Tomorrow, games, GO.....

[Railway Blue]

My not going to the odd away game has no financial impact on my club. I pay £525 for a season ticket and contribute to Crowdfunder, Squadbuilder, buy 50/50 tickets, raffle tickets, buy meals in Legend's Lounge and other things I can't think of at the moment, so basically Sparrow you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[appletablepenny]

£525 for a season ticket? Ooooof, steep.

 

[Boz]

Some Chester fans have described Boringwood and Chester's match as the worst game of football they've ever seen.
Also they weren't happy that BW charged them £1 more than home fans. This along with charging our local radio station to cover the match, which they refused. All in all I saved £50 or £60 yesterday.

Didn't realise they were allowed to do that for identical facilities?

Can't see any criticism is deserved for opting to miss a game.

I am going to the Rovers game at Boreham Wood, mainly as I drag a couple of mates who live in Herts to a Rovers away game once a season and it seemed the most convenient. However, I can't make all our away games and am not inclined to attend all those which could be reached. The main benefit the visiting sides get from fan attendance is arguably support rather than finance. However when the team respond so feebly as Rovers did second half yesterday, you can't blame stay-aways.

 

[Railway Blue]

£525 for a season ticket? Ooooof, steep.

Would normally pay about £200, but was invited in the Legend's Lounge as a guest about 4 years ago. I liked it so applied for a season ticket the season before last. I don't really think it's very good value for money, but I don't smoke or drink, retired from work and want to support my club financially. I'm not sure if I'll renew next year. I may opt to rejoin the plebs.

 

[Greenacres]

Didn't realise they were allowed to do that for identical facilities?

I don't think you are, I think clubs have to charge the same for home and away fans...stand to be corrected on that!

 

[Eastleigh Fan]

Totally agree with you about Eastleigh Southern Shayman, you just have to look at Crawley - think it would be a similar situation, if investment was pulled they'd probably bumble along as a bottom half L2 side, Crawley are a sign to all though at how tough it is even with megabucks to actually attract fans to games.
I'd say the same for Forest Green though, Dagenham &Redbridge and Accrington have shown you can survive in the league on 1500 gates if you cut your cloth accordingly.
For both it's much more about what happens when the investment stops, they'll hope to be FL teams and hope to be a Crawley, now just aiming for L2 survival rather than a Rushden & Diamonds and everything going bang.

So is "bumbling along as a bottom half L2 side" a bad thing?
We are all currently playing below that level and most of you lot were playing in L2 or above just a few seasons ago and you blew it. So if your clubs were not even good enough to "bumble along in the bottom half of L2", then it would translate that if we can achieve that, we would be by far outperforming your clubs recent history .
FWIW - When we get to L2, it will only take us 2-3 years to get to L1. Then we could start to level out. I would respectively suggest most clubs at this level right now, cannot even aspire to reach that level again. I think that's why most of you on here hate us and FGR, as maybe we are the only ones setting our realistic ambitions that high. It must be sole destroying to be a fan of a once great club, who are now levelled out as a mid table side or a side that is "bumbling along in lower half" of the Conf National and will be for the foreseeable future.

 

[Boz]

So is "bumbling along as a bottom half L2 side" a bad thing?

Let's hope you never get the chance to find out

My guess would be that FGR as a well established side at this level, with a reasonable fan-base wouldn't have much difficulty in making the step up. Less sure about Eastleigh, but Crawley managed it, so why not...

 

[Bluandwite]

Not sure what the home fans paid, but we paid £17 to get in, when the website states £16. There was a temporary sign by the turnstile stuck over the normal admission prices.

 

[Alty Pieman]

So is "bumbling along as a bottom half L2 side" a bad thing?
We are all currently playing below that level and most of you lot were playing in L2 or above just a few seasons ago and you blew it. So if your clubs were not even good enough to "bumble along in the bottom half of L2", then it would translate that if we can achieve that, we would be by far outperforming your clubs recent history .
FWIW - When we get to L2, it will only take us 2-3 years to get to L1. Then we could start to level out. I would respectively suggest most clubs at this level right now, cannot even aspire to reach that level again. I think that's why most of you on here hate us and FGR, as maybe we are the only ones setting our realistic ambitions that high. It must be sole destroying to be a fan of a once great club, who are now levelled out as a mid table side or a side that is "bumbling along in lower half" of the Conf National and will be for the foreseeable future.

