Many of us ‘oldies’ remember the clubs slogan ‘football with a future’, do we really have this? We don’t own our own ground we don’t own our own training ground. Yes we have a modular building the old baramber as a base which is well past it’s sell by date (it’s original life span was 10 years as prescribed by the supplier) and yet we don’t seem to have any plans in place for either developing a ground or a training ground. I don’t know about you but these are the kind of close season updates I would like. Have a look at how Exeter, a fans owned club have been planning:



Now why can’t we be doing this?

You don't need to convince me.

They have developed a club. The best time to have started was 30 years ago. But the next best time is tomorrow. It will take time but the longer we listen to the voices who tell us why it can't be done, the longer it will take to do.

Owlsabout you have a fair few in agreement, I’m sure of that. Perhaps we need an ideas man with the energy and drive to achieve.

Stan A. Einstein wrote: May 31st, 2022, 11:14 pm You don't need to convince me.

They have developed a club. The best time to have started was 30 years ago. But the next best time is tomorrow. It will take time but the longer we listen to the voices who tell us why it can't be done, the longer it will take to do.

I understand where you are coming from after watching that video. If Exeter can do it, why can we not do the same?

Controversial perhaps, but I think we have a majority on the board, along with the Chairman, who are resistant to change. As things stand their positions are not under threat, and they can strut around as directors of a football league side with all the privileges that brings, and without risking any of their own money. However I do respect and appreciate their significant investment of time, which in itself has considerable intangible value.

What that setup has brought to the party is a degree of stability, thanks largely to Cup runs, but along with it a lack of business acumen and capital that would ultimately assist in the progression of our Club.

It is widely known that had we been relegated in 2017 it was highly probable that our Club would have gone out of existence.
As far as I’m aware no supporter owned club has got beyond League 1, so are we destined to have a life always under the threat of relegation, because to me that’s what the current operating model seems to offer? The supporter’s vote for a hybrid structure was left to wither on the vine, was that because of self interests or genuine lack of interest from outside parties? In my book, if you don’t actively look, then you will never find!

My overriding concern is that without a credible youth policy or capital, and consequently having to continually shop in the bargain basement for players and managers, will inevitably at some point see us paying the ultimate price. To succeed we need a planned and evolving structural change, without which the sword of Damocles will always continue to hang over us.

I haven't watched the clip yet, but I assume it mentions that Exeter had to find £800k to complete the training ground after the contractor pulled out?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61492783

Edit: It looks wonderful and should be copied by any club with a couple of million to spare from a transfer add-on for an England striker and a Trust which can guarantee an 800k loan.

I’ve spent a lot of time this season at Exeter’s training ground Cliff Hill. It’s a really good set-up with 7-8 pitches, changing rooms, club offices, portakabins for the academy and coffee shops, and it’s about 3 miles off the M5 so handy to get to.

The car park needs a bit of work and the place would benefit from a tidy-up but it’s already of a good standard. Comparable in size to somewhere like Undy FC.

County would certainly benefit from owning a similar site and you’re right about our club basically being a shell with no assets of its own. Exeter have started from scratch as a fans-owned club and built up the academy model so they can make money from selling players. Other clubs like Huddersfield have scrapped their academy because all the best players were poached by PL clubs, instead concentrating on having an U18 development squad and a B team.

It seems County are trying both models but we’ve not really seen the rewards yet.

One speaker in the video talks about the pavilion dating to 1974 (?). This must mean it was an existing sports ground?

George Street-Bridge wrote: June 1st, 2022, 7:05 am I haven't watched the clip yet, but I assume it mentions that Exeter had to find £800k to complete the training ground after the contractor pulled out?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61492783

Edit: It looks wonderful and should be copied by any club with a couple of million to spare from a transfer add-on for an England striker and a Trust which can guarantee an 800k loan.

George,

I see your point. It is difficult to achieve. There are many setbacks. It takes years of hatd work and grind. But if we wait until for conditions to be perfect we will wait forever.

The encouraging thing for me was that the board at Exeter genuinely wanted to engage with the fan base. That they knew when they started how long and arduous it was going to be. And they did it anyway.

Lincoln had good Cup runs and invested in infrastructure. Exeter used windfalls to do likewise. In the last 10 years we have made five trips to Wembley.and I think it a fair question to ask. How much have we invested in infrastructure?

Well, clearly they didn't know how arduous it would be or they wouldn't have had to find £800k at short notice to finish the works after going with a contractor who couldn't finish the job. But it's good they were engaged with the fan base to the extent their Trust would guarantee the loan they needed. As a member of our Trust would you back ours doing that?

I have no idea what we have spent on infrastructure but I'd be amazed if the pitch was a freebie.

I don’t get the blind obsession with owning our 'own' ground as a stadium can be a millstone and makes sense to share to split cost - agree we need firm assurances and security of tenure but owning our own ground is, in my view not an issues. BUT having a proper base, long term leased or owned/joint owned, as a training ground is important - now in my view we could look at a joint venture with a Gwent league club in Newport or develop [say] 2 grass and one artificial pitch [used by the 'home' club to play league games on] - OR radical as it seems work with a cricket club to develop something - we could; protect the square and use the outfield and add other pitches (I think MK dons use a training ground which is also used for cricket in the summer?), heaven forbid we could even look at something with Cwmbran Celtic or [the horror!] with a local amateur rugby club after all amateur clubs don’t use their pitches during weekday daytimes (Newport Sarries – whack up some more permanent buildings – we pay down a lease and allow them use of some of our new facilities at set times – what’s not to like?!)– all ideas and easier said than done of course but we do absolutely need a permanent training area.

