lowandhard wrote:

The Newport wrote:If you are all so concerned about the shop. Why not get together and help by looking for empty premises by the ground. Once you have found the right premises get together and open your own shop in partnership with the Club. Problem solved. So who's in favour?

Then you have two for outlets selling Newport County merchandise.

Just not the point. If anyone makes a criticism of the club’s operation, the answer appears to be “ if you’re not happy, do it yourself! “. That is totally unprofessional, any worthwhile business addresses customers complaints. It doesn’t blame its customers or put its fingers in its ears. As for having club sales on site on match day, what professional club doesn’t eh?

Absolutely L&H - we will never progress as a club - both on and off the pitch unless we get the infrastructure right. The RP issue hasn't helped but we simply cannot afford to be throwing money away and at the moment that is what we are doing. We need John Harvey Jones to come in (one for the kids there)!

George Street-Bridge wrote:

Bangitintrnet wrote: Like all parts of the ground the marquee is available for hire on match days but County don't hire it normally.

But all the home games I've been to this season the marquee has been in use - or Saturdays at least, not sure about midweek. Are County cut out of the revenue?

I watched the last half-hour of Dragons v Ospreys on S4C and nearly all the uncovered seats were occupied, are they "ours"?

As the Marquee effectively replaced the club house I would guess we are cut out, but we can still use.

Regarding the away end, this is something that County require but the Dragons don't have to have. On the basis that we can't operate without it, I would guess they were happy for us to install it providing they can use it when required.

OLDCROMWELLIAN wrote:

Bangitintrnet wrote:

lowandhard wrote:To “the Newport”
He has other business interests apart from Newport. No, I don’t talk about the business side only about the sport. You, however, seem to think that he has made decisions to exclude us from RP. Why then wouldn’t the club welcome him speaking to the fans if that is the case he would hang himself by doing so? Why don’t the club come out and say what the problem is ? Why don’t the club tell us what happened about the shop? Surely it would be cheaper ( if your costings are correct ) to negotiate a shop and ticketing at RP? If so why can’t we know what RP trying to charge etc etc? That’s the point we just don’t know and are never told.
In any case , wherever the f*cking shop is and however much it costs, it should be OPEN - and especially so if it costs as much as you say it does.

Rugby and Football businesses are different and will prioritize in there own interests. AFAIK the Rugby have shop and ticket staff that are on paid contracts. Would those contracts be flexible enough to cater for an unusual event in the same way as our volunteers can?

The shop will now have a footfall presence much greater than at RP. I can see that you would get impulse Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, but much less so on New year's Eve, a day when traditionally unwanted presents may be returned to shops.

I understand that the marquee is being used for a corporate event on Sunday, with space being allocated for a pop up shop. Like all parts of the ground the marquee is available for hire on match days but County don't hire it normally.

Likewise the North Terrace, which has a Bar that the Dragons fans use, but cannot be used by football fans.

Others have mentioned cash flow related to ticketing if this was entirely in the hand's of the Dragons.

Newport Rugby Football Club have free use of the pitch but still have to hire everything else, even down to the dressing rooms.

This is just business, the facilities cost money and there are charges made. If it is in the County's interest to have their own facilities that is exactly what they should do. I personally see it as a positive rather than just a reaction to the WRU

Interesting post. Always good to hear/read all points of view of any arguement. But what p***** me off is being treated like mushrooms. What the f*** is going on? How can we come to a conclusion or form an opinion if we are not given the facts?


Blwyddyn newydd dda I bawb

A very happy and prosperous New Year to you too. Let’s hope it’s one for the club too.

Thanks for the insights and I’m not being disingenuous, I know as much as you or possibly less and that is why I am posting. I never stood in the elections because I could see that it could put me in an awkward position in any dispute.

My point essentially is the same as yours, we can’t make our mind up as to whether the decisions being made are wise because we are not being presented with facts and figures. We don’t even know the terms of the contract to be able to form an opinion but it would seem to me that one of two things is true. Either the original contract is rubbish or we are terrible negotiators - or possibly both. We know nothing of the veracity of statements being made about these decisions. It would seem to me that if RP , the WRU or whoever was acting unreasonably then we could point to the issue in a clause in the contract. If as has been implied, my son has acted not in the interests of this club, why didn’t they invite him to that meeting and expose the facts?

In any case my point remains that if the shop is costing us money and we have something to sell ( in this case Leicester tickets ) then the shop should have been open. That’s all I’m saying. The only counter argument is that either we have sold out all tickets and shop stock and have nothing to sell or no other shops are open so no footfall. I don’t believe either to be the case.

What sticks in the craw is that when somebody like me just states the bleeding obvious, there are always a couple on here who appear to be “ in the know “ and are willing to jump down their throats.
It seems to me that there’s always somebody willing to defend the indefensible. Like I said, it’s not personal, it’s business, strictly business.

