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Post by bluboy79 on Apr 22, 2017 18:58:01 GMT
It keeps being stated that our aim is to stay in this league - who is setting this target ...the board or Mcarthy ? Surely our ambition has to be more than this or we may as well not have a club, yes we have a tight budget etc but we should always aim for play offs minimum, I am sick of people underselling us - we are still a big club in this league and to attract fans we have to show some ambition !
I want to see a positive manager come into the club and create a siege mentality not Mcarthy who seems happy to accept defeat without a fight, fans know how difficult it is against the money teams but expect their team to fight for them. We have done this in previous years on tiny budgets, so it can be done. Effort and heart cost nothing and we need to sign players who can show this and are proud to wear our shirt again !
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Post by Si on Apr 22, 2017 19:03:59 GMT
After last season then I think it's fair to say our aim was to remain in the league. We had lost Heneghan, Rooney and Hannah, and McCarthy wasn't a universally popular appointment. Season ticket sales were down. We had a young squad, and a dodgy pre season. So yes he achieved the target but that is very misleading right now. The home form is unacceptable and there is no honesty or acknowledgement of that. Momentum is huge in football and as it stands we are losing our best player in Hughes, Alabi will probably go and we are left with a limited squad that the manager is intent on signing up. The aim was to stay up, but he has done it in a extremely damaging manner.
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Post by btb on Apr 22, 2017 19:25:12 GMT
There us nothing wrong with setting the bar at safety. Many teams start with that aim in the premiership and Leicester won the league when saftey was the target. But, when you're 7th at Christmas surely you can set the bar a little higher and not expect to go on a record run of home defeats and poor overall form. This should never have happened and the blame, as he's admitted lies squarely at the managers door.
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Post by bluesince72 on Apr 24, 2017 16:38:52 GMT
When CFC reformed as a fan owned club, it came across as both a novel and inclusive idea, it was lead by a board full of energy and ambition to get the club back to its former level as fast as possible.
The city has traditionally supported a 4th division, now L2 club, with better periods playing in D3/L1 and poorer times at level 5/NL/Conf, so anything below that level is not sustainable. All went well until we got back to level 5. Since them, or more precisely since the 1st chairman was replaced, a culture of caution, of hold onto what we have, and take no risks has taken over.
There have been positive developments such as building a very good youth set up, and the clubs finances are well in the black, BUT every season we are marketing season tickets with wholly unattractive sales talk, a metaphor could be; if the club were a car the sales blurb would state..Its small, slow, costs about the same as other cars, and in a drag race we think it would avoid finishing last.. In short we would be bust!
What we need is positivity, ambition, action taken to take the club full time club, and NOW before ever smaller crowds and the oblivion of regional football make any possibility of full time ambitions a lost dream. We need to be stretching every sinew to compete at the top end of the league with a target of a play off spot at the minimum. I hate to say it but that is what the goats do, yes they may be deluded in their big club boasts, but its makes the club look ambitious, its sells HOPE and ambition to the supporters, AND it seems to work, at least as a sales pitch for season ticket sales in enthusing the fan base.
I will no doubt need a tin hat for posting this, I can see the ‘we can’t afford a full time club, it gambles with the clubs future’ etc Rubbish!!!! What gambles with the clubs future is unattractive, uninspiring, unambitious, over cautious, we are confident of 52 points and avoiding relegation sales pitch every season, which will almost certainly end in tears, not this season, maybe not next, but eventually we WILL get relegated and there is not a chance in hell that most of the fan base will watch football at that level, and in a city that is mad for football..In Liverpool and Manchester already, new fans will be as rare as hens’ teeth.
Season ticket sales will drop and gates will fall and fall and fall and no amount of even mid table finishes and small profits will change that, until we enthuse the football fans of this area with AMBITION, not words, but ACTION. We can’t compete as a part time club FULL STOP, go full time or give up! Macclesfield get lower gates and are full time, AND they compete every year in or around the play off shake up.
For the pessimists we can
A. 99% certain – Stay part time and over cautious, lose support, eventually get relegated, and die a slow and prolonged death
B. Show ambition, enthuse supporters with Hope, Go FULL TIME, aim high, and yes possibly fail..But how would you rather die, in a blazing supercar, or on a trolley in hospital grey with tubes in every orifice?
