Taking the Michael

Are the club taking the urine out of you and I, the fans?

Many think the fact that season tickets renewals are not available yet is crazy. Not top of my list of priorities but as a minimum, shouldn't the club or even the Trust explain why? May be a perfectly good reason but communication seems to.be going back to the dark days again.

Potentially an excellent signing announced at 7pm last night, but many knew he signed a couple of weeks ago. What are the club hoping to gain by these cloak and dagger, control  freakish shenanigans? Boost for season tickets sales? Really? Is there anyone who will get a season ticket because we signed an untried kid who wouldn't have been buying a season ticket anyway? If this is the extent of our PR and Marketing set up we are more amateur than the sternest club critic ever thought.

This charging for the charity game crap. The club announced they didn't know it was for charity? Really? It was on the Official website for god sake. The Trust chairman seemed to back up / support the club, which is again increasingly concerning.

Others have said the Trust appear to be just an arm of the club rather than the voice of their membership.

If the club communication on the above, and more, matters is so bad, shouldn't the Trust be questioning, in public, rather than the softly softly in house lobbying that nobody ever hears about?

Enjoy the sunshine. UTM

Agree with this, none league seemed to do this club some good, we were having some great PR, things like the stickerbooks were great, just seems to have gone downhill lately.
we are the life of this club, we should be given more communication about our club.

Quoted from Cloudy

The Trust chairman seemed to back up / support the club, which is again increasingly concerning.

Others have said the Trust appear to be just an arm of the club rather than the voice of their membership.

Fully agree. It has always been extremely concerning to me that long-time club employee and JF's mate Terry Rudrum was installed as chairman of the Trust. Doesn't take a genius to work out how he got that position and who could have insisted on it. He wasnt elected by the Trust membership was he?

Dont get me wrong the work of the Trust volunteers is fantastic but they are essentially doing the club's work for them for free. The Trust is not an independent entity.

The sooner the Trust stop acting as a fund raising arm of the club and start representing the supporters the better.

Re the Trust, the membership elect the board members and those board members elect the chair, at least that's how it worked when I was involced.

I think the  only way anybody will know for sure how the trustees run is by attending a meeting and seeing what the crack is.

The problem as I see it is the club are very set in their ways and I think that is largely down to the fact that it's largely the same people in the same in the same roles for the last two decades.

No football on, so we really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find something to whinge about. The season finished what, three weeks ago? The season won't start for over two months. How is it taking the urine to not have tickets for sale?

As for announcing players, there all sorts of reasons for not making it public straight away, and not necessarily because of GTFC. The usual is simply down to when his contract expires at the players former club. You can hardly announce a new player when he still belongs to another team for another few weeks.

Quoted from pizzzza

It has always been extremely concerning to me that long-time club employee and JF's mate Terry Rudrum was installed as chairman of the Trust. Doesn't take a genius to work out how he got that position and who could have insisted on it. He wasnt elected by the Trust membership was he?

So who were the other contenders, Mr Conspiracy Theorist?

Quoted from Cloudy

Are the club taking the urine out of you and I, the fans?

Many think the fact that season tickets renewals are not available yet is crazy. Not top of my list of priorities but as a minimum, shouldn't the club or even the Trust explain why? May be a perfectly good reason but communication seems to.be going back to the dark days again.

You can get a new season ticket - ring the club up and you can buy one. You just wont receive it for a couple of weeks. I don't see the issue myself.

Quoted from ex-merseymariner

So who were the other contenders, Mr Conspiracy Theorist?

I don't suppose that there were any. That's the point.

Quoted from pizzzza

I don't suppose that there were any. That's the point.

just dont see the point; would we be better off to have a trust without a chair?
what sort of organisation doesnt have a chair...oh

Quoted from scrumble

No football on, so we really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find something to whinge about. The season finished what, three weeks ago? The season won't start for over two months. How is it taking the urine to not have tickets for sale?

As for announcing players, there all sorts of reasons for not making it public straight away, and not necessarily because of GTFC. The usual is simply down to when his contract expires at the players former club. You can hardly announce a new player when he still belongs to another team for another few weeks.

This.

Why don't people get out for a walk and an ice cream or summat?

