Match Thread Swindon

Holy shot! Here's me thinking we got promoted last season but sounds like it didn't happen on here. Our extended season meant all LGE 2 clubs had a month head start on signing players before us. Now we're in January, it's never a great window but as long as we can improve our squad I'll be happy.
O' niell looks an upgrade on people and Simmonds, so so far so good.
We seem to have fans who just ignore the realities of signing players, are highly critical but offer no proof or alternative options.
I'd rather put my faith in a manager who's built 2 squads that have got us promoted than a bunch of miserable "supporters" who will never be happy and know sodomist all about our transfer dealings but pretend to.

Yup. Good post.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Absolute boll0x, the board of a football club are not accountable for delivering entertainment. In our case the board are accountable for the betterment of the club something that overall if you look at their time at the helm they’ve delivered on.

Well that first sentence just about sums up why you will never persuade the happy clappers we deserve better.

People who use the term ‘happy clappers’ are a bit daft if you ask me.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Absolute boll0x, the board of a football club are not accountable for delivering entertainment. In our case the board are accountable for the betterment of the club something that overall if you look at their time at the helm they’ve delivered on.

Depends on what your definition of betterment is.We can have a healthy balance sheet,but is that fulfilling the function of a football club,it's not all about the bottom line.

Quoted from friskneymariner

I have decided not to comment until today,but  all the concerns I had in August are being realised. We started the season off 3/4 light and this is the direct consequence of this. It was obvious to a 12 year old our strikers were not sufficient and those we brought in were merely stocking fillers from Aldi..
I stated when Messrs Petite and Stockwood took over I would not pass judgment until well into the season.I consider now is the time.They were welcome with an incredible amount of good will and hailed as rescuing the club.This manifested itself in a significant increase in attendances and season ticket sales.This was accompanied with an increase in the sales of merchandise.In conjunction with player sales and a decent cup run the club has generated a significant increase in income.
Let me remind the board the core function of their enterprise is to deliver entertaining  football,well you failing at delivering your core function.If you take for granted the goodwill that has been shown to you. will evaporate. Fine words in the Guardian  butter no parsnips,you need to invest in good quality players if you wish this project to succeed.

I'm sure PH would be delighted if you called him and offered him your pearls of wisdom.

Quoted from Wedidntdidwe

Holy shot! Here's me thinking we got promoted last season but sounds like it didn't happen on here. Our extended season meant all LGE 2 clubs had a month head start on signing players before us. Now we're in January, it's never a great window but as long as we can improve our squad I'll be happy.
O' niell looks an upgrade on people and Simmonds, so so far so good.
We seem to have fans who just ignore the realities of signing players, are highly critical but offer no proof or alternative options.
I'd rather put my faith in a manager who's built 2 squads that have got us promoted than a bunch of miserable "supporters" who will never be happy and know sodomist all about our transfer dealings but pretend to.

Agreed, very good post.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Depends on what your definition of betterment is.We can have a healthy balance sheet,but is that fulfilling the function of a football club,it's not all about the bottom line.

To put that another way (sorry, I've got sick in my mouth saying this) Fenty kept a healthy balance sheet pretty much though his whole tenure but failed to invest into the "business" and 1878 have admitted they hadn't appreciated just how much was needed pumping in to sort the sh!t show left behind by JSF.
So without sorting out that out first, there was every chance we'd be a backwaters club with crap training facilities, a ground falling apart at the seams and absolutely no investment opportunities.
The budget for the squad will have been set at the beginning of the season, and I doubt that will have changed regardless of the extra income we have received over and above season ticket sales.
So in this window I'm not expecting any 'marquee' signings but what I will say is that I'm expecting a much improved budget for the 2023/2024 season and real showing of intent to challenge for the play offs.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

To put that another way (sorry, I've got sick in my mouth saying this) Fenty kept a healthy balance sheet pretty much though his whole tenure but failed to invest into the "business" and 1878 have admitted they hadn't appreciated just how much was needed pumping in to sort the sh!t show left behind by JSF.
So without sorting out that out first, there was every chance we'd be a backwaters club with crap training facilities, a ground falling apart at the seams and absolutely no investment opportunities.
The budget for the squad will have been set at the beginning of the season, and I doubt that will have changed regardless of the extra income we have received over and above season ticket sales.
So in this window I'm not expecting any 'marquee' signings but what I will say is that I'm expecting a much improved budget for the 2023/2024 season and real showing of intent to challenge for the play offs.

I agree with all of that, but doesn't that point to a bigger issue, that we aren't capable of being financially stable and successful at this level? At least not with what we currently have.

Fenty invested minimal into everything and we just about broke even. That means if more was invested in other things then less would have been spent on the playing squad. And I don't think anybody on here would consider the last 20 years as a success.

So how do we stay self sufficient and have football success?

Quoted from friskneymariner

Depends on what your definition of betterment is.We can have a healthy balance sheet,but is that fulfilling the function of a football club,it's not all about the bottom line.

I agree and if you understood what JS & AP are all about you wouldn’t even default to taking about balance sheets and bottom lines, in fact in terms of 1878 you’re way off the mark. .

A board acts as an enabler for the stake holders and manager, they are not solely responsible for the entertainment on the pitch, that’s the managers job and if you think a manager tells his team to go out and entertain ahead of go out and win it just doesn’t happen that way.

Social media is also a modern day enabler as it enables people to have a pop at others, when we where relegated in the mid 70’s did you hold Paddy Hamilton, Peter Sheffield, Richard Middleton etc.. accountable for the lack of entertainment, I doubt it.

I do think to a degree 1878 will want a balance sheet with cash at the bank and positive reserves as that signals to other investors that it would be worth them partnering in and being part of it and at the very least their investment won’t go into the pockets of greedy creditors and their investment could be used for capex and infrastructure as well as boosting the transfer budget.

Also generally money sits on the balance sheet before it’s moved across  into a budget for a financial period so having a strong one will help when the manager needs more funds.