Thetownend.com

Starting to see people discuss next season's season tickets and with next month being the last month the club get any cash I can see it being a huge issue going forward.

I will not be renewing with Power in charge anymore personally. What about you lot?

Personally I will be.

Unfortunately the club is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Under Power there is no long term strategy and we live season to season. Without the money of the fans the club has no long term future at all.

I’ll wait until we get an idea of when we’ll be allowed back into matches, that’s more key for me.

That's a difficult one to answer without the details of renewals.

If its a straight "yes or no under Power", probably yes.

If it comes out next month as if nothing is different, I will not renew straight away. It'll either have to be a great offer, or I'll wait until the lie of the Covid land is clear.

I've had enough of being taken for granted.

Similar to this. I'm not paying full whack just to watch us on ifollow again.

V12 messed my application up but they got it sorted in the end thanks to Danny in the ticket office, but it does mean that I will still be paying for my season ticket until May.
For the first time in a long time, I’m considering not renewing but I will wait and see what is going to happen.
For me the match day is a day out with my Mates and The Flash for a few beers then off to the football.

I think I'm half way between Trashbat and Batch. I know I probably will renew but one thing that might make me "rebel" is if they try doing renewals next month. That's just taking the piss.

This for me too.

I'm with Batch, I want to know first what they are doing about this years ST, I would expect a rather large discount for ST holders for next season, but I'm not sure I will renew until it is known when fans are back though, I'm not buying an iFollow ST.

They will be taking the P1ss if they announce them next month though.

I suspect if this season there are 3,300 ST holders next season will be substantially less.

Difficult to justify renewing with all that is wrong with the world and STFC. As stated by others, I'm fed up of being taken for granted. I will be expecting a good deal and no February cough up quick job.

I would take a refund this time and use it against next seasons ticket. Can't justified myself paying up £400 for Sheridan surviving League Two season.
Surely we will be entitled for some/most back?

We need some positivity in the Club before they start shoving next seasons tickets prices down our throats. And that starts with the Sheridan out.

Asking for a friend.

No matter how this season pans out, Sheridan won’t be here. Will he?

I will be as it’s the club I support.
However I hope we have new ownership and that leads to a modern thinking Manager being immediately put in charge.

so the Flash is not you're mate then ?.

As a 10-12 home games a season out of town fan, I'm paying STFC more than I usually do as a non season ticket holder (but saving on petrol, pies, programs and beer).

I couldn't sustain being a fan if I could never actually come to the matches though.

It's not about how well we're doing - or how badly - it's about sharing in person with other fans and players and - at times like this - with the manager and chairman how we feel.

Can you imagine just how electric the atmosphere might be at the CG right now?  The passion.  It could really help the players I feel and also perhaps impact on managerial change.

Posting on the Townend is great but I'm feeling frustrated and excluded from the real thing.

Would consider a first time season ticket with a new Chairman.

Ditto.

Will be a late decision if I do get one, also my oldest nipper is now old enough that he'll need a proper ST, rather than a £20 Junior Reds jobber. Balls!

A "depends if we get relegated " option would have been good.

I am rapidly falling out of love with football.  Sky/Prem League/Champions League did for me at the elite level many years ago with the obscene sums of money involved.  Following Swindon as a ST holder for the last 15 years after moving here and my son becoming obsessed with the team has been great, the rollercoaster ride has been fun.  Who would have thought that in that time we would see two promotions, two relegations, beating a Prem team in the Cup and three (albeit shit) trips to Wembley? (The garden at the Torch for the 3 hours before the Preston game was fucking brilliant though, even if three minutes into the game.....) 

As shit as the Hart season was (and it was shit), and as dreadful as Williams Ball/The Swindon way was, it never felt as bad as it does now. The combination of a dodgy owner, leading to some dreadful apppointments has, it feels, left the club and the fans in disarray.

12 months ago I renewed my ST with hope for a good L1 season, optimistic etc etc.  Now it feels like the Wellens success was a blip.  In September or whenever it was I happily supporting the club by not getting a refund on ST or for a couple of tickets I had bought for the boy for the last couple of games of the season that were obviously called off.  The club I support needed the money more than I did was my view.  I was eagerly awaiting the chance to throw a few hundred quid at the trust to support the purchase of the ground.

Now - well, I can't be arsed even to watch a free i-follow home game. The football is dire and the atmosphere (through TEF - and not a crticism of TEF) is toxic.  This has to be the responsibilty of Power.

For the record I was dubious about him taking over the club given his track record, but I warmed to him over the last couple of seasons when the talk of training grounds, investment etc started, and when he gave the managers reign to let them decide how we played football. I was prepared to give him a chance. That has all gone now.

Unless by some miracle we find an owner willing to invest in the club rather than see it as a straight forward money making machine (which it never will be) I am afraid we are fucked.  I know that is stating the obvious, but hey, WTF.  Finding such a person would also be a fucking miracle at this time (or at any time - though if I win the lottery...)   

