Help with my Business Studies Coursework please

[Fleetbabe]

Ok, heres the deal, I'm doing a business studies coursework for my A2 level, and the question that i've created is as follows:

 

How could Gravesend and Nothfleet F.C be affected were the plans of Championship side Gillingham FC to relocate to the Gravesham area put into action?

 

Can anyone make any comments about how they feel as a fan about the idea, but nothing too strong, it's ot to go in the appendix for this coursework, to be submitted to my exam board.

 

thanks

 

FLEETBABE

[Harry J Allstars]

I would personnally as a Fleet fan feel devestated. GNFC thrives on its comunity fan base and to have a bigger league club come in to snatch away our fan base would be heart wrenching.

 

Football clubs have always, still do and will forever more run on the basis of getting people throught the door. The more people you can get through your turnstiles the richer you are going to be. The richer you are the more money you have to spend on better players, the better players you have the more chance you have of success and the more success you have the more people you get through the turnstiles.

 

Thats what Gillingham are trying to cash in on our catchment area. They want people to realise that they are more successful than Gravesend and will go to watch them rather than go to see someone else.

 

Two problems Gillingham have are. 1. At the moment we have a far more successful club thats just as easy to get to called Charlton. 2. Gravesend are going forwards Gillingham arn't and if your not going forwards your standing still and if your standing still and all those around you are going forwards that can only mean one thing.....

 

 

Will this do Fleetbabe? Sorry about the spelling and the grammer, never mind in future you could always do you own course work. Sorry only joking.

[John@TheFleet]

Here's my bit, even though I've been on the beer!

 

Gillingham FC, with all due respect to their staff & supporters, is a club going nowhere. Currently they struggle to get 7000 at a Championship home game and that is in a ground right in their cachement area. If they were to move to Gravesham their attendances would probably decrease. Many Medway based supporters would cease to watch them, and that is straight from a Gills season ticket holder and they would far out-number the amount of Gravesham based attendees. However, as some people from our locality would attend, that would mean possible future G&NFC would probably be lost and may even affect the present level of support.

 

At present, Gills play the likes of West Ham, Sheffield Utd and Leeds. When relegation does finally come, they will be playing the likes of Rushden & Diamonds, Hartlepool and Scunthorpe United. Attendances will plummet. They will not be able to sustain life in a massive stadium and will almost certainly go into administration, probably taking The Fleet with them, certainly would if we were to groundshare which, thankfully, does not appear to be an option now.

 

The impact a Gillingham move would have on the local area would be catastrophic for all involved. A football club belongs in its home area, nowhere else. What outcry would there be if Tottenham decided to build a new ground a mile away from Upton Park? Exactly.

[Fleetbabe]

Thanks guys, more of the same please, and I am doing my own coursework, I've interviewed a lifelong fan, and a local media representative, Charles Webster, and my coursework is 7 pages long already.

[Harry J Allstars]

Quote:

Thanks guys, more of the same please, and I am doing my own coursework, I've interviewed a lifelong fan, and a local media representative, Charles Webster, and my coursework is 7 pages long already.

Cheers it was my best effort. Sorry about the sarchasim <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/affig.gif" alt="" />

[The Invisible Man]

One would assume that Gill's atendances would plummet if they moved. However, this does not appear to have been the case at Wimbledon/MK Dons. who now have capacity crowds, I understand - albeit a very small capacity. The situation is not exactly the same of course, as Wimbledon had a very small fan base before the move - attendances around 3000 in the top flight, and there is no non-league club in the MK area above Step 6 or 7 to compete with. MK Dons have therefore created a brand new fan base.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not not in favour of clubs moving from their home town, it's a horrible and evil thing, but I assume that Fleetbabe needs to take a "business" view rather than a moral stance (sadly there is a difference!)

[Fleetbabe]

Whatever comments people want to make I'll happily use. I need to bolster my appendicies, as i have interviewed a fan, and I obviously need more than the view of 1 fan to create a substancial conclusion.

 

Any comments on Paul Scally's statement on the back of the Kent on Sunday would be greatly appreciated, because he was basically dissing the comments that Brian Kilcullen made about groundsharing, and was saying how they hadn't offered that option or sumthing along those lines.

 

Fleetbabe

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[EUFC FAN]

It amazes me the little lack of faith in the Gravesend & Northfleet fans that has been mentioned in this thread and others. I might be naïve, but if Gillingham football club built their new stadium outside my front door, I would still drive the 15 miles to Stonebridge Road to watch the Fleet!

