10 point plan

Swindon Town's 10-point plan

Ten Point Plan Swindon Town Football Club is now officially under new ownership following the successful completion of the transaction by Andrew Fitton's consortium.

Your new Board, which is totally committed to seeing STFC prosper and enjoy long-term success in a stable environment, free of past frustrations and financial uncertainty, can now begin the long programme of revitalising and restoring the club's fortunes.

In the weeks leading up to the acquisition, the Board was able to become better acquainted with the extensive roster of issues that are in need of attention and which if properly addressed, will form the heart of the STFC revitalisation programme. However, as we are sure you appreciate it will take quite some time to address each and every issue in turn. Therefore, the Board has created an initial Ten Point Plan, with the intention being to focus on those issues which require early attention and where the progress of change can be readily monitored.

advertisementIn summary The Ten Point Plan will address the following topics: 1. The CVA & Football League Embargo The Issue In order to get the revitalisation programme underway, it will be essential that agreement is reached that will see a lifting of the CVA and in tandem, have the Football League embargo removed.

Action Agreement has been reached to lift the CVA and the Football League has agreed to remove the "absolute" embargo, allowing STFC to enter the January 08 transfer window.

2. New Manager Appointment The Issue Following the departure of Paul Sturrock to Plymouth Argyle, an early task was to identify and appoint a new manager, someone who was genuinely committed to helping STFC achieve its long-term footballing objectives.

Action After interviewing a range of potential candidates, Maurice Malpas was identified as being the "right man for the job" and he was officially appointed as the new STFC manager on January 15th 2008.

3. Coaching & Support Staff The Issue To ensure that the new manager was supported with the best possible coaching staff and that the very successful STFC Youth Development programme was maintained.

Action David Byrne has been appointed Assistant Manager and he will also continue in his role as Head of Youth Development. Paul Bodin will be joining the club to work alongside Jeremy Newton with the youth development programme.

4. The STFC Playing Squad The Issue To assess the depth of talent in the playing squad and to identify areas of need of strengthening.

Action Following the lifting of the Football League embargo, the club is now actively pursuing a number of potential additions to the playing squad and hopes to make some announcements within the next seven days.

5. Communication The Issue The club has been guilty in the past of not communicating coherently and consistently with the STFC fan base. This lack of communication has engendered a sense of frustration and mistrust.

Action The Board's intention is to maintain frequent dialogue with the fan base via a well-orchestrated programme of formal and informal communication. A number of communication initiatives are in development and the new programme will commence with the Board being in attendance on January 23rd for the Meet The Players Dinner. As part of the communication programme the club will also be reviewing its entire media strategy.

6. The STFC Superstore The Issue The STFC Superstore is an important part of the club's fabric but in recent times it has been allowed to fall into a less than adequate state.

Action During the summer months the STFC Superstore will undergo a total refurbishment programme in readiness for the 08/09 season. In concert with this refurbishment programme will be the introduction of new and improved range of club merchandise.

7. The County Ground Stadium The Issue The County Ground stadium is in need of some attention but any investment in the current stadium to reflect the fact that in the next couple of years there maybe a ground re-development programme to consider.

Action As part of the stadium upgrade programme the key areas of attention will be: (a) to unify the seating by replacing all of the non red or white seats (b) to review and upgrade some of the food kiosks & the food offering (c) where practical, to improve disabled access (d) to constantly review and improve ground stewarding (e) to invest in and nurture the playing surface (f) look to improve the players' fitness facilities i.e. the gym 8. Online Ticketing & STFC BOX Office The Issue Given the fact that the ticket office is very often the first point of contact that a supporter has with the club, the entire ticketing operation demands an overhaul.

Action With immediate effect, attention is now being paid to the ticketing operation, be it the physical purchasing of tickets, or via online and telephone sales. New, improved and more efficient processes will be in place by the start of the 08/09 season.

Current methods of ticket pricing will also form part of the review.

9. Hospitality Facilities The Issue The hospitality and conferencing facilities available at The County Ground are somewhat run down and tired and yet these facilities represent an important revenue stream for the club.

Action A plan is to be put in place for a programme of upgrading and refurbishing the main hospitality and conferencing facilities, designed to improve the STFC experience for fans, sponsors, guests and delegates.

10. Re-Connecting With The Community The Isssue Given STFC's catalogue of past problems and financial woes, it would appear to have disconnected itself from the Swindon Town community, be it the public or commercial enterprise.

Action An important part of the revitalisation programme will be to embark upon an extensive "Re-Connecting With The Community" strategy that will hopefully once more see STFC being inextricably linked with the Swindon community.

The collective changes the Board plans to introduce over time are all centred on markedly improving the Swindon Town Football Club "Experience". The intention is to ensure, as best we can, the every supporter, sponsor, guest or visitor to the club has a truly memorable experience and leave the County Ground, with a strong desire to return.

On the commercial side, attention is also being paid to the executive management infrastructure of STFC, where professional business disciplines, processes and procedures are being introduced, to ensure that there are optimum operational efficiencies and sound financial controls throughout the club.