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Post by avfo on May 16, 2018 14:07:10 GMT
CLUB STATEMENT:
Before we begin looking ahead, I would like to thank you for your tremendous support during last season, particularly in the final stretch. There is no doubt in my mind that the support at the matches at Guiseley, Aldershot and Bromley made the difference in securing those 5 points and ultimately our survival in the National League.
As we enter our fifth season, I believe it is important to reflect on what has worked and what has not worked so far during our tenure of ownership. By taking stock of lessons learned, we can make adjustments to how we run the club.
When my father took over the club, his intent was to reinvest his success back into his hometown. Almost £4m have been ‘invested’ in the club and the return on that has been one promotion, a new boiler system, new floodlights and a nice 3rd round FA Cup tie. While we are proud of these accomplishments, we know we have to do things differently if we want to leave a legacy beyond these. There needs to be a renewed focus on putting money on projects and people that will benefit the town and the club for more than just the short term.
The second key takeaway is that, currently, Barrow is not capable of sustainably competing for promotion in the National League with its current level of support. The club cannot continue to operate outside its means on the back of crowds around 1000. The club is also limited by not having an academy and having no external facility such as proper training facilities in the town for the first team and youth teams, which can also be used as a revenue stream.
The third takeaway is that the team needs to represent the town, through its players, its identity and its work ethic. Year over year, the team has seemed to become more and more distant from the town and has turned into a team from elsewhere that occasionally played a home match in Barrow. I think this is why our home record was so poor this past season. I also believe this has had an effect on the commitment and size of our support in the last couple of years.
The fourth takeaway is that football is changing. The business model we have followed thus far is broken and clubs cannot continue to leverage their future betting on promotion. We saw this nearly broke several teams at our level and below. Money is consolidated at the top and the financial benefits of getting promoted are not what they once were. However, clubs like Accrington and Macclesfield show that a team built on a budget and characterized by team spirit and toughness can experience success.
All of this means that next season will mark a dramatic transformation in the way the club does business from the first four years. Barrow AFC will go from a club that exists off external investment, to one that runs off the revenue it generates while having an owner who can and will put money in towards projects that generate a return.
Key changes:
• The structure and cost for the first team will be closely analysed and brought in line with club revenues. While the scope of the changes required is still being determined, we enter the summer season with a much different ambition for the next year or two. We will be more realistic with our expectations for every season, with our primary aim being to put together a team that works hard, plays good football, and plays with pride for the badge on their shirts.
• My focus in the next 18 months will be on controlling costs and pushing forward plans to develop both an academy and a secondary facility that can support the football club. These will be crucial to develop local talent and funnel it into the first team. This isn’t a marketing exercise. It is absolutely necessary for the club’s long-term success and viability.
• In terms of the ground, the idea that we will be redeveloping it or building a new stadium is well and truly laid to rest. In the short term, I have a list of ground improvements that I would like to see implemented over the summer, and we will need volunteer support to complete them. The goal for future investment would be for Paul Casson to then set aside a sum of money at the start of every season to be used for investment. Projects will be selected based on fan feedback and an analysis of their potential revenue return.
• I will be looking for more contributions from the various Supporter’s groups. We have some of the best supporters in the country, both in terms of vocal support and in terms of volunteer support. However, these need to continue to do their part and will be integral to mobilizing the town to support the club.
• The Community group will be a continued focus, as it is crucial not only to developing and retaining talented local footballers, but to also help people throughout the town develop a positive relationship with the club. Craig and the team have done a great job setting an exciting new foundation for the Community, and I look forward to helping them take it even further forward.
In my brief time working in football, I have learned that a club that is reliant on a single shareholder cannot achieve lasting success. This is because we all work a little less hard than we should because we think the money will bring success and I have fallen into this thought process as well. Barrow is capable of having a Football League team, but only if everyone pulls together and works hard to make that dream a reality.
