[maccawozzagod]

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

I believe that it is very misleading to look for a correlation between gate receipts and team performance. I don't believe that JC's 'building' of the squad was only based on the 1600+ fans through the turnstile, as the figures don't really tally.
We haven't just lost games this season due to lower ability players, but because of poor tactics and a general lack of awareness of other teams changing theirs.

Next season I think that the budget for playing staff will be more reflective of the gates and then we'll see how JC does then.

the projected turnover of the club for the first season in the FL was £1m according to the quotes given last time a balance sheet was published (around nov 07) Average gates of 1600 would produce less than £400k in gate receipts based on a tenner apiece (allowing for kids/concussions etc). Wages can be 60% or 65% of the total turnover of the club. Quite obviously the gates are being supplemented by other means of large income. There is the £250k from the TV rights money and IIRC the Fraser Eagle sponsorship of shirts and ground was £250k per year over three years (according to the reports at the time). That allows for around £100k of 'other' income which can't be right as that is only £2k per week

Originally Posted by Pendle Red

There will also be Money from Shirt Sponsor, Board Advertisng, Football League Revenue, Transfer Fees recieved.

there is a large pot of income but the pot of expenditure must also be a massive drain. Each form of income is going to have to start producing more revenue. How that is done is another matter entirely but if you look at each aspect separately and make it into its own little business that must produce then surely you can't end up negative?

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Problem is as I understand it there are no resources for a scouting setup. There are only so many matches Coleman & Bell can watch to find talent.

Somehow the club needs more investment. The gates will not improve dramatically for years if ever. The only rise will be through success and therefore the chicken and egg theory comes in to play. How do you be successful enough to get higher gates without the resources to help gain that success

OSC will buy the Egg, have we any volunteers for the purchase of a chicken?



The club has to find ways of increasing its revenue from every angle but every angle is being ignored from what we see.

the Clayton End bar was dry for the Bury match. The away end bar was dry. At the Clayton End there was a queue from 3:35 with at least 30 people in it that were all in time for two pints. I don't know what the away end was like but I would hazard a guess that they drink more than home fans. Especially when they outnumbered our end about 3 to 1. There also has to be more variety in the drinks please. Especially seeing as we dont do draught beer the cans or bottles keep for some time so there is no excuse for not having the stock.

The Crown has picked up recently but the club could still do more to entice people in. Shirt signings? autograph or picture days? more Stanley oriented theme nights? OSC discounts? happy hours?

The Club shop. The OSC backed away from doing certain lines of clothing as the club said they were doing them - but there is never any stock of things like th efleeces or the hoodies. The Ultras wanted to buy 40 hoodies (at cost) but backed away so as to avoid upsetting the club. Maybe its not a money spinner in one respect but it is awareness when fans are wearing them around town.

Post match in the bar has been really poor over the last few months. A bit more razzmatazz maybe a happy hour if we win and better presentations for Man of the Match. There are folk who go in every match but for many you can take it or leave it because you don't feel like you are missing anything. BOGOF has brought a bit more professionalism to the Presnetation because at least you can hear what he is saying. Make an effort on this one please and I am sure that more folk will come in.

Be more aware of what the fans want and at least make it look like you are listening. For years Rob Heys has said that the club do listen to the fans but to some extents I beg to differ. I know that this site is not flavour of the month with the club or the Ultras etc but it is representative of what is being said by the common fan in the pub. Forget the arguments about whether this or that should be said or not - it is being said and more than likely will never cease to be said regardless of league position. I hark back to threads surrounding the Leicester match last season. Due to the Foxes fans being all-ticket there was confusion whether the match itself was all ticket or not. The debate rumbled for a few days and brought out unnecessary comments about other things and more highlighting of the various shortcomings. It could all have been avoided if one of the numerous club officials who do read this board every day had just posted something to the effect of "pay on the gate" - discussion ended. Yes you could have just picked up the phone but do they really want to have to field many calls when one post could have finished it?

That is the nutshell of where the club could pick up massively and cheaply. Communicate what is happening at every possible juncture and the tittle tattle disappears. Where specualtion is rife it gives way to rumour and conjecture which is rarely accurate. That in turn feeds the doom mongerers and the circle continues. Talk to us and make us ffel like valued customers again please.

Above all else communicate to the absent fans. It is no good complaining that people aren't coming unless you are aggresively pursuing them. I understand that these things cost money but for every ten new fans that come you have £1300 in the till over a season. Reckon on wanting another 300? then spend the money that 50 people would bring on advertising around town. £6500 would go a long way around town with a few appropriate billboards/cinema-taxi adverts/full page spreads/leaflets/competitions. Just being there is not enough to entice the customer.

None of these comments are intended destructively and none of them are anything new to the powers that be. But they are what I think are essential ingredients to attracting the casual fan. There are many more little areas that could be hugely improved on with a bit of investment but you'd be reading all day if I listed them.

I will also add that I think that we have come a long way in short time and Rome wasn't built in a day - but it only takes a day to knock it down. I have ideas and try to act on them via the OSC, the Ultras have ideas and try to act on them through their various ways. If we all did a little more then we could make a difference.