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Post by yogi on Sept 20, 2021 9:25:37 GMT
How do we get 500 paying spectators to each first team home game?
I believe that this is the minimum objective the the BOD should be setting themselves... It is all very well having 500+ crowds for the first game of the season, cup games against higher league opposition and games against Poole and Salisbury, but how to you entice people to watch a league game on a Tuesday night when you are in competition with other local clubs and TV matches...
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Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2021 10:48:25 GMT
500 should be a realistic target. The best way of achieving this is to have a team who are playing in the top half of the League, and at the highest level of the pyramid. But I don't think the BoD are giving this priority. We started off by trying to cut expenses by including 5 or so of the Development team in the squad. Although they are good players, playing at a level 3 above what they are used to requires careful handling and patience. If they don't get to play regularly they will move to clubs that can give them a regular game. A good example of this is Aiden Shepherd who has now moved to Shaftesbury. Its all very well to have a policy of bringing youngsters through to get into the first team but is this practical at our level. In the Football League you can put them on contract which means paying them to keep them.
Another way to try and get the 500 target is to ask the League, in conjunction with Poole if they are agreeable,to ask for only one of us to be playing at home at the same time. This hasnt happened in previous seasons.I know several fans who will attend both teams game providing there isnt a clash. Weymouth and Dorchester always did this when in the same league. I admit you do have to consider AFCB in this though as well.
Of course much of it does come down to Money and what your budget is in paying the first team. Is the club's priority in generating income throughout the club to finance the first team. It should be. It will be ironic if we get relegated after moving to such a great facility as New Cuthbury. We have lost the money from the parking at the Hospital [rumoured to be 30K p.a] Although it was alleged we got 20K from the NHS for letting them use the clubhouse for Covid testing. But of course we are not party to the expenses the club has to pay annually for the running of the ground [except we know we have a 25 year lease from the Council at a peppercorn rent]
I appreciate the BoD have a difficult task in balancing everything up. But ensuring the club stays at this level at least must be the first concern.
The Board wont give us supporters sensitive business information but I think we deserve a Fans Forum in the near future as there are many general questions to be asked, and info to be given.
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Post by yogi on Sept 20, 2021 12:22:20 GMT
Its all very well to have a policy of bringing youngsters through to get into the first team but is this practical at our level. In the Football League you can put them on contract which means paying them to keep them.
This is one of the many points I raised on the old forum and again on the Twitter feed (before i was banned)
It is great the we have so many youth and development teams but you cannot rely on this system to provide you with first team players of the future, out of all the boys who enter an academy / development centre at the age of 9, less than half of 1% make it. Or a make a living from the game either.
Why therefore do we think we are going to buck this trend by including 5 development players in match day squads, we are playing in level 3 of the pyramid system not the Dorset Premier League, the sooner the BOD and management team realise this the sooner we will have a team that is competitive at this level.
Is the club's priority in generating income throughout the club to finance the first team.
Absolutely it should be, without a competitive first team the club have no foundations on which to grow and develop, a competitive first team drives local interest which in turn entices people to attend games, the first team at any club should always be the number one priority.
We know we have a 25 year lease from the Council at a peppercorn rent.
Except when the 3G surface was opened by the town mayor it was stated in the local press that we had pushed for and received a 199 year lease
ensuring the club stays at this level at least must be the first concern.
Correct, without doubt this is the minimum objective for this season.
The Board wont give us supporters sensitive business information but I think we deserve a Fans Forum in the near future as there are many general questions to be asked, and info to be given.
The BOD will kick back on any suggestion of a Fans Forum or will only answer carefully pre prepared questions, due to work commitments I have never managed to attend a Fans Forum in person, however prior to the last Forum I submitted several question via the clubs official fans forum, not one question was asked or answered.
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