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Post by richard on Apr 24, 2017 17:13:13 GMT
When CFC reformed as a fan owned club, it came across as both a novel and inclusive idea, it was lead by a board full of energy and ambition to get the club back to its former level as fast as possible. The city has traditionally supported a 4th division, now L2 club, with better periods playing in D3/L1 and poorer times at level 5/NL/Conf, so anything below that level is not sustainable. All went well until we got back to level 5. Since them, or more precisely since the 1st chairman was replaced, a culture of caution, of hold onto what we have, and take no risks has taken over. There have been positive developments such as building a very good youth set, and the clubs finances are well in the black, BUT every season we are marketing season tickets with wholly unattractive sales talk, a metaphor could be; if the club were a car the sales blurb would state..Its small, slow, costs about the same as other cars, and in a drag race we think it would avoid finishing last.. In short we would be bust! What we need is positivity, ambition, action taken to take the club full time club, and NOW before ever smaller crowds and the oblivion of regional football make any possibility of full time ambitions a lost dream. We need to be stretching every sinew to compete at the top end of the league with a target of a play off spot at the minimum. I hate to say it but that is what the goats do, yes they may be deluded in their big club boasts, but its makes the club look ambitious, its sells HOPE and ambition to the supports, AND it seems to work, at least as a sales pitch for season ticket sales in enthusing the fan base. I will no doubt need a tin hat for posting this, I can see the ‘we can’t afford a full time club, it gambles with the clubs future’ etc Rubbish!!!! What gambles with the clubs future is unattractive, uninspiring, unambitious, over cautious, we are confident of 52 points and avoiding relegation sales pitch every season, which will almost certainly end in tears, not this season, maybe not next, but eventually we WILL get relegated and there is not a chance in hell that most of the fan base will watch football at that level, and in a city that is mad for football..In Liverpool and Manchester already, new fans will be as rare as hens’ teeth. Season ticket sales will drop and gates will fall and fall and fall and no amount of even mid table finishes and small profits will change that, until we enthuse the football fans of this area with AMBITION, not words, but ACTION. We can’t compete as a part time club FULL STOP, go full time or give up! Macclesfield get lower gates and are full time, AND they compete every year in or around the play off shake up. For the pessimists we can A. 99% certain – Stay part time and over cautious, lose support, eventually get relegated, and die a slow and prolonged death B. Show ambition, enthuse supporters with Hope, Go FULL TIME, aim high, and yes possibly fail..But how would you rather die, in a blazing supercar, or on a trolley in hospital grey with tubes in every orifice? Tremendous post. It highlights the conundrum that we find ourselves in and is thoroughly thought provoking. I'm risk averse for our club as its very being is highly precious after its destruction by chancers and speculative financial risk taking. However, I admire the sentiments you have posted and its clear you care a lot about our club. I wish I had the answers, but all I can offer is a question. That is, could there be other options? How about better, more focused marketing effort, some risks in terms of ticket initiatives and some sensible speculation in playing budget. Perhaps a slower, more organic growth |
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Post by Fed up on Apr 24, 2017 17:16:29 GMT
It keeps being stated that our aim is to stay in this league - who is setting this target ...the board or Mcarthy ? Surely our ambition has to be more than this or we may as well not have a club, yes we have a tight budget etc but we should always aim for play offs minimum, I am sick of people underselling us - we are still a big club in this league and to attract fans we have to show some ambition ! I want to see a positive manager come into the club and create a siege mentality not Mcarthy who seems happy to accept defeat without a fight, fans know how difficult it is against the money teams but expect their team to fight for them. We have done this in previous years on tiny budgets, so it can be done. Effort and heart cost nothing and we need to sign players who can show this and are proud to wear our shirt again ! The title of this thread is Club Ambition. The CLUB'S ambition is to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. The SUPPORTERS' ambition is to be as successful as possible and at least try to climb up the leagues. Until the Board wants the same as the supporters (and tries to achieve it) we will never have success. |
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Post by bluesince72 on Apr 24, 2017 17:29:07 GMT
'That is, could there be other options? How about better, more focused marketing effort, some risks in terms of ticket initiatives and some sensible speculation in playing budget. Perhaps a slower, more organic growth ' (Richard)
I can see no other option. Yes you can sell more tickets if you price them cheap enough, and yes the youth set will produce the odd talent we can sell for a good profit. But football is a competitve sport, fans are not fools, they would not bet on a three legged horse at the bookies.
If we are relegated the club has at best one season to get back, and with so many hobby clubs coming up that is a unlikely. How do you market promises of mediocrity? We are small, unambitious, risk averse , but at least you have a club? No chance! We are experiencing organic shrinkage. People will accept aiming high, giving ourselves half a chance by being full time, but missing our targets. What we are trying to sell is impossible to sell. A winning team always sells , but as our fan owned rivals across the border have shown, so does ambition, the hope of promotion being just a possibility. As a part time club we are hobbled before we start,and our sales pitch would struggle to sell water to a thirsty man! The board have to show ambition by action not hot air. If we stay part time, falling season ticket sales and falling gates are a certainty, the clubs very existance endangered by INACTION.
The many debates about falling gates have all missed the elephant in the room, HOPE! Dreams! The real POSSIBILITY of success,demonstrating ambition, talking up the clubs aims. Not caution, small, part time, can't compete, survival is our aim, all uninspiring garbage.