We need a team of players that want to make a legacy for themselves in Barrow and lay it on the line for the badge. We need volunteers who come down and help make the ground a nice place to come on a match day. We need supporters who convince their friends and co-workers to come down to a match on a Tuesday or Saturday so that we have crowds of 2,000 and not 1,000. All of these things are possible, and the next 12 months will decide what kind of club we want Barrow AFC to be.
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Post by gone4eva on May 16, 2018 14:38:35 GMT
" his intent was to reinvest his success back into his hometown"
lucky we are not looking for someone to reinvest into a city that has done good to him... er....
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Post by Si on May 16, 2018 14:45:16 GMT
And that is the perfect argument for why fan ownership for clubs like us is the way forward. A well managed Chester FC in it's current model should be able to survive at Conference National level, and extra income from cup runs and player sales could see a promotion push now and again. But at least we know what we are. Barrow without that investment will sink back to being an average Conference North side. Sh!t always sinks to the bottom - fast forward 10 years and I imagine the likes of us/Hereford/Stockport/Darlington etc will all be on the rise and the sugar daddy clubs like FGR and Fleetwood will eventually sink to where they came from.
That article is the best case scenario. It's not saying Casson is pulling out, more that funds are being diverted into other areas of the club. The question is will Casson stay true to his word if Barrow are getting stonked every week and bottom of the league? The sort of character he is would suggest not, and that is the problem when you are completely reliant on an income stream that could cease to exist at any given moment.
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Post by Al on May 16, 2018 14:52:14 GMT
" his intent was to reinvest his success back into his hometown" lucky we are not looking for someone to reinvest into a city that has done good to him... er.... I think Barrow are a great example of how NOT to spend a benefactors money. £4,000,000 spent and all they have to show for it is a new set of floodlights, one promotion and a game in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. It shows exactly why we need to invest any monies we receive straight into our infrastructure |
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Post by bethnalblue on May 16, 2018 15:17:42 GMT
" his intent was to reinvest his success back into his hometown" lucky we are not looking for someone to reinvest into a city that has done good to him... er.... I think Barrow are a great example of how NOT to spend a benefactors money. £4,000,000 spent and all they have to show for it is a new set of floodlights, one promotion and a game in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. It shows exactly why we need to invest any monies we receive straight into our infrastructure Dont forget the new boiler!! |
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Post by Al on May 16, 2018 15:22:21 GMT
I think Barrow are a great example of how NOT to spend a benefactors money. £4,000,000 spent and all they have to show for it is a new set of floodlights, one promotion and a game in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. It shows exactly why we need to invest any monies we receive straight into our infrastructure Dont forget the new boiler!! LOL aye a new boiler as well. Makes me laugh how these people like Casson can make millions in business, but when it comes to running a football club they don't have a clue. Seems his son is beginning to understand it a bit better than his old man |
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Post by bethnalblue on May 16, 2018 15:26:40 GMT
Dont forget the new boiler!! LOL aye a new boiler as well. Makes me laugh how these people like Casson can make millions in business, but when it comes to running a football club they don't have a clue. Seems his son is beginning to understand it a bit better than his old man Was quite surprised what a dump the place was when we played there last month. Hadnt been there since 1991 and if anything its got worse since then!! He makes a good point about the team having no connection to the town. |
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Post by Matt on May 16, 2018 15:26:46 GMT
Looks like they’ll be putting the playing budget down a bit, so I guess we’ll be stuck with Kingsley James next season.
