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General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: Brian Flynn on February 26, 2017, 06:30:19 PM
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For those people who are unable to attend tonight's meeting, it is planned that you will be able to keep up to date via facebook live & twitter.
Details of how to access facebook live will be posted shortly.
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???? Waiting???? ;D
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You can view the meeting at https://www.facebook.com/altrinchamfc
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many there ?
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100 plus and 70 odd watching on facebook live
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Can't believe how bad that was - total farce
How impartial was that Watmore, taking the mic of anyone who had anything critical to say
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Not happy.
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Watched it all. Firstly, thanks to those recording it.
Absolutely shambolic, the presenters - poor. The chairman - weak, unrehearsed, the outcome! Nothing we hadn't heard before.
Have to say the staging was embarrassing too. Chairman speaks, open up to the floor, first person to speak is Heathcote. Followed by there's your next board member - Sorry f**k off. Let's breed more nepotism.
Graham spoke about the quality of Sam - his son first! Really!! . He kicks it up in the air everytime he has the ball. Also he criticised Reeves, who is probably our highest earner and can't get a game - now we know why!
There's a 5 year plan - not detailed or explained.
Ian Watmore totally protected the board throughout. At no point tonight were they under pressure, apart from two questions (same person) which they skirted around.
Paul Diane - sh*thouse, other board members not interested in talking. Thought Bill Watering spoke passionately.
Unless the whole board resign (excluded Bill) with whatever consequences that brings, we will be as frustrated in future years as we are today.
Shambles...
Expect sponsors, investors to desert the club like the proverbia sinking ship. Long live the sports hall....
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It's not good enough for Altrincham football club
I don't see anyway forward for the club under the current regime - the club died a little more tonight
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Watched it all. Firstly, thanks to those recording it.
Absolutely shambolic, the presenters - poor. The chairman - weak, unrehearsed, the outcome! Nothing we hadn't heard before.
Have to say the staging was embarrassing too. Chairman speaks, open up to the floor, first person to speak is Heathcote. Followed by there's your next board member - Sorry f**k off. Let's breed more nepotism.
Graham spoke about the quality of Sam - his son first! Really!! . He kicks it up in the air everytime he has the ball. Also he criticised Reeves, who is probably our highest earner and can't get a game - now we know why!
There's a 5 year plan - not detailed or explained.
Ian Watmore totally protected the board throughout. At no point tonight were they under pressure, apart from two questions (same person) which they skirted around.
Paul Diane - sh*thouse, other board members not interested in talking. Thought Bill Watering spoke passionately.
Unless the whole board resign (excluded Bill) with whatever consequences that brings, we will be as frustrated in future years as we are today.
Shambles...
Expect sponsors, investors to desert the club like the proverbia sinking ship. Long live the sports hall....
Graham mentioned his son as one of 3 promising young players coming through at the club. He also said that Reeves has had a poor season which is completely true but that he is still part of a core nucleus of players in the squad.
The board also specifically said a number of times that there would be future sessions for the explanation of the 5 year plan and that it would be made available to download after tonight.
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OK Golfroader. But, he mentioned his son first. He shouldn't be getting near the first team.
Reeves singled out as not contributing - difficult from the bench.
5 year review... we've had lots of time to map this out. If we wait til next year, it will be a 4 year review.. or we could just defer it and stay in this bubble for another year. Why not.. we're doomed anyway
Stop defending all that is sh*t about the club, wake up to reality. If you believer "we're OK" or, "we'll be OK" then you're delusional, or, not receptive to us changing. This club needs a massive shake up. Get on board, support,not just be one of the 'everything is alright ' crowd..
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Fair play to Nicky Watmore and Pete Foster. With respect, tonight wasn't about them.
Cutting short the question about the NLP article was wrong. It rankles with a lot of fans and it deserved to be fully aired.
Rowley is not, in my opinion, a good communicator and that showed tonight. The two other directors who did presentations were far more accomplished, Bill Waterson in particular. What we needed was inspiration, a clenched fist and new energy but there was precious little of it at times.
On the plus side, there is the acceptance from the board of change needed and I was impressed with Bill Waterson and Mike Adams. The CSH information was interesting.
A minor step in the right direction but a long, long way to go.