A lot of this (my) negativity may be driven by the general malaise at this time with lockdowns, Brexit, general shit in life (yes, I have had some mental health issues as well) but STFC was always "fun".  With hindsight it was most probably down to the couple of pints in the Legends pre match, the banter with the ST holders around me (who have become friends) as well as the fact that the football wasn't always shit and in spite of the often ironic and piss taking banter there was always hope.  As they say it is the hope that kills you.

I fear that hope has gone and at this time I can't see myself renewing next season, or anytime in the foreseeable future.

I hope I am wrong.

Yes - in the spirit if the forum I probably am a cunt, but this post has been cathartic for me  :) :( :)   

So I will probably renew after saying all that - that is what STFC does to you.....

I think what you describe here is what we're all feeling, especially the last par. Just cling to the hope that when we can get back to it, we'll slip back into the beer and the banter, and the 90 mins in the middle will just be a blot on a good day out again.

Was never going to buy a season ticket obviously due to the distances involved, but on its general thrust the above pretty much sums up where I am with STFC at the moment.

this forum is like a therapy session for me at times

let it out, get argued for being negative sometimes, then start again in the morning.

hope you get your mojo back chunky. I think many of us feel similarly. But I still look forward to games, even if we are shit. because it's something other than sitting at the work desk/sofa during lockdown

I think pretty much every Town fan has taken a mojo battering since Wellens left us earier in the season.

I think this is my lowest ebb as a fan certainly since Preston at Wembley and probably since before then too, even when Williams, MacMahon, Todd and Beamish was in charge I didn't feel this flat about Swindon Town as a club on anf off the field.

Feel the same. Lowest I've felt as a Town fan since supporting in 05

Cambridge at home under Andy King was the last time I felt this disinterested when we were struggling in this league, Todd had walked and we had a 3k crowd for a home league match for the only time in the last 3 decades. Oh and half of the Arkell's was closed as the wind had caused some of the roof to fall down and summed up the club at the time!

We're playing shit and losing, that's why people are feeling down about it. It's temporary in most cases, hardly some kind of existential crisis - people would perk up again if we started playing well again.

I am at the point where defeats don’t hurt, that is when I know there is a problem with how I feel about Swindon.

Defeats should sting and put me in a bad mood, but it just feels like a shrug of the shoulders.

I think it's more a case that people can't see any route back to playing well again with what visibility we have about the situation.  We have a dud manager, we have a bunch of talented players that don't seem to want to play for said dud manager and an owner that has seeminly lost interest and is unable to finance us anymore.

I think if it was just that we were playing shit, the fans outlook would be grumpy but not to the level where they would consider STFC not as being a more previlant part of their lives.  These feelings will not change until the ownership issue is resolved and we gain some visibilty of where (if anywhere) the club is going.  Today we are supporting something with no life, no plan, no direction - that is the depressing bit.

No he just hangs around and you can't get rid of him, a bit like gonorrhea.

Echoing the thoughts and hurts of so many posting on this thread.
Not missed a home or away game for 3 seasons up and until Covid, last home game was Dagenham under Di Canio.
Despite missing the travelling and last season we all got our Mojo back. I thinks it’s this fall being a steep one that is hurting. The Swindon rollercoaster is what we are used to but this has hit the depths of pure hell.
Covid, not a clue as to where Power is taking this, Jurassic John, awful football and the thoughts of relegation and going back to that dire League Two after a great season.

Mixed emotions from deeply depressed, hurt but now turned to anger.
Just hoping for a change to hang my optimistic hat back on but meanwhile fellow Swindon fans are helping me get through this. Therefore thanks we’re in this together.
As others have noted. Imagine the toxic atmosphere if we were back in the Ground right now. Just thinking about it alone hits home as to how bad this really is.

This for me too.

Defeat at the moment seems totally inevitable going into games with no solution in the short term.

It won't stop me watching all the games and hoping, but it just seems same story game after game.

I have go echo everyone’s sentiments on here. The club have to be real careful with the pricing for next season. Like most, paid £350 for this season, never took a refund from the missed games last season & so far I’ve been to two games. Yes we get ifollow but that’s not the same & also we’ve two season ticket holders in the one household so we only use one of our logins.

I will be renewing.

Despite the results really do miss matchdays on a saturday and the whole going to watch us play.  I know we have ifollow but it just isn't the same!

add to the unscientific Twitter poll...

https://twitter.com/batch_2001/status/1354519828535668739?s=19

After endless lockdowns and what will be over a year without football for most I will be chomping at the bit to return.

Heck, we could have a managerial trio of Sheridan, Hart and Malpas overseen by Diamandis and Jed in the boardroom and I’d still be desperate to return!

Absolutely. It's down to the level of visibility for the ship's constant (the fans) and currently it is "heavily opaque".