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Post by Al on May 16, 2018 15:31:19 GMT
Looks like they’ll be putting the playing budget down a bit, so I guess we’ll be stuck with Kingsley James next season. There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players |
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toto
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Post by toto on May 16, 2018 15:43:48 GMT
And that is the perfect argument for why fan ownership for clubs like us is the way forward. A well managed Chester FC in it's current model should be able to survive at Conference National level, and extra income from cup runs and player sales could see a promotion push now and again. But at least we know what we are. Barrow without that investment will sink back to being an average Conference North side. Sh!t always sinks to the bottom - fast forward 10 years and I imagine the likes of us/Hereford/Stockport/Darlington etc will all be on the rise and the sugar daddy clubs like FGR and Fleetwood will eventually sink to where they came from. That article is the best case scenario. It's not saying Casson is pulling out, more that funds are being diverted into other areas of the club. The question is will Casson stay true to his word if Barrow are getting stonked every week and bottom of the league? The sort of character he is would suggest not, and that is the problem when you are completely reliant on an income stream that could cease to exist at any given moment. The question is would a Chester FC in its current model have survived without the input of funds we are receiving now? In the immediate future we would but if we started the season badly due to lack of funds etc we could have struggled to survive. As others have said it is now critical the extra funds are spent wisely on infrastructure changes to develop the club...youth team, community structures and ultimately it would be hoped that this would increase support and crowds. However success on the pitch is critical and we cannot rely either on crowds of 1000. |
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Post by cfcforme on May 16, 2018 16:19:57 GMT
Any fool who thinks a) we should pump Murphy's donation into playing funds, or b) that moans about us living within our means and not "going for broke" to push for promotion, should read that very sensible post from Barrow.
Still far too many think budgets and "full time players" correlate with final league position when the reality is clubs like Macc and Sutton have demonstrated that neither of those is true.
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Post by Lobster on May 16, 2018 16:26:05 GMT
And that is the perfect argument for why fan ownership for clubs like us is the way forward. A well managed Chester FC in it's current model should be able to survive at Conference National level, and extra income from cup runs and player sales could see a promotion push now and again. But at least we know what we are. Barrow without that investment will sink back to being an average Conference North side. Sh!t always sinks to the bottom - fast forward 10 years and I imagine the likes of us/Hereford/Stockport/Darlington etc will all be on the rise and the sugar daddy clubs like FGR and Fleetwood will eventually sink to where they came from. That article is the best case scenario. It's not saying Casson is pulling out, more that funds are being diverted into other areas of the club. The question is will Casson stay true to his word if Barrow are getting stonked every week and bottom of the league? The sort of character he is would suggest not, and that is the problem when you are completely reliant on an income stream that could cease to exist at any given moment. In the immediate future we would but if we started the season badly due to lack of funds etc we could have struggled to survive. As others have said it is now critical the extra funds are spent wisely on infrastructure changes to develop the club...youth team, community structures and ultimately it would be hoped that this would increase support and crowds. However success on the pitch is critical and we cannot rely either on crowds of 1000. That’s kind of an abstract question. You could argue that it’s because of our model that somebody like Stuart Murphy wants to put money in. Fan ownership invites every supporter, rich or poor, to contribute what they can towards a common goal. |
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Post by gezzer on May 16, 2018 16:48:59 GMT
The first part of the statement (minus £4m investment) could well have been written by us! Some of the comments are great, only a few weeks ago most of us were worried whether we would make it through next season until Stuart Murphy surfaced. Big Si states "A well managed Chester FC in it's current model should be able to survive" does that include our own "sugar daddy" supporting the model and, regarding well managed, we're still playing catch up.
Whilst I applaud the funds being made available for infrastructure, we need to be aware that our business is a Football Club and everything associated with that is relative ie the academy, the further down the football pyramid we are the less likely a league club will come in for our best players as the step up would be too great, what is the point of having a massive Blues Bar if the First team are not performing and crowds dip etc so success on the pitch will be paramount
I know we are in a cycle of "good news" but we are not quite out of the woods just yet and I for one will remain cautious until the full details of the investment and how it is going to be spent are released and also see what progress is made on the pitch under our new managers (who I will be fully supporting)
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Post by Matt on May 16, 2018 17:54:04 GMT
Looks like they’ll be putting the playing budget down a bit, so I guess we’ll be stuck with Kingsley James next season. There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players Yes but we all know he’s shite, who else is going to buy him and with that wage he’s on. |
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Post by btb on May 16, 2018 17:56:55 GMT
Well isn't that a sack of nads for us! How on earth are we going to get rid of daz clean shirt now? Looks like one eighth of the budget is being spunked on that useless sack of turd.