Forgot the budget! Whatever the extra cost of employing the players full time (8 weeks wages) are, they are lot less than falling season ticket sales, plummeting gates and relegation.
It is NOW OR PROBABLY NEVER! And if we go full time and fail in our ambitions, and the club ends up in the red, then we would have little choice but to go for the third way, sellout to an 'investor', but that is something even I will not yet contemplate.
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Post by agl on Apr 24, 2017 17:29:56 GMT
The board are the supporters. What do you think happens when fans get elected to the Board? They suddenly lose all ambition?
We all want the same, a successful club.
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Post by Surprised on Apr 24, 2017 17:32:40 GMT
The board are the supporters. What do you think happens when fans get elected to the Board? They suddenly lose all ambition? We all want the same, a successful club. Didn't the chairman actually come from Stockport County? Hardly a Chester supporter! |
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Post by agl on Apr 24, 2017 17:44:28 GMT
Are you talking about Mark Maguire? He's not on the board and he's not the chairman. Otherwise, great point.
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Post by soulseal on Apr 24, 2017 18:03:31 GMT
Our ambition is football league, the occasional cup competition, at least to semis for attention this brings and full time. At least that's mine for Chester.
We were doing well in the lower leagues as our crowds and resulting cash flow were so far ahead, but the National League is different and it needs a consolidated campaign.
I am astonished at how we have fallen away this year, but this also shows how fickle football can be and why we need reserves behind us before we can make the next steps.
If we get the summer transfers and manager situation sorted and say we go on a good run with promotion a realistic target we need to know we can then afford to push the boat out and invest in more or better players to gain promotion, but we are not there yet.
The money from Hughes, assuming its half decent needs to be re-invested in the club, not just a replacement player, to bring club development.
We need sensible transfers this summer, because at this level we have to be attractive to players playing in front of an average 2000 gate even if we cannot throw money at contracts, but we should still be competitive on player contracts.
I really believed we were heading in the right direction at Xmas to meet your excellent idea of ambition. I am now terrified that we will squander any profit this year from Hughes on a payoff for the Manager and then repeat the cycle...
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Post by paulie on Apr 24, 2017 18:11:43 GMT
The clubs ambition is clearly diddly squat if they intend on keeping McCarthy and that shower of misfits for next season.
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Post by agl on Apr 24, 2017 18:14:56 GMT
It's a tricky one because the perceived success of the club is so dominated by results on the pitch, irrespective of what's going on behind the scenes. Financialy we are in reasonable shape, with a windfall hopefully to come for our first home grown player. Yet there's a huge cloud of gloom hanging over the club and the games at Tranmere, Eastleigh etc are distant memories. Look at Lincoln...not so long ago they were playing in front of crowds of about 2,000. But I can understand the reluctance over going for broke. In any case our playing budget would have to be at least trebled to put us on a par with the wealthier teams. We can talk about punching above our weight but I suspect if you drew up a league table based on playing budget it wouldn't be too far away from the actual table.
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Post by Blue Trev on Apr 24, 2017 18:47:36 GMT
It's a tricky one because the perceived success of the club is so dominated by results on the pitch, irrespective of what's going on behind the scenes. Financialy we are in reasonable shape, with a windfall hopefully to come for our first home grown player. Yet there's a huge cloud of gloom hanging over the club and the games at Tranmere, Eastleigh etc are distant memories. Look at Lincoln...not so long ago they were playing in front of crowds of about 2,000. But I can understand the reluctance over going for broke. In any case our playing budget would have to be at least trebled to put us on a par with the wealthier teams. We can talk about punching above our weight but I suspect if you drew up a league table based on playing budget it wouldn't be too far away from the actual table. On paper this may be the case, yet we can’t afford to pay-off a poorly performing Manager without a disastrous impact on next season’s budget. I fear matters may be far gloomier by next January, but at least by then its highly likely we'll be planning for life back in Conf North with a comparatively healthy budget. Every cloud.......and all that ! |
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Post by richard on Apr 24, 2017 18:51:33 GMT
'That is, could there be other options? How about better, more focused marketing effort, some risks in terms of ticket initiatives and some sensible speculation in playing budget. Perhaps a slower, more organic growth ' (Richard) I can see no other option. Yes you can sell more tickets if you price them cheap enough, and yes the youth set will produce the odd talent we can sell for a good profit. But football is a competitve sport, fans are not fools, they would not bet on a three legged horse at the bookies. If we are relegated the club has at best one season to get back, and with so many hobby clubs coming up that is a unlikely. How do you market promises of mediocrity? We are small, unambitious, risk averse , but at least you have a club? No chance! We are experiencing organic shrinkage. People will accept aiming high, giving ourselves half a chance by being full time, but missing our targets. What we are trying to sell is impossible to sell. A winning team always sells , but as our fan owned rivals across the border have shown, so does ambition, the hope of promotion being just a possibility. As a part time club we are hobbled before we start,and our sales pitch would struggle to sell water to a thirsty man! The board have to show ambition by action not hot air. If we stay part time, falling season ticket sales and falling gates are a certainty, the clubs very existance endangered by INACTION. The many debates about falling gates have all missed the elephant in the room, HOPE! Dreams! The real POSSIBILITY of success,demonstrating ambition, talking up the clubs aims. Not caution, small, part time, can't compete, survival is our aim, all uninspiring garbage. Forgot the budget! Whatever the extra cost of employing the players full time (8 weeks wages) are, they are lot less than falling season ticket sales, plummeting gates and relegation. It is NOW OR PROBABLY NEVER! And if we go full time and fail in our ambitions, and the club ends up in the red, then we would have little choice but to go for the third way, sellout to an 'investor', but that is something even I will not yet contemplate. Ok, fair points, but if you were on the board, what would your plan entail? |
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Post by bluesince72 on Apr 24, 2017 19:58:53 GMT
My points are just about what can and what can't be sold to the football fans of this area. Details are for the board, and accountants/administrators, but full time football is the bottom line.