I would say the sea is littered with Ice Bergs, the mist is rolling in and the radar is on the blink

Incoming survey email alert from the club.

ST options. Discuss.

1. A significantly reduced season ticket for next season (2021/22) for renewals only acting like a credit.
2. The club to keep any outstanding monies owed and purchase a full price renewal season ticket for next season (2021/22)
3. A full refund on your 2020/21 season ticket, but in the knowledge that if I renew it will be at the full renewal price.

Might have missed it, but don't think that there was an option 4 of prefer not to renew until the club is under new ownership.

Went for option 1. (FWIW).

Does 2 mean you'll get a next season ticket for free or do you have to pay for it?

Ha. It does read as if the club will stump up.  :)

If they offer a refund against next season I probably will renew but otherwise no.

I read it as they keep the cash, you pay for next year's as normal.

option 3 is the one you want for a 'free' one next year - though that assumes they don't double the price!

Option 3 for me, leaves the ball entirely in my court whether to renew next season. Unlike last summer I feel no goodwill towards the club and feel no guilt about getting money back.

I dont have a ST anymore, but if i did i’d be going for the full refund.

As above, any cashflow issues its the owners responsibility to sort.

If you cant even do that as an owner, dont own a fucking football club in the first place.

Long time STFC fan.

Not been a season ticket holder now for 12 years. Kids came along, and couldn't give the time commitment (or so I was told)

Pre JS, was debating wether to get a season ticket again for 21/22.....but since this clown has rolled up, I can't think of any worse ways to spend an afternoon.

Hosestly, my youngest lads 10 & under team play better football that the shower of shit I've witnessed over the last few months.

I'm not buying another iFollow, and I'm definitely not buying a season ticket until we are free of the arrogant poison that we are forced to call our manager.

Sorry STFC - I'd love to and I have continued to support you, and by not spending my money it will hurt the club, but I cannot bring myself to support what is going on. I've always going to a minimum of 5 home games but was ready to ramp it back up again.

IF JS goes, I will buy IFollows....and I could be persuaded to get a ST again.

My parents have been ST holders for 30 years plus now....and they are going for a full refund, and won't be renewing whilst JS is the manager. His language, attitude, and the terrible tactics are a huge turn off for them. Can't say I blame them.

Full refund for me

very sad, but totally understandable

I don't have a ST, for obvious reasons. But if I did then I'd be going for a full refund as well. Unless something changes pronto.

Full refund for me. Not a penny more to Power and co (inc. ifollow and merchandise from club shop).

Utterly awful fan engagement, the twitter account is borderline trolling us too now- posting absolute bollocks about seagull impressions as if all is hunky-dory but haven't managed to comment on the 'manager' openly throwing the towel in on Saturday afternoon and now doing a u-turn.

Club is rotten, truly heartbreaking to watch us implode and even worse in lockdown not even able to vent your frustrations.  :badmood:

The club will get zero from me until we get big changes.

I don't have a season ticket, but I have bought probably 95% of the individual iFollow £10 match passes up to this point. Time for that to stop and I'll stick to the radio coverage (can't quite cut off completely).

I wonder if we as a fanbase should be trying to organise some sort of more organised boycott at this point and instead pointedly donating the money we would otherwise have spent (for those who can afford to anyway) to the Trust or some worthy local charities? Would probably get a bit of press coverage and potentially turn up the pressure to sell a bit in situation where there really aren't more options.

The organised Newcastle fans boycott of the Prem PPV games seemed to do the job and got a lot of coverage.

I intend to watch the remaining matches on ifollow.  It occurs to me that not doing so will have no impact on anything.

I guess it depends whether you've already paid for the season or not, doesn't it? If you're buying individual match passes then that's new money going to the ownership, albeit not a great deal of it.

I've been paying per match.  I still want to watch even though some of the fee is going to the current owners.  It's hardly going to swell the coffers by much. 

I recall that the numbers have been mentioned elsewhere but I doubt that a boycott by pay per match punters will affect anything.

The Gillingham debacle was the first ifollow game I'd missed (bar one) since the silly comps in Aug/Sept.

Brilliant for the old mental health  :pint: 

Would also have been delighted had it stayed 1-0 but I'm happy to watch the highlights rather than the whole shezshow, uncut.

Additionally my £10 fees will now be going to Trust STFC rather than Power or Standing or Barry.  No brainer. 

I'd encourage any waverers to scrap ifollow for now.  Perfectly respect those who don't but as a non-season ticket holding STFC fan, it's a much better feeling. 

It's not saintly because I would be paying my £23 and letting Power and JS know what I thought at the CG as soon as any 90 mins were up.  But paying money and sitting there in front of my screen, unheard, had been starting to do my head in.

I feel liberated but linked.

It'd probably be more symbolic than anything.

But I will still be watching. I don't have the option of listening on the radio.

