Player Sponsorship

[Margate Football Club]

Don’t miss out, sign up now to sponsor your favourite player and receive their shirt, signed, at the end of the Season plus your name or business listed in this Season’s home programmes. You can choose between the traditional royal blue and white home shirt or the amber and black away shirt. The cost is £100.00 plus VAT, you can either click on the link on the squad page or contact the office on 01843 221769.

 

Up the Gate!

[Cookie]

How about laying out some money out on advertising,on a commercial manager to promote the club more.These things will get people to spend more at the club than a dozen shirts at a ton a piece.Come on,why dont you concentrate on these things.We need people in through the gate & that will make far more money for the club.And how about an update(official)about the progress on the ground,if any,while we're about it.

I went to Dover & was surprised at just how professional they are at promoting the club compared to ours. I think we need to take note of their work down there & at other clubs,to speculate to accumalate rather than take a few bob here & there for shirt sponsorship.I'm sorry but I am incensed that the club can come on here with a request like this when there are more important & worthwhile issues to be covered. Get another 50 people in through the gate & after 3 games those shirt sponsorship monies will have been equalled or even surpassed by the added number on the gate.By not using any money in the bank in the right way this club is losing out bigtime & that prevents us from being a richer club than we are at present.And we all know how that filters down the line dont we? More money, better facilities,better players,more chance of promotions,higher leagues then more money through further added attendances,higher gate receipts etc etc etc.Time to put things into gear surely than to be going on about a dozen shirts at a £100 EACH. Oops,sorry I forgot about the V.A. bloody T. The £17.50 per shirt.

And finally,to those that think I am obsessed with attendance figures I am not.Its just that I understand how important it is to get people in,not only for the swelling of the clubs coffers but to encourage the players to perform week in week out too..! Ooh,I'm so annoyed!!

[Coffin Ender]

Please give specific examples of the kind of things that Dover do that you think we should do.

[Cookie]

I cant give "specifics" CE but when you visit Crabble you will see for yourself what I mean. When its full of people as it was last night you can feel it let alone see it! You just KNOW its run well by just being there amongst it.Yes they havent not be good with the cash in the past but it looks like they ARE getting there house in order there now!.

I'm just glad that my home town is Margate born & bred & that this club is in my heart & thats why I feel we could be doing a lot more than we are doing at present.Whatever it is they do down there it feels right.Lets face it it wasnt JUST the fact that Spurs were down there last night to attract 1301 people.It HAD to be announced,advertised & promoted to get them there in the first place.

Just by seeing that crowd tells you something has has been done correctly.

I cant stand the fact that a bloke like JP is getting the benefits of it all.Though to be fair to the guy even HE must be doing something right.(See miracles DO happen!).I would like to think that the supporters get some benefit from it too.

[Coffin Ender]

1,301 was a decent crowd but let's not go overboard - it was a Spurs team after all. You could argue there should have been more.

[Cookie]

To be honest I thought as other Gate fans there did that the figure was under estimated. But we should all know by now that that happens often within football.

Staines town entertained the mighty Sheffield United last night & they could only muster 398 at their ground. So big names alone dont always attract big crowds especially as people know the FULL first team wont always, if ever, be appearing. One thing the club at Dover DID do was to get names of those coming & have them mentioned BEFORE the game. As it turned out all those players that we could see were going to appear actually DID appear. Thats not always the case.They at Dover did their homework & reaped the benefits for doing so.

Wouldnt you like to see 1300 here each week? It can be achieved if its gone about in the right way. Of course we all know that results,positive results make a big difference too.

[seasidesteve]

very well said cookie i agree with all youve said.

[MargateFan]

I would be pretty worried if the club started splashing out money on advertising and such like. I am not sure it is as easy as that. A salary for a commercial manager would have to come from - where? Gate receipts or the Director's pockets? Where would that leave the playing budget?

