(The chapter that was banned yesterday has been revised and released. If you feel something is wrong when you see this, it means you haven’t read the previous chapter and the plot is not connected)
While fans and the media are paying attention to the upcoming Arsenal VS Chelsea and Chelsea VS Liverpool, Pan Yi went to Yorkshire.
Go back home to Yorkshire.
This home is an apartment that Pan Yituo bought for himself in Yorkshire some time ago, so that Valentina can also have a good place to live.
In fact, Pan Yi originally wanted to visit the entire ancient castle.
You know, in a historical city like York, there are quite a few castles like those in "Downton Abbey".
Even the castle in the story of "Downton Abbey" is in Yorkshire.
In fact, most of the stories in the TV series take place in Yorkshire - although the filming location was actually in Hampshire.
Not long ago, a castle on the outskirts of Yorkshire was put up for sale.
The Sheriff Hutton Castle once belonged to the famous Richard III and Henry VIII. The core of the estate is a large castle and outbuildings, a villa, as well as external defensive buildings and gardens, covering a total area of 11.5 acres. .
And what is the price after it enters the local real estate market? Only £1.1 million.
But still no one cares.
The reason for this is of course not because the house is expensive.
Such a large place costs less than RMB 10 million, so how expensive is it?
It’s not even worth a few hundred square meters of ordinary commercial housing in first-tier cities in China.
Do you know how big 11.5 acres is? That’s almost more than 40,000 square meters!
!
10 million RMB buys more than 40,000 square meters, even if it is just a piece of flat land, no one will say it is expensive.
The castle cannot be sold, mainly because its maintenance costs are still quite high. Although Pan Yi doesn't know much about it, he can understand it through the description of "Downton Abbey".
So that’s it.
When the club is established in the future and it can really make a lot of money, then consider experiencing the life of ancient kings, dukes, and earls here.
But now, my money still has to be spent wisely.
After all, some of the current team's infrastructure, including future player replacements, require money, and as the boss, I still have to continue to invest.
At this moment, in Pan Yi's new apartment, the heater was on, and several people gathered in a circle in the restaurant to cook beef hot pot.
Which people?
York City Club chairman Jason McGill, head coach Scaloni, financial director Valentina, and owner Pan Yi.
It can be said that they are the four most important people in the club, York's Big Four!
"You have done well recently, congratulations." Pan Yi raised his glass, and the four people's glasses touched together, and everyone's faces were beaming with joy.
The English League Two has concluded its 27th round, with York City ranked second.
The top-ranked team has become Northampton. They have 18 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses and 58 points, while York City is only one point less than them.
Then there is Plymouth in third place, with 55 points.
Then there are Oxford United, Portsmouth and Accrington ranked 4-6, with points of 49, 48 and 47.
The key to the problem is that the top three teams in League Two can be directly promoted, and now the top three teams have begun to widen the gap with the teams behind them.
In other words, as long as York City maintains its current momentum and maintains its position in the first group, promotion to League One after the season should not be a big problem.
In terms of cup competitions, York City, as a League Two team, participated in the FA Cup from the first round.
Their signings are still good, and several games are civil wars in the English second division.
York City first defeated Accrington 3:2, then defeated Portsmouth 1:0, and finally defeated Impswich on penalties to advance to the fourth round.
However, their luck was not good in the fourth round. They met Arsenal, the strongest team in the "Thermos Cup", and they were playing away from home, so their chances of advancement were slim.
Of course, as a League Two team, York City's performance is already very good, and Pan Yi doesn't expect them to go much further.
And if you go to the Emirates Stadium to play football, you can get a lot of money. This deal is profitable no matter what.
"Boss, you still teach me well." Scaloni said modestly, "Since I bought Baker and started using your 4-4-2, my playing style is simple and effective, and victories have come one after another."
Of course, this cannot be considered modesty.
If it weren't for Pan Yi's guidance, Scaloni might still be confused about what kind of 3-5-2 pass-and-control style to use. How could those rough guys get away with it?
Jason McGill said: "Although I don't know the specific situation, it is obvious that after the club's training facilities were upgraded, everyone's training enthusiasm has also increased a lot. Coupled with the victories in the league, everyone's The morale is high, which is really pleasing.”