Not sure how iFollow pays for home games, but I have read that Cambridge United are averaging somewhere around 1,100 "away" iFollow "buys" (am I using the right language here?) and that makes them about £4,200 per away game.

I haven't had an ST for a couple of seasons now and won't be getting one for next season. Not out of protest but because my life is different now. I think if I was to be making a decision based on the club being run questionably, and the team being, well, shite, then I probably wouldn't ever had got one in the first place!!

Interesting.

I thought I had read that the first 1,000 away ifollow buys went to the "home" club, so I would have expected the extra 100 to have yielded something as low as £700 (at 70%-ish of the net fee??)

Does the away club perhaps take 1/2 of the first 1,000 away buys perhaps...

The club is not concerned or interested with engaging with me any more.   I see no point in continuing to contribute financially through ifollow, etc until that changes. The line of being a fan and turning up whatever has been crossed.

They have actually published the figures themselves: https://www.cambridge-united.co.uk/news/2021/march/ifollow-stats/

(Disclaimer: I got the £4.2k from somewhere else, it is not my maths)

In an ideal world we all claim our full refund & stick it in some sort of holding account via the Trust until such a time arises that the ownership debacle is sorted & the money is then released to the club for them to play with as they see fit - presumably to help with short-term cashflow issues that will no doubt exist.
Obviously nowhere near as straightforward as I've made out & I appreciate many would take a different view but that's the kind of road I would head down personally.

Helpful link.  The implication seems to be that Cambridge took £6.66 from the surplus over 500 from the away fan numbers.  Excuse my maths but 1,100 away fans would bring in 600 x £6.66, close to the £4k mark that had been suggested.

Good to see the transparency and also the appreciation shown by Cambridge regarding their "ifollow support"

it's not difficult is it.

a little effort making the fans feel appreciated and treating them like adults goes long way.

obviously on and off field events probably take precedence over all else now. But it doesn't mean the club should just give up

We all know the owner of STFC dosen't do transparency!

I have an Ifollow season ticket so will continue to watch, however as things stand will not sign up for another one - new owners/manager completely flips that decision immediately.

If I had a real ST I would go for the full refund.

Simple fact is, nobody (except Power) has any visibility of what is happening to monies being paid into the club.  There is a running joke on here over the past few years of "where has the Luongo money gone?" and "where has the Bogle money gone?" which was justified then, but now that we know that Power is looking to get out, looking to take as much as he can with him and blatantly showing by his actions that he has no intentions to invest any more money than is necessary to just about keep us operating as a "football club", the only way to make a stand and limit the amount that he gets away with is to hit him in the only place it hurts - his bank balance.

We all know he has money, we all know that the February "death of the club" date was bullshit - he has just made it clear that he doesn't intend to put anymore of his money in than he really has to.  Time to make it clear to power that we have reached the time when he needs to shit, or get off the pot - with the preferable action being get off the pot and fuck off.

I would recommend anyone to take the full refund, not pay any money into the club and if possible transfer your investment to the trust in the short term - in these current weird times it's the only kind of stand we can make.

That's the system, but there's no fixed number i.e. it's not 1000 as the threshold it's agreed between the two clubs on a game by game basis on the the basis of what they'd normally take as away fans. So the threshold for Sunderland away at Hull on a Saturday will be substantially higher than Gillingham away at Sunderland on a Tuesday.

Our club is at it's lowest ebb, and the timing couldn't be worse. Most clubs will have huge pent-up demand ahead of next season and we're on course for record low ST numbers (certainly in the modern era).

There is no light until Power goes. The only question in town now is how much damage he does before that time.

Every element of the club, and every decision we make, is woefully under-funded, under-skilled, poorly designed and poorly executed. We're finished as a L1 club until Power goes, and if he clings on for another year or two, we're the next Southend.

Until this season I have been on the fence with Power, but the contempt the clubs treats it's fans with is utterly shameful. We truly are, alongside Southend and perhaps Sheff Wednesday, the most hopeless club in the FL.

But yes, I'll pay my money on Saturday and watch the game, until we're down.

I’m not convinced that the iFollow numbers are high enough to notice any massive dent in people not watching out of protest vs not watching out of the team being shit and it being a shit experience

I think there's a lot like you PP. It's an odd time to launch the survey in some ways, in that I bet they will now get significantly different answers than they would have had only a few weeks ago. I suspect a lot will have hardened their stance/changed their mind due to the way events have been mishandled over the last couple of months culminating in the shambles of the past week or so.

The survey is so laughably bad. Anyone with an ounce of marketing experience would tear it to shreds. They will learn nothing from the survey.

It was also very cheeky to align the survey with the OSC and TrustSTFC. Neither party had anything to do with the survey.

I think this is bang on the money PP and I am totally in your camp here. (metaphorically unless I missed the invitation)

Given what is happening in the country I don't think its unfair that people have their 2 hours per week watching Swindon on Ifollow should they choose. (as I have done) The sad thing is that with the vaccination program going pretty well and the noises around fans being allowed back in stadiums, there should be an excitement, an inticipation around all sports fans that we can get that buzz back that ONLY happens in a live environment. Its been over a year now for the vast majority that haven't been able to see their team in their home ground.

