'Unknowns' - The Way Forward?

[Snowball]

Here's a relatively unknown

Craig Reed, Newport County

FORWARD: Squad No 9 Craig REID: Born: COVENTRY 17-12-1985 (just 25 years old)

The Blue Square South top scorer with 24 league goals and the league’s Player of the Year last season, Craig has written his name into Newport folklore with his outstanding attacking displays since signing for County from Grays Athletic, initially on loan in September 2008. He started at Ipswich Town where he completed a scholarship before joining Coventry City in July 2004. However, he did not get an opportunity in the first team with the Sky Blues and he spent a month on loan at Tamworth before joining Cheltenham Town in January 2007. He made 14 league appearances before joining Grays and then County. He scored 21 league and cup goals in 33 games and was Player of the Year in his first season, continuing his exciting striking form into last term when, despite his growing reputation making him a marked man, he took his tally of league and cup goals for County to 48 in just 79 appearances and was one of six County players named in the Conference South select eleven.

34 goals in 53 games or 30 in 43 since he signed permanently. Worth a look!

[FiNeRaIn]

If we, as a support, really thought that there is a star striker out there just waiting to join us, why not club together? I'm not necessarily being flippant - FC Koln fans had a campaign to raise funds for signing Podolski, some 'buy a pixel' thing. A lot of people here seem to expect Madejski to donate personal funds to gamble on the team's future, so why not do that themselves? Don't give me that 'I buy my season ticket every year' nonsense either, particularly as publicly-available accounts show that this doesn't even cover running costs.

No, I'd rather spend the clubs own money from the 28million plus player sales from the last 3/4 years than my own personal money or the personal money of John Madejski.

[prostak]

Snowball - I do like the idea, but I think Svlad's point is valid. The fans ought to be entitled to a fair say in club matters in exchange for their money. But why shouldn't we, as fans, try and force our teams into adopting the German 50+1 model, or something similar? All of this obviously ignores that Madejski, looking to a future sale, probably wouldn't countenance any significant fan ownership for a second though.

[Snowball]

That includes £80 from kids and OAPs, though.

In any case, I'd not pay anything. If I was putting my money into the club I'd want something back for it, like supporter representation or participation - I'm not just going to give them money!

A million ought to get an 80th share of the Club - or 1.25% of the shares.

A Supporters' Group raises the money itself, accumulates it itself, and negotiates board representation
based on share purchases. I know how it worked at Newport County, but I'm sure there are other
schemes around the UK. When I still lived close enough to Newport to be involved they had a block
of supporters paying £5 a week, kids and OAPs payed less. and when I was there, not long before
I left, we were trying to arrange for commercial members, paying £20 a week or more.

Do the sums and it can be a fairly substantial wedge.

Members get privileges in return and board representation (which is crucial IMO) but they do it
to grow their club, that's the main motivation

[Snowball]

No, I'd rather spend the clubs own money from the 28million plus player sales from the last 3/4 years than my own personal money or the personal money of John Madejski.

A perfect example. By having a supporters' representative in the inner sanctum, "earned" by regular
share purchases, we get to have total face to face clarification of such matters as "Where's the money gone?"

[Wimb]

Snowball, we all know where the money went.
It's all accounted for and we've all seen the numbers in the countless threads. It all adds up.

It's only the complete idiots who do not understand the simplest of things who continue to harp on about "where's the money gone"..

This ^^^

[tomrfcurz]

Supporters Funding
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=103275&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[Gordons Cumming]

Maybe we should start a thread on this but supporter-fund-raising, when organised
can make a huge difference.

I was born in Newport and followed Newport County. Years ago I walked 32 miles
with others to raise the wages for one week and when NCAFC were exiled to play in
England I ran 80 miles with 3 others to arrive at Moreton in the Marsh 5 minutes
before kick-off (only time I have run on to a pitch to applause form the crowd!)

But a few years later, after another money-crisis I changed tack arguing that these regular
"emergencies" were plain stupid, we lurched from one to the next one.

I started a thing which got called Amber Army where supporters signed up and many
paid £5 a week to buy shares. The AA had a full board representative and they may
have two now. The AA committee led the fund-raising for a club-house (profits bought
more shares and more representation.)

I've lost touch with the fund-raising side now but fans raise a substantial amount for a small club
and we are still in with a chance of being in the football league next season

2,000 fans raising a fiver each a week by standing order can make a big difference. Remember
that £5 is over the year, so worth about £8 a week in the season... Those same groups, now
they have a base (and accrue shares and a genuine voice) also arrange all sorts of fund-raisers
and the club gives something back with privileges.

At RFC that might be (for example) a Xmas do with the players, invites to training days etc

Don't pooh-hoo the idea without investigating it. The difference is it becomes a steady trickle of money
and (usually) grows (as long as there are keen people at the centre. AA started about 14-15 years ago
and my personal £21.67 per month standing order has now raised £3,900. (I still pay)

Now imagine that multiplied by a thousand member = 3.9 MILLION and 2,000 members? 7.8 MILLION

Good for you, mate, but any giving I contribute will be going to a worthy cause.