When he said this, Jason McGill's face was always filled with an uncontrollable smile.
As a York City die-hard, he is of course happy from the bottom of his heart to see the team have such good results and foresee a bright future.
Of course he admired Pan Yi even more.
If Pan Yi hadn't taken over York City, where would he have gotten such good coaches, players, and so much money?
As the financial director and proprietress, Valentina also reported her work to her boyfriend: "The team's attendance rate has been very high recently, and its excellent performance in the cup has also received a lot of additional ticket shares and Communication expenses. In addition, more and more companies are approaching us and hoping to sponsor the team. We are now screening and reviewing to select the ones that are most suitable for us..."
An unknown English League Two team chooses a sponsor?
In the past, this would have been something that would have been unthinkable. It would be great to be able to attract sponsors from all over the place!
On the one hand, this is related to York City’s recent good results;
After all, this is a potential League One team. If they sign a longer-term sponsorship contract when they are still in League Two, won't they make money when they get to League One?
On the other hand, it was mainly because of Pan Yi!
As time goes by, Pan Yi's purchase of York City has basically become known to everyone.
Pan Yi also discussed this matter with Abramovich.
Abu was surprised by this at first, and after having a very in-depth communication with Pan Yi, he also expressed his understanding.
Isn't this similar to what he had in mind when he bought Chelsea?
It's just a low-end version, a beggar's version.
In addition, Abramovich himself has promised Pan Yi that as long as Pan Yi can lead Chelsea to win seven crowns, he will support whatever he wants to do!
Chelsea's current record has also proved that Pan Yi's purchase of York City did not affect the team's operation.
Therefore, Abramovich even told Pan Yi that if there is any need in the future, whether it is Chelsea Club or Abramovich personally, he can help.
In fact, Pan Yi doesn't need Abu's help yet.
That's because the name "Pan Yi" itself is the club's greatest asset!
As the most awesome head coach in the world, his appeal is amazing!
In particular, many domestic companies in Dragon Kingdom have approached York City, hoping to sponsor the team.
Advertisements on the chest, on the back, on shorts, on shoulders, on the bus...
As long as you can think of places, there are companies that want to grab a wave of traffic!
What, you're saying that a League Two team wouldn't be like this?
This kind of scene actually happened in Pan Yi's previous life.
In 2021, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds and his friend, also actor Rob McElhenney, acquired a hotel located in
A Welsh National League team, Wrexham.
At this time, Wrexham had been in the fifth tier league for more than ten years...
But this did not prevent Wrexham from quickly becoming one of the most trafficked teams in the world.
That's of course because Ryan Reynolds is their boss!
Starring in the role of the mean Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds' acting career ushered in a second spring, and his popularity soared.
And he himself is also willing to express himself in public. The total number of fans on Twitter and INS exceeds 52 million, which is lower than one person among all Marvel actors and more than 10,000 people (the first is Iron Man Jr. Robert Downey Jr.).
Therefore, if the boss has traffic, of course the team will also have traffic.
The two owners often went off to play commercials in person. Later, a heavyweight sponsor like TikTok, the overseas version of Douyin, actually found them and printed TikTok on the chest of Wrexham's jersey.
For the first time, a FIFA game has added a team from England's fifth-tier league into the game, making it the lowest-level team among all available teams.
Then Ryan Reynolds also asked the TV station to film a documentary called "Welcome to Wrexham" with the team, which made the team's traffic even greater!
Of course, they have invested a lot in the team, renovating the stadium and other infrastructure, and also bought some players who can gain a foothold in League One, the League Two golden boots and so on, and become a proper National League aircraft carrier.
However, in the first season, they only entered the promotion play-offs and lost to Grimsby 4:5, failing to advance smoothly.
In the second season, they were unstoppable, winning the National League Championship ahead of schedule and successfully promoted to English League Two!
It is foreseeable that in the near future, this originally unknown team will receive more attention in higher-level professional leagues.
And what about Pan Yi now?
Compared with Ryan Reynolds, it can be said that his fame is not false at all.
You can even put it bluntly, you can throw him far away!