Sadly the malaise about the place is such that people just can't or won't go back due to the way the club is being run. It can't go on much longer surely. Power needs to call time and get new owner in and overhaul the place as PP described before. Engagement is crucial to take the club forward, but we need to stop going backwards first.

If that's the case then both need to come out vocally and say so surely?

Good idea

You're probably right from the clubs perspective. I'm not sure the distinction is that important though? Either are a reduction in income and a sign of dissatisfaction amongst the fanbase.

The 'boycott' element might just get a bit of press coverage, is all I was thinking.

Only because you have to talk about it in the POD :D Should charge the tenner to Rich as an expense

We should crowdfund it. Seems unfair on the guys who do the pod that not only do they have to watch that piffle, but pay for the privilege too. I've already suggested they should change the Pod slogan to "We watch the games so you don't have to"

I said exactly the same thing to Batch on Twitter yesterday.  If they had launched this survey during the 4 game "improvement (blip)" they would have got a more favourable response.  Launching it the day after the manager has come out and said that he spoke with the people "that matter" and a few days after he said that he had no clue how to fix the current situation is naive at best but really just bonkers.

:D

Not renewing 3 Season Tickets or supporting 2 Corporate events.
Lee Power is not having a penny more.
As soon as he is gone I will renew above.

First time this season I will not be watching this Saturday.
I am done with STFC.

I’ve got a season ticket this year. If I felt like the club had been trying to engage with fans and stay in the division then I’d have been happy to roll over the money for a cheaper season ticket next year. The way we’ve been treated with this season, utter contempt from the owner, DoF and the manager, I’m asking for a full refund. As much as I’m sure the club needs the money, I can’t be sure that my money just doesn’t go straight into the pocket of Lee Power. As some have alluded to, this does seem like bizarre timing, again questions whether Power wants the best thing for this club.

I’m with you duke * being done with STFC while Power, Jewell and Sheridan are at the club. They won’t be getting a penny until they’re gone

TBF they probably had that discussion.
"We were going to launch the season ticket survey this week but not sure we should now after that interview"
"Yeah, good shout we should probably wait a bit until things improve"
"Great, so when do we think things will improve a bit so we can launch the survey?"
"Oh .... "
"Fuck it. Send"

I didn’t think the survey said “it was in conjunction with the Trust & supporters club” - rather that those organisations had done surveys (I responded to one done by the Trust on Twitter) and they wanted to get the views of all ST holders rather than a smaller, possibly self selecting group or with duplications if people are members of both trust and sc.

My preferred option currently would be a discount on next season, but there are various things which could push me towards a refund - manager, ownership, likelihood of being allowed to attend games etc.

I am not defending the indefensible silence of this week or the fact that JS continues to be our manager ( he should have gone some weeks ago ) but at the moment the club could not realistically offer Season tickets because we still don’t know if or when, crowds will be allowed back, or on what basis / how distributed in the ground. We don’t just buy a season ticket, we buy access to a specific seat in the Arkells, DRS, or Town End, and I would want to be certain of where I could sit before committing.

Every other industry is working on the basis of being open from June 21. Why wouldn't we?

C'mon, man! You're killing me here.

A LSPOD patreon is likely to be launched in the not too distant future to accommodate the rider requests of the expanding team of contributors*

*not the real reason.

It's to pay for Dave's out of control cat litter habit isn't it?

:D I thought that comment might urge you to add to your post count..  I am going to keep up the pressure until I get added to the LSPOD Whatsapp group :D  it's about leverage

Patreon top tier reward that one.

That's hallowed ground, man... :D

£5 a month will get you a full used bag

We also have 25% but instead of bollocks, it's sadness.

I can contibute way more than 25% sadness I can tell you

I'm torn, over my answer I want to be in the not a penny more camp as I feel they are taking the p1ss with Sheridan staying, Power dragging his feet on selling up

but I feel that I will probably end up getting a ST as I could not imagine not going when we are able to.

But I also feel that if I go for option 1 (and I know it is not registered per person but club wanting an idea of numbers), but if I said I'll renew and they offered a refund of e.g. £40 off a new ST it would annoy me more and push me firmly towards the' not a penny more'.

They need to 'look after' current ST holders, as I'm damn sure there will be no new ST holders signing up until things change, and this is where they get their up front money from.

Tempting ....

If STFC's very survival is in question, as Power has bleated, then where exactly would any season ticket forbearance or renewal monies end up?

Politically, Trust STFC cannot take sides and offer to hold this money in trust, as I think Freddie thought would be nice.  We know we could trust the Trust.

Power is a **** of a man to put season ticket holders/renewers in such a predicament in having to make guesses with their cash, between him and perhaps points deductions/expulsion for STFC itself.  