Can't they use the BarAmber on matchdays or get a shopping trolley or even a small pop-up tent by the marquee?

Willthiswork wrote:Can't they use the BarAmber on matchdays or get a shopping trolley or even a small pop-up tent by the marquee?

Why not? Pop up shop in the alley adjacent to BarAmber sometime as the place gets developed, upstairs used for office space perhaps?

lowandhard wrote:

Ashurstheros wrote:Closed until 2nd

Like I said above, scandalous. What a way to run a business.

Is the Dragons club shop open today?

If it’s not then do you also deem that scandalous and a terrible way to run a business?

Lysaght Dancer....the point being made was yesterday was a 'normal working day' less than one week before a HUGE game in the FA Cup.The club shop was closed .
I would expect the Dragons shop to be closed today unless they have a game as its a BANK HOLIDAY

Lysaght Dancer wrote:

lowandhard wrote:

Ashurstheros wrote:Closed until 2nd

Like I said above, scandalous. What a way to run a business.

Is the Dragons club shop open today?

If it’s not then do you also deem that scandalous and a terrible way to run a business?

That’s ridiculous. They haven’t got tickets to sell for the Leicester game, have they? And we were talking about yesterday , not a BH as far as I’m aware. Like I said defending the indefensible.
If the Dragons had a big game coming up and they didn’t want to sell tickets, yes it would be scandalous.

neilcork68 wrote:Lysaght Dancer....the point being made was yesterday was a 'normal working day' less than one week before a HUGE game in the FA Cup.The club shop was closed .
I would expect the Dragons shop to be closed today unless they have a game as its a BANK HOLIDAY

Oh I see - so the Dragons with their own ground and their off field staff numbering ours by about 10 to 1, have always got it spot on and got their club shop open but little old us with our scant resources are always shit at business.

Makes me laugh about Lowandhard criticising us and then praising the Dragond chairman for his business skills when they are the laughing stock of the right world and the worst run professional rugby side that the game has ever seen.

Lysaght Dancer wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Lysaght Dancer....the point being made was yesterday was a 'normal working day' less than one week before a HUGE game in the FA Cup.The club shop was closed .
I would expect the Dragons shop to be closed today unless they have a game as its a BANK HOLIDAY

Oh I see - so the Dragons with their own ground and their off field staff numbering ours by about 10 to 1, have always got it spot on and got their club shop open but little old us with our scant resources are always shit at business.

Makes me laugh about Lowandhard criticising us and then praising the Dragond chairman for his business skills when they are the laughing stock of the right world and the worst run professional rugby side that the game has ever seen.

No they are far from perfect , on and off the field but in comparison we are Amateurish..We are supposed to be a Professional Football League club who has had the club shop closed 5 days before one of our biggest money spinning games of the season.
I bet almost every other Football League Club had their shop open yesterday...A normal working day

neilcork68 wrote:

Lysaght Dancer wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Lysaght Dancer....the point being made was yesterday was a 'normal working day' less than one week before a HUGE game in the FA Cup.The club shop was closed .
I would expect the Dragons shop to be closed today unless they have a game as its a BANK HOLIDAY

Oh I see - so the Dragons with their own ground and their off field staff numbering ours by about 10 to 1, have always got it spot on and got their club shop open but little old us with our scant resources are always shit at business.

Makes me laugh about Lowandhard criticising us and then praising the Dragond chairman for his business skills when they are the laughing stock of the right world and the worst run professional rugby side that the game has ever seen.

No they are far from perfect , on and off the field but in comparison we are Amateurish..We are supposed to be a Professional Football League club who has had the club shop closed 5 days before one of our biggest money spinning games of the season.
I bet almost every other Football League Club had their shop open yesterday...A normal working day

You have no idea whatsoever whether or not every other Football League club had their club shop open yesterday.

I’m pretty confident that like on field, we punch above our weight off the field too, considering our scant resources and reliance on volunteers.

I don’t think it would be unfair to suggest that instead of criticising constantly, those who get the most angered by this type of thing simply volunteer themselves and help make the situation better.

Yeah, still defending the indefensible. That’ll work to improve things won’t it? Ask anyone who runs a business what they would have done.

lowandhard wrote:Yeah, still defending the indefensible. That’ll work to improve things won’t it? Ask anyone who runs a business what they would have done.

I get your point. They work as many hours as possible to make sure the business is a success. Just like your son did when he first started his first business venture.
But this isn't a new venture or a new business, it's a fan owned businesses that is run by the fans. So surely more fans should approach the club with ideas and maybe give a bit more of their free time to make sure the business is a success and maybe then when the business is a bit more successful on pitch more fans will come through the gates. And then the Club can employ more people to run the shop.