Pan Yi has only opened his own channel on domestic AB sites so far, but his number of fans now exceeds 50 million, ranking first on the site.
Let's put it this way, if Pan Yi also opens Twitter and INS, and can log in at will in Longguo...
Doesn’t the number of fans need to be measured in hundreds of millions?
It can be said that Pan Yi is still higher at York City than Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham.
Whether it is the level of the star or the level of the team, it must be a higher level. It can be said to be a replica of "Welcome to Wrexham", or it can be said to be an upgraded version!
Or, if you have the opportunity in the future, you can really ask someone to shoot a documentary about York City, and call it "My Heart Will Always Follow York City" or "Welcome to York City"?
Well, speaking of it, this documentary is even earlier than these clubs, and it can even be said to be a prequel...
In short, due to Pan Yi's relationship, there will only be more companies coming to York City now, so Valentina's "investment attraction" work will of course be easier.
It's completely a seller's market!
"When this season is over, the stadium and training ground can also be upgraded." Pan Yi said.
As for the training ground, the geothermal system has almost been installed. Otherwise, York City's training would not have been able to proceed normally this past winter.
It can be said that this is also the premise for York City to ensure excellent results during the winter break.
What Pan Yi has to do now is to replace all the turf on the stadium, and then renovate the stands on all sides to see if it can be expanded.
York City's stadium has been around for too long, and the turf has long been rotten. Otherwise, there would not have been the "vegetable battle" with Chelsea last season.
Of course, this all requires money.
Moreover, it is not just a matter of planting some grass as ordinary fans imagine, this will also be a lot of money!
"I have consulted professionals. It will cost at least one million pounds to completely replace a set of turf that meets professional league standards. If it is of higher quality, it may cost up to two or three million pounds." Jason McGill said .
Seeing that Pan Yi didn't answer, Jason McGill continued:
"Boss, you asked me to take a look at the areas that need improvement on the court and training ground, and I will tell you now."
"The expansion of the training ground is not a big problem, because there are about four flat areas of the size of standard fields next to the original training ground, which are now used as temporary parking lots on match days."
"At that time, we will incorporate these flat areas into the training ground, so that we can support the training of multiple echelons according to the boss's ideas. The parking lot can be moved to the other side of the stadium."
"However, in this case, the drainage and water supply systems must be modified, because the original conditions of the site cannot meet the use of such a large site."
"Also, the length of the original training ground dedicated to the first team is not standardized, or it is not a standard venue. This also needs to be transformed."
"Also, the fences around the stadium also need to be maintained, because there are many places that can be entered directly. It used to be okay, but since the team has become more exposed recently, many people will sneak in to record videos and so on. .”
"Also, according to your standards, boss, a new training building needs to be built immediately, as well as a composite track, outdoor court analysis cameras and systems, heated swimming pools and gyms, freezers and hydrotherapy pools, etc..."
Hearing this, Valentina frowned and turned to look at Pan Yi:
"My dear, if all of this is done, the sponsorship fees I receive here will not be enough."
Pan Yi laughed and touched Valentina's hair: "I knew you would say that. As the boss, of course I can't not pay. I will just make up for the less when the time comes. I will not be criticized by the fans. Called a vampire!"
Scaloni and Jason McGill also laughed, while Valentina curled her lips.
Women still don’t feel so happy when they ask their husbands to pay...
But Pan Yi quickly said: "Don't worry, when our training base and youth training base are built, we can continuously send talents out. By then, I guess even if I want to spend money, I won't need to."
This is what Pan Yi told them before, hoping that York City can build a complete youth training and scouting system by then.
When York City's level rises higher and higher, they can maximize their players' value and sell them at a high price.
Considering Pan Yi's excellent record as a "human trafficker" since he entered professional football, no one will doubt him.
Scaloni said: "Boss, you are talking about investment in hardware, but what about staffing?"
This is actually to match the hardware upgrade.
If you have a training ground, a first team, and a youth team that are no different with or without them, then you may only need a head coach, one or two coaches, and one or two team doctors.
But if you want to establish an entire youth training system like a real professional team, then each echelon needs their head coach and coaching staff, as well as matching team doctors, physical coaches, and goalkeeper coaches. etc.