Matters certainly haven't worked out so well financially for the ****'s co-investors.

Quick question  :hmmm:

As a season ticket holder I get to watch the home games on I-Follow, but do you reckon the cost is deducted from your season ticket fee, so would be deducted from any refund/new terms ?

As I don't want to put any more money into Powers pocket,  I'm tempted to not watch any more games, but if it makes no difference I probably would (masochistic tendencies !)  ;D

That’s the owners problem not ours, if the club goes tits up then he gets nothing either. The club as a whole has treated supporters with nothing but contempt this season so are deserving of anything from supporters and I have zero goodwill towards the club. As you can’t trust where the money is going there is no moral obligation for fans to keep the club going, if the club went bust I wouldn’t feel any guilt or remorse for not giving the club money.

It's a 160 mile round trip for home games and, with work, Tuesday night games have been problematical (fortunately  ;))  I don't make every Saturday anyway.  Not dedicated enough perhaps but, whatevs, I'm not a season ticket holder.  

I'm not sure what has happened at other clubs that have gone into insolvent liquidation but my guess is that any money handed over for renewals (or simple rollovers of refunds otherwise due) would not be seen again - the 5p in the £ unsecured creditors scenario.

That would be my question to the bleating owner predicting admin and now about to ask for 21-22 season ticket monies.  My monies would be with Trust STFC or in my own bank account.  Period.

Everyone is entitled to their own viewpoint on this but Power's lack of transparency, lack of trustworthiness and insolent silence means, new attendance opportunities arising from semi-retirement notwithstanding, I'd rather risk just £23 on the day to go and make my thoughts known.

Probably not the right thread, but remember when we said supporter-owned clubs like Exeter wouldn't have deep enough pockets to thrive during this period?

https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2021/march/capital-expenditure/?fbclid=IwAR1acKDkSoMDotLxL6NhsNEdzZ7lVm0ENfIGGUHK56lZIjOUdyidl9hn94k

They still find more available cash than our millionaire chairman to spend on the club. The difference of course being that they don't need the money for anything else, and are in it for the long-term.

It's both. Looking at what other clubs have done, they will undoubtedly deduct the 10x23 games from any refund/discount on next season. But again looking at what other clubs have done they have done that irrespective of how many games you've actually watched. So from a financial point of view you may as well watch them. Whether it's worth your time/emotional stress to do so is your own question

I think you're conflating/confusing the club as an ongoing institution with it's current ownership/management. The latter can go to hell, the former I very much want to survive

Sweet, let's just go bust and not have a club because the "club" weren't nice to us.

WE are the club. If that honestly means that little to you then I'd suggest you're probably in the wrong place.

I kind of get what he is saying though. I am sure he doesn't WANT the club to go bust but if they did will not feel guilty for not helping out financially. I am the same

Lee Power ≠ Swindon Town FC.

having a year of ifollow has removed the attachment a bit

I don't want the club to go bust. But as I've said before, I've reached the line of being taken for granted

Not saying I won't buy ST, but I won't be automatically renew at first bite unless the offer is massively favourable

There are so many variable but do genuinely wonder whether going bust and starting from scratch might be the best thing for us.


I guess a lot of that would depend on who started / owned / financed the Phoenix club and what level we had to start at...plus things like a stadium and what not.

I dunno lots of clubs with lots of different levels of success with this.

Totally, but still understand what he is saying. He hasn't said he wants us to go bust ow would be happy to.

Phoenix clubs in the regional leagues die out within a year or two, AFCW aside (and they were a unique situation).

I'd be finished - just become a casual PL sofa fan with the half a dozen Watford games and England away games a year.

I don't see how it would solve anything. You'd still have owners coming and going who may or may not be shifty.

Some might argue it'll be better if the club is fan-owned, but I don't see how that will solve anything either. I think it actually sounds quite dull.

That's exactly what I'm saying, in years gone by I would have put have renewed and spent money at the club without thinking about it. I've had a season ticket for the last 25 years and for a lot of them I was playing on Saturdays so got no where near value for money but was happy to play my small part and still give the club season ticket money. With the current circumstances I don't feel that same goodwill, this is Lee Powers business and its his problem to keep it going now, as supporters we've been completely alienated by the club. As fond as I am of STFC it's not a keep it going at all cost scenario for me any more and for the first time I wouldn't feel any guilt in starving the club of funding.

Most phoenix clubs are a bit gash aren#t they? Halifax, Scarborough, Hereford. Rushdon&Diamonds, Farnborough, Darlngton, etc

We should restart in Arizona in the States, and be a proper Phoenix club then!

Didier Drogba et al might not be too receptive to that idea.

Unlike us, currently...right...

There's gash, and then there are fixtures against Brimscombe & Thrupp and Shrivenham. Every Week. Not for me Geoff.

True.

