Could we become a Community Interest Football Club?

[Sir Rebel1965]

Yes I do, as I monitored it whilst it took place and have kept a close eye on MYFC ever since.

 

If it was so good why was there such an acrimonious split and where has all the money gone?

[epicrebel]

Yes I do, as I monitored it whilst it took place and have kept a close eye on MYFC ever since.

 

If it was so good why was there such an acrimonious split and where has all the money gone?

Ebbsfleet spent it

 

I'm sure Mark will/would set you right

Edited August 17, 2017 by epicrebel

[Curtis]

Curtis is well aware of the problems and failings of a supporters lead method of running a club, as he was at the center of MYFC which nearly crippled Ebbsfleet with the madcap schemes they tried there and it was him who negotiated MYFC's tail between their legs withdrawal.

Yes I was involved with MYFC, but you really need to get your facts straight.

 

MYFC was originally set up by people (of whom I was not one) with the strap line 'Own the Club, Pick the Team', and that was responsible for attracting 28,000 members. When it became apparent that this was totally impractical and irresponsible, the MYFC membership dwindled away over about 5 years to a few thousand.

 

The initial funding from MYFC did result in Ebbsfleet United winning the FA Trophy at Wembley 1-0 against Torquay in front of a crowd of 40,186 (arguably the best day in the Club's history), it also funded a contract for John Akinde which resulted in the members of MYFC approving the Managers negotiated transfer of him to Bristol City for £150,000.

 

When it was clear MYFC would no longer be able to fund Ebbsfleet United properly, a Spanish bloke appeared saying he had the backing to take over the Club, and the Ebbsfleet United Supporters Trust were all in favour of this and put pressure on MYFC to transfer their shares to him. Due diligence by MYFC resulted in the conclusion there was no valid funding in this proposal, and it would have been disastrous for the Club.

 

MYFC were shortly afterward approached by Peter Varney with a Kuwaiti backed funding (who the Supporters Trust were all in favour of, as he was a previous Chief Executive and vice Chairman of Charlton Athletic) and MYFC transferred their share holding in the Club to them for a peppercorn sum, on the assurance that there would be a playing budget funded that would provide a good opportunity for the Club to be immediately promoted, and ongoing funding by the new owners would be by means of equity and not repayable loans.

 

These new owners have bought the ground from the Council, developed the ground, have been promoted, and have funded the Club with about £2 million per annum for the last four seasons (if you don't believe me, take a look at their accounts, freely available from www.companieshouse.gov.uk ).

 

So, am I embarrassed about my association with MYFC and my eventual involvement in the sale to the new owners?

 

Absolutely not.

 

Did I learn a lot about the funding of a football club, the running of a football club, and the pitfalls of making promises that can't be kept?

 

Absolutely yes.

 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them here or at a match..... I grew up in Slough, still live close to Slough, I am a season ticket holder, member of the Supporters Trust, have sponsored the match ball for four matches this season, and can be found at all home matches.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Curtis

[Sir Rebel1965]

Do you want to be the next chairman of STFC?

[3spirit]

Above post very enlightening and a good read.

 

So [Mark] Curtis, sounds like you are the ideal man to help with a supporter led club, if we have trouble attracting a new wealthy chairman, and need an alternative.

[Curtis]

If Slough Town FC were to become a Community Interest Club, which seems highly unlikely from comments on this thread, then the Chairman would be elected by those that become members of that structure.

 

I'm sure there would be quite a few that would be interested in the role..... at this stage I haven't even considered whether I would throw my hat in the ring (like a recent Jacob Rees-Mogg quote, 'if I did I wouldn't be surprised if it were thrown back at me').

Edited August 17, 2017 by Curtis

[Sir Rebel1965]

Politicians answer - let others draw their own conclusions.

[3spirit]

Politicians answer - let others draw their own conclusions.

 

You're such a charmer, Rebel1965 !

 

I would have thought Slough fans would be happy to find a possible home grown chairman in their midst,not look to scare him away !

[Sir Rebel1965]

Please do your own research on MYFC and you will see it was not as rose tinted as Curtis makes out.  For an organisation to drop from over 53,000 members to less than 1,000 does not look a very good model - for the financials look around the internet for the details and see the numbers for yourself.

 

As for scarring him away, I still have the bitter taste of Martyn Deaner in my mouth and look at the state of the club when he dumped it! So just making sure that any new chairman will not leave us in the same position - something called due diligence, don't just grab at the first name on the table, look round and get the best out there - STFC deserves the best.

[3spirit]

Please do your own research on MYFC and you will see it was not as rose tinted as Curtis makes out.  For an organisation to drop from over 53,000 members to less than 1,000 does not look a very good model - for the financials look around the internet for the details and see the numbers for yourself.

 

As for scarring him away, I still have the bitter taste of Martyn Deaner in my mouth and look at the state of the club when he dumped it! So just making sure that any new chairman will not leave us in the same position - something called due diligence, don't just grab at the first name on the table, look round and get the best out there - STFC deserves the best.