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Can't believe how bad that was - total farce
How impartial was that Watmore, taking the mic of anyone who had anything critical to say
Why is anyone surprised? It is Rowley FC now,not Altrincham FC. The club we all know and love has died.
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Clear disconnect I felt between the general tone from the board of 'Sorry, we've cocked it up but we'll get it right again' and as one of the many watching the live stream on Facebook the general anger and cynicism online. The bottom line is the current Chairman and board have presided over our (impending) relegation to our lowest ever level in our 113 year history. I don't think they fully appreciate just how many of our core supporters feel about the rank incompetence on display. The overly aggressive attempts to shut down critical questions also played very badly too.
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Clear disconnect I felt between the general tone from the board of 'Sorry, we've cocked it up but we'll get it right again' and as one of the many watching the live stream on Facebook the general anger and cynicism online. The bottom line is the current Chairman and board have presided over our (impending) relegation to our lowest ever level in our 113 year history. I don't think they fully appreciate just how many of our core supporters feel about the rank incompetence on display. The overly aggressive attempts to shut down critical questions also played very badly too.
It wasn't any nicer being there. The whole thing stunk of happy clapping and narcissistic back-patting.
There was a semblance of an apology from Mr Rowley, but I thought it was weak and not at all genuine.
Also, during the introduction by Pete Foster, when the ground was mentioned two board members were sat there joking with each other. That in itself seemed like a big two fingers to the loyal fans.
The two new board members spoke eloquently and with confidence. Welcome aboard gents.
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GR called for unity - can he not see that the single biggest obstacle to that is his continued presence as chairman? Rightly or wrongly, huge swathes of our supporters hold him personally responsible for the catastrophe of the last 12 months and have lost all confidence in and respect for him.
If he really wants everyone to come together, he should resign as chairman.
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I understand Mr. Rowley accepted that the appointment of Neil Young was a mistake. Well, there are mistakes that have little impact and there are mistakes that impact hugely. In the context of Alty FC this mistake has cost us a relegation, lord knows how much in paying out contracts, made us look stupid in the media, split the fans from the board and torn a massive hole in the playing budget. That is why its time for you to resign Mr. Rowley. Please.
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I notice there could be plans for an artificial pitch in 19/20
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I understand Mr. Rowley accepted that the appointment of Neil Young was a mistake. Well, there are mistakes that have little impact and there are mistakes that impact hugely. In the context of Alty FC this mistake has cost us a relegation, lord knows how much in paying out contracts, made us look stupid in the media, split the fans from the board and torn a massive hole in the playing budget. That is why its time for you to resign Mr. Rowley. Please.
He did say that was a mistake (and Young is a convenient scapegoat, no longer being present at the club, not that he said that), and also gave a more forceful and plausible defence for the NLP journalist taking his words out of context - he was being questioned in the car while being "pissed off". I am prepared to accept that in the absence of any new evidence to the contrary.
However, he didn't speak as well as Bill Waterson or Mike Adams, who both spoke eloquently and with good humour, as did Ian Watmore who moderated the meeting.
There is also an awful lot in the strategic review document to go through - much more than was mentioned at the meeting, such as an artificial pitch - so, on balance, I wouldn't call for his resignation now, but hope Mr Rowley and the board can steer this through, for the sake of stability, without necessarily taking on all its suggestions.
I have come to that conclusion in the course of writing this post, although the fan base's reaction may make his position untenable.
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I understand Mr. Rowley accepted that the appointment of Neil Young was a mistake. Well, there are mistakes that have little impact and there are mistakes that impact hugely. In the context of Alty FC this mistake has cost us a relegation, lord knows how much in paying out contracts, made us look stupid in the media, split the fans from the board and torn a massive hole in the playing budget. That is why its time for you to resign Mr. Rowley. Please.
The boards incompetence started with the appointment of Neil Tolson because he's a nice man and a friend.
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I notice there could be plans for an artificial pitch in 19/20
Please no. Peter Band said on the radio the other week that there were loads of players that wouldn't sign for clubs playing on Astro turf. He also said that it did his knees no favours when he finished off his playing career on them. I would say this would be a distasterous move.
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I notice there could be plans for an artificial pitch in 19/20
No. Absolute red line for me. Just no.
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Well that was in the main a complete and utter waste of time.