Quoted from chaos33

This.

Why don't people get out for a walk and an ice cream or summat?

Yeah, Appleby's has reopened now so take a nice drive out to Conisholme and enjoy a nice rum 'n' raisin 99.  

Quoted from Cloudy

Are the club taking the urine out of you and I, the fans?

Many think the fact that season tickets renewals are not available yet is crazy. Not top of my list of priorities but as a minimum, shouldn't the club or even the Trust explain why? May be a perfectly good reason but communication seems to.be going back to the dark days again.

Potentially an excellent signing announced at 7pm last night, but many knew he signed a couple of weeks ago. What are the club hoping to gain by these cloak and dagger, control  freakish shenanigans? Boost for season tickets sales? Really? Is there anyone who will get a season ticket because we signed an untried kid who wouldn't have been buying a season ticket anyway? If this is the extent of our PR and Marketing set up we are more amateur than the sternest club critic ever thought.

This charging for the charity game crap. The club announced they didn't know it was for charity? Really? It was on the Official website for god sake. The Trust chairman seemed to back up / support the club, which is again increasingly concerning.

Others have said the Trust appear to be just an arm of the club rather than the voice of their membership.

If the club communication on the above, and more, matters is so bad, shouldn't the Trust be questioning, in public, rather than the softly softly in house lobbying that nobody ever hears about?

Enjoy the sunshine. UTM

Does this stuff really matter that much?

[quote=139740]Are the club taking the urine out of you and I, the fans?

Many think the fact that season tickets renewals are not available yet is crazy. Not top of my list of priorities but as a minimum, shouldn't the club or even the Trust explain why? May be a perfectly good reason but communication seems to.be going back to the dark days again.

Potentially an excellent signing announced at 7pm last night, but many knew he signed a couple of weeks ago. What are the club hoping to gain by these cloak and dagger, control  freakish shenanigans? Boost for season tickets sales? Really? Is there anyone who will get a season ticket because we signed an untried kid who wouldn't have been buying a season ticket anyway? If this is the extent of our PR and Marketing set up we are more amateur than the sternest club critic ever thought.

This charging for the charity game crap. The club announced they didn't know it was for charity? Really? It was on the Official website for god sake. The Trust chairman seemed to back up / support the club, which is again increasingly concerning.

Others have said the Trust appear to be just an arm of the club rather than the voice of their membership.

If the club communication on the above, and more, matters is so bad, shouldn't the Trust be questioning, in public, rather than the softly softly in house lobbying that nobody ever hears about?

Enjoy the sunshine. UTM[/quot

Really struggling to understand the point you re making... Theres nearly 11 weeks till the season starts and as the poster above points out you can simply pick up the phone and buy a season ticket, its not a secret as to where they sell them. Just because the club hasnt had a big campaign doesnt mean they re taking the urine out of you. Do you think Mars are taking the urine because you havent seen an advert in a while? you can still find a bounty at the local corner shop...

As for this payment for the charity game, thats even more stupid to complain about. Any way you look at it someone is going to have to foot the bill. If you want the club to pay for the stewards, electricity, etc for that day then dont complain when the money for that comes out of the wage budget, because it has to come from somewhere. But people will because everytime anyone is signed or appointed its "boooo cheap option" or i cant beleive the club is being so tight as to release A Player... Or is it that you expect people to give up their whole saturday to work without being paid, cos thats a bit excrement.

It genuinely seems with GTFC, and i wonder if this exists with other clubs, that some of the fans will take every single opportunity going to "have a go" at the way its run regardless of how silly they make themselves look.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Yeah, Appleby's has reopened now so take a nice drive out to Conisholme and enjoy a nice rum 'n' raisin 99.  

Great shout Les  

What? It's the end of May and they don't already have season tickets on sale!? How dare they!...Or didn't they announce they were sending out renewal packs to holders and if you want to apply one you can email them and have an application pack sent in the post?

I think somebody needs a life beyond the fishy until things pick up steam again in June football wise. Some people seem to have this obsession with wanting to be involved in the inner workings of the club.

Spot on Kris2 is there really any need to moan about season tickets oh well some people just cant help it lol.