IF we stay part time and get relegated a lot of hard work and dreams will go down the tubes, we will have failed without really giving it a proper go. Some may argue that we could have a viable club in regional football, maybe we could, but not one me or Id guess many other football fans in this area would want to watch regularly. I was brought up supporting a usually 4th division football club, I doubt Id have ever started watching if the city had had a club in a regional league back then.
I would not be the commercial manager of a part time CFC at any price, you cannot sell the a club and season tickets offering season after season of mediorcre struggle, a manager and team hobbled before we start, it was acceptable for a few years after reforming, but the new club shine has worn off, and now has to be the time for change before crowds fall to 1000 or less. I would bet that if we went full time for next season, with a new manager in place, talking up our chances of really competing, offering hope, showing ambition, that it would reignite optimism about, and interest in, the club in the city and surounding area. With much improved season ticket sales/gates resulting. If it failed financially we would then have to choose between fan owned regional football or sell to an 'owner', but I say lets give it a go before we find ourselves in a league with 20+ full time/ bankrolled/hobby clubs and facing certain relegation.
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Post by Superman on Apr 24, 2017 20:22:14 GMT
Bluessince72 I genuinely admire your stance on ambition for our club. If you read my posts elsewhere you will gather that I am of a more cautious nature. Well done to you for expressing your passionate view. My understanding from reading/listening to expressed plans for advancing the club on the playing front is that their is a genuine desire to move to 52 week contracts and then to increase the number of days players are in attendance for training. In my view arse about face but what do I know!! This plan towards full time is proposed by no other than the much maligned Jon McCarthy, so perhaps his ambition matches your own. I guess it is all a judgement call as to how quickly the club can do this. Love your passion fella, if not always agreeing with all your views, keep the faith. Come on you blues!!
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Post by richard on Apr 24, 2017 20:48:46 GMT
My points are just about what can and what can't be sold to the football fans of this area. Details are for the board, and accountants/administrators, but full time football is the bottom line. IF we stay part time and get relegated a lot of hard work and dreams will go down the tubes, we will have failed without really giving it a proper go. Some may argue that we could have a viable club in regional football, maybe we could, but not one me or Id guess many other football fans in this area would want to watch regularly. I was brought up supporting a usually 4th division football club, I doubt Id have ever started watching if the city had had a club in a regional league back then. I would not be the commercial manager of a part time CFC at any price, you cannot sell the a club and season tickets offering season after season of mediorcre struggle, a manager and team hobbled before we start, it was acceptable for a few years after reforming, but the new club shine has worn off, and now has to be the time for change before crowds fall to 1000 or less. I would bet that if we went full time for next season, with a new manager in place, talking up our chances of really competing, offering hope, showing ambition, that it would reignite optimism about, and interest in, the club in the city and surounding area. With much improved season ticket sales/gates resulting. If it failed financially we would then have to choose between fan owned regional football or sell to an 'owner', but I say lets give it a go before we find ourselves in a league with 20+ full time/ bankrolled/hobby clubs and facing certain relegation. I too admire your obvious passion and I'm not having a pop here, it's the lack of a cohesive, sustainable strategy that would move us forward without threatening our very existence that is missing from your posts. That's why I asked you for your ideas if you were in a position of trust. Still think your post was brilliant though and asks a lot of sound questions |
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Post by billyw on Apr 24, 2017 21:17:57 GMT
Bluessince72 I genuinely admire your stance on ambition for our club. If you read my posts elsewhere you will gather that I am of a more cautious nature. Well done to you for expressing your passionate view. My understanding from reading/listening to expressed plans for advancing the club on the playing front is that their is a genuine desire to move to 52 week contracts and then to increase the number of days players are in attendance for training. In my view arse about face but what do I know!! This plan towards full time is proposed by no other than the much maligned Jon McCarthy, so perhaps his ambition matches your own. I guess it is all a judgement call as to how quickly the club can do this. Love your passion fella, if not always agreeing with all your views, keep the faith. Come on you blues!! McCarthys 'genuine desire to move to 52 weeks contracts' does not mean the squad is going full time. It merely means that the players will have the CHOICE of receiving their wages over 52 weeks instead of the 44 weeks or whatever it is now. There is no increase in the actual remuneration. |
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Post by bluesince72 on Apr 24, 2017 23:02:07 GMT