I think some might the change refreshing though.
I guess it also depends on whether you’d get stuck in those divisions for years or fly through them.

Having had a quick look I didn’t realise how many Italian teams have gone bankrupt, started again and flown to the leagues. Although they only start at C level.

I think the structure of the league in Italy makes that way easier, much like when Rangers started again in the 4th level of Scottish football, we would have to start at level 10 the same as Bury.

If we didn't fly up the leagues straight away, we could just try again with another club!

DV's STCF is it shit. i'm gonna support STFB

Its just easier to try and support Supermarine or Ciren Town.

I'd end up at Gloucester City, tidy new ground and they hate Cheltenham and the Vegans as well.

Yep - Walthamstow or Woodford Town getting out the Essex Senior League would do for me. Or Cheshunt. Nice little set up.

Well let's hope it doesn't come to that. Plenty of life left in the old dog yet!

I can thoroughly recommend supermarine. Great little club. A lot of familiar faces there. The chairman certainly doesn't take any of the support for granted. Very accessible.
I'd lost my love of football until going there.

I just saw someone on twitter mention it, but is it possible to buy Ifollow through the opponents channel? So for those that want to watch the games but don't want any money to go into Power's pocket could you buy the Ifollow pass from Fleetwood?

I believe the amount the club get from an IFollow away game is minimal anyway

Just listen to it on good ol bbc wilts!

It's says Ifollow is free to all season ticket holders in previous statements. Their wording.
Plus with many season ticket holders all in one house hold it will be quite confusing to work out.

I’ve got an I-Follow season ticket. No way I’ll renew that if either Power or Sheridactyl are still in town.

Yeah but you have to set up/register a new account. I have done it for both Crawley & Bradford last season.

You can use a "fake" email btw (so a "dot" in your usual or a completely unregistered email address, so long as you remember it/save it) but yes you can do so, via that workaround. Can't do it with your existing STFC iFollow login :)

I can understand people’s frustrations and anger at the current set-up and than unless things change they’ll not invest in the club as they normally would.

For me, my match day is much more than just two hours at the CG or elsewhere. It’s about seeing and spending time with relatives who I only see every fortnight, meeting up with old school mates who are dispersed around the country and seeing (and enduring in some cases) familiar faces in the Town End.

I’m very much hoping that I’ll be able to return to the CG for the start of next season. Regardless of owner and whoever is in the dugout, my personal STFC experience is more important to me than the disappointment of performances, incompetence of the manager and dubious behaviour of the owner - things I any many others have experienced before and fully expect to again in the years to come.

Yes, it would be great to have a progressive owner and a manager who commands some respect but we don’t. Until things change I’m not going to let the current incumbents destroy the way I value being a Town fan. I’ll renew my season ticket and will look forward to the day Sheridan leaves (hopefully at the end of this twitching corpse of a season) and, more importantly, the day Power hands over the custodianship of the club to an owner that can reignite the spark that so many seem to have had snuffed out.

Here, here.

Bumping this for BO. Not sure if your saw it fella and it might be helpful :)

I might be interested if they went to the 1980-81 season pricing.

(https://scontent.fman4-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/163617119_1228865810861197_5081386059640651232_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=fOkP0XyVUY0AX-XvRet&_nc_ht=scontent.fman4-2.fna&oh=b92d69994df15f593592720b5388e37f&oe=607E1B43)

Only just seen this but thank you, summed up my feelings perfectly

according to a dodgy inflation calculator £43 in '81 would be worth £148.4 now

I note that our season tickets were a pound more expensive than a Man Utd one....

Ah thanks. I can't be bothered with all that jazz so will just go through the STFC route.

Not just fans holding back their money.

Rats off a sinking ship....

(https://i.postimg.cc/Vv1bYJ5Z/169496075-3785528798194864-6908136941430687226-n.jpg)

This is very good to see and hopefully will be the start of a movement to see real change in the club. If more companies follow suit then surely Power HAS to think about getting out of Dodge?

I really hope other sponsors follow suit. Imagine Cruising would be a big one to pull out.

Also big fans of the club right?

The words in that 'statement' by Harvey suggest he has been in close contact with Clem.

It is good what the NSBRC did but they've already been "replaced" it seems, as we announced a new sponsorship deal last week.

Who's that with Tails?

Some two-bob bar in town. It's a Sunday league level sponsor.

Something called Power Lounge. A company barely a month old. Seems like some sort of venue in the Town Centre, so I can't imagine it'll be around too long given the state of Swindon Town centre.

Curran Trading? ;)

Announced on April fools day IIRC prompting comments about its authenticity from some.

As the existing sponsors disappear I assume we will be sponsored by a different room in Powers house on each element of the shirts/shorts?

Boots sponsored by the loft.

Shorts sponsor 'Powers Downstairs Toilet'

:D

While we can all agree that Power is fucking useless i am not sure how we can say that if we do not know how much they are paying etc?