We know the gates we can get when we play good football and are winning things. From that kind of progress can come the other things. To talk a good team without delivering on the pitch would line someone's pockets with a decent salary, but not benefit the club in the longer term, as it would actually drive people away rather than attract them. A lot of clubs have come badly unstuck by trying to do too much without the resources for it. I would prefer our club to tread the path of fiscal responsibility rather than to look at what other clubs are doing and try to outdo them.

Dover always has had decent gates, I think that's the nature of the club rather than any big swinging marketing effort. And it is not long ago that Dover were teetering on the brink of extinction, for all that. We got 1000 for the Millwall game, who's to say we would not have got 1500 for Spurs?

It is very easy to say 'we should do this' and 'we should do that' - probably much harder to work out how and when to afford to be able to do it.

[michael]

I have to agree with Cookie on this one, and if instead of playing 'Ron Manager', i played 'Charlie Chairman',i would sacrifice 2 players salary in favour of one for a virtually full time commercial manager.

That may mean that team development takes a year longer than required, but if you build a solid financial foundation , you then have the resources to fund the playing side.

 

I guess thats what the commercial development at HDP is all about;but realistically, income streams must be 2 years away, so for now, the club should be imo paddling its own canoe.

 

I do feel that the club has been slow out of the blocks in 'promoting' shirt sponsorship.This could have been highlighted back in May to get some early funds in.

Lets see some creativity in other forms of sponsorship opportunities.

Coffin ender asks for examples-you only have to read programmes/websites of other clubs to see the myriad of possibilities.

 

One tries to remember that MFC are a part-time club with part -time officials giving as much time outside of their normal lives to devote to the club,and doing a great job on everyone's behalf, but i still think one can pass comment that imo for what its worth, a little more could still have been done this particular pre-season to promote the club.Other part-time clubs lower down the leagues even, have at least on the surface done more to market their local club

 

Is there not a University/College marketing graduate who wants to 'cut their teeth'in the commercial world and could set up a one man marketing side for one year(under guidance as most graduates are a bit naive of the real world)

[I am Spartacus]

Yes get the "Marketing" people in and what do you get. Money disappearing down the plug hole into a graduates CV with no increase in revenues but, probally a reduction in them.

 

The best form of "Marketing" is better results on the pitch. This will increase revenue by increased attendances not only from the people of Thanet but also from visiting fans wanting to see there team playing a successful one.

 

I have very rarely seen a "Marketing" firm going bust but, have seen many of thier clients going bust.

 

Now lets all get behind Trotty and the team and stop playing Joe Director (unless you have the money and time).

[seasidesteve]

ah not even if hes a really nice bloke mf

[Graeme H]

Wise words Joseba.

It is undoubtably true that results are the best form or marketing at our level. Having said that it makes sense for an in situ director/committee member to be given responsibility for local adverts/posters etc, and to liaise with the papers/radio/TV etc.

[upthegate]

Never have liked this idea, wasted opportunity for the club. I assume the club has exhausted all avenues regarding local business sponsoring players before touting for sales amongst the fans who already pay to support the club.

There are bigger fish out there with a lot more spare cash than we've got.

GET OUT THER DIRECTORS AND "SELL" THE CLUB. YOU'RE THE ONES WITH THE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS.

[superblues]

The £100 + vat sponsorship of a shirt is a bit steep for some(many?)of us. I remember when this first started you could sponsor a players kit or just his shirt or shorts or socks. It'd make it a bit more affordable & raise a few more quids for the kitty.

Here's a suggestion, as some players are more sought after than others (so their sponsored shirt has already gone), how about if a players warm-up shirt was printed as (for example) ROBIN TROTT supported by SUPERBLUES, COOKIE, SEASIDESTEVE & it costs just a £5 to have your name added. Admitted someone like Danny Hockton might have to warm up in a Buster Bloodvessel sized shirt. Good Idea Yes or No?

[seasidesteve]

good idea mate

[blueblood]

I will keep my own council on the matter of a commercial manager but, will say i agree with joseba about results.

Good results will see Hartsdown park filling. Bad results for the Gaaate/ good ones for the Rams will see Southwood filling.