Where is G&NF going next season

[BustaGut]

Our financial situation is one of the most worrying things for me. The chances of improvment to the team, seems very unlikely, due to our financial restriction because of lack of income from falling attendences and also lack of sponsorship.

I can only see a forth coming season of fighting against relagation.

With loan players being withdrawn as the standard of football falls etc.

I KNOW I KNOW Doom and gloom, and this season is not over yet,but we were led to believe by the management that we could and would be up there at the top fighting for a play off place.

The TRUTH of the matter is, that if we had not had such a good start to the season, We would not only be amongst the clubs fighting relgation, but on present form one of the main relagation contestants if not rock bottom.

I am not sure as fleet supporters we can sit here and bemoan other clubs luck. Or point out where they all went wrong,Financialy or any other way.

As I believe without a injection of cash for next season, we maybe one of the clubs being discussed.

Where did it all went wrong etc!!!!!

The club needs new and consistant support from the town.( I know wheel invented) and a benifactor or benifactors that can give the club long term major financial backing,Without wanting to dictate to the club.

If it,s a toilet paper company and they want to call the ground bum alley so what!!!! as long as it other peoples bums we are wiping the floor with!!!!!! and we have the finances to do it with.

[jc]

Quote:

BustaGut said:we were led to believe by the management that we could and would be up there at the top fighting for a play off place.

No-one really believed we would be this season though, surely?

[Hempstead Gaz]

I suppose if we get 5 more points, that will be considered by some an improvement on last season. But given our full time status, perhaps our expectations ought to be have been a bit more than 1 point better.

[Stu M]

In my mind full-time status was never going to confer an immediate improvement. Indeed it's arguable whether it will enable us to finish any higher up the table than we usually do. Full-time football in the Conference smacks of 'keeping up with the joneses' and is probably a necessary evil to avoid getting left behind the rest of the clubs. While we are strengthening, so is everyone else, so just labelling us 'full-time' isn't a magic passport to a top-ten finish.

[John Pearce]

I am not going to answer that question with the answer that many would expect from me.

 

However, it is safe to say that unless there is something dramatic going on behind the scenes, I am worried, very worried.

 

Particularly if the incumbent manager is still in control next season.

[jc]

Quote:

Stu M said:
In my mind full-time status was never going to confer an immediate improvement. Indeed it's arguable whether it will enable us to finish any higher up the table than we usually do. Full-time football in the Conference smacks of 'keeping up with the joneses' and is probably a necessary evil to avoid getting left behind the rest of the clubs. While we are strengthening, so is everyone else, so just labelling us 'full-time' isn't a magic passport to a top-ten finish.

Precisely. Because (I think) 17 Conference teams are predominantly full-time, one has to finish above several full-time sides in order to finish in the top half.

[Bernard]

We have gone from being one of the best part-time teams in the country to one of the worst full-time ones, meaning players are even harder to come by, although they can form more of a rapport by training together more frequently. These factors cancel each other out, so surely it can't be a surprise that we are still languishing around mid-table?

[BustaGut]

My Question is i guess, are we good enough to stay up next season, going on our present form???and with our present squad

Full time or not ? as I cannot see any further money coming in to help the club at the moment.Only see us losing our sponsorship, And as a supporter see not a glimmer of another one on the horizon. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

[Alan W (GNFC)]

There will be at least 1 more full time team next year as well - I see Tamworth have said they are going full time (survival in the Conference permitting, I guess)

[Robbo]

Plus Weymouth might come up if St Albans don't pip them to the Conf South Title. They are full time aren't they?

[Stu M]

One would hope, being ruthless, that Canvey don't drop out of the league as they'll find it hard to sustain a challenge next season. Scarborough will apparently be automatically relegated anyway unless they come out of administration by the end of May. It doesn't leave that many 'weak' teams next season - let's hope some real duffers will win the playoffs!

[BustaGut]

Quote:

Stu M said:
One would hope, being ruthless, that Canvey don't drop out of the league as they'll find it hard to sustain a challenge next season. Scarborough will apparently be automatically relegated anyway unless they come out of administration by the end of May. It doesn't leave that many 'weak' teams next season - let's hope some real duffers will win the playoffs!

