Directors statement

[Mr Frisky]

14 minutes ago, chromedome said:

And that's a good positive point you make there marra.

I arrived early for the televised London game, always do like to be one of the first in (like IanMac).

Anyway a guy approached me on the popular side asking why TV cameras were dotted about - and amazingly he was a cockney, and London fan, who'd travelled staying overnight in Carlisle without knowing it was on Premier Sport live (surely he was kidding me?) But what I really liked, from talking with him, was how much he admired Derwent Park, especially the snooker table like playing surface. He knew DP is over 60 years old and yet still looking good in his view as he had done a complete lap. His only query was the strange pinkish almost semi circles behind the sticks - speedway track remains marra was my answer.

So yes despite all this weeks sadness, with fans seemingly split 'for' and 'against' all things on the Town coach/board/players front, good old Derwent Park is still going strong eh.??????

The bowl is great sight on a sunny day walking round by the scoreboard to the popular side - will miss it when (if) its gone and we are standing in a lego stand across the road - however if that happens at least Town are still going. 

[Route66]

46 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

To be fair Barra is about 2.5 times bigger than Workington and has a much larger catchment area for fans and players.

Town do ok using the bars etc as well. Its the travelling lads that cost money to attract playets- something that Barra find easier as they are close to a larger population in Lancashire.

Town have also spent a lot of money keeping the stadium in good condition- something Barra (right or wrong) haven't done.

Barrow itself might be bigger than Workington however allerdale has over 90000 residents more than Barrow in furness we are also the closest team to Carlisle with its approximately 100000 population,an area that has been neglected by the rfl since the border raiders 

[Mr Frisky]

24 minutes ago, Route66 said:

Barrow itself might be bigger than Workington however allerdale has over 90000 residents more than Barrow in furness we are also the closest team to Carlisle with its approximately 100000 population,an area that has been neglected by the rfl since the border raiders 

Your facts are a bit out of context though. 

Workington is south allerdale so back to back with Whitehavens carchment area. Allerdale goes up as far as port Carlisle and out past Keswick ( RU land due to the amount of non Cumbrians) so to say Allerdale is Workington catchment area isn't true - maryport maybe but not much else. So that's a total of about 35,000 to 40,000 at a push.

Take your point about Carlisle- just dont understand why they don't follow RL.

[chromedome]

20 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

Take your point about Carlisle- just dont understand why they don't follow RL.

Ha, ha, you gonna answer him Route66.......

[Route66]

22 minutes ago, chromedome said:

Ha, ha, you gonna answer him Route66.......

Probably getting distracted off the main thread and had to check back to see that the merger with Barrow was as long ago as 1997,massive opportunity missed there loved the old supporters pub on London road,they also had their own amateur league and a hardcore of around 800 fans ,a couple of generations of players and supporters thrown away at a time when money was coming into the sport 

[bobg]

11 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

The bowl is great sight on a sunny day walking round by the scoreboard to the popular side - will miss it when (if) its gone and we are standing in a lego stand across the road - however if that happens at least Town are still going. 

Yeah we all love Derwent Park, not looking forward to going over the road, BP is not great for watching RL but the Soccer boys will love it.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, bobg said:

Yeah we all love Derwent Park, not looking forward to going over the road, BP is not great for watching RL but the Soccer boys will love it.

But it isn’t going to be the current BP so how do you know it isn’t great for watching rugby.

[rockerlad]

2 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

But it isn’t going to be the current BP so how do you know it isn’t great for watching rugby.

People seem to know exactly what the ground will look like without actually seeing any plans. can I have this weekends euro millions numbers please. 

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

1 hour ago, rockerlad said:

People seem to know exactly what the ground will look like without actually seeing any plans. can I have this weekends euro millions numbers please. 

I thought same, can't understand why there's so much animosity towards a stadium when nobody has even seen the plans !

[REX]

On 26/07/2022 at 09:23, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

its just a suggestion and a discussion point in these dark times, I have absolutely no idea what processes / legal requirements are, but like you I think its worth at least exploring and at least see what's involved.

Here's a link with a bit more info below

https://www.lbsa.org.uk/supporters-trust/what-is-a-supporters-trust/

Getting back to the focus of this thread. No one can doubt the time and effort put in by directors. The problem isnt the individual commitment which deserves praise. The key criticism is about the current ltd. co. set up which has repeatedly shown itself to be incapable of sustaining the club. 

Take this season alone...

Failure to have enough finance to improve the squad at the start

Failure to source sufficient money  to improve the team during

Failure , the hardest one to stomach,to raise the money to keep Town's best players for the rest of the season.

As others have said,these are the very players that would matter next season. What sums are we talking about here? I reckon about 10K at most. Even if its up to 20K,which I doubt, is it not pitiful that the Directors and shareholders can't between them get that small amount together?

All this is why I back the Supporters Trust suggestion. (For Town at first, forget any discussion of a merger for now.)

Of course it needs the backing of fans.  So what do others think about the idea and how to move it forward?

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

I

14 minutes ago, REX said:

Getting back to the focus of this thread. No one can doubt the time and effort put in by directors. The problem isnt the individual commitment which deserves praise. The key criticism is about the current ltd. co. set up which has repeatedly shown itself to be incapable of sustaining the club. 

