Badly run - on and off the pitch?

Just want to make one thing clear, I do think it’s time for change in the boardroom. John has done his best, of that I have no doubt but his reign has to be judged on the pitch. That is the reason the club exists and performance has been woeful, I think he’s been around the boardroom for about 12 years now. 6 of them in league 2 / div 4, 6 of them in the conference, appalling record.

I’ve had a little look at the clubs accounts, I’m far from an expert so apologies if I’ve got things wrong. But playing devils advocate, and to the boards credit, the club appears to be well run. Debts have been reduced. I’ve tried to have a look at other clubs in the league, Mansfield for example owe £5.8m and appear to be operating well beyond their means. They are reliant on the Radford’s cash injections.

Please feel free to pick my observations apart, but we don’t appear to be badly run off the pitch.

Profit for last season, £1.06m.

Wage bill up over 400k year on year to £2.08m, includes non playing staff.

No investment from JF, taken 200k back.

A quick look at the books suggests the club is living within its means, profit all coming from the player sale, presumably Bogle.

Without that sale, would have broken about even.

I’ve had to make an assumption, a guess as accounts are not broken down into playing / non playing budget.

I’ve assumed of the wages of £2.08m, 70 percent are players wages, so £1.456m divided between a first team squad of 30 (we know they’re not all on the same money) would mean players earn an average net of £48500 per year, or £933 per week.

Not sure we aren’t paying the going rate? Appreciate there are assumptions there.

Thought it was worth a look with people suggesting we don’t pay the going rate, cut corners etc.

I’d be interested to understand what the bonus structure was/is for the players.


From a P&L point of view the club is run relatively sensibly but if you take out the income from on the Bogle sale it illustrates how tight things can be.

I’d focus on the balance sheet and cash position that will tell you the true picture of where we are.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I’d be interested to understand what the bonus structure was/is for the players.

Well it won't be costing too much at the moment if it's related to wins or goals 😭

The BBC says that the average wage in league 2 is £49,600, so you are not far wrong. Obviously some will be on more and some less but i have no reason to believe that we are cutting corners on wages. Attracting players to the area must play a part in it. Non league players will come to the club and be impressed with the facilities. Established league players not so much and the area can be a bit of a turn off i would imagine. It must be easier to attract players in the North West and London for example with all the teams there are in those regions. Our closest catchment area is Yorkshire and it is not exactly brimming with top sides nowadays. Perhaps we don't get the same trickle down that other areas enjoy.

It's because we have relatively high attendances for the low level we've been playing at. Our attendances should give us a comfortable budget for the division we are playing in. Granted they are dropping, but with anything to get behind we could easily average 5k plus.

It's more than just finances. You only have to look at the fans forum, Matt Dean issue and the checkatrade nonsense to know the board are out of touch.
it looks like he's allowing the club to tread water till he can get his money back, either by getting a stadium built in the wrong place or a little bit of football fortune. We'd be much more likely to get some football fortune if the board invested in the team. One seat on the board is consistently putting money into the club with no strings and that is the Trust.

Quoted from ginnywings

The BBC says that the average wage in league 2 is £49,600, so you are not far wrong. Obviously some will be on more and some less but i have no reason to believe that we are cutting corners on wages. Attracting players to the area must play a part in it. Non league players will come to the club and be impressed with the facilities. Established league players not so much and the area can be a bit of a turn off i would imagine. It must be easier to attract players in the North West and London for example with all the teams there are in those regions. Our closest catchment area is Yorkshire and it is not exactly brimming with top sides nowadays. Perhaps we don't get the same trickle down that other areas enjoy.

At our level I reckon the socioeconomic and geography factors impact on our ability to recruit.

E.G. There are more players based around London and the South as the population is denser the better ones don’t have to travel as far to earn good money the ones with less ability have to look further afield.

I would imagine Luton where able to recruit Berry and Collins from Cambridge & Crawley without either having to move house. Add to that their ability to pay better wages from good gates and there you go.

Also with the younger lads are you going to move away from your home family & friends to move to Grimsby? Some will some don’t.

I do think if the board were to retain Russell Slade, we would be looking at a huge reduction in matchday income. I think that ship has sailed, attendances yesterday only just over 3k is awful, of RS isn’t dismissed, I can see sub 3k gates soon. I like Russ as a bloke, but I can’t stand his football. I’m a season ticket holder, I’ve missed probably 5/6 games already this season, two as I couldn’t make myself leave the house to watch the crap served up. Been away the others, I know I’d be better off paying game by game but I want to support the club financially. I don’t like Slade’s style of football, I could just about tolerate it if we scored goals, or picked up the points.

From a balance sheet point of view, as well as a football point of view, Russ must go i’m afraid.

Quoted from 75

I do think if the board were to retain Russell Slade, we would be looking at a huge reduction in matchday income. I think that ship has sailed, attendances yesterday only just over 3k is awful, of RS isn’t dismissed, I can see sub 3k gates soon. I like Russ as a bloke, but I can’t stand his football. I’m a season ticket holder, I’ve missed probably 5/6 games already this season, two as I couldn’t make myself leave the house to watch the crap served up. Been away the others, I know I’d be better off paying game by game but I want to support the club financially. I don’t like Slade’s style of football, I could just about tolerate it if we scored goals, or picked up the points.

From a balance sheet point of view, as well as a football point of view, Russ must i’m afraid.

Think there are a lot of season ticket holders who are in the same boat as you. I know I am.

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

Think there are a lot of season ticket holders who are in the same boat as you. I know I am.

And we’ve already paid for our tickets! Honestly haven’t been able to even give them away when I’ve been on hols!

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

Think there are a lot of season ticket holders who are in the same boat as you. I know I am.

Same, add to that going to a home game takes up my whole day I’m finding hard to get excited about next week never mind next season