Raising the Cash (AGAIN)

[Burnham Lad]

We have had a number of posts with suggestions about raising the cash, with a load of ideas, so I find it amazing that we are going around the same loop yet again.

 

What we really need is to a) GET PROFESSIONAL and get somebody from the Trust Board to take responsibility for pulling all the ideas together and getting something going. Just posting on here isn't going to get us anywhere. We also need to work with the Club to start helping them with their fund raising activities.

 

Clearly, if we have one person taking control of this, they can then get a fund raising committee to work with them with some specific targets.

 

To put it in context and repeating my previous post, we have one very simple target to reach regarding the rent. If we have 400 fans we need each one to raise around £62.50, by any means they choose.

 

So what do we need to do?

 

Firstly, I think it is time to get very blunt with the club. Either the money to fund the team and to pay the rent is forthcoming or it isn't. Deadline end of this week. No more - "I am feeling confident it will be paid" No More - "This is between the Clubs and simple fans should not interfere". If they want people to put their hands in their pockets, or to give their valuable time, a few ifs, maybes and empty promises are absolutely no use to anyone at this stage of the pre-season. So time is to to either do the business or get off the potty and stop wasting everybody's time.

 

This failure seriously impacts one major way of raising finance which is to sell advertising and sponsorships. How the heck can anybody do that? No business man or woman approached to support the club is going to produce funds after headlines like last week in the Observer. And I am not blaming you, Gary, you recorded the true situation. But unless we can show such people that the club is not going to fold after three or four matches and has a firm groundshare for the season and money to pay a team, then forget selling them anything. So please STFC Management, the performance so far looks unprofessional - come on and help yourselves by ending the uncertainty. Roy is doing his best but even he can't produce the miracle if there really is no cash. We are running out of time and it is now put up or pack up.

 

What else can we do to raise funds? Several people have suggested car booting. All we need is for some folks to actually get together and DO IT! The giant car boots at Denham and Taplow would be good places to try.

 

We can look at selling goods at a stall in the high street. The club shop products are of excellent quality and I suspect that things like the blue sweatshirts and other things we could get to sell would raise some money as well as profile and who knows, perhaps we could run a game with prizes for whoever can hit an effigy of the leader of the council with a wet sponge. A bit of irreverance will always raise some cash.

 

How about sponsored charitable activities? We choose a few jobs that need doing around the borough for good causes and get people to sponsor us to do them. The work gets done and some cash is raised for the club?

 

There are also quite a few ideas for events that have been suggested which could run. But we actually need the Trust board to say, right "John Doe" is in charge of fund raising and everybody who is prepared to do something, contact him/her and we will run a fundraising committee, discuss all the ideas, select the best and then start organising them.

 

Time for action now, not words! Oh, and "John Doe" - I'll help.

[SteveDelaney]

All Supermarkets have noticeboards with credit size advertising cards on can't we get cards printed advertising Slough Town on one side and a mini fixture list on the other say next 5 to 10 games and have them updated there after.

[Roger Rebel]

Why not 25 fans putting up a £1000 each.

[DECORUM]

Quote:

Roger Rebel said:
Why not 25 fans putting up a £1000 each.

If 25 such individuals exist, it would be risky to donate money specifically for the ground rental when there are many other aspects (financial and non-financial)that could still result in the club folding at any time. It would be naive to believe that WEFC is the only entity to whom STFC is currently unable or unwilling to meet its commitments.

Any offer to contribute to the ground rental should be in parallel with clear and verifiable information from STFC that it can meet its other obligations for season 2005/2006. The pitch is no good without the team.

[Ian]

I think Roger's point is valid in as much that whilst we have a regular fan base of 400, it's usually the same 25 (approx.) who do most of the work, organising, fund raising and handing over of cash (over and above season tickets and general merchandising sales).

 

Everyone was very generous with the Worthing walk but I'm not doing 62 miles every time we need to raise a couple of thousand pounds!

[Ian]

Oh, and by the way, half the money raised by the Prediction League goes to the Supporters Trust so get your predictions in NOW!!!!

[DECORUM]

Don't get me wrong, the suggestion is commendable, and 25 people is not that many.

BUT the 25 people would not know if their generosity would result in STFC playing at the Meadow for a full season because the club must meet its other commitments and we do not know what they are, or their quantity. If STFC is looking for ways to avoid paying WEFC, it is reasonable to speculate that other creditors are being dealt with in the same way. How many generous supporters will be needed for those debts?

[SteveDelaney]

I know my earlier post has nothing to do with raising money but I hope the idea has been noted.

[Ian]

I think to even suggest that the Club are trying to avoid paying WEFC is a bit of an insult. Say what you like about Martyn but he's given this club several years of football at his own considerable expense.

 

Fans willing to cough up £25,000, and then a considerable load more for wages on top, with the guarantee of absolutely bugger all back (except a load of abuse) can ring Roy Merryweather on 01753-554833.

[Guest]

I read with interest the suggestion that cards with details of fixtures etc could be displayed in supermarkets, pubs etc.

 

I am working in India at the moment and will be back in Slough in the next week or so. I do not have the time to make this happen, however I am willing to pay for say 50 plastic display holders with cards and monthly updates. Cash up front!

 

I will contact Chris S. when I get home, so if someone can design the things, source them and get a cost estimate it would be a start, I am sure someone must have the relevant contacts and a few fans to actually go out and distribute them. I have been a fan home and away for 40 years or so and would be saddened more than most if Slough were unable to continue at a reasonable level.

