ETFC long term future-DISCUSS

[Gonzo]

Unfortunately the people who have a spare million to hand tend not to be as ultruistic as yourself. The trouble is ambition. We look over and we see the hornchurchs and others rocketing up the ladder and we want a piece of the action. I want to see my local club involved in epic FA Cup matches against the goliaths, gaining promotions etc while I'm still young enough to brave the icy terraces!

 

[The Invisible Man]

Exactly Gonz. I want to MY club doing well.

 

Not some rich bloke's.

 

When we're in the Conference, suppose we got 1000 supporters to contribute £10 each every month.

 

That would help. Plus if we get a bar and get Fruitbat to start coming down again, well the bar profits alone would finance a Premiership club!

 

 

[Colin, Germany]

I would rather keep the club in the hands of the supporters even though this would mean slower progress. The club also runs a Football in the Community scheme, and has a "medium-term ambition ... to progress to in-school coaching, after-school coaching and Holiday Soccer Courses." The club intends "to target both the children of Of the middle classes as well as those less well off, underprivileged and the disabled (and) will not discriminate on the grounds of race, sex or ability. The club is intent on developing its links with the local community and (has) continued to build on some of the initiatives started in season 2002/03."

 

These are not the aims of investors. They are the aims of altruistic people, although no-one up to now who wishes to donate millions to these noble causes.

 

I am impressed with the hard work so many people put into building up the club from scratch. This is the spirit of Enfield Town Football Club, and it is not about winning promotion every year up to the Premiership.

 

The medium term future of the club will only be secure when it is possible to buy some land and build a stadium on it. Then the supporters, who own the club, will have far more control over the destiny of the club, and a ground generates income, too.

 

The long term future is more hard to predict. When Enfield Football Club were founded up to the 1950's, large crowds were attracted to watching the local team. There was no television, and entertainment at home was much more limited than today. Then television revenues came along for clubs a bit higher up the ladder than the ESL or Ryman 2.

 

Now there are many more sports which people can watch and play, and far more types of entertainment to choose from. Nevertheless, football retains an attraction greater than other sports, because of it's simple rules and lack of requirement for equipment. By the latter, I mean that a group of children just need a ball, and they can mark two goals, and play.

 

The biggest clubs have managed to turn themselves into marketing organisations. I do not believe that people will still want to wear the clothing that generates such revenues in ten years' time, but such powerful marketing organisations will find other fan articles to sell.

 

However, I would expect a steady decline in football as a spectator sport over the next decades. On the other hand, I would expect more people to participate in sport, although the trend seems to be going towards individual sport. This may or may not be a long term trend.

 

With Enfield Town Football Club's community ambitions, I would expect the club to be in a better position to react flexibly in response to such changes in the way we live.

[Southport - TOWNER]

hey, just found my 2 peenies, so here goes.

 

Don't worry about some rich id comin along and investing in the future...............

 

What about the current financial requirements, we have just gone into to the close season, so cash flow has finished; but I am sure the costs to get ready for next season have not. So what are the honourble supporters going to do to ensure we are solvent come the end of this financial year?

 

Movin on

 

The constitution allows for serious investment by an individual or company; so for me no problem; we do not need to amend the constitution

 

as for getting into the Football League, within Mr Happy's life time, well.... Would he be allowed to travel to Mansfield, Scunthorpe and other such delightful places on a Saturday.

 

lets' take one step and at the same time be in the planning stages for the next one as we progress.