Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1-3 Gateshead

[Holy Joe]

That's way down the road though when new East stand is built. That could be years away.

Partially - they also highlighted hiring out the training ground which I guess may come sooner. They're not aiming to become sustainable overnight - thankfully. I think it's a 5yr plan - sounds a touch ambitious but not impossible

 

[sufc4life21]

Partially - they also highlighted hiring out the training ground which I guess may come sooner. They're not aiming to become sustainable overnight - thankfully. I think it's a 5yr plan - sounds a touch ambitious but not impossible

There reliant on funding from Martin's FF development which is bit worrying considering Martin's track record of delivering nothing. They also would need some sort of loan to cover the short fall from the Martin's as they would only be receiving 7-9 million from FF development.

 

[Holy Joe]

There reliant on funding from Martin's FF development which is bit worrying considering Martin's track record of delivering nothing. They also would need some sort of loan to cover the short fall from the Martin's as they would only be receiving 7-9 million from FF development.

I think they're on record as saying that they are NOT reliant on the FF money from Ron.

 

[kentblues]

I don't know how many times it's been mentioned - Cosu believe the key to sustainability is non matchday related revenue streams.

They may, but for that to be in any way meaningful needs the new East Stand. Otherwise the current facilities will provide some, but I fear certainly not enough, to cover a meaningful drop if in attendances. If things don’t improve on the pitch and attendances drop by 1500 for the last 10 games that will cost probably £200k.

I would suggest matchday income is more achievable in a meaningful way short term - indeed I’m very surprised how little has been executed on that to date. Look at what Maidstone do with semi permanent facilities for food and drink, and Ebbsfleet with pop up vending. But again the bigger the attendance the more sales. I’m sure they know what they are doing, but I would be looking for sponsors to fund the necessary infrastructure around the ground and the club to run the outlets themselves to maximize profitably per head.

Not sure what the detailed business plan is obviously. But it’s very easy to spend money too quickly on things that don’t deliver. For example prioritising ground capacity doesn’t move the dial financially unless at the same time you make sure you have paying customers to provide the return on investment by filling that increased capacity.

 

[blues exile]

I hope the consortium does not find out the hard way that running successful IT companies that enjoyed a work from home bonanza during the Covid pandemic is somewhat different from running a football club, a results driven business. If we are stuck in the hellhole of the NL for five years or more attendances will surely drop to unsustainable levels reminiscent of the early 80s. Spending what little money there is on refurbishing a crumbling stadium will not result in success on the pitch, which is essential for survival. Getting back to the EFL should be number one priority, in fact the only priority otherwise there is little point to making up the numbers in the fifth tier.

 

[Liam AAS]

I hope the consortium does not find out the hard way that running successful IT companies that enjoyed a work from home bonanza during the Covid pandemic is somewhat different from running a football club, a results driven business. If we are stuck in the hellhole of the NL for five years or more attendances will surely drop to unsustainable levels reminiscent of the early 80s. Spending what little money there is on refurbishing a crumbling stadium will not result in success on the pitch, which is essential for survival. Getting back to the EFL should be number one priority, in fact the only priority otherwise there is little point to making up the numbers in the fifth tier.

This is completely incorrect. Those clubs that have been able to punch above their weight in recent years either have facilities that generate revenue on non-matchdays, owners with extremely deep pockets or both.

We have had neither, hence our slide out of the football league.

 

[Holy Joe]

Getting promoted to L2 is no guarantee of financial stability either. Sure gate revenue, sponsorship, tv money etc goes up - but so do costs. How many L2 clubs are sustainable? I think the message is relying only on gate money/match day revenue is not financially sustainable in any of the divisions - hence the need to focus on non-matchday revenue generation

 

[* ORM *]

Given the growing losses being experienced by Wrexham FC, what happens to them when the bankrollers get bored? You’d have thought the experiences of the last 20 years, or actually more that that, since our first ever season in the second tier would have made people understand why sustainability is a better model.

 

[Its Only A Game]

The fact that I don't generally miss home games and yet I'm likely to miss Saturdays game, without feeling remotely bothered, tells its own story.

This is exactly where I'm at.

I left with 10 minutes to go on Saturday and thats the first time I've ever left before the final whistle, and my first game was right back in 1978!

I sort of want to go on Saturday in the hope that it will better but with a 3 hour round drive to watch it I'm just really 50/50 about it.

It's not just the result, as I can handle losing if we actually play decent football, but over the last 5 years there have been so many dreadful performances.

 

[blues exile]

This is completely incorrect. Those clubs that have been able to punch above their weight in recent years either have facilities that generate revenue on non-matchdays, owners with extremely deep pockets or both.

We have had neither, hence our slide out of the football league.

Our slide out of the FL was as a result of poor recruitment of players and bad choices of management and nothing to do with non match day revenue or lack of it and our return to it will only happen when we start to assemble a promotion winning side under progressive management. Whether this is now in progress is yet to be seen but all the other stuff is just a distraction. Supporters want to see a wininng, entertaining team, the rest is not of any great interest to the average fan I would suggest.