 

I think it very much depends on how the individual views it, as the saying goes your glass is either half full or half empty.

While I understand caution, I cannot see, why be so negative.

 

The MYFC experiment was doomed to failure in the over elaborate,first of it's kind way it was set up but as Mark Curtis highlights, not all of it was as bad as people have you believe.

The same can be said for Martyn Deaner. People can level at him all manner of things but there's no getting away from the fact that he saved Slough Town FC from extinction and tried his darnest to keep it on the map,  when no other financial men were forthcoming and the council were less than obliging to help.

 

Whether there's a wealthy man or woman to become the next chair person, or we as a club have to look at other ways to function, let's try as Slough fans to keep an open mind, as while we know Steve Easterbrook is going to be a hard act to follow, we need to be optimistic not pessimistic, as I don't believe we need the rhetoric of Private Fraser in the Dad's Army tv programme  that of ' we're doomed ' !

[Sir Rebel1965]

I would have gone with Corporal Jones "Don't Panic!"

[Curtis]

Please do your own research on MYFC and you will see it was not as rose tinted as Curtis makes out. For an organisation to drop from over 53,000 members to less than 1,000 does not look a very good model - for the financials look around the internet for the details and see the numbers for yourself.

For those that don't have time to look around the internet..... MYFC never ever had 53,000 members, at it's launch it had approximately 29,000 members, many of whom at the time in an on-line poll before a club was bought were hoping to purchase Leeds United (who were looking for new investors at the time). So no surprise really, that membership numbers diminished significantly in year 2.

 

And if Slough Town actually managed to attract 1,000 people to become members of a Community Interest Club (a number you seem to be implying is derisory) then I think they would be very happy and consider it successful.

 

* Only responding as I don't want false information to be assumed to be correct if not challenged.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Curtis

[staines_rebel_Jr]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/front_page/newsid_8967000/8967067.stm

 

here are the FACTS.

 

50,000 (+) people showed interest in the project until asked to stump up the membership fee. With 30,000 (peak) people being paid memebers which rapidly dropped to approx 3,500 after 2 or so years.

 

 

MyFC took over Ebbsfleet at the end of the 07/08 season with the club finishing mid table in the Conference Premier, winning the FA Trophy and in big debt. (There is no way any MyFC member can claim that they had any thing to do with winning the FA Trophy, the squad and manager was already in place and MyFC made no difference. It is just like when the current Slough councillors claimed all the plaudits for building Arbour Park despite them coming in to power with the stadium 3/4 built, everyone knows that the credit lays with Rob Anderson and his council for the work.)

 

MyFC left the club at the end of the 12/13 season with the club relegated down to the Conference South and back into debt.

 

 

Ebbsfleet former director and vice chairman said of his experience with MyFC

"I honestly felt the club could never progress so long as MyFootballClub was involved. There comes a point when these people need to say this is damaging the football club now."

 

 

 

 

The MyFC project failed miserably and made Ebbsfleet the laughing stock of non league football at the time.

 

 

Can a community run club work? Yes. But it takes a long time to set up properly and you need the right people who know what they are doing in control.

[Curtis]

 

here are the FACTS.

 

There is no way any MyFC member can claim that they had any thing to do with winning the FA Trophy, the squad and manager was already in place and MyFC made no difference.

Your opinion, not fact!

 

Ebbsfleet were losing £30,000 per month and were on the verge of slashing their budget and gettng rid of many members of their squad in the 2007/8 when they approached MYFC.

 

They were in such desperate financial problems MYFC member donations purchased them training goals and balls prior to the purchase being completed, and without the MYFC involvement they would never have had a squad capable of getting to the FA Trophy final.

[Stuntman Mark]

Let's look at this as an opportunity rather than an excuse to squabble. Steve has done a fantastic job, been amazing and he has left the club in great shape. I don't think we will have too much difficulty attracting someone else to the club and if that fails, there are worse ways to go forward than being a community club. If we were to go that route, I'd certainly want someone like Mark Curtis involved. I just don't think this forum is the best vehicle to begin that discussion.  

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Interesting thread.

 

Nay

 

fan base too small. We are back in slough and where are these regular 4 figure crowds some people were expecting?

[Reading Rebel]

Interesting thread.

 

Nay

 

fan base too small. We are back in slough and where are these regular 4 figure crowds some people were expecting?

 

 

I honestly don't remember too many people saying that we'd get regular 4 figure crowds.

 

Having said that if we were near the top and in a fight for the title I think 4 figures would be achievable.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Reading Rebel

[RebelDelaney]

Dunstable v Merthyr todays attendence was 93

[GlenSTFC]

And probably half from Merthyr!

[Reading Rebel]

Dunstable v Merthyr todays attendence was 93

 

 

Dunstable have never been well supported and TBH a couple of divisions lower is their natural level for the support they get.