Even the first team needs performance analysts, physical therapists, sports science consultants, recruiting analysts, and the more scouts the better...
Therefore, running a team is not just a one-time investment in hardware, but also long-term operating costs.
When the team plays a game, it seems that there are only a dozen players and a few coaches busy there, but behind the success, it is inseparable from the support of an entire huge team.
If we compare it with the BIG-level teams in the Premier League, their coaching team members, recruiting team members, and medical team members will all be around 15!
Coupled with various executive directors, football directors, and directors from different departments, the total adds up to a large team of fifty to sixty people.
And how many are there in York City now?
Less than 10.
This is the huge gap between small teams and big teams.
"Prioritize the construction of the stadium and training ground, and then recruit excellent youth training coaching staff and medical team members. Take your time, and you won't be fat with one bite." Pan Yi said.
This is a decision made based on the priority of the team's most urgent goal of upgrading.
A mature and complete club needs more employees, and Pan Yi certainly knows this.
Even if he is not the head coach now, even if he is playing the FM Football Manager game as a fan, he still understands it!
Why does every team need to recruit so many personnel if it is not of great help to the team?
However, more personnel means greater pressure on the team's finances.
For the vast majority of professional clubs, the hardest hit area where they burn money is not signings.
If you carefully analyze the financial reports of major clubs, it is not difficult to find that salary is the largest expenditure item of a club, and in many cases it even exceeds 80%.
The salary structure here is not just the salary of the players, but also the coaching staff and employees.
As for employees, in addition to the team doctors, physical therapists, analysts, scouts, etc. just mentioned, there are also a large number of support staff.
When you develop the youth training system and the number of players on the team increases, will there also be a corresponding increase in people like chefs, cleaners, and security guards?
Including the stadium maintenance department, administrative department, game day service staff, etc.
Even the youth team needs to be equipped with professional subject teachers and tutors to help children with their homework...
All of these form a very large group.
And behind this, the club is constantly burning money.
Because in Europe, human resources are the most expensive cost.
So, everything has to be done slowly and step by step.
Even if you are playing games, you need to slowly upgrade the infrastructure one by one, and the number of recruits is also slowly increasing. It is impossible to fill them all up, otherwise it will definitely collapse immediately.
Today, Pan Yi came to find these three core members. In fact, he was going over these ideas again, prioritizing them, and doing them slowly.
Yes, it is difficult and tedious, definitely much more complicated than being a pure player or a head coach.
However, watching a nearly blank piece of paper like York City being painted on by myself one by one, and finally turning into a world-famous painting, this sense of accomplishment is much greater than simply being a coach!
Pan Yi continued: "The training base and youth training will be our core competitiveness in the future, so we would rather cut back on other aspects than be stingy in this aspect."
No one knows the importance of this better than Pan Yi.
Players are the core competitiveness of the club, and high-level training is the only way to ensure that players can achieve better results on the playing field.
If you only put money on player transfers or salaries and ignore the improvement of training levels, this is definitely a short-sighted move.
After hearing Pan Yi's words, everyone nodded.
Pan Yi's "brainwashing" of them has been very successful recently, and now everyone agrees with Pan Yi's team building policy.
"One day York City will be in the Premier League."
Pan Yi finally said:
"But I hope everyone can understand that it is also crucial to lay a good foundation for the team."
"The stadium, training base, youth training system, scouting system, logistics team... all of these are our foundation, and these foundations can help us improve our competitiveness bit by bit."
"With competitiveness, we can gain a foothold in higher-level leagues and become a truly strong team."
This is destined to be a completely different path from Chelsea.
Chelsea is taking the rich route, the purpose is to achieve the best results in the shortest time, and then win world-wide
to build reputation within the organization, and then engage in youth training and localization, which requires huge investment.
With Abramovich's financial resources, he can certainly do this.
As for Pan Yi, even if he had Bitcoin investment for a rainy day, and even if he was the world's highest-paid head coach, he would not be able to take such a route.
Therefore, he must accumulate slowly and come out step by step.
Of course, on this road, Pan Yi is the shortcut to York City.
He will give full play to his advantages as a time traveler and his connections in European football to protect York City to the maximum extent!