[Fleetbabe]

I'm not making any point about the lack of faith, and I can't see any in these comments, I was just asking for comments to help me with the appendix on my A level Business studies coursework, which I happened to have chosen to complete on the proposeed move.

 

I just thought that people might like to have a say, as it's Gravesend and Northfleet I'm on about.

 

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[Slartibartfast]

Quote:

It amazes me the little lack of faith in the Gravesend & Northfleet fans that has been mentioned in this thread and others. I might be naïve, but if Gillingham football club built their new stadium outside my front door, I would still drive the 15 miles to Stonebridge Road to watch the Fleet!

I don't think its the current fans that are the concern so much as attracting new ones...it will be a lot harder to persuade new fans to come to Stonebridge road if there is the option of watching Gillingham lose at home to Scunthorpe.

[Fleetbabe]

Anyone else got any comments, referring back to my original question, which was:

 

How could Gravesend and Nothfleet F.C be affected were the plans of Championship side Gillingham FC to relocate to the Gravesham area put into action?

 

More comments please, I can use all of these, and thanx 2 those who have already posted.

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/angel.gif" alt="" /><img src="/forum/images/graemlins/top.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/icon_band222.gif" alt="" />

[Fleetbabe]

PLEASE PEOPLE, I NEED MORE COMMENTS ON THE ORIGINAL QUESTION, AS I THINK EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN SAY ON THIS, AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN INTERVIEW ALL OF THE FLEET FANS IN ONE GO.

 

FLEETBABE

[smithyman]

One thought I had would be the possible impact on attendances. There has been suggestions that our attendance suffers when both Gillingham and ourselves are at home on the same day. Obviously both being at home on the same day would probably not happen if both grounds were in the Gravesham area as the police would probably not be able to provide sufficient prescence at both grounds. As a result we could pick up a number of extra 'fans' from Gillingham supporters not wanting to travel to their away game but still wanting to see a game of football.

[Harry J Allstars]

Quote:

One thought I had would be the possible impact on attendances. There has been suggestions that our attendance suffers when both Gillingham and ourselves are at home on the same day. Obviously both being at home on the same day would probably not happen if both grounds were in the Gravesham area as the police would probably not be able to provide sufficient prescence at both grounds. As a result we could pick up a number of extra 'fans' from Gillingham supporters not wanting to travel to their away game but still wanting to see a game of football.

Shut up smitthyman

[chilled out entertainer]

police prescence, are you having a laugh. two coppers could come to our ground any time of day or night. We are not exactly protection central when it comes to pigs wandering around. 2-4 max.

[smithyman]

It seems to me that my comments have been misintrepreted. I was simply responding to Fleetbabe's request for points to consider as part of her coursework and in no way was I expressing a view that I would want Gillingham to come to the Gravesend area. I am as against the idea as anyone else. As for the police presence I was simply referring to the police prescence at the ground on matchday which I think you'll agree generally exceeds the 2-4 max that Squawkident talks about.

[Fleetbabe]

Hey there's no need to fight over it. All I wanted was some simple comments to quote from for my coursework when drawing my conclusions. Mind you, when you speak of Gillingham nothing's simple is it?!

[Hempstead Gaz]

The financial implications for Fleet would be severe. We cannot hope to compete with a team from the Football league (at present), If Gillingham were to relocate and rebrand themselves Ebbsfleet Hotspurs, together with the associated ancilliary income stream projects, we would have no areas to develop our own finances. People would choose between the pubs/clubs/bars/sports centres etc BUT NOT use both. The smaller of the two would suffer.

It cannot be in Fleets interest for Gillingham to join Fleet at Ebbsfleet.Peversely, for other reasons, it makes no sound business sense for Gillingham to relocate there either.

1 They are in perpetual financial difficulites, having to be a selling club rather than a buying club.

2 They still owe money on the Medway Stand.

3 They are unable to fill their existing ground.

4 The main area for their income resulting from the move has been ruled out by the Government - only 8 super casinos nationally instead of 50 odd.

5 Who would finance a "super" stadium?

Not Gravesham Council.

Not Medway Council.

Not the scally as he has publically stated he is quitting in 4 years.

Hope this if some use.

[chilled out entertainer]

there NEVER seems to be more than 2-4 at or around the ground. i think twice i have seen a riot van parked outside. if that!

[Guest]

I can sum up my thoughts in two sentences:

If a team is called Gillingham it should play in Gillingham and if a team is called Gravesend and Northfleet it should play in Gravesend or Northfleet. To go against this will do no good to anyone.