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Post by expatsaint on Feb 6, 2020 19:24:45 GMT
Last week Torquay announced losses of 943,000 pounds for season 2018-19. That is a staggering amount of money for what was only a National South club, most of which would have been spent in the expectation of returning to the National League at the first attempt. I'm not too sure of their average attendances this season, but I've no doubt that any increase on the past season will certainly be insufficient to offset the additional wage costs pertaining to the higher level. Unless they are able to raise money by selling at decent prices one or two of their most promising players, it is hard to see how they can be financially sustainable in the longer term at the current playing level. I can't imagine wealthy benefactors continuing to fund a club indefinitely if it so blatantly fails to balance it's books.
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Post by Boomer on Feb 6, 2020 19:54:20 GMT
Torquay Utd’s ave attendance for 2018/19 in the National League South was 2,551. To date, in the National League for the 2019/20 season, it is 2,674.
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Post by bob666 on Feb 7, 2020 2:06:00 GMT
I know these rules always work imperfectly but we need some form of financial fairplay rule for non league football. Cap spending on paying staff at a percentage of income; I know there also some scope to artificial inflate income but an imperfect rule is better than none.
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Post by expatsaint on Feb 7, 2020 5:22:00 GMT
It does seem at times that the more financially responsible clubs, particularly those at top non-league level, are being penalised and suffer an unfair disadvantage when forced to compete against clubs with seemingly bottomless resources. I'm not suggesting that there is no place in football for those people who are willing and able to throw good money at their pet projects: ie. Glenn Tamplin at Bllericay and Romford. However, surely it is not impossible in this day and age when a club's annual wage spending should be very transparent and be visible within the company accounts, to implement some kind of salary cap system, similar to that operating in the English Premiership in rugby union. This should not be seen as a way of rewarding a lack of ambition or success, but rather as a means to ensure the long-term future of clubs which could otherwise be in grave danger of extinction under the current financial structure. Supporters of clubs like Bury and Colne Dynamoes would no doubt, with hindsight, be very sympathetic to this approach I expect.
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Post by ahad43 on Feb 7, 2020 8:03:53 GMT
Torquay Utd’s ave attendance for 2018/19 in the National League South was 2,551. To date, in the National League for the 2019/20 season, it is 2,674. Any idea what Torquay's ticket prices are this season in comparison to last season?
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Post by bob666 on Feb 7, 2020 11:01:50 GMT
It does seem at times that the more financially responsible clubs, particularly those at top non-league level, are being penalised and suffer an unfair disadvantage when forced to compete against clubs with seemingly bottomless resources. I'm not suggesting that there is no place in football for those people who are willing and able to throw good money at their pet projects: ie. Glenn Tamplin at Bllericay and Romford. However, surely it is not impossible in this day and age when a club's annual wage spending should be very transparent and be visible within the company accounts, to implement some kind of salary cap system, similar to that operating in the English Premiership in rugby union. This should not be seen as a way of rewarding a lack of ambition or success, but rather as a means to ensure the long-term future of clubs which could otherwise be in grave danger of extinction under the current financial structure. Supporters of clubs like Bury and Colne Dynamoes would no doubt, with hindsight, be very sympathetic to this approach I expect. I don't think a straight forward salary cap is a good idea. If a big club with a large supporter base and thus high potential temporary drops into non league it reasonable for them to outspend other teams to get back to their natural level. Equally a small team in the same league might spend under the cap but still spend a unsustainable amount relative to their revenue. It better to cap relative to income than introduce a absolute number. So player and manager wages capped at say 60 per cent of income
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Post by expatsaint on Feb 7, 2020 13:54:09 GMT
Have looked into the ticket pricing at Torquay United over the past two seasons. 2018-19 season: Matchday tickets priced at 13, 14 or 15 pounds depending on which part of the ground visited. Season tickets cost 208, 224 or 240 pounds last season. 2019-20 season: Matchday tickets for this season at Plainmoor are 15, 16 or 17 pounds, whilst season tickets are 300, 320 or 340 pounds. Discounts of between 12 and 15% were available to early purchasers (before 1 June), of season tickets for both seasons. Normal concessions have been available for the under 7s as well as the under 12s. It would certainly make sense for any application of a salary cap to differentiate between clubs with higher income streams. For instance last season it would have been unreasonable to expect a club like Torquay to have paid out the same in players' wages as, say, Hungerford.
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Post by Hatboy on Feb 8, 2020 14:24:38 GMT
Still cheaper than us for a bigger better team in a nicer ground playing at a higher level
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