My points are just about what can and what can't be sold to the football fans of this area. Details are for the board, and accountants/administrators, but full time football is the bottom line. IF we stay part time and get relegated a lot of hard work and dreams will go down the tubes, we will have failed without really giving it a proper go. Some may argue that we could have a viable club in regional football, maybe we could, but not one me or Id guess many other football fans in this area would want to watch regularly. I was brought up supporting a usually 4th division football club, I doubt Id have ever started watching if the city had had a club in a regional league back then. I would not be the commercial manager of a part time CFC at any price, you cannot sell the a club and season tickets offering season after season of mediorcre struggle, a manager and team hobbled before we start, it was acceptable for a few years after reforming, but the new club shine has worn off, and now has to be the time for change before crowds fall to 1000 or less. I would bet that if we went full time for next season, with a new manager in place, talking up our chances of really competing, offering hope, showing ambition, that it would reignite optimism about, and interest in, the club in the city and surounding area. With much improved season ticket sales/gates resulting. If it failed financially we would then have to choose between fan owned regional football or sell to an 'owner', but I say lets give it a go before we find ourselves in a league with 20+ full time/ bankrolled/hobby clubs and facing certain relegation. I too admire your obvious passion and I'm not having a pop here, it's the lack of a cohesive, sustainable strategy that would move us forward without threatening our very existence that is missing from your posts. That's why I asked you for your ideas if you were in a position of trust. Still think your post was brilliant though and asks a lot of sound questions I am impressed by the thoughtful nature of the responses to my post, by you and others. I expected to get a much more hostile reaction. I am just a frustrated ordinary fan giving my honest opinion. What I suggest may or may not be sustainable, I guess to go full time and then fail on the pitch could be a disaster that would force the sale of the club to an outsider 'owner'. But sustainability is at the heart of my argument. A fan owned club with falling membership and falling gates must change direction. As things stand now, with more and more bankrolled/hobby/full time clubs joining the national League every season, with our falling attendances, with the shine of reformation and fan ownership wearing thin, I do not see the status quo as sustainable, unless of course by sustainable you mean supporting a part time team in the NLN with sub 1000 crowds, but our cloth cut to fit, believing that just having our club is all that matters. That is what I see happening if there is not radical change, and change now. If that is what the majority want then so be it, but I want the hope and real prospect of one day watching FL matches at the Deva, and have no realistic hope as things stand, and zero interest in NLN regional backwaters. Macca staying or leaving is comparatively of secondary importance, my car marketing metaphor stands. How can we expect to enthuse the football watching public when setting expectations so low? It is ironic that we rightly skit goats fans and their club for their hubris and delusion in thinking they have a massive club, but we are the exact opposite, we talk of our small, part time cautious club, with little chance of success due to our unwillingness to take any risks. They are at least having a go at giving their manager a chance of competing by being full time. There are a few great ideas for raising income for the club, 3G pitches, progress on the community side etc. However, all this will be cancelled out by falling gates, we will run just to stay still, and be overtaken by most and relegated. What do you say to a fan thinking of buying a season ticket/attending regularly but who says he/she is fed up with season after season of struggle and wants you to give him/her hope that next season will be better? Apart from stick by your club, and join the CFU that is. How do you/anybody see the club avoiding my pessimistic conclusions regarding our place in the NL if we stay part time? Everybody has been asking why gates are falling, and I am convinced that what I am saying is a major part of it. |
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Post by muchwenlock on Apr 24, 2017 23:23:42 GMT
I too admire your obvious passion and I'm not having a pop here, it's the lack of a cohesive, sustainable strategy that would move us forward without threatening our very existence that is missing from your posts. That's why I asked you for your ideas if you were in a position of trust. Still think your post was brilliant though and asks a lot of sound questions I am impressed by the thoughtful nature of the responses to my post, by you and others. I expected to get a much more hostile reaction. I am just a frustrated ordinary fan giving my honest opinion. What I suggest may or may not be sustainable, I guess to go full time and then fail on the pitch could be a disaster that would force the sale of the club to an outsider 'owner'. But sustainability is at the heart of my argument. A fan owned club with falling membership and falling gates must change direction. As things stand now, with more and more bankrolled/hobby/full time clubs joining the national League every season, with our falling attendances, with the shine of reformation and fan ownership wearing thin, I do not see the status quo as sustainable, unless of course by sustainable you mean supporting a part time team in the NLN with sub 1000 crowds, but our cloth cut to fit, believing that just having our club is all that matters. That is what I see happening if there is not radical change, and change now. If that is what the majority want then so be it, but I want the hope and real prospect