Fundraising

[margateshot]

With the season entering its last stages is it not time to consider what, we the supporters, can do in the summer to raise money for the club. I'm certain that MISA are already pushing around ideas so I thought I would throw the floor open for anyone else who might have a suggestion.

 

Firstly an idea was put forward last season to sell books of home ticket vouchers at a reduced price. For those supporters, like myself, who can't make all the home games, a season ticket is out of the question and I know that there are a number of other supporters in the same position. At £9.00 a game the club could sell a book of 5 vouchers for say £40.00. I don't know how many season tickets the club sells but if the vouchers went on sale at the beginning of the season it would be a welcome boost to club funds. The other other option is a half season ticket. That would be a book of twelve tear off vouchers which would be half the price of a season ticket, which could be redeemed at any home league match. This may encourage more people to pay up front who may find a season ticket too much of an expense. The books could be on show and for sale in the club shop as people are more likely to pay on a whim than contact the club during the week. They could also be sold after the start of the season going on show to a larger market.

 

Another idea would be to have two or three members with clipboards at the entrance of the ground on matchdays asking people to join the Golden Gate lottery. The forms could be filled in there and then. The same could also be done for application forms for next seasons season tickets.

 

I've also been completely bemused by the lack of commercial activities this year. Can someone from MISA please contact the management and ask whether there are plans to have a commercial manager in the near future. If not, is there any way that MISA can organise the promotion of commercial activities. I understand how much work is already done by the MISA committee but this has got to be one of the best ways of raising funds. If one match sponsorship was sold at £500.00 that must be at least £250 clear profit to the club. Thanet is getting bigger all the time and there are hundreds of companies out there who could be paying money into the club. Why not have the supporters club sponsor a match, selling raffle tickets to find ten winners who could be the guests or one winner who could bring ten guests.

 

Anyway just a couple of ideas. Now is the time to look at this while we still have the supporters at hand.

[Stokesie1]

Some very good ideas Margateshot! As MISA secretary we do try to push as many events as we can, for example quiz nights. Unfortunatly these are not always supported by fans and it becomes more expensive to run each time. I do believe that Margate have a person that supposedly deals with events but like you say, sponsership of home games is never promoted. This is no responsibility of MISA.

 

It is a real shame that the club isn't promoted as much as other local teams, e.g Ramsgate. It isn't all MISA's duty to advertise games or events that the club should run. Unfortunatly, MISA do not have the support needed at events such as the quiz and we begin to lack confidence on future events because of this.

[Frankie100]

The MISA events are promoted by MISA in the best way they can through the forum notices in the bar and programme notes.

 

The only other way of getting more numbers in is through word of mouth and that is down to us supporters.

[margateshot]

Leila. I am certainly not slating MISA as I know that without them this club would have folded long ago. I fully undersyand and know it is not MISA's responsibility to promote the club. Lets face it the only promotion is the posters, and that is done by the supporters for free. What I think should be happenning is that a member of MISA (and its probably being done already) should have regular dialogue with the board to putb forward the ideas. With the amount of work that the supporters club do its about time we had a representative at board meetings as some other clubs do. That would mean that ideas, like the above, are put to the board as a proposal from the supporters and are voted on. Aldershot have had a supporter on the board since they were reformed. They will be present at the meeting until club issues, that are not for public knowledge, which at that point they leave. What I am concerned about is the lack of direction from the board at this time.

[Stokesie1]

I quiet agree and I am sorry if I gave the impretion I thoght you where slating MISA! I didn't think that at all. From what i notice, there is hardly any discussion between the board and MISA. We are basically left to it to raise any money we wish, which ofcourse is then donated to the club. We are extreamly greateful to those supporters who do give the time to create, print and distribute posters around Thanet. Without this I am certain that not many people would realise when games where being played. I feel that it is time the club started to promote us alot more to help with fundraising. Maybe then the supporters would start to have a touch more faith in the people working for the club and boost supporters confidence in them.