governance and prudence to bear we'll stabilise and eventually be able to grow. If he's good to his word we'll see the ground protected by public ownership again and we'll see an Argyle able to stand on it's own two feet. If he's not good to his word and starts private development plans and/or running Argyle to generate personal income as we'd have got with AFC Heaney/Ridsdale then i'll be the first to say we were duped. I don't believe that'll happen though.

Delusional.

He is into Argyle for one reason and one reason only.

To make money.