of one day watching FL matches at the Deva, and have no realistic hope as things stand, and zero interest in NLN regional backwaters. Macca staying or leaving is comparatively of secondary importance, my car marketing metaphor stands. How can we expect to enthuse the football watching public when setting expectations so low? It is ironic that we rightly skit goats fans and their club for their hubris and delusion in thinking they have a massive club, but we are the exact opposite, we talk of our small, part time cautious club, with little chance of success due to our unwillingness to take any risks. They are at least having a go at giving their manager a chance of competing by being full time. There are a few great ideas for raising income for the club, 3G pitches, progress on the community side etc. However, all this will be cancelled out by falling gates, we will run just to stay still, and be overtaken by most and relegated. What do you say to a fan thinking of buying a season ticket/attending regularly but who says he/she is fed up with season after season of struggle and wants you to give him/her hope that next season will be better? Apart from stick by your club, and join the CFU that is. How do you/anybody see the club avoiding my pessimistic conclusions regarding our place in the NL if we stay part time? Everybody has been asking why gates are falling, and I am convinced that what I am saying is a major part of it. Great post and think you've hit the nail on the head here there's a lack of hope and ambition around the club at the moment.Unfortunately I see things going the way you say at the moment and can't see the prospect of any improvement in the situation if things stay as they are.All Chester fans want is a little bit of hope but don't see any at the moment with defeat after defeat at home and some bizarre post match interviews by JM and the thought that a lot of this present squad being signed up again isn't going to help shift season tickets. |
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Post by Steven on Apr 25, 2017 4:59:53 GMT
Think about if you were on the board, would you be cautious or would you go for it and possibley fail, bankrupting the club and see it fold again and it being your fault. Don't think I could take that responsibility of possible failure
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Julian alsfords hair gel.
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Post by Julian alsfords hair gel. on Apr 25, 2017 7:13:12 GMT
Its a cast iron fact we have 2000+ fans waiting in the wings to jump onboard a promotion push,plus the 1600 or so die hards.Surely we have to set the bar for this.New manager in the mould of Shaun Reid, new man new contacts,fire in the belly etc.We also need to be less nice at home...tidy ground lovely pitch, we make it a field day for visiting teams and our team rolls over for the majority of the 90 minutes.we somehow got to the play off fringes this season briefly,it can be done .
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Post by bluesince72 on Apr 25, 2017 11:34:10 GMT
Think about if you were on the board, would you be cautious or would you go for it and possibley fail, bankrupting the club and see it fold again and it being your fault. Don't think I could take that responsibility of possible failure One final post, then nothing more to say on the subject.... Thinking it through, what I suggest is not reckless throwing money at the chance of success. What would it cost? Eight weeks of additional pay for the coaching/playing staff, plus the cost of two extra days training facilities. No paying silly money or signing players that require transfer fees. I don’t know the figures but I would imagine that raising our average gates from 2000 and falling to 2500 would cover those costs, and that the cost would be far less than the cost of relegation. If it did not work out the club could always return to being part time, there is absolutely no reason to think that it would threaten the clubs future. Any decision of this magnitude would have to be put to the membership, and as a CFU member I would vote yes. I doubt members of the board would wish to unilaterally take that decision. Responsibility would be shared by every voting member. Relegation in the next 2 or3 seasons I would say is almost a certainty if we stay part time; our sales pitch for season tickets/attracting new supporters is pathetic and doomed, what is on offer? Self imposed austerity resulting in a struggling part time team. it would be no surprise then to see lower season tickets sales season on season, with continued falling gates, revenue evaporating because the club shows little sign of backing its professed ambitions with minimum actions necessary to bring it about, all we are offered is a safe pair of hands, perfect only for financial survival. I can’t be the only supporter who is beginning to loose hope/enthusiasm, falling gates are a warning sign that things have to change. Why did the supports/CFU reform the club? It was to have our club back, with the aim of taking the club back to it traditional level , the Football League, if we stay as we are then that is pure fantasy, we will become a NLN also ran club, albeit a solvent one. Once we get relegated the chance will be gone, possibly forever. Aldershot and Macclesfield have consistently had lower gates than us but stay full time, Lincoln prior to this season had similar levels of support, and were rewarded for their ambition/staying FT, this year with promotion,, and even our fan owned rivals the goats are full time. We turn up at a hot hatch drag race with a second hand Prius and wonder why we lose...The status quo will be managed decline. As Albert Einstein said the definition of stupidity is trying the same thing over and over, and to expect a different result. Time for change! |
