Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2012 11:16:16 GMT
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Post by Daedalus on Oct 18, 2012 18:01:47 GMT
It's just started now for those who are tuning in.
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oldgeezer
Saints Youth Team Player
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Post by oldgeezer on Oct 18, 2012 18:30:47 GMT
Clarence Park not a sustainable location for the future of the football club.
as we're losing £250k pa.
Surely if the ground was full of supporters then it would be sustainable?
Rather than moving the ground perhaps the q should be - How do we get more supporters through the gate?
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Post by Daedalus on Oct 18, 2012 18:41:55 GMT
I've attached the slideshow of the presentation made by Lawrence Levy to this post. See below. Attachments:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2012 18:42:20 GMT
Basic summary is as follows :-
The vision is to get the club into the football league. If Stevenage can do it, so can St Albans.
Links with local youth teams for approximately 1500-2000 kids playing football currently.
Improve links with the community and bring benefits to the community and city through the club. e.g. visitors, jobs and community sport.
The owners would like to make the club 'self-financing' by having a ground which brings in other income from retail space, hospitality and leisure. Clarence Park doesn't meet with the vision in current situation. Most non-league clubs have 80% of their income from non-matchday revenue.
Broad-brush costs to build a stadium with 3000 capacity and retail + leisure + hospitality space and parking is about £3 million.
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Post by stanj on Oct 18, 2012 19:44:11 GMT
If you look at Gaz`s post about the cost of football at football league grounds .I am sure that the cost should be putting a lot of those, who live in and around St.Albans to start thinking about using their local club...Why go to these Premier League sides and pay the price they charge...You can get as many thrills and excitement at Clarence Park. and you are helping your own City...How about The Herts Ad. and other media areas putting a bit more helpful news about the Saints..It must get some interest among those who read and listen ...
Ever hopeful...
Cheers, Stan
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2012 20:02:15 GMT
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Post by Canary Saint on Oct 18, 2012 20:03:25 GMT
The vision is to get the club into the football league. If Stevenage can do it, so can St Albans. Hmmm - Really? Links with local youth teams for approximately 1500-2000 kids playing football currently. Seems like a good idea - I'm all for it.Improve links with the community and bring benefits to the community and city through the club. e.g. visitors, jobs and community sport. Again good idea - to be encouraged.The owners would like to make the club 'self-financing' by having a ground which brings in other income from retail space, hospitality and leisure. Clarence Park doesn't meet with the vision in current situation. Most non-league clubs have 80% of their income from non-matchday revenue. Broad-brush costs to build a stadium with 3000 capacity and retail + leisure + hospitality space and parking is about £3 million. What ever happened to history & memories? To me Clarence Park is St Albans City FC. If most income is from non-matchday revenue, why cannot retail etc be at another site to the ground. (Ironically, I doubted at a similar idea on the "other board").Times move on I suppose.....................  Read more: www.saintschat.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1422#ixzz29gJeAhl3 |
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Post by bowsaint on Oct 18, 2012 20:16:21 GMT
It would be a massive shame to move from Clarence Park, but we have to be grateful to have owners who openly talk about a sustainable football club as opposed to owners who hide behind large, and obviously finite, cash injections.
Anyone who went away to Stockport in the FA Cup where there were 800+ travelling Saints fans in 2002, saw us play regularly in front of 900 people in the 90s or who went to the Conf South play-off final where there must have been 1,600 + Saints fans, knows we have potential.
Stevenage has a population of 85,000 according to Wiki, with the St Albans population at 140,000. I think we should all get behind Levy and McGowan and try and push for us to be a community presence and develop income outside of match days.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2012 20:44:41 GMT
Well said bowsaint I completely agree.
Unless the council let us have a lot more acreage and building permission then Clarence Park as our home has to be confined to history. Of course it will be a tearful day,but if we have any ambition to play at higher levels we must get full square behind this project.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2012 21:20:13 GMT
As the current owners are being open and transparent about losing £250k per season, it's not purely about promotion to the football league.
The fundamental issue is the club can't survive losing that amount of money per season, except with owners funding the 'loss'. History has shown the perils of that over the last 20 or so years.
The lease on the ground expires in 2 years and this is basically putting the ball in the Council's court, as trustees of Clarence Park, saying 'Can we expand & develop Clarence Park to allow the club the be self-funding?'.