 

[Holy Joe]

Our slide out of the FL was as a result of poor recruitment of players and bad choices of management and nothing to do with non match day revenue or lack of it and our return to it will only happen when we start to assemble a promotion winning side under progressive management. Whether this is now in progress is yet to be seen but all the other stuff is just a distraction. Supporters want to see a wininng, entertaining team, the rest is not of any great interest to the average fan I would suggest.

So you don't think any of the numerous embargoes because we didn't have any cash has any impact?

 

[blues exile]

So you don't think any of the numerous embargoes because we didn't have any cash has any impact?

If recruitment had been better pre the first embargo we would never have sunk into the slump that eventually led to the present situation. Obviously Martin was overall to blame for the financial siuation but bad management played its part. The basic problems begin and end with results on the pitch. Getting back to L2 does not of course guarantee sustainability but would be a start and should at least reduce unsustainability.

 

[Strykr]

This is exactly where I'm at.

I left with 10 minutes to go on Saturday and thats the first time I've ever left before the final whistle, and my first game was right back in 1978!

I sort of want to go on Saturday in the hope that it will better but with a 3 hour round drive to watch it I'm just really 50/50 about it.

It's not just the result, as I can handle losing if we actually play decent football, but over the last 5 years there have been so many dreadful performances.

id say about %75 of my 38 years of supporting Southend has been just that....

memories of me and my dad walking out saying that was total crap, and rubbish, waste of money. By next Thursday, fancy the football Saturday? Yeah.

Lets face it, one of the best feelings is the world is when we score and everyone leaps up cheering.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

Supporters want to see a wininng, entertaining team, the rest is not of any great interest to the average fan I would suggest.

You have succinctly summed up the issue here, the average fan really is only engaged with what's on offer on the pitch and everything else has it's importance but has to play second fiddle to footballing success. An understandable viewpoint although arguably simplistic and potential short sighted, but engagement wise the buzz for a 'fan' comes from the right result on the pitch. The running of the Club, well that's down to the owners, the only thing is success on the pitch is not always reflected in the balance sheet.

 

[Napster]

You have succinctly summed up the issue here, the average fan really is only engaged with what's on offer on the pitch and everything else has it's importance but has to play second fiddle to footballing success. An understandable viewpoint although arguably simplistic and potential short sighted, but engagement wise the buzz for a 'fan' comes from the right result on the pitch. The running of the Club, well that's down to the owners, the only thing is success on the pitch is not always reflected in the balance sheet.

I remember chatting to a sales and marketing director at Gillingham FC. He was saying that at the end of the day, the only thing guaranteed to get bums on seats is success.

 

[Strykr]

I remember chatting to a sales and marketing director at Gillingham FC. He was saying that at the end of the day, the only thing guaranteed to get bums on seats is success.

Precisely. when we were winning the title and beating Man U etc the whole town suddenly took an interest.

Old disillusioned fans come back, kids going to their first games become lifelong fans, more merchandise is bought, more money is spent, better sponsorship can be obtained etc etc.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I remember chatting to a sales and marketing director at Gillingham FC. He was saying that at the end of the day, the only thing guaranteed to get bums on seats is success.

Yep. Loads of people were moaning about how boring Southgate's England were in the Euros...yet, 10+ years ago, those same people were fed up with us losing and wanted us to grind out results like the italians did I guarantee there would have been not criticism of Southgate, if he had brought it home

 

[Tommy2holes]

Precisely. when we were winning the title and beating Man U etc the whole town suddenly took an interest.

Old disillusioned fans come back, kids going to their first games become lifelong fans, more merchandise is bought, more money is spent, better sponsorship can be obtained etc etc.

100% this..

Mid table and boring football won't sustain crowds no matter how good the beer and burgers are.

 

[Strike Force]

Given the growing losses being experienced by Wrexham FC, what happens to them when the bankrollers get bored? You’d have thought the experiences of the last 20 years, or actually more that that, since our first ever season in the second tier would have made people understand why sustainability is a better model.

I'd rather have a super exciting 5-10 years where anything feels possible and then a crash back down to the lower leagues than spend a decade or more languishing in the squalor of the National League.

Wrexham experienced the years of failure in the National League and then the rise in unprecedented circumstances and I'm sure it's much more enjoyable now for their fanbase than the years of misery.

There is no glory in the mundane.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

I remember chatting to a sales and marketing director at Gillingham FC. He was saying that at the end of the day, the only thing guaranteed to get bums on seats is success.

don't think you can argue against the factual accuracy of that statement, although it has to be said that 'generationally' fans also have differing expectations as to the environment where they will spend their money to watch their football.
I posted elsewhere that the Roots Hall regeneration is the horse to the promotion cart for COSU at this time, there has to come a time in my opinion that going forward that emphasise has to change. We have to trust that COSU know when to make that call, the 'money' question is how long before they feel able to do it?