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Post by sqzl on Apr 25, 2017 12:06:41 GMT
Think about if you were on the board, would you be cautious or would you go for it and possibley fail, bankrupting the club and see it fold again and it being your fault. Don't think I could take that responsibility of possible failure One final post, then nothing more to say on the subject.... Thinking it through, what I suggest is not reckless throwing money at the chance of success. What would it cost? Eight weeks of additional pay for the coaching/playing staff, plus the cost of two extra days training facilities. No paying silly money or signing players that require transfer fees. I don’t know the figures but I would imagine that raising our average gates from 2000 and falling to 2500 would cover those costs, and that the cost would be far less than the cost of relegation. If it did not work out the club could always return to being part time, there is absolutely no reason to think that it would threaten the clubs future. Any decision of this magnitude would have to be put to the membership, and as a CFU member I would vote yes. I doubt members of the board would wish to unilaterally take that decision. Responsibility would be shared by every voting member. Relegation in the next 2 or3 seasons I would say is almost a certainty if we stay part time; our sales pitch for season tickets/attracting new supporters is pathetic and doomed, what is on offer? Self imposed austerity resulting in a struggling part time team. it would be no surprise then to see lower season tickets sales season on season, with continued falling gates, revenue evaporating because the club shows little sign of backing its professed ambitions with minimum actions necessary to bring it about, all we are offered is a safe pair of hands, perfect only for financial survival. I can’t be the only supporter who is beginning to loose hope/enthusiasm, falling gates are a warning sign that things have to change. Why did the supports/CFU reform the club? It was to have our club back, with the aim of taking the club back to it traditional level , the Football League, if we stay as we are then that is pure fantasy, we will become a NLN also ran club, albeit a solvent one. Once we get relegated the chance will be gone, possibly forever. Aldershot and Macclesfield have consistently had lower gates than us but stay full time, Lincoln prior to this season had similar levels of support, and were rewarded for their ambition/staying FT, this year with promotion,, and even our fan owned rivals the goats are full time. We turn up at a hot hatch drag race with a second hand Prius and wonder why we lose...The status quo will be managed decline. As Albert Einstein said the definition of stupidity is trying the same thing over and over, and to expect a different result. Time for change! I know what you're saying about full time football, but it does add up to much more than it sounds. If your average player got £400 a week, eight weeks is £3200, times that by a squad of 18-20 you're looking at 60k. Then you need the facilities for longer, and there would be no certainties about the quality of player just because he trains longer. We've seem some true full time garbage in our time as supporters of Chester City, times haven't changed now we're Chester FC, you still get garbage full time players. I honestly think going full time would cost us excess of 100k a season all in all. Which of course is doable, but would either need an extra 500 season ticket sales a season, or have a reduced playing budget. Now if this is what we can afford on the budget part time, i would hate to see what we could afford full time on a reduced budget. I think we all miss the days or challenging in this league, and trying to get/maintain football league status, but this isn't likely for the more realistic CFC fans. Unless by some divine miracle someone comes along and donates a large sum of money with no strings attached, which is what would have to happen as we are not open to any ownership deals, then all money being spend has to be made through the club first, in short, attracting more fans. Will it happen with JM in charge? I'm not so sure. I can see ST sales lowering and us having to use most of our Sam Hughes money on making sure the budget is competitive enough for survival, and to cover losses from this season. I wonder how many fans we would get, if we did have a genuine owner, and ambition for the club. Lot's will argue it's not the way to go, we've been burned before. That said i've written a car off before, it didn't mean i dare not drive again. I think somehow, one way or another, we desperately need the funds to match the fans ambition for the football league. |
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Post by nicksonmatt guest on Apr 25, 2017 12:47:27 GMT
I think for me we now certainly need to look at a 49% / 51% ownership split. This would mean that potentially further investment could be made into the squad but the CFU would retain 51% of the profit. What it would also mean is that the CFU board could sit alongside an owner without having the chairman revolving door that we currently have. The 49% share owner would be the owner and chairman.
I am all for the fan owned model but it is becoming very apparent that we aren't a big enough attraction fan wise to make this sustainable for us.
There is also a point being raised about will the manager attract people to buy season tickets, on a serious note what manager would make you inspired to buy one. I buy one to support my club it very rarely has anything to do with any kind of incentive scheme or who we have signed / in the manager hot seat.
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Post by Saviour on Apr 25, 2017 13:26:09 GMT
return to original target only possible without McCarthy in his current role
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Remember Colwyn Bay?
