Adver News: SWINDON TOWN: Club present their vision to businesses and sponsors

[ronnie21]

Hope this shuts up the doom mongerers now

Well I am just in and the Pieman covered the meeting just as it was said.  One or two "awkward" questions but the feelings I got were that they were answered honestly and openly.  Steve Murrall did say on a couple of occasions he was not able to answer some points instead of faffing around the issue.  Jed was there but did not add anything to the evening and just to upset some people even further was drinking coffee!!  This was the first occasion I have had to meet them and listen to their ideas - they are definitely not cowboys or asset strippers as some would have us believe.  One thing that was mentioned was they are going to get a new coach for transporting the first team in October, it will be far more luxurious than the present one and will have medical and treatment facilities on board.  Also I got the impression that they were not too impresssed by the fact that just about every single away game involved an overnight stop regardless of the distance travelled and it seemed that PDC insisted on5-star accommodation at Champneys spas!!  The underlying theme to me was that the club was just days away from going under and some very hard decisions had to be made.  Didn't see all those famous Mercs around either!!

[Batch]

Ground redevelopment was discussed but isn't in the short term plans. Longer term there is an option for a 99 or 999 year lease.

I'd forgotten all about that. Are we still on some sort of short term rolling lease contract then. Why would we not commit to something long term, just in case the CG isn't where we end up?

In any case if they can turn the club into a success story and pass it on to someone with more financial grunt that can redevelop the ground that's fine. But Ardiles is right, its a long overdue project so I hope its sooner rather than later.

[BruceChatwin]

Sounds very positive. Got to say I have been impresed with the new board lately.

The difference a bit of communication makes is immense.

[Simon Pieman]

I'd forgotten all about that. Are we still on some sort of short term rolling lease contract then. Why would we not commit to something long term, just in case the CG isn't where we end up?

In any case if they can turn the club into a success story and pass it on to someone with more financial grunt that can redevelop the ground that's fine. But Ardiles is right, its a long overdue project so I hope its sooner rather than later.

You've hit the nail on the head.

[Batch]

This was the first occasion I have had to meet them and listen to their ideas - they are definitely not cowboys or asset strippers as some would have us believe. 

Haha flawed logic, all good con artists are believable

[ronnie21]

I'd forgotten all about that. Are we still on some sort of short term rolling lease contract then. Why would we not commit to something long term, just in case the CG isn't where we end up?

In any case if they can turn the club into a success story and pass it on to someone with more financial grunt that can redevelop the ground that's fine. But Ardiles is right, its a long overdue project so I hope its sooner rather than later.

Yes, we are actually on a month-by-month lease with the council.  The club has been offered a 99-year lease and a 999-year lease, still making their minds up which way to go with it and the FL are happy with the current arrangements.  They will redevelop but only if it is sustainable - and they are looking for a sponsor to do up the SB.

[Batch]

Yes, we are actually on a month-by-month lease with the council.  The club has been offered a 99-year lease and a 999-year lease, still making their minds up which way to go with it and the FL are happy with the current arrangements.  They will redevelop but only if it is sustainable - and they are looking for a sponsor to do up the SB.

Cool,  assuming the council don't chuck us out and offer the CG to Coventry.

[otanswell]

Oh and almost forgot, they are looking into putting an area outside the town end to go for a drink and a smoke at half time. Not sure they'll get planning permission but they are looking at it.

There's a smoking area in the town end already, back of the stand or in the toilets haha

[london_red]

In any case if they can turn the club into a success story and pass it on to someone with more financial grunt that can redevelop the ground that's fine. But Ardiles is right, its a long overdue project so I hope its sooner rather than later.

Bang on Batch. The ground needs a major overhaul but these things have to be funded from somewhere. If Jed, Murrall and co have to spend a year, two years or whatever doing what Fitton couldn't and making the club self sustainable and alleviate any immediate financial peril then the prospect of taking the club over with a view to developing the CG will look much more attractive.

Although still very early days they do seem to be focusing their efforts on the off field activities and revenue streams, and leaving Power and MacDonald to do their best to give us a good product on the pitch. Seems like the right way to go about it, and given recent history having the man at the top as little involved as possible with team affairs may be no bad thing.

[Reg Smeeton]

 At least now we've a better idea of what this Board are about...in fact just it's composition is a help. So no Hooper, Rice, King, Crouch, Hall....but Power and Shah added to McCrory and Murrall.

Power is an interesting one...as far as I know we've never had an ex player on the Board, obviously got good links to Sherwood, but presumably a bit of a pariah in the rest of football, which he'll have to go a long way to overcome. Good news that they've stepped back from pissing off the SC.

The die is now just about cast, aside from some squad tweaking...so it's all a bit into the unknown as far as the season goes. Let's hope it turns out better than what many fans expect.

[ronnie21]

At least now we've a better idea of what this Board are about...in fact just it's composition is a help. So no Hooper, Rice, King, Crouch, Hall....but Power and Shah added to McCrory and Murrall.

Power is an interesting one...as far as I know we've never had an ex player on the Board, obviously got good links to Sherwood, but presumably a bit of a pariah in the rest of football, which he'll have to go a long way to overcome. Good news that they've stepped back from pissing off the SC.

The die is now just about cast, aside from some squad tweaking...so it's all a bit into the unknown as far as the season goes. Let's hope it turns out better than what many fans expect.

As regards to Power it was stated that he has so many links in football that the club expect to benefit from it was "untrue!".  Shah has worked closely with Jed in the past apparently at a high level and it is expected that she is going to bring in much needed extra sponsorship through her links to blue chip companies.  Only time will tell if those statements turn out to be correct!!

[RWB Robin]

I was a decided agnostic prior to the meeting.....but - in spite of having had to leave before the end, because the free-flowing discussion meant that the presentation went on well over an hour - I was impressed by Steve Murrall.  And the primary reason for being impressed was that so far as I could tell, he was open, did not try to give answers to questions he couldn't answer, and was entirely at ease with being interrupted and having unknown people (and one or two known) throw at times quite random questions at him.  He was not the 'smooth operator' I was expecting - indeed he was obviously not particularly at ease with 'presenting', which made his willingness to 'discuss' rather than 'lecture' all the more impressive.

At the end of the day, I thought the most telling statement was that the directors did not want to upset the supporters, that to do so would be completely mad and made no sense, since the business could not run without them.  That implies that they know the communication has been poor and they intend to put it right.  However I would lime to think that they might yet accede to a request to have a supporters' representative at least present for board meetings, even if, when, for instance, decisions on staffing matters are taken, that person is asked to leave the meeting ( a quite normal practice).  He admitted to no particular football experience or passion, and that Jed's was for football in general, not for STFC; to have a fan's voice in the decision-making - someone who has the wisdom and sensitivity to make a positive and creative contribution as opposed to one which will simply be confrontational - would affirm that intention to be responsive to the fans in a significant way.

But all told, I am more than ready to suspend my agnosticism and go into the new season with anticipation....

[Bob's Orange]

Clearly a lot of positives from the recent meetings, which means this thread probably won't get past 4 pages.

The Lee Power links thing is interesting. If we continue to be able to bring players with the calibre of Pritchard (based on what Spurs fans have said) in to the club, this can only be a good thing.

[Red Frog]

Was it made clear what had happened to Crouch? Why didn't that go through?

[pauld]

Power is an interesting one...as far as I know we've never had an ex player on the Board, obviously got good links to Sherwood, but presumably a bit of a pariah in the rest of football, which he'll have to go a long way to overcome.

Eh? On what basis do you presume that?