Board

[Laz]

I think the penny has just dropped!

[Rob_the_Saint]

£2 coin surely?

 

[Laz]

Is there any other sort of coin, Robster?

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Anyone get the feeling things are going to get worse before they get better?

[Laz]

I think a lot depends on whether Mr Lip quits at the end of the season. He is the difference between where we have been this season and years of Ryman/Essex league obscurity that we were destined for under Steve Castle.

[Northern Monkey]

back page of the observer makes interseting reading ish.

[Laz]

Is it Tav's interview with Lip?

[AFF]

No. It's by the Sports Editor, 'Alex Hill'. I think that he/she caught Gibbo on a bad day.

[Laz]

Alex "Hilly" Hill.

 

I'll get one later. Any chance of few snippets to wet the appetite?

[JKiF]

does he have good days then?

[YELLOW]

Heard a rumour that Gibbo is possibly quitting.

[AFF]

"My ambition is for nothing less than a place in Europe next season. We are re-locating to Wembley. To celebrate our centenary, admittance prices will be the same as they were in 1908: two groats, a chicken, six eggs, a gallon of milk, a bushell of barley, or a peck of wheat."

 

Not really. That's just my little joke.

 

[Laz]

Okay, I've read the article.

 

It sounds like Gibbo is feeling the same as everyone else at the end of what seems a long season.

[AFF]

I'm afraid I can't take that paper in anyway seriously Laz. Apart from our own hack's match reports, of course.

 

The last time Gibbo was mis-quoted, Webbo wrote those priceless words on the web-site that he was to have a "meeting on a face-to-face basis" with Ian Ridley. I wonder what came of that?

[Laz]

Here's a good quote from the paper:

 

"We could do with the board strenthening and more sponsorship."

 

The lack of sponsorship has been obvious for a number of years now!

[AFF]

I wonder if that's fair actually, Laz?

 

With all due respect to Bill Chippinton, Philips was a pretty impressive name to have on the shirts for a couple of seasons. Bill Chippington Haulage has been there for the last two seasons, of course.

 

From the accounts to May 5th 2005, the company that is the club has accumulated a significant debt in the form of loans from the parent company so it is fair to say that it has run at an operating loss in each of the seasons up until then, so more sponsorship would have been one way to ease the burden, of course.

 

Since William Verry Ltd aquired the company, we have retained our status at the Conference South level of the football pyramid and then achieved promotion to Conference Nationale. I suspect that the company will make an operating profit this season which will go a small way to reduce the debt, presumably.

 

From the matchday programmes most if not all games have been sponsored this season and practically all the player's kit is sponsored. And all that without a Commercial Manager for the most part.

 

So where is the "lack of sponsorship" obvious?

[Laz]

Philips was two seasons ago now. Bill Chip has departed although, he may continue his sponsorship.

 

I wasn't aware matches had been sponsored. (I gave up buying the programme earlier in the season.) You sit nearer to the boardroom than I so I'm judging more by last season.

 

The player sponsorship is meagre at £100 a go.

 

Also, I'd say there was probably room for a few more advertising boards around the ground.

 

 

[Rob_the_Saint]

I would say sponsorship was probably better than expected, given the odd matchball here and there. The big loss was the lack of increased revenue by commercial activities off the field, Supporters Club excluded of course.

 

There was a guy at Aldershot selling cash draw tickets for 50p each, with three cash prizes drawn on the pitch at halftime. The cost was nil (the tickets were sponsored by the local fish & chip shop) and they make something like £15k a season out of them. Just an example you understand...

[AFF]

I agree with all that, Laz. There is 'corporate sponsorship' in the form of shirt and pitch-side advertising, and match-day sponsorship where the 'corporate' punters enjoy the prawn sandwiches and other boardroom hospitaltiy. And then there is the 'personal/private' stuff like player sponsorship, sweepstakes etc. etc.

 

We would all want 'more' and if your salary was doubled this afternoon, you would know how to spend it, no doubt!

 

I assume that the Board of Directors of the club ask themselves 'what do we 'give' to these sponsors in return for their sponsorship?' How does our hospitality compare to that of the large number of organisations competing for monmey from that corporate sector?

 

And then, of course, how well do 'we' use the money?

 

And that/those questions become very difficult to answer on here, or anywhere else come to that.

[AFF]

Sorry Rob. We were both 'speaking' at the same time. I agree with all that, too.

 

To me, 'it' could all be so much better. I am strongly of the view taht a lot of opportunities have been missed this season, in particular.