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Post by Remember Colwyn Bay? on Apr 25, 2017 14:07:36 GMT
I recall a statement along the lines of "Conference within 5 years and League within 10 Years." I bought into that and the score at Colwyn Bay didn't matter. The dream mattered and Neil Young inspired that dream. The players were Chester through and through and we all believed. Three years of that dream and we had 5000 versus Northwich. 100 goals and 100 points in a season! New heroes for old and new supporters alike. I've still got the T-shirt!
Perhaps out of his depth, Neil Young eventually walked the plank, and then we hired a plank - Burr. A money spender and narcissist, who's biggest mistake was bringing in an old mate as first team coach. He cleared off Gary Jones quickly too,and upped his first team coach to be his new assistant. Welcome the birth of a true managerially incompetent regime.
By then the board had changed sufficiently to perhaps lose sight of that dream, but they surgically cut out the problem, or so they thought. Sadly they left a bit and it took just over 8 months to grow back to the full level of incompetence. Bad luck can happen but it takes real hard work and commitment to be that bad for that long! I thought 0-3 at home to Solihull was like they had rolled over and died. Sadly they hadn't died. They have lived on to roll over time and time again during the whole of 2017. Hopefully three 0-1 flukes on our travels have saved us for this season.
During the process, and with no external pressure whatsoever, some idiot(s) decided to offer a two and a half year contract, wholly unnecessarily, to ensure any subsequent failure could not be addressed without killing the dream. Maguire was there by then. Was it him?
To hold onto our dream McCarthy cannot continue as he is. We need the money from Sam to continue our dream. We need to scrutinise Maguire's contract and hold him accountable to it. We cannot pay off McCarthy. If, as he has claimed, he buys into our dream then he will walk the plank also. If not, maybe we can encourage him to take up gardening!
The problem has to be sorted, by hook or by crook as the saying goes. We got rid of the crook in 2010 so let's stick to the hook.
Keep the dream alive and get the 3,500 dreamers back. They're waiting! They just need to be convinced the dream is still there.
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Post by richard on Apr 25, 2017 14:15:20 GMT
I think for me we now certainly need to look at a 49% / 51% ownership split. This would mean that potentially further investment could be made into the squad but the CFU would retain 51% of the profit. What it would also mean is that the CFU board could sit alongside an owner without having the chairman revolving door that we currently have. The 49% share owner would be the owner and chairman. I am all for the fan owned model but it is becoming very apparent that we aren't a big enough attraction fan wise to make this sustainable for us. There is also a point being raised about will the manager attract people to buy season tickets, on a serious note what manager would make you inspired to buy one. I buy one to support my club it very rarely has anything to do with any kind of incentive scheme or who we have signed / in the manager hot seat. Matt, Sorry to disagree. It wouldn't be long before MR 49% was to hold us to ransom for control on the back of a little success or even failure by threatening to pull out if we didn't give him control. Not for me I'm afraid. We have come too far to give it away to another speculative chancer |
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Post by richard on Apr 25, 2017 14:18:39 GMT
I recall a statement along the lines of "Conference within 5 years and League within 10 Years." I bought into that and the score at Colwyn Bay didn't matter. The dream mattered and Neil Young inspired that dream. The players were Chester through and through and we all believed. Three years of that dream and we had 5000 versus Northwich. 100 goals and 100 points in a season! New heroes for old and new supporters alike. I've still got the T-shirt! Perhaps out of his depth, Neil Young eventually walked the plank, and then we hired a plank - Burr. A money spender and narcissist, who's biggest mistake was bringing in an old mate as first team coach. He cleared off Gary Jones quickly too,and upped his first team coach to be his new assistant. Welcome the birth of a true managerially incompetent regime. By then the board had changed sufficiently to perhaps lose sight of that dream, but they surgically cut out the problem, or so they thought. Sadly they left a bit and it took just over 8 months to grow back to the full level of incompetence. Bad luck can happen but it takes real hard work and commitment to be that bad for that long! I thought 0-3 at home to Solihull was like they had rolled over and died. Sadly they hadn't died. They have lived on to roll over time and time again during the whole of 2017. Hopefully three 0-1 flukes on our travels have saved us for this season. During the process, and with no external pressure whatsoever, some idiot(s) decided to offer a two and a half year contract, wholly unnecessarily, to ensure any subsequent failure could not be addressed without killing the dream. Maguire was there by then. Was it him? To hold onto our dream McCarthy cannot continue as he is. We need the money from Sam to continue our dream. We need to scrutinise Maguire's contract and hold him accountable to it. We cannot pay off McCarthy. If, as he has claimed, he buys into our dream then he will walk the plank also. If not, maybe we can encourage him to take up gardening! The problem has to be sorted, by hook or by crook as the saying goes. We got rid of the crook in 2010 so let's stick to the hook. Keep the dream alive and get the 3,500 dreamers back. They're waiting! They just need to be convinced the dream is still there. Sorry, but your arguments are destroyed by claiming that the 1-0 away wins were flukes. After reading that I just switched off. |
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