'Our Club'

I note there have been some references in posts about the damage done to ‘our club’. This is crucial and I share the same view, although disappointingly it’s not how some senior officials view the club. Their belief appears to be (as discussed in a previous post some time ago) is that it is their club, as they’re the ones investing the most money. I was dismayed by this response, as for me, one of the most enjoyable aspects about supporting your local team, is feeling part of something – in that sense, surely the club belongs to all of us? Whilst attendances have dropped due to factors such as the cost of admission being too high and financial pressures facing many of us, maybe the situation wouldn’t be quite so dire, if certain people invested more time and energy in ordinary, long standing supporters like myself, rather than judging us on the amount of money we generate.

When all is said and done and individuals decide they no longer want to keep investing in the club, that they’ve run out of steam or simply had enough, I will still be there. Simple as that!

I recall that post. It went along the lines of 'you won't be missed at the ground as you are not helping' - the gist of the post being, of course, that it's not in any way our club unless we financially or otherwise make a very big contribution to how it's run.

A lot of us don't have the time or money to spare to help the club, hence we are not part of the club in the slightest, and will not be missed at the club whatsoever. Maybe this explains the lack of alarm at the terrible attendances - apparently the fanbase means bugger all to the club!

Well, they stopped caring in my opinion when Weavers' daddy turned up. Its all been downhill since they arrived.

that's what a lot of people love about the smaller teams because as a loyal fan people feel more involved in the club.

Just fancied a bit of a rant…..

We often wonder if the club cares about the fans.. There’s very little evidence of it, we get either no, or confusing, information.

The latest example of lack of concern about us was the postponement of the match against Redditch. I had reason to drive past the ground four times on Saturday morning and afternoon. How difficult would it have been for someone to tape a ‘match postponed’ notice on the gate?
There was no such notice and with it being fine and clear I didn’t even consider it could be postponed, and so I went ahead and made my usual plans for a match day…you know what I mean…. promising to do stuff when I got back etc. Only to turn up and stand like a lemon with some other turnips (no offence), in glorious sunshine, wondering what the hell was going on, or not.

Thinking about how the club must regard us reminded me of Simon’s comment about how us fans are ‘fickle’! He presumably meant that the lost crowds would start turning up again when the team started winning…well, we’re still waiting.
That comment shows either how naive he is (we have other evidence of that, i.e. his man management skills ..or lack of them) he must have been told that one thing you shouldn’t do, in any line of work, is to criticise your last remaining loyal customers, because he backtracked the following week, or it shows that the club really don’t care about the money we put in or how they’re viewed by us.

The club may think that it’s just the 150 of us that are left that they’re pi***ng off…but don’t they realise that we talk to family/friends/workmates who will all form the same impression of the club as we do, as well as other potential fans that could be coming through the gates? Never mind the ones who have already left, but would like a reason to return.

Did we ever hear the final version of what happened with Gonzales?…the rumour was that his contract hadn’t been registered and so he could be got rid of at any time. He must have had some contract or he wouldn’t have been eligible to play. Could he allegedly have signed a ‘short term’ one and a longer one (which was the one he thought had been registered), for only the shorter one to be registered? The report on Radio York said that he’d signed the ‘wrong’ contract…well, surely it’s up to the club to make sure that a player signs the ‘right’ contract, and knows what he’s signed.

I’m not expecting us to be given details of personal contracts etc, but do other clubs give out as little information as ours, on any subject?

I reckon I miss, on average, one home game per season, including friendlies, but I’d like someone to tell me why I should now spend £75 over 22 days and then £60 in 17 days (admission + programme + ‘tea’), to freeze my goolies off and go home depressed?

The point I’m trying to make is that we all choose where to spend our limited amount of available cash. Bill and Irving are doing it, and I don’t begrudge them their money, they’ve earned it, good luck to them. But when it’s just cost me £hundreds to get my 10 year old car through its MOT, I’m more and more thinking that I could spend my football money elsewhere. (I’m not looking for sympathy; I could buy another car if I wanted to, and if the kids weren’t so expensive! … but any donations can be sent to-[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Why do we keep turning up?...

To watch ‘our’ team?……...Does anyone look on them as ‘our’ team anymore?
To watch an exciting match?………...I don’t think so.
To be there when we ‘turn the corner’………How long do we have to wait?
To be able to say, in a few years time, “I was one of the few who stuck with Town through all the crap”?………….So what? ….Think of all the money you’ve spent, the frustrated journeys home and the evenings wondering why you bothered.
To be involved in a thrilling end of season finish?….We’re not even going to have last year’s relegation fiasco to give us something to talk about.

If I stopped going, or reduced my attendances, it would not only save me money and heartache, but it would also mean I didn’t have to keep giving my wife glances whilst tapping my watch, when we’re visiting her mother on match days, followed by a race home. I could sit back, stay warm, drink tea, read the papers, watch TV, and come hope with some brownie points.

I’ve no doubt that Simon works hard and does his best, and his parents seem decent people. They pay their entrance money and are very pleasant to talk to, and I’m sure they all want the club to succeed.

The possible reasons for the current situation have been discussed many times on the forums, and I haven’t got any other solution. I can remember we were calling for an experienced coach to work alongside Simon…we’ve got that now haven’t we…but it’s still not happening, is it?

Anyway, rant over. …..Will I be there for tonight's match?.. Do you know something? …For the first time in years…. don’t count on it!