It was stage managed by Ian Whatmore to protect the Board from any real comments and so we'd not get chance to really express anything of great substance. The one guy who was ommenting at the side talked a lot of sense and did so eloquently but Whatmore sought to cut him off and virtually lunged at him to grab the microphone. I thought his next step might be to punch him. Not what you expect from what is supposed to be a full and frank discussion. Don't they know by stifling people's comments like this, the hurt and anger won't go away, in fact it will get worse.
The Board, bar the two new members who spoke well, looked jaded, old and totally lacking in any spark of enthusiasm for the club. We so need new, more diverse and more enthusiastic blood running this club and not a group of old men who looked more like they were looking after their own self interests than those of the club.
I didn't hear much other than same old, same old and it's just not good enough. If they seriously think that effort will reconnect them with fans they are living in a dream world.
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Add Jonathon Wall to Bill Waterson, Mike and a footballing person and we might make a fight of it.
Points worth noting:
Why did it take 3 years for us to get exact CSH building figures?
What is the plan for Longhey pitches? Would we buy them? Would we building our own training ground?
Why have two board members just been appointed with two leaving And no statement? Was there a falling out?
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I notice there could be plans for an artificial pitch in 19/20
I've said this is the agenda all along. A plastic pitch that can be hired out every day/night with the team ambling along at Unibond level like a nice little family club.
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Let me clarify the situation with the plastic pitch - one of the recommendations of the review was that in year one we CONSIDER whether we should lay a plastic pitch at Moss Lane. The immediate reaction of the board was a unanimous rejection of the option of replacing the grass pitch with a plastic one. The pitch at Moss Lane will therefore remain as grass.
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So much negativity, it's depressing. Has anyone anything positive to say about the future of Altrincham Football Club?
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The meeting was supposed to bring optimism and hope. It didn't.
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Let me clarify the situation with the plastic pitch - one of the recommendations of the review was that in year one we CONSIDER whether we should lay a plastic pitch at Moss Lane. The immediate reaction of the board was a unanimous rejection of the option of replacing the grass pitch with a plastic one. The pitch at Moss Lane will therefore remain as grass.
Thanks for clearing that up
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I understand Mr. Rowley accepted that the appointment of Neil Young was a mistake.
It's a pity he couldn't have admitted this at the start of the season or when Young resigned rather than come out with this rubbish in the programme...
I would like to put on record my personal thanks to Neil Young for the way he dealt with the situation. I do not regret employing Neil-he was the best candidate available when we advertised the job and he worked tremendously hard to make things work. Unfortunately, things transpired against him with injuries and players not performing to expectations and thus, with dignity, he resigned his post. If, as I was informed that comments on Social Media, to him and his family, were a contributory factor then I think the people involved should hold their heads in shame. The loss of Neil Young(and Liam Watson) is a loss to the game especially when they state that this is the end of their managerial careers. I have not known a harder working "team" for this football club.
The expression "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me"-may be a nursery rhyme and people will say they agree with it but when the words get personal and are directed at family members as well as the person involved they "DO" hurt. Myself and my family have also come in for the social media treatment in recent days and although I've always said I've got broad shoulders and you've got to take the stick when things go wrong if you're prepared to take the plaudits when things are good, it still does hurt especially when you put a much time, money and energy into this football club as my family do. There's only so much that people can stand before action is taken.
Let's hope that the "supporters" of our Football Club can now regroup and get behind whoever is the given the opportunity to move the club forward. The appointment won't please everyone-I can guarantee that-but once the applications have been appraised and interviews carried out the Board will appoint the person who they believe will bring success back to the club. With your support that job will be made easier.
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I notice there could be plans for an artificial pitch in 19/20
We do not want a plastic pitch
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Let me clarify the situation with the plastic pitch - one of the recommendations of the review was that in year one we CONSIDER whether we should lay a plastic pitch at Moss Lane. The immediate reaction of the board was a unanimous rejection of the option of replacing the grass pitch with a plastic one. The pitch at Moss Lane will therefore remain as grass.
Excellent. I like grass...
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Let me clarify the situation with the plastic pitch - one of the recommendations of the review was that in year one we CONSIDER whether we should lay a plastic pitch at Moss Lane. The immediate reaction of the board was a unanimous rejection of the option of replacing the grass pitch with a plastic one. The pitch at Moss Lane will therefore remain as grass.
