WINDSOR SLOUGH MERGER.

[Guest]

I WOULD LIKE TO HERE ANY POSITIVE VIEWS ON THE ABOVE.

[Guest]

It will never happen, that's the most positive thing I can say about it!

[Guest]

POTENTIAL INCREASE IN SUPPORT?

INCREASED BACKING?

SUPPORTERS WORKING TOGETHER?

CONFERENCE FOOTBALL?

[Martin]

In response to the above:

 

1) No. The club would essentially be Windsor (they have the ground after all) and no Slough supporters would back that.

2) Neither sets of bankrollers are exactly rolling in ready cash.

3) No. Its a struggle as it is (and I am biting my tongue here).

4) No Slough have no ground and Windsor appear to have no desire or ability to improve Slug Meadow.

 

Pie in the sky nonsense uttered by someone who has no understanding of the passions of the supporters.

[Burnham Lad]

Quote:

Anonymous said:
I WOULD LIKE TO HERE ANY POSITIVE VIEWS ON THE ABOVE.

Why?

[mal316]

Quote:

Martin said:
4) No Slough have no ground and Windsor appear to have no desire or ability to improve Slug Meadow.

I wouldn't say that it is entirley true that we have no desire to improve the ground.

Two seasons ago alot of time and money was spent upgrading the terracing and before that the pitch perimeter fence was renewed.

There have been and are many plans in the pipeline to make the ground better including the training pitch, car park, irrigation system, new stand and covering behind the goals.

The biggest problem, as always, has been the lack of funds for these projects which is why the Supporters Club have been working to raise money to try and fund certain items each season, last season being the club house.

I am not saying that all these things will happen, but at least people at the club are making an effort to try and make them happen!

[Guest]

I DO WISH POSTERS ON THIS BOARD COULD THINK BEFORE THEY (A) GET PERSONAL AND ( ENTER A PERFECTLY VALID DISCUSSION ABOUT MOVING FORWARD THE QUALITY OF NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL IN THE WINDSOR AND SLOUGH AREA.

 

HERE ARE SOME POINTS I WISH TO MAKE:

 

OTHER AREAS HAVE BECOME MORE SUCCESSFULL AFTER MERGING THEIR FOOTBALL CLUBS, WINDSOR AND ETON THEMSELVES WERE BORN OF A MERGER.

 

WHILST WINDSOR EXIST ON SMALL CROWDS YEAR IN YEAR OUT SLOUGH RECENTLY HAD THE ABILITY TO ATTRACT FOUR FIGURE CROWDS, IT WOULD MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE TO COMBINE THE TWO OUTFITS.

 

THE WOULD BE A LARGER CATCHMENT AREA TO DEVELOP LOCAL OR SCHOOLBOY TALENT.

 

A TEAM UNDER AN EAST BERKSHIRE BANNER WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO ATTRACT SPONSORSHIP. CAN YOU NAME ANY WINDSOR SPONSOR?

 

WHILST WINDSOR PLAYED AWAY AY CHELMSFORD LAST SEASON SLOUGH ENTERTAINED WALSALL IN THE PROPER ROUNDS OF THE FA CUP, WHICH MATCH DO YOU THINK HAD THE HIGHER PROFILE?

 

WITH BOTH SETA OF SUPPORTERS UNITED WE MIGHT ACTUALLY ACHIEVE SOMETHING AND NOT JUST THE USUAL GIBBERISH ABOUT GROUND RE-DEVELOPMENT.

 

DENNIS GREENE ONCE SAID IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

[Guest]

Quote:

Anonymous said:

DENNIS GREENE ONCE SAID IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

Point Proven <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It's a rubbish idea. End of. I'd rather struggle in ryman div 2 than support East Berkshire Utd

[Guest]

EXACTLY WHAT WINDSOR AND ETON HAVE BEING DOING SINCE CIRCA 1992. yOUR WELCOME TO YOUR OPINION WOODY BUT JUST TRY AND LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE. IMAGINE BEING THE TEAM PEOPLE DIDNT WANT IN THE TROPHY!

[Guest]

Quote:

Anonymous said:
EXACTLY WHAT WINDSOR AND ETON HAVE BEING DOING SINCE CIRCA 1992. yOUR WELCOME TO YOUR OPINION WOODY BUT JUST TRY AND LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE. IMAGINE BEING THE TEAM PEOPLE DIDNT WANT IN THE TROPHY!

Imagine Windsor and Slough fans standing side by side! Hardly going to happen is it!

Besides if i wanted to watch a conference side there is Farnborough and Aldershite not to far away. We're a small club and always will be. What's wrong with that?

Nothing

[Guest]

I dont know Woody I think if you were honest you would admit you have a soft spot for Slough and wouldnt mind joining us.

[Guest]

NEITHER IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO SEE THE BEST STANDARD OF FOOTIE AVAILABLE WHILST STILL KEEPING A LOCAL IDENTITY. IF SIZE WAS A PROBLEM I COULD CLEAR OFF AND WATCH A LONDON CLUB. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/applaus.gif" alt="" />

[DECORUM]

Well, this subject has been discussed frequently in the past, and of course, both WEFC and STFC are the products of previous mergers in their histories and so there is precedent.

 

Unfortunately, if you merge two middling Ryman League clubs you end up with one middling Ryman League club. The only asset either club can offer is Stag Meadow; STFC has no assets to bring to the table since it does not 'own' its supporter base, and a team selected from both squads would still be a Ryman squad.