Thought this thread was about the Liverpool fans' petition

https://www.change.org/p/tony-.....rnational-ambassador

They really are a "special" set of fans.

The only thing is that if tickets were already out then town would be receiving money now, I would have thought always better to have money in the bank.

MONDAY JUNE 5TH 9.00am

Tickets will be on sale  that gives you 2 months to buy before 1st league game.

What's the rush ?

The club have a long used system of earlybird discounts for season ticket purchases. My personal financial circumstances mean that I leave my purchase to the last possible day to still benefit from the discount. I suspect I'm not on my own.
The information on price was out there early enough. I honestly cannot see the issue.
With regard to the position of chairman of The Trust different people bring different skills to the Trust. I and several other members of the Board wouldn't want the role of Chairman, preferring to work in the background trying to do a bit to make the hobby of supporting GTFC a little bit easier for those who are also our members.
The decision by the Trust Board to appoint Terry to the post was not influence AT ALL by GTFC.

Have a Cornetto mate. Ignore the moaners

UTM  

Yes, absolutely, two months to buy a season ticket. But I don't think the time frame is the concern here.

It's the fact that season tickets are the single most important source of income for the club, so you'd think they'd be really proactive - talking about next season, enticing us to buy them, getting them out there before people spend all their money on other stuff.

But no. Every other club seems to be proactive on this, and we're well behind.

There is no doubt in my mind. The longer the club fails to put season tickets on sale, the fewer they will sell.

Also, this topic is clearly a concern for some of our fans and once again the club has shown no effort to communicate with us.

Storm in a teacup comes to mind. Probably as simple as the people who print the season tickets (I imagine it's a specialist piece of equipment ) are just overwhelmed with orders at this time of year. Living with our back to the sea does tend to limit your choices for all sorts of reasons and I think it's likely that they are printed out of town.Just a thought........... personally I'm more interested in any new signings first.
  

Quoted from Stranger in the Park

Storm in a teacup comes to mind. Probably as simple as the people who print the season tickets (I imagine it's a specialist piece of equipment ) are just overwhelmed with orders at this time of year. Living with our back to the sea does tend to limit your choices for all sorts of reasons and I think it's likely that they are printed out of town.Just a thought........... personally I'm more interested in any new signings first.
  

There was a problem last year with this company which led to a delay in season ticket books being sent out.

I was about to defend them then by saying most clubs now have electronic cards instead of tickets which you just scan in at the turn style but it would obviously not be financially viable for us if the new stadium goes ahead but then I thought to my self, surely it's not that difficult to print off 25 pieces of paper and put a staple through it.

Is it pre season  yet,

It's a fair point Stranger itp. But the printing thing only becomes an issue as the first game approaches. The club could still be taking money off people early or at least taking orders and start generating a 'me too' feeling about the place.

It's almost like the club don't want my money in their bank account asap to aid their cashflow/ earning intrest if in the black/ paying down debts/overdrafts to reduce any intrest owed if in the red/ paying bills due now with cash in bank rather than waiting around..

Quoted from 935

[quote=139740]Are the club taking the urine out of you and I, the fans?

Many think the fact that season tickets renewals are not available yet is crazy. Not top of my list of priorities but as a minimum, shouldn't the club or even the Trust explain why? May be a perfectly good reason but communication seems to.be going back to the dark days again.

Potentially an excellent signing announced at 7pm last night, but many knew he signed a couple of weeks ago. What are the club hoping to gain by these cloak and dagger, control  freakish shenanigans? Boost for season tickets sales? Really? Is there anyone who will get a season ticket because we signed an untried kid who wouldn't have been buying a season ticket anyway? If this is the extent of our PR and Marketing set up we are more amateur than the sternest club critic ever thought.

This charging for the charity game crap. The club announced they didn't know it was for charity? Really? It was on the Official website for god sake. The Trust chairman seemed to back up / support the club, which is again increasingly concerning.

Others have said the Trust appear to be just an arm of the club rather than the voice of their membership.

If the club communication on the above, and more, matters is so bad, shouldn't the Trust be questioning, in public, rather than the softly softly in house lobbying that nobody ever hears about?

