Today's Gazette

[I am Spartacus]

In today's Gazette it says that we did talk to Watts about coming to Gate but, he chose Goldberg and his wads instead. It also says that we had talks with another striker but he came off the transfer list.

 

It looks like Abbo will be playing against Horsham. RT really rates him and says that if he applied himself he could be playing as a full time pro.

 

Deano Standen also looks like playing and as RT says he has never let the club down.

 

KP is moaning about the lack of attendance at HP and says that it is below the amount budgeted for.

[BlueGate Alan]

Thanks Joseba, interesting stuff! I know last season they needed I believe 700 to break even so am guessing a similar figure this season.

[Coffin Ender]

Anything on Hockton's fitness?

[Frankie100]

Just makes you wonder what the hell we have to do to get people through the gates.

 

The posters and the local paper are doing their bit plus more word of mouth from the likes of you and me.

 

Maybe more from Radio Kent (but think Wellsie has that in hand) Then there is Invictia Radio........sorry I forgot, apart from Gillingham their so called sports desk thinks that football stops at 6th place in the Premiership

[seasidesteve]

problem is every time we have a good gate we play rubbish its as simple as that

[Cookie]

We all know the attendances are poor, most of all me.But the club sometimes has to speculate to accumulate.Ive said this before.

If it wasn't for us fans getting posters out for"free",Peter,Alan,those getting them displayed etc of our own backs then I doubt we would have as many there as is at present.Cant blame the footballing side of things as the team are now up there & doing the business.The club needs to advertise on a bigger scale i.m.o.& maybe give incentives to those that that are staying away.

I'm sorry but if the club wish to just sit back & HOPE that people turn up instead of making a spirited effort to get them here then they ARE going to be disappointed.

As for the budgeting,they shouldn't just ASSUME the figure they are looking for will turn up. People have their own minds & unless they are actually targeted more,enticed to come along,know more widely that games are actually being played then that magic figure wont materialise on its own.Our posters do a good job but its still not enough & there are plenty other ways this can be improved upon.

We still didn't get any answers as to why no match day sponsors were sought this season.Why other sponsorship deals weren't followed through. All these things & more would improve & would have helped in securing an attendance figure to match the budget target at least.

I'm sorry but for KP to moan when the club have hardly done anything to attract supporters just riles me.

[Coffin Ender]

We have the third highest average gate in the league. The problem is not poor crowds...it's a wage bill that's too high.

[Frankie100]

Quote:

Coffin Ender said:
We have the third highest average gate in the league. The problem is not poor crowds...it's a wage bill that's too high.

But does that not show KP and the others are trying to attract better players to get us back into the Conference??

[BlueGate Alan]

I agree Frankie, we are playing some attractive stuff, if fans expect it every time then I can think of no team who can play like that week in week out, including Premiership sides!

[Cookie]

With decent crowds its possible to pay decent wages.We all know that! If we want decent players so that we can improve our status then we have to have a decent attendance to pay for it.

The directors or whoever they are not made of money & don't have bottomless pockets(I'm sure)& cant keep dipping in to them to pay for the wages.Yes they are showing adventure by bringing in good players but they should have put some money aside in the budget to promote the club more & not leave it to the fans & supporters to do it for "free". Whilst we don't don't mind doing it as its our club,the club itself should be doing more I feel.

[BlueGate Alan]

I can see what you mean Tony but surely they are "Between the devil and the deep blue sea"? I do the posters at my own expense as it is my little donation towards my beloved club and hopefully helps to swell attentandance. Other monies can be raised by sponsoring the players for the season too. Apart from maybe issuing free tickets to school kids for a game in the hope they bring their mum or dads along I can't see what much else they can do to get the fans there? (But I am sure Cookie will tell me <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />)

[Cookie]

Quote:

seasidesteve said:
problem is every time we have a good gate we play rubbish its as simple as that

That of course is a major problem Steve,& you quite rightly point it out.That does seem to occur all too often & it surely dosen't help.
Hence my disappointment last week after having gone to the press for extra coverage & appeals for more to come along to see a great team in action then to be shown the opposite in that second half.
Ramsgate to be fair did the same last week & as a one off joint Ramsgate & Margate appeal last week, for both teams to underachieve at the same time surely didnt help at all.

[Pagey]

I would of thought where we are in the league would bring in more spectors

 

 

Alan the 700 attendance figure is well off what is actually needed. If you said that the average amount per attendee is £6 (kids and concessions) then we would earn £4200 this would have to cover two weeks wages which would mean the wage bill is £2100. On top of the wages there are the other staff, plus all the other bills that need paying (coach hire, Kit cleaning, Electric,phones... the list is endless

[Pagey]

and don't forget all income to the football club is subject to VAT, so that has to be paid over every three months

[Cookie]

I hope you aren't being facetious Alan. This is one subject that really does get my goat.It is close to my heart this season hence the 1000 target.I don't have all the answers I just see it as common sense thats all.Whatever ways there are out there to increase coverage of the club they should be looked at. No,I don't know of all the answers. Happy now!

However I asked at the beginning of this season why there was no commercial manager employed the to probe into these kind of things but I suppose saving on the wages was more important. I strongly believe a proper commercial manager,employed solely for such matters,despite a wage, would have made a big difference.

[BlueGate Alan]

Quote:

Cookie said:

Quote:

seasidesteve said:
problem is every time we have a good gate we play rubbish its as simple as that

That of course is a major problem Steve,& you quite rightly point it out.That does seem to occur all too often & it surely dosen't help.

Am sorry lads that is rubbish, how can you say it hapens too often, beggars belief! We are second in the league! Ok yes I know against Staines we didn't play in second half but to blame the team on low attendances is surely not right?

[Pagey]

Commercial Managaers job would be a hard one, could they pay for themselves 52 weeks a year??

 

It would suit someone who works part time and could also work part time at the club.

 

Income from Sponsorship is very important, take the sponsors lounge. 20 home games at £400 plus VAT a match would create £8000 plus money spent at the bar, less the cost of the food

 

Shirt Sponsorship, pure profit for the club

 

Boards: inital cost to get board made and up but for every year after that its pure profit

[BlueGate Alan]

Thanks for that Andy, didn't realise, am sure if team keep turning in good performances, hopefully on Boxing Day especially, the crowds will increase thus helping the revenue.

[Cookie]

It HAS happened on more than one occasion Alan & its not rubbish all.The fact that we are where we are has been from results elsewhere in the main. The point of this is that when concerted efforts into getting people along at home have been made, on several occasions we have been let down on the field. NOT every occasion I grant,& maybe my saying "all too often" was overstating it a bit but nevertheless its those times,whether it be just the once or more than once that we need to see a concerted effort on the pitch at those times as well as other times.Lets face it with this squad it shouldn't be too hard a thing to do.

O.k maybe the fault should be put at my doorstep for picking the wrong time to appeal.The players are human & such things as tiredness do occur occasionally so maybe,as I have just said the fault for this,in the timing or mistiming of concerted efforts to get more come along is down to me & not the players. In that case I hold my hands up!

Point taken Andy about the commercial manager.

[BlueGate Alan]

Quote:

Cookie said:
I hope you aren't being facetious Alan.

Far from it Cookie, I know you have worked hard too to promote the club and I am sure they appreciate it, however I for one leave these matters to the directors etc which I think is only right & proper.