[SmethDan]

Well, it might, if the Lai loan has been paid back, we may have £25 million or £10 million.

Also, I have yet to see evidence that transfer fees are staggered (except in high value fees for top clubs).

With the exception of the Grant deal with Huddersfield, there is nothing of significant value in our latest accounts that shows "creditors or debtors owed in more than one year".

So, running costs it is then.

[baggiejohn]

So, running costs it is then.

I think I mentioned a few days ago, that we have 19 players contracted beyond June 2023, so I would imagine a big chunk will go on wages.

Without parachute payments, I believe we have income of around £7 million from gate receipts & around £10 million to £15 million from media.

[gazberg]

Sadly there has been a delay but will be repaid in January

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/club-statement-wisdom-smart-corporation-limited-loan

[BalisPen]

There are unconfirmed reports that Lai has sent the cheque using an old royal mail stamp and not one of their new qr code ones, so that may be the reason it hasn't arrived.

Another more reputable report claims every branch of the bank Lai banks with is in lockdown, hence he hasn't been able to get a new cheque book sent out to him yet.

Another report suggests Lai's money has long covid and cannot make it up the stairs let alone make an ardous journey to West Bromwich.

[BalisPen]

Sadly there has been a delay but will be repaid in January

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/club-statement-wisdom-smart-corporation-limited-loan

Even the pr department have had enough of him, referring to him as Lai.

Doesn't mention which new year though, this one, the next one the Chinese New year.

[gazberg]

Good point. Maybe he's waiting for the first new year after pigs have been spotted flying.

[gazberg]

Albion twitter starting to get angry in larger numbers now

[gazberg]

The effort put into that statement is mind blowing. They go into such depth and detail especially explaining when it will be repaid for the 3rd time. Not vague at all.

[Groovephil]

You do get the feeling the people at the club have had enough now as well, they’ll just expose him constantly now as an awful majority share owner.

Have a feeling we’ll be sold in the Summer now.

[gazberg]

Even Chapman's spoken out against him on Twitter now

[NJS]

Even the pr department have had enough of him, referring to him as Lai.

Doesn't mention which new year though, this one, the next one the Chinese New year.

Is it the Year of the Rat?

[BalisPen]

Albion twitter starting to get angry in larger numbers now

Great, we'll be recreating another Coldplay concert on Monday to counter this latest stab into the heart of our great club.

I am not against the Albion protests currently being organised, but I believe they are futile and won't even register with Lai.

I remember Charlton fans went to their former owner's (Roland Something or other) home and vandalised it in Switzerland I believe, whilst the inbred dingles smashed up their own hoardings and surrounded Morgan and spat on him after an away making his mind up to sell ASAP.

I am not advocating the aforementioned, I am just pointing out what others have done to get their owners out.

The only thing that would hit Lai hard is if we all stopped attending games and that won't happen.

We are completely powerless to do anything and that really fks me off.

[skyclad99]

Sadly there has been a delay but will be repaid in January

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/club-statement-wisdom-smart-corporation-limited-loan

Is anyone actually surprised?

Made a mug out of Gourlay for sure.....

If he cannot pay it now, what will happen that means he can pay it in January?

[baggies_24]

Watch Gourlay & Carlos walk in the New Year, the faster we are rid of Lai the better.

[Pie]

And the award for the least surprising statement goes to...

Was always going to happen. We're never seeing that money.

[dangerman]

So no new signings in Jan then! 

Not surprised one but to be honest. We’re on a slippery slope now

[liverbaggie]

Protests wont be futile if they somehow get into the Chinese press(unlikely) or more likely onto the internet, which might be a good way to go from our supporters

[Albion79]

I think we all knew that was coming! Will be interesting to see if Corboran was promised any funds in january as previously thats what the £5m repayment was going to be used for, even if he didnt want to use it, it would annoy him if he thought he cant anyway.