Seriously, I can't watch him next season. Too painful a reminder of mad Jons legacy. Plus, we've probably got better players in the under 16's. Useless absolute useless.
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Post by jb on May 16, 2018 19:24:33 GMT
I think Barrow are a great example of how NOT to spend a benefactors money. £4,000,000 spent and all they have to show for it is a new set of floodlights, one promotion and a game in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. It shows exactly why we need to invest any monies we receive straight into our infrastructure Dont forget the new boiler!! Was it a combi or standard? |
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Post by South Wirral Blue on May 16, 2018 19:33:14 GMT
At least he's not walking away completely, that really would be disastrous
That said, they'll likely start as relegation favourites next season. The NLN is more their natural level if they're averaging 1,000 odd.
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Post by eltonblues on May 16, 2018 19:34:44 GMT
In short, run the club as a sustainable business rather than a play thing!
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Post by btb on May 16, 2018 21:28:12 GMT
Dont forget the new boiler!! Was it a combi or standard? Surely to god it's a combi. If not they've seriously pissed four million up the wall. |
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Post by prodigal on May 16, 2018 22:22:32 GMT
Play fair to his candor I reckon, sure the boiler comment was tongue in cheek, as he admits money has been basically pissed against the wall, probably paying journeymen based out of Manchester. Stark warning that even throwing 4M at something doesn't gaurantee success, and as Big Si says, shows why fan ownership may not be such a bad idea after all, will be interesting watching Barrow having to do something similar to us costs wise, but in the higher division, the roles could easily have been reversed, but who will come out the best in the long run?
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Post by Charfield Blue on May 16, 2018 23:49:58 GMT
Dont forget the new boiler!! LOL aye a new boiler as well. Makes me laugh how these people like Casson can make millions in business, but when it comes to running a football club they don't have a clue. Seems his son is beginning to understand it a bit better than his old man More likely he's not happy to see how his old man is spanking his inheritance. |
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Post by eyeswideopen on May 17, 2018 6:51:10 GMT
Looks like they’ll be putting the playing budget down a bit, so I guess we’ll be stuck with Kingsley James next season. There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players I must be in a very small minority here, but here goes anyway.
KJ was an absolute star for us in his first spell, I honestly don't think the problem was with the player, but more the style of manager in his second spell. I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt under the new pairing, he wont get an easy ride with those two that's for sure. You don't become a crap player overnight without some underlying factors.
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Post by Charfield Blue on May 17, 2018 7:00:51 GMT
There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players I must be in a very small minority here, but here goes anyway.
KJ was an absolute star for us in his first spell, I honestly don't think the problem was with the player, but more the style of manager in his second spell. I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt under the new pairing, he wont get an easy ride with those two that's for sure. You don't become a crap player overnight without some underlying factors.
For what he's on I'm hoping we can get 3 players who'll run through brick walls. KJ has ability but I think he's fallen out of love with the game and is now your stereotypical journeyman. More than happy to see him make yet another move. |
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Post by Al on May 17, 2018 7:04:27 GMT
There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players I must be in a very small minority here, but here goes anyway.
KJ was an absolute star for us in his first spell, I honestly don't think the problem was with the player, but more the style of manager in his second spell. I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt under the new pairing, he wont get an easy ride with those two that's for sure. You don't become a crap player overnight without some underlying factors.
