Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:23 am  

Starbug wrote:

I take it that this was the Club keighley funding coaches to take keighley fans to watch the Cougars play at away matches ?

Maybe a more financially benifitial arrangement would be for the home clubs to contribute to coach transport for the away fans to visit them ?

If say Dewsbury or Fax offered to supply free coaches to their grounds for your matches there and it was marketed properly would you take twice as many as you currently do ?

If in return you [ Keighley Cougars ] were willing to provide free coach travel for any adult fan of an away club buying a ticket for the match at Cougar park , would you as fans be happy with that ?

Good idea in principle, but unless a club believes that this scheme will draw significantly more away support rather than just subsidising those that would attend anyway, then why would they want the hassle? I'm not saying this is the case, just looking at other perspectives.

In response to Goosey: I admire those fans that use their own time to organise activities, but the bottom line should always be - get the money up front and choose a cut off point where cancellation costs the organiser nothing . The problem is that those people who have good intentions get taken advantage of by those who "look after number one".

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:36 am  

[quote="Dreamer"]Good idea in principle, but unless a club believes that this scheme will draw significantly more away support rather than just subsidising those that would attend anyway, then why would they want the hassle? I'm not saying this is the case, just looking at other perspectives.

quote]


Dont worry I have considered all perspectives , but until clubs at our level realise that unless they start to work together the best they can hope for is survival with the occaisional administration thrown in , they will get nowhere

There is a saying , " Too busy earning a living to make any money " , and that is how clubs are operating , A leap of faith is required at some stage , the longer until that leap happens the less chance all clubs have of surviving and prospering

Why was ' Cougarmania ' so good ? , what did it provide ?

Atmosphere

What is most lacking at matches outside the top flight ?

Atmosphere

That is the challenge to all the clubs outside SL , how do you create atmosphere ?

What is needed to create it ?

You have to break it down into it's component parts and address each one differently

One of those things is a good level of away support , so how do you encourage a good away support ?

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:06 am  

Starbug wrote:

Much as I admire your BOD's ambition , without massive investment [ £ 10 million upwards ] just to get into SL , then many more to become competitive it is unlikely to happen , what however is a reasistic ambition ?

I'd say the same as most clubs not currently in SL , a half full stadium with a large % of local youths [ the future of your club ] watching and supporting a competative Cougars team with a good away following in attendance helping to create an enjoyable atmosphere which in return can provide a self financing club with funds left over for development

When you get to that stage , then and only then should SL even be contemplated

The ' Utopia ' of a franchised SL where all clubs are successful is a myth , there always has to be a bottom club , and potentially that club could remain there indefinatley , until it is that badly damaged it dissapears

I think you'll find that most of us already understand this

I came away from the meeting a little confused and disappointed that we were being totally unrealistic, but on reflection I think this is what was meant:

Stabilise the club
Gradual ground improvement
Competitive in championship
Bounce straight back if relegated
Links with local college to aid ground improvement
Better links with amateurs and youth teams
Better links with fans
50% of any profit will go toward local debts from previous club.
Ultimate ambition -Superleague (if we happen to be ready in 2014 we will go for it in not then 2017)

I think the club were trying to say that they will make the most of opportunities presented to them, and were trying to put forward an ambitious front to attract new support and funds. I think the implication was that if we made substantial progress then we would "go for it". However, to the listener it came across that the prime target was superleague in 2014 with the subsequent thought that the new board either lack realism, are naive or think we are both!

Its early days - lets give them a chance.

PS I'm still no clearer re the "debt legacy". I, and several others asked previous directors about the tax position and the general financial position to be told that tax bills were paid and the club was in good health

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:15 am  

Starbug wrote:

Much as I admire your BOD's ambition , without massive investment [ £ 10 million upwards ] just to get into SL , then many more to become competitive it is unlikely to happen , what however is a reasistic ambition ?

I'd say the same as most clubs not currently in SL , a half full stadium with a large % of local youths [ the future of your club ] watching and supporting a competative Cougars team with a good away following in attendance helping to create an enjoyable atmosphere which in return can provide a self financing club with funds left over for development

When you get to that stage , then and only then should SL even be contemplated

The ' Utopia ' of a franchised SL where all clubs are successful is a myth , there always has to be a bottom club , and potentially that club could remain there indefinatley , until it is that badly damaged it dissapears

This has some really good points.

The new board's initial efforts have to be applauded.

Attracting a huge global corporation as Molson-Coors is was a great start. If they're willing to put money in to us it can be used to attract other large sponsors.

Allowing kids who play for local junior clubs in for nothing, the kind of fantastic idea that Cougars are all about.

A willingness to get on the back of Br*dford council's back because they only fund us £20k/year as opposed to the millions they already have and intend to pump in to the B*lls.

Whilst I feel making Super League in 4 years time is a nearly impossible task (and lets face it even if we met all the criteria it would only be a slim chance) it at least gives the board a target to aim for. So long as they don't put the club's future in jeopardy trying for it I don't see a problem.

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:40 am  

Stealth Comic wrote:

This has some really good points.

The new board's initial efforts have to be applauded.

Attracting a huge global corporation as Molson-Coors is was a great start. If they're willing to put money in to us it can be used to attract other large sponsors.

Allowing kids who play for local junior clubs in for nothing, the kind of fantastic idea that Cougars are all about.

A willingness to get on the back of Br*dford council's back because they only fund us £20k/year as opposed to the millions they already have and intend to pump in to the B*lls.

Whilst I feel making Super League in 4 years time is a nearly impossible task (and lets face it even if we met all the criteria it would only be a slim chance) it at least gives the board a target to aim for. So long as they don't put the club's future in jeopardy trying for it I don't see a problem.

Can you explain to me why this is a good thing ?

Then I'll explain how it can actually be counter productive

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:43 am  

Starbug wrote:

Can you explain to me why this is a good thing ?

Then I'll explain how it can actually be counter productive

Money

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:46 am  

Dreamer wrote:

Money

Which you will use to do what ?

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:59 am  

Starbug wrote:

Which you will use to do what ?

Hmmm... If there was a lot of it I would fill a bath and roll around in it

But seriously, I would expect any well run business to have a strategy that will enable the company to reach its objectives. This money should be spent within the strategic plan.

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:01 pm  

Dreamer wrote:

Hmmm... If there was a lot of it I would fill a bath and roll around in it

But seriously, I would expect any well run business to have a strategy that will enable the company to reach its objectives. This money should be spent within the strategic plan.

Not good enough , try again , that answer is far too RFL esque like for me

Come on you can do better than that

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:07 pm  

Starbug wrote:

Not good enough , try again , that answer is far too RFL like for me

Come on you can do better than that

..... you mean a very, very big bath

How does it go.... if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.