Your attitude will change when your visionary multi-millionaire benefactor gets bored and packs it in, which he surely will sooner or later. Then you will be happy to exist and stay in conf national.

 

[appletablepenny]

Would normally pay about £200, but was invited in the Legend's Lounge as a guest about 4 years ago. I liked it so applied for a season ticket the season before last. I don't really think it's very good value for money, but I don't smoke or drink, retired from work and want to support my club financially. I'm not sure if I'll renew next year. I may opt to rejoin the plebs.

Aaah, fair enough if it's a premium deal, I thought that was the regular price.

 

[Chris FGR]

How far we can go depends on whether our new stadium development gets the go ahead. The ease of access would, according to Vince would mean that "Logistically we’ll be much more accessible to people all over the county, stretching from north Bristol up to Tewkesbury. It’s a big catchment area for us."

There is also quite a lot of new housing development going on in the region, I'd say that our catchment area, given that we already draw most of our fanbase from outside of Nailsworth, is actually not too bad.

I can't see any reason why in our current ground and averaging 1500+ we couldn't establish ourselves in the league like Dagenham and Accrington have without Vince's investment, but with it and with the potential for growth brought by the new stadium complex then getting to league 1 is definitely possible. Vince has openly admitted that the Championship is his target. Exciting times.

 

[Aberstone]

Boreham Wood used to charge £13.50 in the Conference South last season, on the pretence that the admission covered a programme (of which it seemed like they only produced 50 of them). Once they went, the admission price remained the same.

They also wouldn't allow opposition teams to record games in the hope you'll be a big enough mug to pay £4 to watch highlights.

I like a lot of what they do off the field, but those two things above are just scummy.

 

[Andy Harrier]

I don't think you are, I think clubs have to charge the same for home and away fans...stand to be corrected on that!

National League rule 21 (from the attachment in http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/rules.php)

21. ADMISSION CHARGES
The minimum charge for admission to all matches shall be determined from time to time by the Board.
Admission charges, excluding home Club concessions as appropriate, must be the same for home and visiting supporters at Competition matches.
Clubs may, with the written permission of the Board, have a maximum of three Competition Match Days each Playing Season during which they can vary admission charges for adults including allowing free admission.

I would take that as Boreham Wood are violating the National League's rules if they are differing the prices for away fans, though I'm not sure what "home Club concessions" would refer to.

 

[Pliny Harris]

Not sure what the home fans paid, but we paid £17 to get in, when the website states £16. There was a temporary sign by the turnstile stuck over the normal admission prices.

Cost us £16 with no concessions so yes, Borehamwood being a crap club again.

So is "bumbling along as a bottom half L2 side" a bad thing?
We are all currently playing below that level and most of you lot were playing in L2 or above just a few seasons ago and you blew it. So if your clubs were not even good enough to "bumble along in the bottom half of L2", then it would translate that if we can achieve that, we would be by far outperforming your clubs recent history .
FWIW - When we get to L2, it will only take us 2-3 years to get to L1. Then we could start to level out. I would respectively suggest most clubs at this level right now, cannot even aspire to reach that level again. I think that's why most of you on here hate us and FGR, as maybe we are the only ones setting our realistic ambitions that high. It must be sole destroying to be a fan of a once great club, who are now levelled out as a mid table side or a side that is "bumbling along in lower half" of the Conf National and will be for the foreseeable future.

Love it!

 

[Greenacres]

I would take that as Boreham Wood are violating the National League's rules if they are differing the prices for away fans, though I'm not sure what "home Club concessions" would refer to.

That is how I would take it too! I think "home Club concessions" probably covers categories that aren't covered by the usual of adult, child, OAP and student, that is to say a category that an individual club has created to reduce the entry price for a certain group...don't ask me to try and think of any!

 

[BeesKnees]

So is "bumbling along as a bottom half L2 side" a bad thing?

Yes,
It is soul destroying and slowly saps away your support. Money is wasted on desperate last ditch loans to try and save yourself. Give me the choice of slugging it out at the top of the conference or desperate last ditch saving yourself each season and I'll take the conference. The only reason clubs 'bumble along at the bottom of league two isn't because they are better than teams at the top of the conference, it's because only two can go down.