Enjoy the sunshine. UTM[/quot

Really struggling to understand the point you re making... Theres nearly 11 weeks till the season starts and as the poster above points out you can simply pick up the phone and buy a season ticket, its not a secret as to where they sell them. Just because the club hasnt had a big campaign doesnt mean they re taking the urine out of you. Do you think Mars are taking the urine because you havent seen an advert in a while? you can still find a bounty at the local corner shop...

As for this payment for the charity game, thats even more stupid to complain about. Any way you look at it someone is going to have to foot the bill. If you want the club to pay for the stewards[/b][b], electricity, etc for that day then dont complain when the money for that comes out of the wage budget, because it has to come from somewhere. But people will because everytime anyone is signed or appointed its "boooo cheap option" or i cant beleive the club is being so tight as to release A Player... Or is it that you expect people to give up their whole saturday to work without being paid, cos thats a bit excrement.

It genuinely seems with GTFC, and i wonder if this exists with other clubs, that some of the fans will take every single opportunity going to "have a go" at the way its run regardless of how silly they make themselves look.

No you cannot just pick up the phone and buy a season ticket, that's the whole point, they aren't on sale!!!

The Trust lady on here confirmed that the Trust had to pay stewards for the Charity Day

I seriously think the club could do anything and some fans just smile and use a little more lube

What difference does it make? If you have a ticket now what is gained?  Nothing, it is just something to moan about. Expect moans about why the fixture list isn't out yet.

Quoted from Cloudy

No you cannot just pick up the phone and buy a season ticket, that's the whole point, they aren't on sale!!!

The Trust lady on here confirmed that the Trust had to pay stewards for the Charity Day

I seriously think the club could do anything and some fans just smile and use a little more lube

Mate, if stuff like this genuinely makes you this angry I really really feel sorry for you.

Expecting a lot of advertising agencies, TV companies and publications to go out of business this Autumn. Companies will see how GTFC's clever non-marketing policy resulted in record 2017/8 season ticket sales and decide to stop advertising their Xmas goods in October and November as they realise the public know they can order their presents on the 20th Dec and still get them wrapped before Xmas Day.

Just wondering what difference it makes. You're not exactly going to start supporting Scunny because Town haven't got their season tickets on sale yet are you?

Maybe Russ & John are waiting to announce some 'hair on the back of your neck' signings?  

I can afford to buy a season ticket right now because I have money in my account.

In two weeks' time, after I've been on my holiday, I won't have enough money in my account to buy a season ticket.

Storm in a teacup, maybe.

But season tickets are the single most important thing to the club. Where else are they going to get money from while there's no football being played?

I just find it very odd that this club is so incredibly slow at doing the most important thing it needs to do in the close season.

In isolation I'd get over it, but it's just one more thing to add to the list that suggests they don't really keep the fans at the heart of everything they do.

Quoted from RichMariner

I can afford to buy a season ticket right now because I have money in my account.

In two weeks' time, after I've been on my holiday, I won't have enough money in my account to buy a season ticket.

Storm in a teacup, maybe.

But season tickets are the single most important thing to the club. Where else are they going to get money from while there's no football being played?

I just find it very odd that this club is so incredibly slow at doing the most important thing it needs to do in the close season.

In isolation I'd get over it, but it's just one more thing to add to the list that suggests they don't really keep the fans at the heart of everything they do.

It's obviously not the most important thing, otherwise they would have released them already.

I'm still struggling to understand the issue some have with ST release dates.

Quoted from bluerose13x

It's almost like the club don't want my money in their bank account asap to aid their cashflow/ earning intrest if in the black/ paying down debts/overdrafts to reduce any intrest owed if in the red/ paying bills due now with cash in bank rather than waiting around..

You don't usually earn interest on business accounts. As we are in the close season so in theory "operational expenditure" is less as there are no games then if your forecast plan is correct the cash flow should not be under as much pressure as it would during the season.

This is a very silly thread as if there was a dire financial need to sell early the club would have done. I am sure the "non chairman" who built a fish business that he sold on for millions would be savvy enough to know when.

It's not that big a deal it's just that there are no games to talk about at the moment.    