Take this season alone...

Failure to have enough finance to improve the squad at the start

Failure to source sufficient money  to improve the team during

Failure , the hardest one to stomach,to raise the money to keep Town's best players for the rest of the season.

As others have said,these are the very players that would matter next season. What sums are we talking about here? I reckon about 10K at most. Even if its up to 20K,which I doubt, is it not pitiful that the Directors and shareholders can't between them get that small amount together?

I think you're being a bit unfair pal, out of the directors we've had at the club over the last few years, very few of them have been business owners, in more cases than not these are lads work 9-5 like the rest of us at Sellafield or wherever, and have been persuaded to join the board to keep the club running, no doubt thinking it was a cushy number where they get into games for nothing, an after-match sandwich and get to wear a club shirt ! 

The reality as they all find out is starkly different, they have to spend all their time fire fighting and dealing with mundane in their own spare time, missing out on family life whilst getting nothing but slather on forums like this.

I'm not for one minute saying they haven't made mistakes, but unfortunately that's what happens when people with no experience of running a business, let alone a volatile results based sports business on a part time basis are left in charge.

That's not a criticism, as I've said many times before the directors and all volunteers deserve all our praise for keeping the club going and its great to have the odd flirtation with promotion like we had in 2022.

But there lies the problem, as we have seen this season, player negotiations must be a bloody nightmare as most of these players think they should be in super league and are making demands far above their actual worth. I don't think these pay talks should be undertaken by the coach and one director as the coach will happily sign off any figure to get his player and a weak inexperienced negotiator might as well just hand an open cheque book and pen to the player to name their own fee.

If this club is to remain as an independent entity then things have to change, if that means in the short term that help is undertaken from an outside source to negotiate with players on our behalf then so be it.

This club does not have directors with deep pockets and if the business model is working properly, then the club should be aiming to be self sufficient and live within its means.

I do think the supporters trust should at least be investigated properly to see in the first instance if it's a viable option, but the club's shareholders and directors have to drive this 

[town4me]

8 hours ago, bobg said:

Yeah we all love Derwent Park, not looking forward to going over the road, BP is not great for watching RL but the Soccer boys will love it.

Firstly we haven't seen the plans yet.  Secondly I don't think the club has any choice.  Lots of fans will  miss DP too but the situation  is what it is.  

Edited July 27, 2022 by town4me

[ivans82]

Where we play as a Club  doesn`t really bother me , as long as we have a Team to support .Way back my Father told me of people who said "the day Town leave Borough Park to play over the road , is the day i`ll stop going " .Another bloke i know had a season ticket and forgot it once ,was asked to pay , never been back .And yet another couple of lads i knew used to go for a drink before the match , one Sunday Town kicked off at 1415 , they didn`t know this was the case , packed in going .....some people are just looking for an excuse not to go , the continued existence of the Club is all that matters ,wherever the new Stadium is .

[Derwent Parker]

3 hours ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

I thought same, can't understand why there's so much animosity towards a stadium when nobody has even seen the plans !

Try and remember back to the last time there was talk of shared stadium - The animosity coming from reds side with mess's H Dobie and Sandwith etc] going ballistic about it and not just on a forum it was in press and anywhere anyone could hear. 

But that was going to be at DP - that's why - its easy for you now when its going to be over at that #### hole

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

59 minutes ago, Derwent Parker said:

Try and remember back to the last time there was talk of shared stadium - The animosity coming from reds side with mess's H Dobie and Sandwith etc] going ballistic about it and not just on a forum it was in press and anywhere anyone could hear. 

But that was going to be at DP - that's why - its easy for you now when its going to be over at that #### hole

 let it go pal, your blood pressure must be sky high !!

I'm really not bothered where we play as long as there's still a team to support - but Borough Park is no more a hole than DP - both old ladies long passed their sell by date, so out with the old in with the new !!

I look forward to seeing the plans when they are eventually realised - at that point I'm more than happy to join in a thread on this forum to discuss, but up until they are released there's nowt to discuss!!

[rockerlad]

1 minute ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

 let it go pal, your blood pressure must be sky high !!

I'm really not bothered where we play as long as there's still a team to support - but Borough Park is no more a hole than DP - both old ladies long passed their sell by date, so out with the old in with the new !!

I look forward to seeing the plans when they are eventually realised - at that point I'm more than happy to join in a thread on this forum to discuss, but up until they are released there's nowt to discuss!!

Well said, both old holes that have been patched up by a great band of volunteers. 

[DavidM]

2 minutes ago, rockerlad said:

Well said, both old holes that have been patched up by a great band of volunteers. 

Wow , that band of volunteers has gone above and beyond 

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

32 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Wow , that band of volunteers has gone above and beyond 

Absolutely- both grounds have been patched up with paint and filler for years by volunteers and only a matter of time before they both fail their safety certificates, so what would happen to both clubs at that point?

[rockerlad]

33 minutes ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

Absolutely- both grounds have been patched up with paint and filler for years by volunteers and only a matter of time before they both fail their safety certificates, so what would happen to both clubs at that point?

probably won't exist.