 

[Davidimp]

And people will lose interest trust me and it takes a long time to get them to return if you do turn it around again probably after a relegation.

 

[Greenacres]

Yes,
It is soul destroying and slowly saps away your support. Money is wasted on desperate last ditch loans to try and save yourself. Give me the choice of slugging it out at the top of the conference or desperate last ditch saving yourself each season and I'll take the conference. The only reason clubs 'bumble along at the bottom of league two isn't because they are better than teams at the top of the conference, it's because only two can go down.

That also happens in the Conference, certainly the bit about last ditch loans, in an attempt to drop to the regionals. There is no doubt that saving yourself on the last day of the season can be exciting, a perfect set of results ensured that we did that a few seasons ago despite losing to Tamworth, but it doesn't mask the fact that you were rubbish for most of the season. I sort of agree with your last comment too. You can end up with the bottom half of Division Two made up of basket cases, clubs where it really has gone wrong both on and off the pitch. It just amazes me how few clubs in the league fold completely, most save that for after they have dropped down to the Conference.

 

[Davidimp]

The tv money mate, helped keep us up for four seasons before our luck finally ran out.

 

[Vanni]

And people will lose interest trust me and it takes a long time to get them to return if you do turn it around again probably after a relegation.

Correct. According to some blogs/articles I read in the past, there are some chairmen that prefer having a side competing at the top end of the conference than a lower L2 one, as only the hardcore fans go to home matches week in week out when the probable outcome is a loss.

 

[CrazyImp]

People have different perspectives on this type of thing - I would much sooner have us mid-table in League Two than spend another minute in this division, even at the top end.

I can see the appeal for some though, being the shark in the kiddies paddling pool. It's interesting.

 

[EnglishRed]

I'd definitely prefer us to be a mid table L2 side. As much as I enjoy the non league scene I want us to be a league side again. This division is so hellish to get out of I never want to see us down here again once we get out.

 

[B2TF]

How far we can go depends on whether our new stadium development gets the go ahead. The ease of access would, according to Vince would mean that "Logistically we’ll be much more accessible to people all over the county, stretching from north Bristol up to Tewkesbury. It’s a big catchment area for us."

There is also quite a lot of new housing development going on in the region, I'd say that our catchment area, given that we already draw most of our fanbase from outside of Nailsworth, is actually not too bad.

I can't see any reason why in our current ground and averaging 1500+ we couldn't establish ourselves in the league like Dagenham and Accrington have without Vince's investment, but with it and with the potential for growth brought by the new stadium complex then getting to league 1 is definitely possible. Vince has openly admitted that the Championship is his target. Exciting times.

Wrong, wrong wrong. How far you can go depends on how much money Mr Moneybags puts in and how long he sticks around. The rest of your post is as pointless as your pointless little club.

 

[BeesKnees]

There is a difference between a side having averagely good/ bad seasons and finishing betwean 9th and 19th in league 2. I'd take that over the conference any day.
We had 4 seasons of sub 50 points and then got relegated on 51. I don't wish that on any supporter and I'm praying we do better this time

 

[Southern Shayman]

Did everybody enjoy the Nat Brown horror show on the highlights?

 

[Kim Mitten]

So is "bumbling along as a bottom half L2 side" a bad thing?
We are all currently playing below that level and most of you lot were playing in L2 or above just a few seasons ago and you blew it. So if your clubs were not even good enough to "bumble along in the bottom half of L2", then it would translate that if we can achieve that, we would be by far outperforming your clubs recent history .
FWIW - When we get to L2, it will only take us 2-3 years to get to L1. Then we could start to level out. I would respectively suggest most clubs at this level right now, cannot even aspire to reach that level again. I think that's why most of you on here hate us and FGR, as maybe we are the only ones setting our realistic ambitions that high. It must be sole destroying to be a fan of a once great club, who are now levelled out as a mid table side or a side that is "bumbling along in lower half" of the Conf National and will be for the foreseeable future.

Did I say it was a bad thing? Sadly I am a Southend fan so have never tasted full conference flavour whilst giving half a shit about any teams in it.