[Ian]

Another idea is to devote a page or two in the programme listing the shops and restaurants who will display a fixtures poster in their window.

 

It's something Brighton do - a sort of "Friends of B&HAFC", so fans can see those companies willing to display posters and help the club and in return they get their name in the programme for supporters to see as a bit of advertising.

[HorshamRebel]

We've done a bucket every now and again to raise cash, but the problem with that is it is the same people each time puttng money in.

 

How about we ask the landlord/landlady of the Stag to see if he/she is willing to put a collection container for us in their bar, I know they took one of our fixture list leaflets in the high street.

 

That way it can be active all week, and when it is a football day, fans can contribuet whilst drinking.

 

It has also got to be good business for them, to keep us going at the Stag in the coming season, so I would guess they will be willing.

[brighton_rebel]

A tried and tested way of raising a bit of cash would be for every game to be sponsored - the match and the ball - and try and get as many kids to become mascots for games. Surely someone wants to be a mascot for the AFC Wimbledon game?

To get the ball rolling i'm once again asking any exiled Rebels out there to get together and chip in the required £100 to sponsor a match. If you interested email me at info@forestgarden.fsnet.co.uk and soon as we've got enough i'll sort it out with Chris Silski.

[HorshamRebel]

BR, you can count on me.

[Martin]

Quote:

Andrew S said:
What we really need is to a) GET PROFESSIONAL and get somebody from the Trust Board to take responsibility for pulling all the ideas together and getting something going. Just posting on here isn't going to get us anywhere. We also need to work with the Club to start helping them with their fund raising activities.

Firstly we are not professional. The club is semi-professional the rest of us are just supporters trying to do the best for the team. Secondly a fund raising committee has already been established by the trust. The trust already helps the club with the fundraising in many ways including with advertising boards matchday sponsorship etc. I know others including yourself have offered help and Roy knows all he has to do is ask.

Quote:

Andrew S said: Firstly, I think it is time to get very blunt with the club. Either the money to fund the team and to pay the rent is forthcoming or it isn't. Deadline end of this week. No more - "I am feeling confident it will be paid" No More - "This is between the Clubs and simple fans should not interfere". If they want people to put their hands in their pockets, or to give their valuable time, a few ifs, maybes and empty promises are absolutely no use to anyone at this stage of the pre-season. So time is to to either do the business or get off the potty and stop wasting everybody's time.

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment Andrew but that is not the way it works. We are supporters we either support the club or we don't. We have just to have to take it on faith that everyone wants the club to survive and thrive. Roy is not going to make any promises or give any information if he does not think it is advisable to do so.

Quote:

Andrew S said:What else can we do to raise funds? Several people have suggested car booting. All we need is for some folks to actually get together and DO IT! The giant car boots at Denham and Taplow would be good places to try.

Just get on and do it then! There is no need to run every idea by the trust board. If you want to raise some money through car booting just do it. Advertise it on here or just mention it to people at games for either goods to be donated or others to help and get down there. The trust will happily accept any proceeds. As far as I am aware Ian did not run the prediction league idea past the trust. He has just organised it with the pledge that half the proceeds go to the trust which is great. If however an idea needs more hands to get it running or cash input up front bring it to the trust board and I am sure we will support you.

There is no silver bullet.

[Guest]

Yes all valid points ...

 

As martin said (don't wait for others to start the ball rolloing get out there and do it) fund raising should be everyone's task not just the few..

 

Andrew I know your not happy that you got a rebuff re some of you ideas , but as supporters we just can not sit idely by...all and anyones efforts to raise money will be comended for honours as far as your fellow supporters will be concerned !

 

As a matter of accounting all this extra revenue this will be held in an account and use wisely and I will ensure the account will be monitored and donations made to our parent club.

 

This money is the clubs money as it will be raised to ensure we continue forward..

 

I hope you all will go ahead and do what you can for the rebels...

 

cheers chris sliski

 

personally....

 

NB ++

 

if the trust raises money for the trust - then the money can be held by the trust and made as a donation to our club , but remember if its over 2000 pounds we will need to hold egm's to vote on this by our members.

 

but money raised on the back of football club issues should be donated straight to the football club.

 

cheers chris

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Totally agree,i can understand much of what Andrew said as we did offer to try to get some cash for the club (when i had some pretty useful contacts i was seeing regularly) last season and were basically told we were sticking our noses in and things were all under control! And i know that all we have heard is people saying "What's happenign etc etc" But i think its drawing the time that we need to know what is going on, I wouldnt buy a season ticket as i can rarely make tuesdays, but if i was a relatively new fan considering it, i dont think i would at the moment with the season itself still seeming uncertain, if we are FINE let the fans know and you will sell more tickets, if NOT then we have a BIT of time to do all we can!

[SteveDelaney]

On the aspect of fixture cards we can also distribute them at our home fixtures for people to put in there wallets and issue to friends not every body buys a programme or has the local paper or internet always the case of fans wondering if there is a game on with one of these you have an instant answer.

In the past flyers have been given out advertising a game but the first thing people do is to screw it up and throw it on the ground.

I suspect that putting them in shops might incure a rental charge but that is what putting money into the trust is for, try one or two shops out to see if it works no harm done if the idea fails you won't find out without giving it a go.

[SteveDelaney]

Forgot to mention putting them in the libaries etc.

[GarySTFC]

I think the shops might be a bit more acceptable to the idea if they are told those that display the fixture lists will be featured in the matchday programme and a page on the website.