Where Will We Finish

[Laz]

Where will we finish next year?

 

I don't expect us to bounce back but I'd like to think we'll be in and around the playoffs.

 

If we can keep the nucleus of the squad (the previous season's Conf South side), find a new manager and strengthen the board, that should be possible, given that there are no fulltime sides in the league next season.

 

Discuss

[Duke of York]

If you start well and the crowds stay faithful you should make the play-offs. With a slow start I think the interest will wane and you'll find yourselves in mid-table.

 

Good luck!

[Laz]

Good luck tonight!

[Duke of York]

Cheers - it's a busy week for me with YCFC's play-off on Friday before hopefully rushing back on Saturday for ETFC's Play-off Final at Harlow on Saturday.

 

[Laz]

I have a feeling you will be lucky on both occasions!

 

I'd love to see Oxford United spend at least another season in non-league football!

[Hatboy]

If we get a decent manager and keep the squad together I feel we can compete at the top but I fear that Basher and Elphick may be going & I'm also worried about Scottie and Ben as they aren't on contract !

 

Always look on the bright side of life

[Laz]

I'd like to think we'd get a decent manager: someone with a proven record at a reasonable level.

 

I went to see Chelmsford v Billericay last night and I was impressed with the latter. Matt Jones has done an excellent job there. I wonder if he could be lured away.

[GHA EFM]

How does anyone expect us to get a decent manager in? We can't keep the nucleus of the squad (for argument's sake, the nine contracted players), as they're already taking us over budget. Does everyone keep forgetting how Lippiatt was appointed? Was Stuart Cash the right man? If the club needs to learn from it's mistakes, why is Castle still about?

 

etc

[Laz]

Give Gibbo a chance! He has just suffered a bereavement and has been away as a result. It's probably too early to expect immediate action.

 

Maybe there will be something in the local press or the NLP this week. Let's be patient.

 

We'll never know about Stuart Cash. The guy bottled it and I can't say I blame him. Even Lippy has admitted that he thought it was an impossible task to keep is in the Conf South.

 

 

[GHA EFM]

I am sorry for his loss, but I wasn't expecting, nor making reference to, any 'immediate action.' How many chances does he need, out of interest? Why put nine players on contracts that take the club over budget for the following season? Or another way of looking at it, just how far is the budget dropping over the close season? And why?

 

We'll never know about Stuart Cash, except that he bottled it? How do you know?

[Laz]

How do I know that he bottled it or how do I know that we'll never know?

 

I'm guessing about the first: I believe it was work commitments but shortly after he was at Lewes as I recall.

 

I'm assuming the latter.

 

We'll have to wait to see who stays and who goes over the next two months. Starting out in the Conf South with a budget that is over what we can afford is madness. We've been preaching that to Weymouth for the last two seasons!

[Terminal]

If a budget has been set, does that mean the price of admission/season tickets has been agreed?

[Laz]

Yet again, you'd have to assume so as it would be foolish to budget outgoings before knowing possible income!

 

I think a tenner would be reasonable for the Conf South.

[Hatboy]

Originally Posted By: Laz

I'd like to think we'd get a decent manager: someone with a proven record at a reasonable level.

I went to see Chelmsford v Billericay last night and I was impressed with the latter. Matt Jones has done an excellent job there. I wonder if he could be lured away.

Do you think he'd be good enough to step up another division ?

[Hatboy]

Originally Posted By: Terminal

If a budget has been set, does that mean the price of admission/season tickets has been agreed?

I doubt any thing is set in stone yet, Gibson has probably just estimated crowd sizes and admission prices based on our crowd from last season and the admission prices in the connie south this season.

[Laz]

Hatters, I'd give him a go. He's already proved that he can compete with the likes of Chelmsford who have a host of big-name, big-money players, and a huge home support. Last night they matched them for 120 minutes with ten men for about an hour.

 

I've not seen five better taken penalties. The keeper aint bad either.

[GHA EFM]

Quote:

Gibson has probably just estimated crowd sizes and admission prices based on our crowd from last season and the admission prices in the connie south this season.

That's re-assuring.

A tenner, reasonable for the Conf South? It was £9 two seasons ago, £8 the season prior to that, wasn't it?

[Laz]

I think a tenner is about right!

 

As always there will be those that will argue about the price, suggesting that lowering the cost, encourages larger gates. It's difficult to prove either way.

 

 

[GHA EFM]

I suppose supplementary match-day income (i.e. buying a programme, burger, few beers) is no longer a factor these days. Raises a few issues with the idea of encouraging larger gates though.

 

Let's say Gibson reckons we'll have 600 per week, 400 paying a tenner and 200 paying a fiver. That's an average of £2,500 grand a week. On ticket prices only. Not considering all the other matchday stuff. Yet our nine contracted players will already take us over budget?

[AFF]

For his sake, I sincerely hope that Gibbo doesn't estimate an average attendance of 600, GHA.

 

The average last season was 550, and we won promotion. I suspect that the average before Christmas in that year was 400/450 and for the second half of the year it rose towrads the 650 mark, giving an average of 550.

 

The 'home' attendance at t'Park has dipped over the last couple of months in the Conference Nationale and is barely over 500 now.

 

There is also the not-insignificant debts of the company that is the club and the Board will, no doubt, have at least discussed the basis of a continuing repayment of the loans.

 

The contracted players are, I imagine, on Conference Nationale wage levels, presumably. I have heard that there was no 'downwards' clause in the event of relegation which assisted Birmingham City's plight last season, allegedly.