SO HOPE OF SURVIVAL THEN HEHE

[Fleetbabe]

Quote:

Bernard said:
We have gone from being one of the best part-time teams in the country to one of the worst full-time ones, meaning players are even harder to come by, although they can form more of a rapport by training together more frequently. These factors cancel each other out, so surely it can't be a surprise that we are still languishing around mid-table?

But we're not completely full time yet are we?

[Slartibartfast]

No but we have stopped signing part-timers so as Bernard rightully pointed out as one of the highest placed part-time teams in the pyramid we could attract the very best part-time players but as one of the lowest placed full-time teams in the pyramid we are going to struggle to attract good quality players.

If we are not careful we might end up with a lot of inexperienced youngsters are prepared to work cheaply for us because they can't get in anyone elses team.

[BustaGut]

Quote:

jc said:

Quote:

BustaGut said:we were led to believe by the management that we could and would be up there at the top fighting for a play off place.

No-one really believed we would be this season though, surely?

I believe that supporters were led to believe that G&NFC we going to do better than they do in a normal season.So regular supporters turned up with higher expectations than normal,Half way through the season, the football turned to hoof it up in the air and chase the ball.As this style progressed,Supporters stopped coming through the gates.Anyone can watch that style of footbal in our lower local leagues for nothing.

[Jeff]

Pretty fair assumption Busta.

More or less at the same time Charlie got injured.

[jc]

Quote:

BustaGut said:Only see us losing our sponsorship, And as a supporter see not a glimmer of another one on the horizon.

Just because nothing's been announced yet, it doesn't mean there's nothing in the pipeline. That said, Victor's shirt sponsorship deal was a pretty lucrative one by non-league standards.

Quote:

Alan W (GNFC) said:
There will be at least 1 more full time team next year as well - I see Tamworth have said they are going full time (survival in the Conference permitting, I guess)

Southport have announced the same.

Quote:

BustaGut said:I believe that supporters were led to believe that G&NFC we going to do better than they do in a normal season.So regular supporters turned up with higher expectations than normal

But seasoned supporters were surely wise and experienced enough to know that these things take time. I expected a league finish similar to last season's, and it looks like we're going to end up somewhere close to 14th.

Quote:

Fleetbabe said:But we're not completely full time yet are we?

And even when we are, the large proportion of full-timers in the division means we still won't have a divine right to be in the top half or challenging for the play-offs. Furthermore, being ostensibly one of the financially poorer full-time sides in the division, there is a danger, as Slarti suggests, that our full-timers will predominantly have to be relatively young players, which could prove harmful if it leaves our team too inexperienced.

[BustaGut]

As i stated in another post JC, that there is no feedback at all from the club as far as I have seen, Which leaves all wide open to speculation.If the club like there membership to have low moral and low expectation, then they are doing a good job.Any positive feedback from the club would be nice.No need to name names etc,but at least let the supporters of there club know its not all bad. In my opnion if they want more people to buy season tickets, then there has to be positive vibes coming from the club.At the moment along with the results is all doom and gloom sadly.The club needs a good PR officer. Who from time to time maybe popped there head in this forum. There are so many minor things that could be changed, to make the club look far more proffesional.Like a PR, where is it ???? as i pointed out the other week penalty shoot off, no mic????? No idea whats going on. The away supporters were more than likely laughing there heads off at how bad as a club we present things. it,s little things that can and does make us look second rate.

[jc]

On the issue of sponsorship, the club are hardly likely to say anything until everything's signed and sealed.

 

In general, though, you are correct - communication could be improved. For instance, a page in the programme giving updates on the progress of injured players' recoveries would be welcome.

[Bloodnock]

Nothing has changed, the silence has always been deafening at Stonebridge road.

PR is very often one of the most imprtant aspects of running a business, and like it or not that's what the club is, you'll never attract punters as a divine right, and if you don't go that extra mile to keep them abreast of the situation re. the clubs thoughts etc., even the hardcore fans will become dissillusioned.

We can see evidence of this already this season, and sad to say we don't really have a manager whose public profile is very inspirational, ita ll seems rather drab and dire at the moment.