Quoted from HertsGTFC

You don't usually earn interest on business accounts. As we are in the close season so in theory "operational expenditure" is less as there are no games then if your forecast plan is correct the cash flow should not be under as much pressure as it would during the season.

This is a very silly thread as if there was a dire financial need to sell early the club would have done. I am sure the "non chairman" who built a fish business that he sold on for millions would be savvy enough to know when.

It's not that big a deal it's just that there are no games to talk about at the moment.    

You might be right but I'm not sure the non-chairman has shown a great deal of business savviness in the running of the football club.

Bit harsh that Kingston considering Grimsby is a small Town, we have a decent fan base but since our decline relatively average attendances. There has been lots of challenges with the likes of overdrafts, debt, HMRC etc... and of course a number of seasons in tin pot which generates small incomes I actually think the fact we are now back in the FL and have moved forward is a good indication of decent business management.

It makes me laugh posters on here go on about JF being synonymous in the signing of Omar as it's not fashionable or some aren't brave enough to credit Hurst with anything related to success well if that's the case turning a 50k investment into a 1 million plus return in 18 months is a stroke of genius.

Quoted from Cloudy

Are the club taking the urine out of you and I, the fans?

Many think the fact that season tickets renewals are not available yet is crazy. Not top of my list of priorities but as a minimum, shouldn't the club or even the Trust explain why? May be a perfectly good reason but communication seems to.be going back to the dark days again.

Potentially an excellent signing announced at 7pm last night, but many knew he signed a couple of weeks ago. What are the club hoping to gain by these cloak and dagger, control  freakish shenanigans? Boost for season tickets sales? Really? Is there anyone who will get a season ticket because we signed an untried kid who wouldn't have been buying a season ticket anyway? If this is the extent of our PR and Marketing set up we are more amateur than the sternest club critic ever thought.

This charging for the charity game crap. The club announced they didn't know it was for charity? Really? It was on the Official website for god sake. The Trust chairman seemed to back up / support the club, which is again increasingly concerning.

Others have said the Trust appear to be just an arm of the club rather than the voice of their membership.

If the club communication on the above, and more, matters is so bad, shouldn't the Trust be questioning, in public, rather than the softly softly in house lobbying that nobody ever hears about?

Enjoy the sunshine. UTM

i know the season is over and you maybe havent got much  to keep you occupied with no football like us all, but seriously there is no need for negativity about something which really isnt affecting you......take up gardening or something for the summer to keep you occupied and lets go into the new season being positive not negative because there is nothing else to moan about.

So richmariner if you had bought your ST now you wouldn't be able to afford to go on holiday. Pull the other one you just like a moan don't you ?

Quoted from RichMariner

Yes, absolutely, two months to buy a season ticket. But I don't think the time frame is the concern here.

It's the fact that season tickets are the single most important source of income for the club, so you'd think they'd be really proactive - talking about next season, enticing us to buy them, getting them out there before people spend all their money on other stuff.

But no. Every other club seems to be proactive on this, and we're well behind.

There is no doubt in my mind. The longer the club fails to put season tickets on sale, the fewer they will sell.

Also, this topic is clearly a concern for some of our fans and once again the club has shown no effort to communicate with us.

I don't really see why fans are bothered on a personal basis-they will still get their regular seat and it will be available until the general sale at least. The later the S.T.s are sold the club will lose out on interest payments-fact---I fail to see from the content of the above post why the writer has attracted so many red x's.

Quoted from golfer

I don't really see why fans are bothered on a personal basis-they will still get their regular seat and it will be available until the general sale at least. The later the S.T.s are sold the club will lose out on interest payments-fact---I fail to see from the content of the above post why the writer has attracted so many red x's.

Where do the club find a business account that pays interest???

Quoted from 935

Where do the club find a business account that pays interest???

It reduces the money that they have to pay interest on-it is not all interest free

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Bit harsh that Kingston considering Grimsby is a small Town, we have a decent fan base but since our decline relatively average attendances. There has been lots of challenges with the likes of overdrafts, debt, HMRC etc... and of course a number of seasons in tin pot which generates small incomes I actually think the fact we are now back in the FL and have moved forward is a good indication of decent business management.