Gourlay too, i wouldnt be shocked if he walked, he has made mistakes but i think he is trying to do the right things, this massively undermines him and any authority he has.

I think the fans protests are okay, it raised awareness and allows people who want to use that route to show how they feel, the more the merrier.

As for how much affect it has, i dont think its much, there have bee various protests over the years for different clubs but the only time they are sold is when somebody offers money to buy.

Lai and his group couldnt give a toss about protests, i doubt they even know we are playing games let alone who against, etc. Sadly they dont even have to worry about loss of revenue from fans, they had the parachute money and now this £20m loan which will keep them going another year or two.

At the end of that who knows, there is no long term plan, its **** or bust to get into the premier league in the next two seasons by the look if it, they dont care about protests, the bloke even borrowed off the club and hasnt repaid it so shows his values!

We have to hope somebody provides cold hard cash as thats the only way this **** is leaving us!

[mr multivac]

He makes Fu Manchu look like mother Teresa

[baggie82]

I am a bit concerned that this statement has been released. Lai obviously told Gourlay the loan would be repaid by end of year and has now moved the goalposts. Ron Gourlay obviously doesn't want to the fall guy for fan unrest, so this statement has been put out. The last thing we need is Ron resigning and unrest in the boardroom just as the team on the pitch have started to motor. Hopefully the loan gets repaid soon but either way I don't want the boardroom blowing up and destabilising the manger & team.

[gazberg]

Great, we'll be recreating another Coldplay concert on Monday to counter this latest stab into the heart of our great club.

I am not against the Albion protests currently being organised, but I believe they are futile and won't even register with Lai.

I remember Charlton fans went to their former owner's (Roland Something or other) home and vandalised it in Switzerland I believe, whilst the inbred dingles smashed up their own hoardings and surrounded Morgan and spat on him after an away making his mind up to sell ASAP.

I am not advocating the aforementioned, I am just pointing out what others have done to get their owners out.

The only thing that would hit Lai hard is if we all stopped attending games and that won't happen.

We are completely powerless to do anything and that really fks me off.

They won't register until you get his name out there  in the press directly i agree

[BalisPen]

Protests wont be futile if they somehow get into the Chinese press(unlikely) or more likely onto the internet, which might be a good way to go from our supporters

I take part in the current protests but they are totally futile.

It would be so much easier to protest more vociferously if we were marooned at the bottom of the championship heading down.

In those circumstances I would fully support something like full scale pitch invasion of a televised game with Lai out flags, not just the waving of phone torch or white piece of paper.

However, we are on a very good run with a chance of promotion and doing the aforementioned could result in a points deduction and alienate CC, who is working his balls off to get those points.

At present we need to get behind the team fully and try to get Lai out the best way we can, which is getting promoted and him finally selling us.

If he doesn't sell us then and we are championship bound we should do something like a televised match pitch invasion protest.

[bradleysrocket]

So frustrating at the moment that when things look right on the pitch off the field stuff is shambolic. I see there being only two way we can part with Lai. Either we get promoted and sell for closer to what he paid,or the more likely scenario that we end up in admin and the club has to rebuild with points deductions (Derby).

[SirTonyM]

So frustrating at the moment that when things look right on the pitch off the field stuff is shambolic. I see there being only two way we can part with Lai. Either we get promoted and sell for closer to what he paid,or the more likely scenario that we end up in admin and the club has to rebuild with points deductions (Derby).

True! Its very Albion to finally be looking so good on the pitch with the right manager in place and now to be in disarray off the pitch. The worrying part is that Lai doesn't seem to want to sell. According to reports people have been wanting to buy Albion but not been considered. Unless Lai sells what can you do? Wait for us to go into administration?

[BalisPen]

The time to rage hard was when the loan to lai was in the process of being made, then we could have protested to try and stop him taking club generated funds out of the club.

Instead, because the local press around here are so useless, we heard about it until long after it was made and then the spending nothing in summer 2021 made sense to us.