He was good up until Christmas in his first spell then went off the boil. Had a few things going on though at home with his mum being unwell and that though so I can excuse him for that. Whether he was good or not this season just gone, the size and shape of our budget next season means we can't afford to keep him here. We're reverting to part time, and with both Kingsley and Ross being on full time contracts... Not going to work |
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Post by gone4eva on May 17, 2018 8:37:49 GMT
In short, run the club as a sustainable business rather than a play thing! Just a reminder that this current 17-18 season we have not done that, regardless of a single owner or fan owned model! |
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Post by btb on May 17, 2018 8:48:27 GMT
There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players I must be in a very small minority here, but here goes anyway.
KJ was an absolute star for us in his first spell, I honestly don't think the problem was with the player, but more the style of manager in his second spell. I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt under the new pairing, he wont get an easy ride with those two that's for sure. You don't become a crap player overnight without some underlying factors.
Like you I also thought he was superb in his first spell. Yes, his form tailed off a bit after the new year but I put that down to carrying Rooney and Mcconville, or certainly their share of the graft. This spell however, he has been terrible and he epitomised everything bad about last season. Yes, he was played out of position and to his credit he always put a kit on whilst others were nursing 'injuries' but he just didn't look interested at all. Looked like a man who knew he'd made a bad decision. Please new managers get rid! |
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Post by Lobster on May 17, 2018 8:48:38 GMT
To his credit I think it's a good, honest statement from him, although as has been said, it's surprising that people who have made a fortune from their business can be so clueless and lacking in common sense when it comes to football. Basing so much of their operations in Manchester gives them an element of being a franchise club rather than the pillar of the local community that clubs should be. Barrow's isolated location does pose them a few challenges, but it also gives them a huge catchment area for both players and supporters.
I think Barrow are one of those clubs a bit like us, where bad things just seem to happen to them. As a result, their fans get a bit excited when someone turns up with a bit of money and they tend to enjoy the short-term ride without asking too many questions. We're also seeing that with one or two of our fans who seem to want Stuart Murphy's investment to be spunked on the playing budget. We need to run the club with our heads as well as our hearts and realise that infrastructure and patience is the route to long-term success.
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Post by thebluecamp on May 17, 2018 8:56:43 GMT
There a more than one club you know Matt. And they'll all be scouring the retained lists for players Yes but we all know he’s shite, who else is going to buy him and with that wage he’s on.Southport ? (Reunite him with the guy who brought him here). |
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Post by MOC on May 17, 2018 9:00:20 GMT
Considering how isolated they are and given they played in the Football League for a long time I'm surprised they don't get bigger gates than they do. Not saying our attendances are great either but we had about double the crowd against Salisbury on the last day in 2014 than Barrow got against us in similar circumstances a few weeks back. They took thousands to Wembley when they played there in the FA Trophy final a few years ago so evidently there are plenty of people who have some attachment to the club, but that isn't reflected in their regular attendances.
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Post by agl on May 17, 2018 9:15:04 GMT
To his credit I think it's a good, honest statement from him, although as has been said, it's surprising that people who have made a fortune from their business can be so clueless and lacking in common sense when it comes to football. Basing so much of their operations in Manchester gives them an element of being a franchise club rather than the pillar of the local community that clubs should be. Barrow's isolated location does pose them a few challenges, but it also gives them a huge catchment area for both players and supporters. I think Barrow are one of those clubs a bit like us, where bad things just seem to happen to them. As a result, their fans get a bit excited when someone turns up with a bit of money and they tend to enjoy the short-term ride without asking too many questions. We're also seeing that with one or two of our fans who seem to want Stuart Murphy's investment to be spunked on the playing budget. We need to run the club with our heads as well as our hearts and realise that infrastructure and patience is the route to long-term success. I dodn't think anyone is suggesting that huge amounts should be pumped into the playing budget, but there has to be a recognition that next year's playing budget is far from competitive. We can win youth cups, improve the community side etc all we like, but the future of the club depends on the success of the first team. And teams like Macc that punch above their weight are the exception....playing budget is directly related to league position. Sutton, given as another example, had a massive Cup run so they are hardly relevant. I'm not saying we ignore infrastructure but it's a balancing act. |
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