In the local papers this week . . .

[JimGNFC]

Back of Reporter, Club warning that unless Season Ticket Sales go well it may not be able to mount a serious play-off push next season. With crowds disappointing this season the Club may have to budget accordingly. Promotion push is in fan's hands it procliams!

 

More worryingly, in the KM the Club highlights the fact it cannot sustain full-time football on crowds of 618 (Hereford). Of course this is pretty obvious to most of us but still a concern the Club is having to spell this out.

 

I don't envy the Boards task of trying to budget for next season when you consider 1 week we are getting 1616 (Accrington Friday Night) and another week 618.

[Richard C]

I will buy mine next season and thats off the back of all the c*** performances recently!! get as many as you can to part with their cash and we may just be able to do it!!

[FleetFanatic]

'Tis OK - there's a £35million Euromillions draw tonight.

 

Seriously though - the better attendances have been coming on the Friday nights.

 

Hence why I said expect (even) more of them next season.

 

Build a team fit for promotion & they will come in their thousands.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Ed Miller summed up the feeling of the average Fleet fan by saying we have looked utterly bereft of ideas of late.

Further valid points we made about Lee Protheroe and our full backs lack of passing ability.

At least I know I am not alone with these thoughts.

[jc]

Yep - Ed's column this week certainly offers an excellent summary of where we are at present. Highly recommended reading.

[jc]

Quote:

JimGNFC said:More worryingly, in the KM the Club highlights the fact it cannot sustain full-time football on crowds of 618 (Hereford). Of course this is pretty obvious to most of us but still a concern the Club is having to spell this out.

Also of note from that article was the following sentence (not quoted directly from Brian, I hasten to add):

"Before the start of the season, the club’s board of directors budgeted for home crowds of 1,250."

Every now and again since we began going full-time, someone has posted on here that the club budgeted in the summer on crowds of whatever figure, and Dave has reminded them that the club never made an announcement of the sort. Now, I wonder if this figure of 1250 provides final clarification on the issue or not.

P.S. Also of note in the Distorter this week is the somewhat generous summary of the York match from Liam. He suggests that we were 'unlucky not to come away with something' when, despite a concerted and commendable second half effort, we only managed one shot on target all game; and then goes on to say that the first half was 'pretty even-stevens', when all we really had was a half-chance for Slatter while York, amongst other attempts, had three efforts cleared off the line. Indeed, all this makes Charles Webster's claim that our improved second-half display merited 'at least a point' even more bizarre.

[Hempstead Gaz]

I suppose Brain could always appoint a manager whose aspirations were greater than mid-table mediocity, dour, negative, route 1 football, and satisfaction with 0-0 draws.

Oh, I forget, he resigned last year.

[Hirsty]

You are begining to get a bit boring now CG, I regret to say.....move on mate.....

[kmj]

I wonder if anyone else has noticed that of our two excellent regular contributors to the local press, the one who was criticised by Brian as being negative and of having nothing good to say about the Club, has actually been (despite limited evidence on the field), pretty positive of late, and yet Brian's favourite has in his latest column become accurately rather cutting of the way things are now going. How long before we get one of Brian's rare postings on this forum to comment on this unexpected development?

[WhiteBucket]

I would hope I'd have the defence of 'fair comment' on this one! I'm not into arbitrarily slagging the club/manager just because we've lost a few games, but it's plain for most people to see that the last few weeks have been devoid of entertainment... and if I tried to dress it up any other way, it would ring a bit hollow!

 

I'm always aware that being too negative in the local paper might persuade a few floating fans to stay away if they think it's THAT bad, so I try to steer clear of negativity, but after five games of what we had to put up with recently, I felt it worthy of comment!!

[kmj]

Fair comment indeed, Ed. Keep up the good work.

[Harry J Allstars]

Quote:

JimGNFC said:
Back of Reporter, Club warning that unless Season Ticket Sales go well it may not be able to mount a serious play-off push next season. With crowds disappointing this season the Club may have to budget accordingly. Promotion push is in fan's hands it procliams!

More worryingly, in the KM the Club highlights the fact it cannot sustain full-time football on crowds of 618 (Hereford). Of course this is pretty obvious to most of us but still a concern the Club is having to spell this out.

