Grecian1966
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2010
- Messages
- 1,446
MESSAGE FOR TRUSTEES
We elect our trustees not to run our football club but to oversee it by appropriate governance and safeguard its future. Without wishing to be melodramatic recent results and reducing attendances ought to set alarm bells for urgent action. Trustees cannot stand on the sidelines, put their fingers in their ears, cross their fingers and hope the problems sort themselves out. WE are now on our financial uppers and only a fool would deny otherwise. Without a fairy godmother putting in mystery investment or another club making a silly offer in January this club will make a six figure loss this season.
How do I come to this startling conclusion? I have no involvement in the club yet the clubs budgeting process is said to be based on guestimates at the start of the season of what expected attendances are likely to be per game. Last season they got this pretty much spot on. Our gates are starting to plummet and are probably already around 500 below what would be anticipated. Average that loss (5k a game) out over a season and you have already reached a £100,000 deficit. OK that may be a bit crude and simplistic but a team in a trough doesn't tend to benefit from anticipated matchday income across all other areas including catering, programmes, hospitality etc. Couple this with reduced income from sponsorship (almost inevitable), no income from cup matches and suddenly losses are escalating against budget.
We also have three senior players not in action (Gill, Docherty and Oakley) who are suspect are taking up a sizeable chunk of the player budget thus meaning room for getting someone in to energise the team is negligible.
If trustees are being told that the Brazil trip will ride to the rescue I say think again. If you aren't asking questions of the Club Board why aren't you? You should be demanding an urgent meeting about how this deficit is to be tackled and soon. Unpalatable action will be needed but please do it now while there is still time. For example, get all players not involved in the matchday squad out on loan, put players like Chamberlain out of their misery and release them, accept that the chances of promotion are over and get the high earners off the payroll such as Alan Gow. Even if we get no fee we will save a big chunk on his wages. Don't get me wrong I love to watch Gow but I would rather have a team to support without huge debts. All directors fees must be stopped immediately whilst we are running at such a deficit. All other non-essential staff at the club should be looked at.
I would like to know that Trustees realise the financial crap we are in and do something about it.
We elect our trustees not to run our football club but to oversee it by appropriate governance and safeguard its future. Without wishing to be melodramatic recent results and reducing attendances ought to set alarm bells for urgent action. Trustees cannot stand on the sidelines, put their fingers in their ears, cross their fingers and hope the problems sort themselves out. WE are now on our financial uppers and only a fool would deny otherwise. Without a fairy godmother putting in mystery investment or another club making a silly offer in January this club will make a six figure loss this season.
How do I come to this startling conclusion? I have no involvement in the club yet the clubs budgeting process is said to be based on guestimates at the start of the season of what expected attendances are likely to be per game. Last season they got this pretty much spot on. Our gates are starting to plummet and are probably already around 500 below what would be anticipated. Average that loss (5k a game) out over a season and you have already reached a £100,000 deficit. OK that may be a bit crude and simplistic but a team in a trough doesn't tend to benefit from anticipated matchday income across all other areas including catering, programmes, hospitality etc. Couple this with reduced income from sponsorship (almost inevitable), no income from cup matches and suddenly losses are escalating against budget.
We also have three senior players not in action (Gill, Docherty and Oakley) who are suspect are taking up a sizeable chunk of the player budget thus meaning room for getting someone in to energise the team is negligible.
If trustees are being told that the Brazil trip will ride to the rescue I say think again. If you aren't asking questions of the Club Board why aren't you? You should be demanding an urgent meeting about how this deficit is to be tackled and soon. Unpalatable action will be needed but please do it now while there is still time. For example, get all players not involved in the matchday squad out on loan, put players like Chamberlain out of their misery and release them, accept that the chances of promotion are over and get the high earners off the payroll such as Alan Gow. Even if we get no fee we will save a big chunk on his wages. Don't get me wrong I love to watch Gow but I would rather have a team to support without huge debts. All directors fees must be stopped immediately whilst we are running at such a deficit. All other non-essential staff at the club should be looked at.
I would like to know that Trustees realise the financial crap we are in and do something about it.