 

Remember also, both clubs attract a tiny minority of its population in support, even for so-called big games. In fact, last year Slough's average home gate was 0.25% of its population and Windsor's 0.5% of its population. Maidenhead attracts a similar percentage in Conference South.

 

In any merger, at least one, and often both sets of supporters inevitably feel they have 'lost' something and this would lead them to stay away and even feel a level of resentment to the new team. Merged clubs may therefore need to find new supporters who may not have followed the predecessor clubs. Where will they come from?

 

I am not aware that there exists an 'East Berkshire' identity or community spirit, but I certainly am aware of one in Windsor and another one in Slough.

 

Actually, there is nothing wrong with Ryman football, and at least in WEFC's case, it is sustainable. Why does this area need a team in a higher league?

[Burnham Lad]

"OTHER AREAS HAVE BECOME MORE SUCCESSFULL AFTER MERGING THEIR FOOTBALL CLUBS, WINDSOR AND ETON THEMSELVES WERE BORN OF A MERGER."

 

But, sadly, it did not automatically follow. There are examples of mergers where the difference is invisible - Burnham and Hillingdon for one. For the success of a merger, it would have to be wholeheartedly supported by both the owners of the clubs and the supporters and I see little evidence of it on here.

 

"WHILST WINDSOR EXIST ON SMALL CROWDS YEAR IN YEAR OUT SLOUGH RECENTLY HAD THE ABILITY TO ATTRACT FOUR FIGURE CROWDS, IT WOULD MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE TO COMBINE THE TWO OUTFITS."

 

It is a nice idea that it makes economic sense, but sadly economics doesn't work like that either. Just because STFC had a big crowd for certain games, it doesn't mean that any combined club would just add the two sets of fans together. Let's face it, as Decorum points out elsewhere, the proportion of Slough residents supporting the club was lower than Windsors, and Slough fans would argue they did far better when the base was actually in Slough. Apart from the hard core people don't travel "casually" from Slough to Windsor to support their no longer local team.

 

"THE WOULD BE A LARGER CATCHMENT AREA TO DEVELOP LOCAL OR SCHOOLBOY TALENT."

 

Most of the local teams of youngsters seem to me to be even more locally based - with teams based around very local neighbourhoods such as Burnham, Langley, Britwell etc. Supporting this would require enormous assets that neither club possesses. Not to mention the competition already faced from youngster schemes provided by teams like Chelsea.

 

"A TEAM UNDER AN EAST BERKSHIRE BANNER WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO ATTRACT SPONSORSHIP. CAN YOU NAME ANY WINDSOR SPONSOR?"

 

As someone else said, East Berkshire is not a local community in itself. One can argue that sponsorship at this level is generally provided by individuals who love football like the current Chairman of Windsor and Mr Deaner of Slough. We do not see the sponsorship of the big companies like the Hondas, the Mars, the O2s - that goes to the top end of the game. I cannot see that such a merger would change the view of their corporate marketing departments.

 

"WHILST WINDSOR PLAYED AWAY AY CHELMSFORD LAST SEASON SLOUGH ENTERTAINED WALSALL IN THE PROPER ROUNDS OF THE FA CUP, WHICH MATCH DO YOU THINK HAD THE HIGHER PROFILE?"

 

The answer is obvious, but it might just as easily have been the same the other way round - Windsor playing Walsall - a merger would have made little difference.

 

"WITH BOTH SETA OF SUPPORTERS UNITED WE MIGHT ACTUALLY ACHIEVE SOMETHING AND NOT JUST THE USUAL GIBBERISH ABOUT GROUND RE-DEVELOPMENT."

 

You are right, but what is needed to get both sets of supporters united? Clearly there has to be a vision of success and leadership from the top of both clubs, communicated in a way which wins the commitment of both sets of fans to really want the merger and for it to work. However logical and sensible that might appear, do you see any evidence of the factors for success in place? Ultimately you cannot argue with the analysis of Decorum about the passion and loyalty of fans to the two clubs - the combined "might" could actually lose more than it would gain.

 

Nice idea, but I see no evidence so far to suggest it would work.

[Guest]

Excuse my cynicism but this sounds awfully like a Slough Borough Council/Friends of Slough/Slough Express type saga.

[GarySTFC]

Bryce Martin reports live from the Fans Focus forums....

[Woody SUFC]

Quote:

Anonymous said:
I dont know Woody I think if you were honest you would admit you have a soft spot for Slough and wouldnt mind joining us.

Although i don't mind you lot (apart from Radders. He's a c word <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/alk.gif" alt="" /> ) I'm never going to Support Sluff

[Burnham Lad]

Quote:

Anonymous said:
Excuse my cynicism but this sounds awfully like a Slough Borough Council/Friends of Slough/Slough Express type saga.

Hey Ian, I hope you're referring to what Golden Lion said! I don't think a merger would work!!!!!!!!! (No - it's not me either!)

[Guest]

i think we can all agree that a merger just won't work

 

for every positive theres 4 times as many negatives

 

lets forget about this idea and look forward to the coming season

[Martin]

Quote:

mal316 said:
I wouldn't say that it is entirley true that we have no desire to improve the ground.

There does not seem to be all that much desire or available cash to improve the ground to Conference South or National standards. I also thought there were issues with planning?

The work on the clubhouse is all very nice but it is not going to mesmerise the ground inspectors is it?