Alan G Bryant wrote:
Communication aside, How do you measure a well run club, Is it success on the pitch or a healthy balance sheet?
Astute question. I can only give you my view.
A football club is a limited company. Where it differs from Tesco or Ford is in it's function. The purpose of Tesco is to make money for it's shareholders. They make money by selling groceries. The purpose of Ford is to make money for their shareholders. Ford make money by selling motor cars. For a football club the purpose is to win football matches. The making of money by astute business is not to reward shareholders as with Ford and Tesco but to facilitate the winning of football matches.
Size matters. The bigger the city the higher a club should be in status. How many FA Cup Finals in the last 50 years do you think haven't had at least one team from Manchester, Liverpool or London in them? (Cardiff v Portsmouth and Leeds v Sunderland are the only two I can think of.) So the bigger the town/city the higher the level it should play at. The Newport urban area is in size between Preston and Swansea. Preston and Swansea is about the level we should aim at. Swansea have continually over-achieved in the Premier League but that is what we should aim for. Accrington, population 32,000 overachieve by being in League 2.
Having finished the last two seasons 90th in League 2, I don't think that is acceptable. Spending 25 years in non league in my view was not acceptable. However Rome was not built in a day. lower mid table and safe in League 2 in late February is acceptable for this season but in my view we must aim so much higher.
My belief, if you want something you find a way, if you don't really want something you find an excuse.