Excellent. I like grass...
A short sighted view imo......the two most notable 3g pitch innovators are not ambling unibond level...........they're not bemoaning loss of income and enjoyment every winter either....and they're watching a better standard of football than we manage on grass each week...
Our fundamental problem of being owned by a cluster of apathetic major shareholders was not really addressed from what I can see?
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I won't be setting foot back in Moss Lane until the chairman resigns.
As chairman, he is responsible for the debacle that was 2016, and his position has been completely untenable for some time. He can't just apologise for taking his eye of the ball when Neil Young was appointed, and he can't just apologise for doing that interview. It's been error, after error, and for that he should do the honourable thing and step aside.
He is dividing the support, and I am not the only one staying away. I am one of many people who does not believe he is the man to take the club forward, and I do not trust him to make the right decisions. Whilst I acknowledge lots of the good work he has done over his 16 years on the board, that time should now be brought to an end.
I don't think it is going to be possible to heel the rift that has been created with a large portion of our hardcore support.
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I won't be setting foot back in Moss Lane until the chairman resigns.
As chairman, he is responsible for the debacle that was 2016, and his position has been completely untenable for some time. He can't just apologise for taking his eye of the ball when Neil Young was appointed, and he can't just apologise for doing that interview. It's been error, after error, and for that he should do the honourable thing and step aside.
He is dividing the support, and I am not the only one staying away. I am one of many people who does not believe he is the man to take the club forward, and I do not trust him to make the right decisions. Whilst I acknowledge lots of the good work he has done over his 16 years on the board, that time should now be brought to an end.
I don't think it is going to be possible to heel the rift that has been created with a large portion of our hardcore support.
I completely agree. I will also not be returning to Moss Lane and will no longer support any of the club's money-raising schemes.
Even if GR thinks the criticism of him is unfounded, the fact is that this is how many, many supporters are feeling and nothing that was said last night is going to change that. I do wonder if GR knows how many fans intend to stay away from the club if he stays on? Perhaps we need to organise a petition or something of that sort in advance of the board meeting in March? Surely if he and the rest of the board realised that 2/300 regular fans intend to boycott the club, he'll have no choice but to stand aside?
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Just a point of order, Grahame Rowley has not been on the board for 16 years....he only joined along with Geoff Goodwin and Andrew Shaw a few years ago....
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Just a point of order, Grahame Rowley has not been on the board for 16 years....he only joined along with Geoff Goodwin and Andrew Shaw a few years ago....
I actually think you're right there, but I'm sure he claimed last night that he had been on the board for 16 years, or did I hear that wrong ?.
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I understand Mr. Rowley accepted that the appointment of Neil Young was a mistake.
It's a pity he couldn't have admitted this at the start of the season or when Young resigned rather than come out with this rubbish in the programme...
I would like to put on record my personal thanks to Neil Young for the way he dealt with the situation. I do not regret employing Neil-he was the best candidate available when we advertised the job and he worked tremendously hard to make things work. Unfortunately, things transpired against him with injuries and players not performing to expectations and thus, with dignity, he resigned his post. If, as I was informed that comments on Social Media, to him and his family, were a contributory factor then I think the people involved should hold their heads in shame. The loss of Neil Young(and Liam Watson) is a loss to the game especially when they state that this is the end of their managerial careers. I have not known a harder working "team" for this football club.
The expression "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me"-may be a nursery rhyme and people will say they agree with it but when the words get personal and are directed at family members as well as the person involved they "DO" hurt. Myself and my family have also come in for the social media treatment in recent days and although I've always said I've got broad shoulders and you've got to take the stick when things go wrong if you're prepared to take the plaudits when things are good, it still does hurt especially when you put a much time, money and energy into this football club as my family do. There's only so much that people can stand before action is taken.
Let's hope that the "supporters" of our Football Club can now regroup and get behind whoever is the given the opportunity to move the club forward. The appointment won't please everyone-I can guarantee that-but once the applications have been appraised and interviews carried out the Board will appoint the person who they believe will bring success back to the club. With your support that job will be made easier.
'Supporters' of the football club is an entirely different thing to supporters of Grahame Rowley or whoever else is in charge, be it John Maunders, Gerry Berman or messrs Tracey, Goodwin or whoever. GR's continued failure to understand this is astounding but also understable given who surrounds him. It is extremely frustrating to genuinely concerned supporters.