It's starting a debate and a process to see what is viable for the club, the council and the community. Somehow a solution is required that is workable and agreeable between everyone.
There is an argument that as the club doesn't own the ground, this is one of the reasons they haven't been liquiated, after the events of recent years. Building a new stadium could put the club at risk in the future, as per the situation at Nene Park over recent years.
All options need to be considered, which could include staying at Clarence Park but playing at a lower level and living within the clubs means.
You have to applaud the current owners for having the debate in public and being honest & open about the situaton, whatever your views are.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2012 6:48:48 GMT
sounds good to me, refreshing to hear owners who can see a bigger picture.
(stevenage used to have 2 portakabins . one was the clubhouse the other was the changing room)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2012 7:04:28 GMT
"What people need to realise is your crowds are but one of the revenue streams," he said. "There are lots of other ways you can create revenue to ensure that you are competitive as a football club." Play media That means making money from other sources than the club shop, matchday hospitality and soccer schools. Pilley says he requires "each square foot or outlet at Fleetwood to make the best return". Pilley got married in the club's Parkside Suite a couple of years ago and, in addition to weddings and christenings, the club's hospitality boxes are used for business meetings during the week, while the chairman has one of his companies located in the Parkside Stand. "I've got my business based at the club and we're hoping to submit plans for a lot more office space to make available within the stands and all that extra revenue will assist Fleetwood to be totally sustainable without external investment," explained Pilley. Fleetwood honours since 2003 2012: Blue Square Premier champions (promoted to the Football League) 2010: Blue Square North runners-up and play-off winners (promoted) 2008: Northern Premier League Premier Division champions 2007: Northern Premier League Challenge Cup Winners 2006: Northern Premier League First Division runners-up (promoted) 2005: North West Counties Football League Premier Division champions But a club is nothing without people to support it and Pilley said Fleetwood's fans are "loyal, knowledgeable and growing". "I think in my first game there were less than 100 people there to watch. We're now probably averaging around 3,000 and we're working hard to constantly do everything we can to increase those gates further still," he continued. A day out at Fleetwood, consisting of the cheapest adult ticket available, a programme, pie and cup of tea, costs £21.60 - making them one of the least expensive in League Two. "We've thought long and hard and we speak all the time about 'what do fans want on their Saturday afternoon?'" explained Pilley. "They need to feel wanted, they need to feel appreciated, they need to be thanked for their support and hopefully if you have a good manager, and we do, you can put a good show on the pitch and people enjoy their experience and come back for more." Play media Pilley jokes that "according to his accountant" he has invested more than £10m as he looks to build something "sustainable". "We don't need to set any targets that create pressure on us, we want to progress, we want to improve as a club and finish as high as we can," he insisted. "I think there is every chance that we can be sustainable because I've got my business here, we've got lots of different revenue streams coming into the club and that will only increase further in the future." www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19955525?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter |
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Post by Aries on Oct 19, 2012 8:01:07 GMT
Here we go again!
Let me guess, will this new ground be on green belt land and have some housing built with it?
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Post by EFMTFTV on Oct 19, 2012 9:27:02 GMT
I didn't catch all the meeting, only the last few mins but retail rather than housing seemed to have been mentioned
The council were talking about moving the club to Harpenden or London Colney, I've always thought we could move half way up the Hemel Hempstead Rd and ground share a new ground with Hemel and use their land for housing
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2012 9:46:51 GMT
Housing was not mentioned as an option in any development. Various Councillors mentioned the possible sites which had been raised as alternative locations for a new ground over the years. Didn't think the owners have any firm ideas for a potential site, other than Clarence Park not viable as things stand. Last night seemed more about kick starting investigations with the Council.
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euclid
Saints Reserve Team Player
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Post by euclid on Oct 20, 2012 10:45:13 GMT
In my view if the club moves to Harpenden or London Colney it ceases to be St Albans City FC! If a new ground is the only option, it has to be within the city boundaries.
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Post by Boomer on Oct 24, 2012 18:23:56 GMT
Here is an article on the subject from this week's Review.
No images allowed -http://i45.tinypic.com/ibl2s2.jpg
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Post by Boomer on Oct 26, 2012 20:25:23 GMT
And the article from this week's Herts Ad on the same subject
No images allowed -http://i45.tinypic.com/15x7fvc.jpg
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