[Wycombe Royal]

RFC is not a charity, it is a business, and for that reason I'm out.

Also £7.8 over 14 or 15 years isn't that much and would not make a huge amount of difference, and this is if you could get 2,000 people to sign which I doubt you would.

[muddyfeet]

Not sure I am keen to give more of my money to RFC - on top of tickets, food/drink and train fare from London.

Esp if it funds players who earn about 100 times more than I do!

Can see your point though so good luck

[Hoop Blah]

Nice idea snowball, and some good use of misleading numbers to make it look a little bigger and better than would be (that £3.9m you mentioned is over the 15 years or whatever it's run).

If we had 1,000 fans willing to stump up an additional £5 per week (£260 a year) then we'd be able to contribute £260k to a business with a £15m+ a year turnover. How many fans would be willing to almost double their season ticket price to have a very limited amount of influence on the club? I doubt you'd get more than a thousand or two.

At non-league level it's possible because the finances dictate it and the club is more of a community. Unfortunately we've moved too far away from that level because of the money involved at this level. If it was to happen at RFC then it probably neded to happen with Madejski took over, not now.

EDIT: What Wycombe said!

[brendywendy]

If we, as a support, really thought that there is a star striker out there just waiting to join us, why not club together? I'm not necessarily being flippant - FC Koln fans had a campaign to raise funds for signing Podolski, some 'buy a pixel' thing. A lot of people here seem to expect Madejski to donate personal funds to gamble on the team's future, so why not do that themselves? Don't give me that 'I buy my season ticket every year' nonsense either, particularly as publicly-available accounts show that this doesn't even cover running costs.

No, I'd rather spend the clubs own money from the 28million plus player sales from the last 3/4 years than my own personal money or the personal money of John Madejski.

28 million. plus player sales?

woah, we are loaded. buy buy buy

bye bye

[Hoop Blah]

Snowball, we all know where the money went.
It's all accounted for and we've all seen the numbers in the countless threads. It all adds up.

It's only the complete idiots who do not understand the simplest of things who continue to harp on about "where's the money gone"..

I don't think we're being ripped off or that the money is disappearing, however, all we get to see are the top level accounts and you have to remember that it only shows us what the accountants want us to see.

As said elsewhere, we're trying to operate against the standard business model within the very competitive industry we trade in. That's the reason we're not spending similar amounts to a lot of our competitors.

[Dirk Gently]

Don't think Snowball has come up with something new there - what're has described is the basic premise of the Supporters' Trust movement.

There are two reasons why this sort is thing wouldn't work at RFC, unless something changes in the current ownership model :
- shares are not available for sale piecemeal - all that can be bought is the total shareholding.
- the sums involved are so phenomenal.

[Sir Dodger Royal]

If you think I am going to donate any money to RFC for the Madman to cream off then forget it.

If he is not prepared to invest then sell up and bu**er off.

Real Facts in Real Time. Time for him to acttttttttttttt

[brendywendy]

If you think I am going to donate any money to RFC for the Madman to cream off then forget it.

more moronic half arsed accusations.
where has he creamed off our money?
sorry moneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[papereyes]

In my opinion the hunger of the 05/06 squad was a big part of what made them great. Once they got there the hunger wasn't there and complacency set in, and they started to think they were better than they were, eg Lita, Shorey, Kitson, Sonko etc

Unless we are in a position to buy the truly great players then "unknowns" seems to be the way forward. The desire needs to be a big part of any great "budget" team pushing for their first prem season.

A great deal of them had played in non-league and tiers 3 and 4.

I think the issue with unknowns is that there's often a reason as to why they're unknown and that's a real risk. Of course, its mitigated by the reduced cost. If Long hadn't made it, it'd have been £33 k and no-one would have noticed.

I think what gripes is keeping players on when they're clearly not going to break through - Mooney, Bennett etc. Especially given the timings of their purchases when we were perhaps looking for players to slot straight into the side and change things.

[brendywendy]

but then most would have said cummings would never be good enough to break through either.......

shows what we know

[papereyes]

but then most would have said cummings would never be good enough to break through either.......

shows what we know

Cummings came from Chelsea. I think the shock was that he was initially so bad - he had a perfectly fine pedigree.

[Vision]

Personally I think we'll be signing less unknowns as the Academy will be providing those types on a far more regular basis.

They'll always be the odd Antonio or Williams of course if our scouts see something they think is worth developing but on the whole I see the squad having a core made up of Academy players whilst we will be bringing in from the outside more experienced players providing they are the proper price, have the right DNA etc etc etc

Despite the perception I think the last few transfer windows have mainly seen us bring in "ready made players" for want of a better term.