It’s a cocktail bar in the arse end of town - history of similar ventures would suggest it’s going to be a struggle.

I wish them all the luck in the world, but it’s difficult to see how they will have a large marketing and advertising budget at this point in time

The last shirt I bought had Fifa 10 on that bit. Been quite a decline from that point.

I think he meant in terms of status. "Sponsored by local bar" doesn't exactly scream "Club on the up" does it? It's not even Kingswood Dodgy Cladding level of sponsor

Lets hope it'll peel off as quickly... can't wait to see what budget shit kits we have next season too  :cry:

Does anyone know when the Pooma contract is up?

I still have my Kingswood black shirt. I might wear it next season, if it still fits.

this season I think. unless I've missed another renewal

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2018/may/town-renew-partnership-with-PUMA/

I'm guessing they'd jump at the chance given this year's kit fiasco

I must admit the Puma ones have been a bit meh so we shall see.

True but i was referring to the Sunday league reference. Not sure they are much worse than say Fratellos or other companies we have had on board over the years. Was the Sunday league reference more i didn't understand. That being said I bet it'll end up being one of the security lot who owns the club

TBF though Fratellos weren't on the shirts, I think that's what comes across a bit Sunday League. Let's maybe compromise on Wiltshire Senior Floodlit League?

Oh didn't realise they were on the shirts . Didn't see that anywhere

That's not been confirmed anywhere - it's just a "partnership". A village cricket club level partnership, but a partnership nonetheless.

Is it where the Lava Lounge used to be?

It’s where ‘Revolution’ is, next to what was once Yates.

A bar where Power has been known to frequent, as the security company he (allegedly) has an interest in provides the door staff. As they do at the CG. The owner of which company is a non-Exec director at STFC.

I wonder if Mr Power has an interest in this new place, given the name and connections...

How much would a sponsorship deal like that be worth? I wonder if something like that could be used as a way of paying back a debt? Or something else?

As much as a cricket bat according to Panda

Depends on what exactly they are getting in return for their sponsorship I suppose. You don't usually see announcements such as that for the ‘Power Lounge’ for your bog standard Arkells advertising hoarding, it’s usually reserved for shirt sponsors.

What a national audience via a shirt sponsorship would do for a down town cocktail bar I don’t know!

As much as someone is prepared to pay, especially as I'd imagine it's very much a buyer's market at the moment

It's not, definitely. But the conversation went like this:
current back of shirt sponsors have pulled out for next season
Probably end up with the new lot announced the other day then
That would be proper Sunday league
...

and that's where you came in.

I never mentioned shirt sponsorship neither did the person I quoted. I just thought the Sunday league reference was strange like I said

In regards to shirt sponsorship iirc Imagine didn't spend much on it as they came on board quite late and then club were desperate, not sure when it's up but i'd be amazed if they renewed

You might not have mentioned it, but that's how the conversation developed. And in the context of shirt sponsorship, the SL reference makes more sense.

You have missed my point

Not uncommon  ;)

Clearly. What was it?

I think having partnerships with local businesses is fine but I really hope that doesn't end up on a shirt as it looks... terrible.

like Imagine Cruising?

Though I get the distinction between a local business severing the UK, and a cocktail bar serving, er cocktails.

Feels a bit 'local advert in cinema' being on a shirt.

can't imagine "power lounge" will increase shirt sales if it did indeed end up on there

I like the thought of a cruise company severing the UK :)

oh not again. sausage fingers strikes again

That no one seemed to say Fratellos was a Sunday league sponsorship

Anyway moving on. Have any of you changed your mind since the beginning of this thread? How many will be renewing or is it still an ownership issue

I would say it is majority ownership closely followed by the management team and subsequent shite delivered on the pitch

me too.

but also the unknown about price, what they are doing about this season's STs, if anything, covid policy if you can't go for to restricted numbers, local lockdown, etc.

I can't 100% say I wouldn't renew if a decent discount was offered.

Probably this, but this season and all the other shit around has made me fall out of love with football somewhat.  The expectation of ongoing shite on the pitch irrespective of owners is an issue for me - since PDC left we have had what, one entertaining season? And that was curtailed by COVID.  That isn't harking back to PDC days specifically just pointing out the absolute tripe we have generally had to put up with over the few last years just brought into focus by the general malaise of life at this time.

It's gonna take something big to get me engaged again I reckon (new owner/investment/dreams coming true - welcome to my fantasy land!), but then again fickle as I am, a semi decent run in, we stay up and who knows.

Fuck me - I sound like Marvin the Paranoid Android

(https://i.postimg.cc/hGLJX8nn/Marvinrobot.jpg)

I won't get a season ticket but I'll go to some games (if we are allowed). I miss the matchday experience, and buying beer for Jutty, Flash and Victor  :)

soapy tit wank

The last time you brought a round, Margaret Thatcher was prime minister, and you still moaned about the price.

add - see what the FA punishment is to the list