I don't envy the Boards task of trying to budget for next season when you consider 1 week we are getting 1616 (Accrington Friday Night) and another week 618.

In the reporter Brian was saying that unless fans pick up their season tickets early then it will damage our prospects for next season.

Now personally I think the fans are staying away for two reason's

1 Daish's negative play. Brian has come on this message board through David Holden and said "if it's effective it works". Not for the six games previous to Tamworth it wasn't.

2 Daish's lack of tactics. Is an idea of good tactics something you're born with or do you learn it as you go through life?

So then Brian blames next seasons budget on the fans staying away, the fans are staying away because of Daish's style of play. The long ball game isn't effective because people are staying away and the club ultimately loss' out.

However while I say this two players told me after the Scarborough game that they are very happy with the manager and that the team spirit is good. They both think he has brought in better players and that the team is improving beacuse of him.

[Slartibartfast]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:
However while I say this two players told me after the Scarborough game that they are very happy with the manager and that the team spirit is good. They both think he has brought in better players and that the team is improving beacuse of him.

I expect they know a bit more about football than you or me and an awful lot more about Daish than we do.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Perhaps they were spinning the club line. After all, it wouldn't do for players to go public saying they had no faith in the manager.

For that they cannot be criticised.

For us fans, however, it is different.

We have to pay hard earned cash to endure games of late.

Many now no longer do not - hence the recent drop in attendances to more than 400 below the Clubs break even figure of 1250.

Liam was on RK after the game saying it is all about results.

It is not as simple as that. The product needs to attractive on the field to encourage more fans. If it isn't they stay away. FACT.

We are now safe mid table - it would do no harm to experiment now with a more attacking style of play. Brian asked that we all buy season tickets early for next year. Faced with the prospect of another season of dull, uninspiring, mid table, route 1 football, substitutions on 85 minutes, and an apparent lack of alternative tactics, is it any wonder why people seem reluctant to spend £185?

In spite of a groundswell of opinion that the fans are not that happy with the performances on the pitch, nothing seems to be radically changing.

The honeymoon is over now, for Liam to win back his critics, my gut feeling is there ought to be a little more tinkering.

[BustaGut]

As i said previously results are important, but as a fan i expect to be entertained as well,even though we won sat, i cannot say i found it entertaining.just a relef that we scrapped some points. the kids penalty shoot out, what was that all about ??? did anyone care? no one bothered to take a mic, announce who was taking a kick or anything,seemed as if going through the motions to keep someone happy.as i said entertain us be proffesional,if your going do a kids penalty kick off thing then get a mic and entertain the crowd.

[Ray ellingham]

lots of clubs tend to have a mc type person with a roving mic they also anounch the team line ups this way and least it could get the crowd bit more involved prior to kick off

[John Pearce]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:

1 Daish's negative play. Brian has come on this message board through David Holden and said "if it's effective it works". Not for the six games previous to Tamworth it wasn't.

2 Daish's lack of tactics. Is an idea of good tactics something you're born with or do you learn it as you go through life?

So then Brian blames next seasons budget on the fans staying away, the fans are staying away because of Daish's style of play.

Why Harry; do I detect some agreement with the comments that I have made through the season and have been so criticised, particularly by you, for making. Do I detect a little restlessness, some unhappyness??

Could I suggest that, as you are always so keen to point out to everybody that you disagree with, you confront Daish in the bar about the negative tactics that you refer to. As you know he is always available in the bar after games.

I am sure he will listen most intently, consider your comments and then I am sure will give you a positive response??

[FleetFanatic]

Hmmm the club could make some money out of this.

 

Well for one round anyway. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/boxing.gif" alt="" />

[jc]

Quote:

Ray ellingham said:
lots of clubs tend to have a mc type person with a roving mic they also anounch the team line ups this way and least it could get the crowd bit more involved prior to kick off

'Wicksy' used to do that.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

Quote:

Club warning that unless Season Ticket Sales go well it may not be able to mount a serious play-off push next season.

 

My one year self imposed season ticket exile will be over next season ( protest at boards handling of Andy Ford, as proved this year us fans can not be taken for granted ) . So at least season ticket sales may go up by one. If that does not fund a serious play off push, can I request that it funds an hysterical one instead.

 

 

Up the Fleet