New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[Nemo]

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/siteassets/2023-24/advisory-board-minutes/advisory-board-meeting-minutes---02.05.24.pdf

Advisory Board notes! We are being spoiled this morning.

The Club confirm that season ticket sales are down on last year but the early bird purchase window does not close until 31st May so it is not possible to make an informed comparison at this time.

Club are reviewing last years on field performance which we agree has not been good enough and also the management and players going forward. We cannot offer any other information at this time.

At the JV meeting and following feedback from fans and consultation with the council, the decision was made to remove fencing around the proposed fanzone, this will result in no loss of trees or bushes. Revised plans have been sent to the council for approval and work is expected to start on the installation of statue and fanzone over the closed season and hope to have this open by early next season.

NH (Neil Hutchings, Trust Chair) challenged the current comms silence, especially given the commitment made at the Fans Forum to communicate more regularly with supporters (since the Fans Forum neither the Chairman or CEO had given any interviews or communicated with supporters, despite the Club’s worst finishing position in history).

This line is not followed by any commitment from the club



Basically, the club aren't ready to commit to anything on any topic apart from not putting a fence around the fanzone.

[welshred]

Certainly is more interesting than previous AB notes, although they've not committed to anything. Season ticket sales are clearly way down on last season - no surprise there.

Like how the Trust Chairman has challenged them on things and made sure they are fully aware how the fans feel and why.

Funny how they say they are looking to recruit a Sustainability Officer ASAP, but its not listed in the Careers section of the website. How do they expect to fill the position without advertising it?

[Nemo]

Funny how they say they are looking to recruit a Sustainability Officer ASAP, but its not listed in the Careers section of the website. How do they expect to fill the position without advertising it?

I somehow doubt Michael Doughty went through a formal recruitment process!

[Batch]

Interesting that the trust are pushing back on moving the AB to bring once every 2 months.

The AB minutes seem quite sensible on the face of it, but I don't like the tone of 'over the next few weeks' in regards to sorting key stuff out.

Interesting that 30% say they won't renew or are considering not renewing STs. We'll see how many follow thorough.

Maybe I misinterpreted it, but it read like Clem didn't much like the survey (asking had it been done before)

[Bogus Dave]

As was pointed out to me, that’s 30% of c.2,000 fans engaged enough to complete a survey

There’s at least 3k who didn’t fill out that survey - can you assume disengagement would be greater in that cohort and the % not renewing larger?

[theakston2k]

Those minutes just reaffirm the opinion Morfuni doesn’t care and is uninterested. No commitment to anything and no progress made anywhere. Don’t know why they even mentioned the hybrid pitch previously they were never going to be able to afford it.

The line at the end about the manager appointment and ongoing review and statement on the plan for next season just stinks of Gunning remaining in charge.

[Riddick]

Yeah the lack of urgency around making changes for next season while a review takes place (by who) is a little worrying. Perhaps not a lot happens at this point anyway, but its one of those things thats going to drag on isn't it.

Clem based on terrible interactions with fans over the last 12 months seems to have adopted the policy to say nothing as the fans are never happy anyway. Not the wisest decision in my opinion.

I think its fair for him to ask about the survey and if its been done before. The survey itself says something but its really tracking that over time that gives more information right? The outcomes will 100% of declined over the last 3 years but its good to have evidence. I would like the trust to use the same survey yearly going forward.

How little money Clem has is shown by the pitch question. If the bloke had any sort of money then 150k for the pitch just happens, and is not pitched as thats money that could go on players. 150k is what one good player salary? Its sad that we are in that poorer state that this sort of pitch investment cant be made. The truth is of course that there has been very little infrastructure investment beyond items needed to run the club like safety certificates.

All very meh again.

The wait goes on for a positive message.

[Batch]

As was pointed out to me, that’s 30% of c.2,000 fans engaged enough to complete a survey

There’s at least 3k who didn’t fill out that survey - can you assume disengagement would be greater in that cohort and the % not renewing larger?

2000 is a significant size. People not participating could be happy, unhappy or simply not aware.

Not unreasonable to think numbers would follow those surveyed

[Frigby Daser]

Read the AB minutes back and considered what responses might be made if they were in the process of selling. It is plausible.

[Peter Venkman]

Read the AB minutes back and considered what responses might be made if they were in the process of selling. It is plausible.

[welshred]

I somehow doubt Michael Doughty went through a formal recruitment process!

It was all clearly complete nonsense in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I love Doughty but the whole job never really existed - I've no idea why they're still clinging on to the idea. We've got skeletal backroom staff and we're apparently looking for a Sustainability Officer FFS.

[Frigby Daser]

I simply thought of what I might say if I literally didn’t give a fuck and was wildly incompetent.

[Peter Venkman]

I simply thought of what I might say if I literally didn’t give a fuck and was wildly incompetent.

Well that part is right!

From what I hear Clem is here for the long run and Gunning will be manager.

As sad and depressing as that sounds to all us fans, that is what I am sure will happen. Stumbling from one season to another hoping to get lucky winning a few games along the way just enough to keep the natives off the owner and managers back.

[tans]

Latest price of football podcast

35 mins in -  people extracting money from the club, offers for the club

[Ginginho]

So, they'll just keep running it on a shoestring, and not selling, just so people in the background can continue to extract money from the club. Great.