It makes me laugh posters on here go on about JF being synonymous in the signing of Omar as it's not fashionable or some aren't brave enough to credit Hurst with anything related to success well if that's the case turning a 50k investment into a 1 million plus return in 18 months is a stroke of genius.

Not really. When you consider where we where in the League when he took over, where we've been during his tenure and where we are now, then add in the fact debt has grown, it's not a good record.

Given those results, in any other business he'd have been given the boot (if he wasn't the owner) and a very rough time by other shareholders.

I don't know what your point about Omar/Hurst/JF is. Nothing to do with what I said. Whoever was responsible though, it's not a stroke of genius. Lots of people identified Bogle as a prospect before the first attempt. Good business but not the work of a genius.

Many identified Omar but only one club signed him, us!

Exactly from a business point of view other than pump more of his own money in what would you specifically say he could have done differently that would have made a tangible difference?

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Many identified Omar but only one club signed him, us!

Exactly from a business point of view other than pump more of his own money in what would you specifically say he could have done differently that would have made a tangible difference?

Not wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds paying off managers who were bad appointments?

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Many identified Omar but only one club signed him, us!

Exactly from a business point of view other than pump more of his own money in what would you specifically say he could have done differently that would have made a tangible difference?

Pump less money in.

Have a clearly defined plan/strategy rather than firefighting and 'praying for football fortune' on an annual basis.

There are clearly some, and I totally accept they are entitled to their view, that believe without JF's bailouts on a near annual basis we would be dead and buried as a club. They thank god for JF as we could well have been another Orient, Stockport or Darlington. Others feel that with better management and vision we could have been at least a Burton, Rochdale,Barnsley or even a Scunny.

Bottom line is none of us know where we would be if JF hadn't come along!

Maybe the club's year end is the 31st May and we might already have a hefty tax bill because of the Omar deal and crowds above projected.

Waiting til 1st June to get the income makes sense as the tax won't need paying til next year.

But hey we couldn't possibly have that sort of business acumen at the club could we?!

I think we all know what the problem is at this club, but until anybody else steps in to take financial control of the club we are stuck with the same problems season in season out.  No doubt we are spending peanuts again assembling a squad of journeymen, who the Board will be praying Russ can turn into a decent team.  No proper investment in the club once again, and the supporters the last to know anything.  Good job we are a loyal bunch and keep the faith.

UTM

God some people really need to get out more if this is all they've got to worry about,cloudy you need a girlfriend

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

I think we all know what the problem is at this club, but until anybody else steps in to take financial control of the club we are stuck with the same problems season in season out.  No doubt we are spending peanuts again assembling a squad of journeymen, who the Board will be praying Russ can turn into a decent team.  No proper investment in the club once again, and the supporters the last to know anything.  Good job we are a loyal bunch and keep the faith.

UTM

Which are the journey man signings????

if we signed Messi codfather would have some bitter and twisted view about it, boring

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

I think we all know what the problem is at this club, but until anybody else steps in to take financial control of the club we are stuck with the same problems season in season out.  No doubt we are spending peanuts again assembling a squad of journeymen, who the Board will be praying Russ can turn into a decent team.  No proper investment in the club once again, and the supporters the last to know anything.  Good job we are a loyal bunch and keep the faith.

UTM

Don't disagree with this but rather than investors we need benefactors as in reality what ROI would you really get if you pumped a large amount of money in? The only real way to move the club forward financially is to  move which is a WIP that feels like it will never come to an end despite recent developments, council meetings etc...then if we actually moved we then have the issue of turning 5,000 a week home gates into 10,000+ per week to maximise the extra capacity and pay down any loans we take whilst mot selling our bottom and giving away endless free tickets. Even when we where riding high 10K attendances where not always guaranteed. Within all that we have to ensure that we have every corporate space full each week and make the most of external income such as using the facilities for meetings, weddings, conferences, recruitment events etc.. etc...

Where we sit at the moment is that in reality we are a small club in a small relatively remote town who attract modest gates at EFL level, the only way we will make the quantum leap that some fans expect is if we get someone who is a multi millionaire who has a tens of millions in the bank rather than "just" ten million or so and they are willing to throw money at us. Just like Mr Swann.....................What happens though when the Swann's of this world lose interest?