Funding at Feathsertone - self sustainable club punching above their weight

[Steven Grason]

Many people wondering how Featherstone can attract and afford such talent this season. The club has grown year on year every year since Campbell took over. Here are some points to note:

 

The Wakefield grant has to be spent on facilities and local initiatives in the community and not on players. This was part of the contract. The club already have announced details of various plans to support and invest in local sports clubs etc (not just rugby) . Same money went to Cas and Wakefield too. 

- Martin vickers has raised an additional £250k in sponsorship revenues in the last year or so.

- We have sold a record 1500 adult season tickets this season

- We own our own ground and make a lot of money out of it throughout the year

- We have a healthy and ever growing Squad builder scheme which supporters contribute to on a monthly basis

- We have our own TV channel which many supporters across the country subscribe to each month

I could go on. As Brian McDermott said today in the press conference we are run like a professional outfit and he has no doubt we have a fully self sustainable business model and that we could stay in SL if we get promoted.

[sweaty craiq]

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

[Damien]

1 minute ago, sweaty craiq said:

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

At least it is all their own ground and setup. A lot of clubs could learn from what Fev have done and the way they have built sustainably. 

[Dallas Mead]

Good luck and all that, but I personally think the game doesn’t need 3 professional teams out of 12 in the top league in 2023 coming from the district of Wakefield.  Expand or die….

[Jughead]

5 minutes ago, Dallas Mead said:

Good luck and all that, but I personally think the game doesn’t need 3 professional teams out of 12 in the top league in 2023 coming from the district of Wakefield.  Expand or die….

I can’t remember people saying this when the WA postcode had three Super League clubs (Saints, Wire, Widnes). 

[gazza77]

16 minutes ago, Dallas Mead said:

Good luck and all that, but I personally think the game doesn’t need 3 professional teams out of 12 in the top league in 2023 coming from the district of Wakefield.  Expand or die….

Even if Fev go up, no guarantee that there will be 3 out of 12 in 2023...

[Steven Grason]

31 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

I'm sure we will be looking at these things 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Nah, not for me, only got one railway station! 

[Smudger06]

35 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

The floodlights are alright except the corners, although could definately do with an upgrade. The turnstiles crank round what more do you want ? Shouldn't be an away end although the railway end has been used as such on occasion, way better to change ends at half time (the far end turnstiles on the opposite side of the pitch could be used if a requirement existed to seperate fans big time (aka football) terracing isn't dangerous cos in hundred years very few jave had serious accidents caused by it the bogs.....yeah.....but there is enough of them provided, just about. 

[gazza77]

53 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

At least Fev don't have to rearrange games around weddings.

[Josef K]

Hopefully the new state of the art CCTV will catch the undesirable’s who have put some opposition fan’s off from making the journey to POR. 

[Robin Evans]

1 minute ago, Josef K said:

Hopefully the new state of the art CCTV will catch the undesirable’s who have put some opposition fan’s off from making the journey to POR. 

A good many wakey fans turned up Sunday and enjoyed the day.... other than perhaps the result.

We'll be reight

[Fevrover]

55 minutes ago, Steven Grason said:

I'm sure we will be looking at these things 

We definitely need to.

[Bulls2487]

2 hours ago, Steven Grason said:

Many people wondering how Featherstone can attract and afford such talent this season. The club has grown year on year every year since Campbell took over. Here are some points to note:

 

The Wakefield grant has to be spent on facilities and local initiatives in the community and not on players. This was part of the contract. The club already have announced details of various plans to support and invest in local sports clubs etc (not just rugby) . Same money went to Cas and Wakefield too. 

- Martin vickers has raised an additional £250k in sponsorship revenues in the last year or so.

- We have sold a record 1500 adult season tickets this season

- We own our own ground and make a lot of money out of it throughout the year

- We have a healthy and ever growing Squad builder scheme which supporters contribute to on a monthly basis

- We have our own TV channel which many supporters across the country subscribe to each month

I could go on. As Brian McDermott said today in the press conference we are run like a professional outfit and he has no doubt we have a fully self sustainable business model and that we could stay in SL if we get promoted.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

And thankfully it isn’t the towns premier wedding venue,meaning they can actually play home games on the correct date.

[sweaty craiq]

1 hour ago, gazza77 said:

At least Fev don't have to rearrange games around weddings.

Have you seen the Fev birds - marriage without a shotgun, doubt it

[sweaty craiq]

7 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

And thankfully it isn’t the towns premier wedding venue,meaning they can actually play home games on the correct date.

See above

[sweaty craiq]

1 hour ago, Smudger06 said:

The floodlights are alright except the corners, although could definately do with an upgrade. The turnstiles crank round what more do you want ? Shouldn't be an away end although the railway end has been used as such on occasion, way better to change ends at half time (the far end turnstiles on the opposite side of the pitch could be used if a requirement existed to seperate fans big time (aka football) terracing isn't dangerous cos in hundred years very few jave had serious accidents caused by it the bogs.....yeah.....but there is enough of them provided, just about. 

Translated - the floodlights aren't fit for purpose, the away end is 90m away from the turnstyles, changing ends in the dark is advocated, no crash barriers is the new H&S at sports grounds new mandate.

 

ps I hope the bells dont spoil a great season for the many great fans at Fev

[gazza77]

9 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Have you seen the Fev birds - marriage without a shotgun, doubt it

I assume any lass who is prepared to gobble lobby would be acceptable for a Leyther bloke.

[Whippet13]

The title of this thread sums up the key problem Featherstone face, they really are punching above their weight with a 15k core population. The club is clearly brilliantly run but as those who went before them have demonstrated will need an exponential increase in player expenditure to survive in SL and I don't see how that potential exists.

I suspect Leigh will win the championship in any case.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

2 hours ago, Dallas Mead said:

Good luck and all that, but I personally think the game doesn’t need 3 professional teams out of 12 in the top league in 2023 coming from the district of Wakefield.  Expand or die….

It could be 3 out of 10 English Super League clubs all in the Wakefield area, if say Salford are relegated and Featherstone promoted. 

[gazza77]

5 minutes ago, Whippet13 said:

The club is clearly brilliantly run but as those who went before them have demonstrated will need an exponential increase in player expenditure to survive in SL and I don't see how that potential exists.

 

If as alleged Fev are currently spending over £1m on player wages with only £180k central funding, spending to cap on SL funding shouldn't be an issue. The problems faced would be recruiting the necessary quality and expanding the backroom functions (physio, etc) to a higher level. 

[Impartial Observer]

Doesn't Martin Vickers have a history of boom and bust?

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

4 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Your floodlights are poop, your car parking is awful, Your turnstyles are dated and dont cover the away stand, and your terracing is dangerous with no crash barriers, and thats before the bogs. Much better than 10 years ago though

I'll be watching my side in a brand new state of the art stadium with all mod cons and floodlights brighter than the sun

I'd swap it all in a heartbeat for us to be even half the club Fev are

[Dallas Mead]

4 hours ago, Jughead said:

I can’t remember people saying this when the WA postcode had three Super League clubs (Saints, Wire, Widnes). 

I did.  #GrowTheGame