FRIENDS OF SLOUGH

[defrancog]

Just to quibble a little with the last post.....what we could likely fund may not be enough to maintain the club at the same level. I say "might" because who really knows what is possible in extreme cases. It might be that the team has to endure a couple of relegation seasons before we reach a level that we are able to fund. Point is, should we face up to this now???

[A Rebel and a Saint]

i suppose we do have to be realistic, STST is a supporters trust for a small non league club with little regular support and a council that doesnt care about its future, its not going to be enough to fund a club at this level without a serious investment.

[Burnham Lad]

Hey Guys - we are seeing urgency about our situation on this thread - and we do need to start work now. Yes it is a hell of a challenge, but if we don't try we haven't a hope.

 

Yes we do need big money and that must come from sponsorship, but it could be more smaller sponsorships. I've said before if the club joined the Chamber of Commerce, it gives it a route to approach smaller local businesses, not just aboout sponsorship of the team, of players, of matches and matchballs, for advertising and by offering deals for tickets on the member to member offers - pay for five tickets get one free sort of thing......

 

We also need to understand where the Board are on all this. Mr Deaner has one more year of his promise for the rent, but it would be nice to know that that is still on the cards and whatever else he may be up to. Perhaps Bernard as a Director or Roy as Secretary can give us a steer on that? Is the Club prepared to offer shares for example or special debentures to raise some extra cash, or take on board low interest fan's loans? There are loads of things that can be tried - we just need to get on and do them.

 

Also "Saint Rebel", you made a comment about money raising for scouts not being good enough - of course it is. It is amazing how much money can be made from lots of small amounts, so have a go if you feel you can - no cash will be turned down, I am sure.

 

And what can the rest of us do - nobody can afford to do everything, but if we work together it is surprising - do what you can and in a way that you find appealing. There are many opportunities to raise cash for the club available now - Match sponsorship, player sponsorship, goal sponsorship. Can't afford to do any of those, how about sharing with someone else or a group like the Barmy army have done? Find others who can? Not joined the Trust? Please do - it is our best way forward.

 

We are a small club, and the amounts may not be big enough to run the club, but they as sure as anything may make the difference in bridging a financial gap or buying time before some larger finacial support comes in - if we don't do it, we don't have a hope at all, so let's go for it

 

So I'll put my money where my mouth is - Sponsoring a matchball cost £50. I am prepared to sponsor the matchball at two games between now and the end of the season for up to £25, if anyone, singly or in a group, is prepared to put up the remaining £25 for each ball.

 

Bang the Drum for STFC <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/icon_band222.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

I've always thought Slough Estates are the obvious one's to approach. The town of Slough is inextricably linked with their company having been where they first purchased land (600 acres on the Bath Road) in 1920 and their current Chairman is the grandson of one of the two original founders of the company.

 

Not only do they have money (pre-tax profits up 7% for their last half-year to £76million) but their speciality is land. If you don't ask, you don't get!

[Guest]

we have tried with Slough Estates..even got to wining and dining them ! but we could not even get an advertisment board from them !

 

what hope is there out there....its our own who need to start saving and paying or it could be capital league all season for us !!!!

 

having a laugh ...not me....It is seroius and we need to pull together on this one...

 

up the rebels.....

 

 

chris s.

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Absolutely but how can we do anything to make the huge amounts of money we need, is it worth sending begging letters to every compnay on the estate? Seriously lost for ideas here!

[Burnham Lad]

Marcus,

 

As I said, the Chamber of Commerce is a place to start, but it has to be a business that joins, so the Club or the "Trading as" part of the Trust would need to join - cost a hundred quid or so, but you get access to the entire membership directory of the chamber which is thousands of firms. There are a whole series of tools that could be used which they have for members to market to each other - but you have to put something in, such as member to member offers. If we get ourselves organised with a really good appeal letter, and some mailing labels, I am sure we have the computer power amongst fans to do a lot of the hard work. How about we set up a group of us within the Trust to look at what we can do - we can't just sit on our backsides and pray! I'm game if anyone is up for it.

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> STFC - Winners!!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

[A Rebel and a Saint]

Quote:

Also "Saint Rebel", you made a comment about money raising for scouts not being good enough - of course it is. It is amazing how much money can be made from lots of small amounts, so have a go if you feel you can - no cash will be turned down, I am sure.

I was actually thinking that the kinds of things that i have done to raise money for scouting wouldnt be right for fans, its cute when a little kid comes up to you and asks you if they can help with your shopping bags, if a fully grown guy in a Slough shirt does it its just wrong!
Ideas you could use could be simple things - car washing, various jumble sales, raffles etc, you may have already tried thisbut if you can organise a few of these things at several times of year and they get well advertised, you can get a hell of a lot!

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Andrew I'm in!

[Tom]

When is the next trust meeting, because I feel these issues need to be raised then. Simply spirting ideas on here is not going to really go anywhere, more co-operation and action undertaken by the trust can only make these things happen.

[Burnham Lad]

Not trying to do things outside the Trust, Tom, but the Board can't do everything - they need some volunteers, and this is getting too serious to leave until somebody else does something. So, are you in or out? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/top.gif" alt="" />

[A Rebel and a Saint]

without chat like this you wouldnt have any ideas! without the ideas there wouldnt be nothing to put forward to the board! some of us arent in the trust but can come up with some ideas