The problem I, and probably a lot of people who follow especially non-league football, have with the Eastleigh and Forest Green model is that it is not sustainable. I say good luck to you if the club can rise to League 1 and start pulling in 7,500 crowds, but sadly Crawley have shown the reality that, even with all the money under the sun, you just can't buy supporters. I have no problem with clubs like Chelsea having billionaire owners - because if he walks away he can sell off the club, the land, the stadium and make money and bizarrely of course they actually have more stringent rules about chucking personal money at play things. Eastleigh, FGR, Whitehawk, Fylde and to a lesser extent Bromley cannot say the same.
There is a myriad of problems in English football without the competition skewing that goes on even down at these levels. Plenty of teams have shown you can work your way out of this division and survive whilst living within your means - Burton, Dag&Red, Yeovil, Morecambe, Accrington, Stevenage to name a few.
As I said if you can get 7,500 to turn up week in week out when you make it to L1 then good luck to you, but you'd better hope that's the level of your crowds when the funding stops, because it will stop, just ask Crawley - and like them you'd better hope your money givers are ever so nice and don't ask for a penny of it back, because if they do good luck setting up a new Eastleigh with the 50 fans who really give a toss about local non-league football.

 

[genesimmons]

That also happens in the Conference, certainly the bit about last ditch loans, in an attempt to drop to the regionals. There is no doubt that saving yourself on the last day of the season can be exciting, a perfect set of results ensured that we did that a few seasons ago despite losing to Tamworth, but it doesn't mask the fact that you were rubbish for most of the season. I sort of agree with your last comment too. You can end up with the bottom half of Division Two made up of basket cases, clubs where it really has gone wrong both on and off the pitch. It just amazes me how few clubs in the league fold completely, most save that for after they have dropped down to the Conference.

As far as i know the last club to fold whilst playing in the football league was aldershot way back in 1992. Amazed me how none have folded since with a few haveing lower budgets than confrence cluns and less support. Is it good tv money or subsidys from league

 

[EnglishRed]

As far as i know the last club to fold whilst playing in the football league was aldershot way back in 1992. Amazed me how none have folded since with a few haveing lower budgets than confrence cluns and less support. Is it good tv money or subsidys from league

Both I'd imagine. The difference in money you receive being in L2 and the National league is staggering.

 

[Kim Mitten]

As far as i know the last club to fold whilst playing in the football league was aldershot way back in 1992. Amazed me how none have folded since with a few haveing lower budgets than confrence cluns and less support. Is it good tv money or subsidys from league

I think it's more to do with really really lenient rules regarding finances, it's incredibly difficult to get a club to go bust. As I said above I'm a Southend fan and if this country had the same financial rules as Germany, France or Italy the Shrimpers would have been playing Essex Senior League football a very long time ago.
Take for instance rules in Germany like points deductions for not filing quarterly financial reports on time (which they actually enforce as well, unlike many FA rules here), I couldn't tell you a time when Southend have filed them on time. Or massive points deductions/relegation for court appearances for payments over public money. In Germany you get two chances, doesn't even matter if you have the money, it's the intent to hold it back from the public purse, 2nd appearance in court means points off or relegation, again how many clubs have been in court numerous times using it as an 11th hour to pay HMRC.
Look at Parma in Italy, given about 12 weeks to sort themselves out after not paying players etc - league weren't satisfied they'd fully be able to pay all debts even with a takeover in the pipeline - relegated 3 divisions.
Which team have ever actually gone bust in the FL? Maidstone, Aldershot, Newport, Accrington? not even sure about the last 2.

 

[Chris FGR]

Wrong, wrong wrong. How far you can go depends on how much money Mr Moneybags puts in and how long he sticks around. The rest of your post is as pointless as your pointless little club.

You're right to an extent, but the fact is that we've grown as a club over the last 2 decades far beyond what anyone would have believed possible, most of it without "Mr Moneybags." If the next 2 decades see similar growth, we could easily become an established sustainable league club.

Ambition and a proactive approach to increasing crowds/interest locally is having a real effect, we have a huge amount of local schools enrolled in our ambassadors scheme, hundreds of local kids now own and proudly wear FGR shirts and we are continuing to expand our community schemes. The fact that you now see a lot of kids going around in FGR shirts instead of just seeing Chelsea, ManUre, Liverpool etc is fantastic.

Pointless? Nah.