We don’t; need and nor is it sensible to have a super duper 10 pitch training ground with ice baths and cinema style video room, something half decent with well fitted out portacabins would work just as well but agree we need a firm base for playing/coaching staff – at our level beyond wages its the little things which get players to sign and ‘erm oh yeah by the way we train at pill rec in the morning and do our gym up at Celtic manor in the afternoon – oh of course you’re only just 17 and can’t drive – well no worries a few of the lads pile into cars’ ‘meals, erm well yeah we do you a packed lunch and the lads tend to shower when they get home and get their missus to wash their kit’ (it may not be quite that bad and of course I’m being facetious)…so if the money was comparable but there was decent training ground which would a young or not so young player choose?

George Street-Bridge wrote: June 1st, 2022, 10:25 am Well, clearly they didn't know how arduous it would be or they wouldn't have had to find £800k at short notice to finish the works after going with a contractor who couldn't finish the job. But it's good they were engaged with the fan base to the extent their Trust would guarantee the loan they needed. As a member of our Trust would you back ours doing that?

I have no idea what we have spent on infrastructure but I'd be amazed if the pitch was a freebie.

A pitch of which we own not one blade of grass.

To answer your question. Of course they didn't realise how arduous it would be when they set out. Nobody ever does. But that's the thing about all human endevour once we start we carry on. Difficulties arise which we don't foresee. When we finally achieve our goal and look back we all say would I have started had I known it would be that hard.

I was 32. I had a nice safe job teaching adults with learning difficulties. I had my own house car and pension. Life was good but I thought it could be better.
For five years, when my friends went on foreign holidays and down the pub in the evenings. I went to night school and spent all my money on tuition fees and books. During my final year a close friend became sick and died. As a result of which a had to redo my finsl year. So after six years of study I then had a choice. Stay in my nice safe job or study on the bar vocational course. (BVC)That was full time. I borrowed £10,000. £7,500 was spent on the course fee. I worked weekends. It was tough, a mortgage to pay, London prices but I passed the course. Then I had to find a pupillage. Thousands of people qualified as barristers chasing a few hundred training places. I was nearly 40, I had a degree from what was East London Polytechnic. I was up against people in their twenties with Oxbridge degrees. I didn't know anyone I had no contacts. So I got a job as a night security guard. Which freed up my days to work voluntarily for the Free Representation Unit. For a year I slogged away in Social Security Appeals Tribunals unpaid. I remember one day coming home from a case, knackered. Grabbing an hours sleep and going to work. I shed more than a few tears. But after nine months I got to know a barrister who arrainged a pupillage. It was an unfunded pupillage. I worked weekends, guarding the still unoccupied Canary Wharf. I was so broke I had to handwash my shirt, I had no social life.
After 10 years of unmitigated struggle I became a barrister. My late parents saw me called to the bar. And whilst my career was hardly stellar I made a good living as a barrister. If I had known how tough it was going to be, I'm not sure I would have tried. But looking back, the struggle to get there was better than the 20 odd years of what most call success.
You are right George, things that are worthwhile cost. But if you want something badly enough, you will find a way.

Stan A. Einstein wrote: June 1st, 2022, 10:09 am

George Street-Bridge wrote: June 1st, 2022, 7:05 am I haven't watched the clip yet, but I assume it mentions that Exeter had to find £800k to complete the training ground after the contractor pulled out?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61492783

Edit: It looks wonderful and should be copied by any club with a couple of million to spare from a transfer add-on for an England striker and a Trust which can guarantee an 800k loan.

George,

I see your point. It is difficult to achieve. There are many setbacks. It takes years of hatd work and grind. But if we wait until for conditions to be perfect we will wait forever.

The encouraging thing for me was that the board at Exeter genuinely wanted to engage with the fan base. That they knew when they started how long and arduous it was going to be. And they did it anyway.

Lincoln had good Cup runs and invested in infrastructure. Exeter used windfalls to do likewise. In the last 10 years we have made five trips to Wembley.and I think it a fair question to ask. How much have we invested in infrastructure?

The Wembley trips probably COST the club money tbh but we were told profits from cup runs would be 'invested' so a fair point

II like the cricket ground idea. How much use does that part of the Spytty campus get?

George Street-Bridge wrote: June 1st, 2022, 10:42 am II like the cricket ground idea. How much use does that part of the Spytty campus get?

My thoughts exactly - all just ideas of course, shared training grounds can work well - London Irish and London GAA (OK a unique relationship there of course) share a complex in Ruislip for example, we could even consider approaching a parish council in Eastern Newport which is our traditional 'home' [Nash village?] and say 'look we'll upgrade the village hall and changing facilities [install a new kitchen, new showers, put in a small gym, etc] for the local teams/community/youth, fence off the pitch(es) and relay the pitch if you agree to lease it back to us at a reasonable amount for the next x years for use during weekdays from 8am-6pm from mid-July to the end of May and fence off and ban dog walkers from the pitches themselves' worst case the odd day when the village fete or school sports day was the team could be bussed out elsewhere. Put simply a mutually beneficial community based sharing option could be a great move - a parish council getting in the low tens of K a year in lease money and new facilities which could be maintained via a trust – win win.

All just thoughts and ideas and perhaps naïve but all worth exploring…we don’t have much money and neither do many local sports/other clubs & organisations in the area – pooling resources for a pitch/facilities which can be used in at different times for different groups [clearly demarked – County daytime- community groups from 6pm].