I also notice that the latter half of that about applications and interviews never transpired either.
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Just a point of order, Grahame Rowley has not been on the board for 16 years....he only joined along with Geoff Goodwin and Andrew Shaw a few years ago....
I actually think you're right there, but I'm sure he claimed last night that he had been on the board for 16 years, or did I hear that wrong ?.
http://www.altrinchamfc.co.uk/clubofficials.htm (http://www.altrinchamfc.co.uk/clubofficials.htm)
According to this, he joined the board in 2002.
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Three absolutely critical and basic "categories" missing from the Plan:
Ownership
Leadership
Vision
It basically looks like a plan to carry on doing the same things, but to do them better, without touching on the strategic fundamentals. Simply "achieving its potential within the Football Pyramid" is not an engaging, or even meaningful, vision at all.
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Grahame was a Director of Altrincham before under Mark Harris who was the Chairman (from 2001 until 2002). Alty's history is never black and white although it was once White and Swales!
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kin ell don't time fly...... :o
anyway the past doesn't equal the future...... ;D
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Not sure if 300 would boycott ?maybe a hundred or so
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Not sure if 300 would boycott ?maybe a hundred or so
Or maybe only 50? It would be good to find out.
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No boycott from myself, we need to unite behind the team and our club in my opinion.
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GR called for unity - can he not see that the single biggest obstacle to that is his continued presence as chairman? Rightly or wrongly, huge swathes of our supporters hold him personally responsible for the catastrophe of the last 12 months and have lost all confidence in and respect for him.
If he really wants everyone to come together, he should resign as chairman.
Having attended last evening's presentation, it seems evident to me that notwithstanding presiding over the football club's catastrophic nosedive over the last 12 months and alienating supporters in the process, the chairman has no plans whatsoever to stand down.
In fact, I don't envisage that he would resign even if, God forbid, we were to finish bottom of the Evo-Stik Premier League next season.
Whilst I'm not advocating that he should leave the board entirely, it's blindingly obvious that the football club is in urgent need of a new figurehead to reinvigorate those disillusioned supporters and cultivate a new sense of solidarity.
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GR called for unity - can he not see that the single biggest obstacle to that is his continued presence as chairman? Rightly or wrongly, huge swathes of our supporters hold him personally responsible for the catastrophe of the last 12 months and have lost all confidence in and respect for him.
If he really wants everyone to come together, he should resign as chairman.
Having attended last evening's presentation, it seems evident to me that notwithstanding presiding over the football club's catastrophic nosedive over the last 12 months and alienating supporters in the process, the chairman has no plans whatsoever to stand down.
In fact, I don't envisage that he would resign even if, God forbid, we were to finish bottom of the Evo-Stik Premier League next season.
Whilst I'm not advocating that he should leave the board entirely, it's blindingly obvious that the football club is in urgent need of a new figurehead to reinvigorate those disillusioned supporters and cultivate a new sense of solidarity.
A very sensible and well thought out post, and probably the best course of action for all parties.
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No boycott from myself, we need to unite behind the team and our club in my opinion.
I certainly won't be boycotting this season - but I will be keeping a very close eye on announcements re admission prices for next season (which are apparently up for discussion at the March board meeting). The prices charged this year have been ludicrously high for the standard of the competition - we must be about the only club who've charged more per match to season ticket holders after relegation than before (prices didn't change but there are two less home games his season, hence net increase in price from £10.44 per game for a standing s/t holder in 15-16 to £11.43 this season). If the price of admission is in excess of £10 per game - certainly to season ticket holders, for whom it should be well under that figure - those responsible for setting such charges can in all probability whistle for my support. That wouldn't be a boycott - I'd find more economically viable ways of spending my Saturday afternoons (e.g. Hurst Cross, Ashton - same league, realistic prices, easier for me to get to). It pains me to say that after nearly 50 years spectating at Moss Lane - but be it on the heads of those who set the prices.
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Roytonmike, how much does it cost at the grounds you mentioned in order to set expectations?
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Roytonmike, how much does it cost at the grounds you mentioned in order to set expectations?
It's £10 in at Hurst Cross, which is about the high end of Evo Stik pricing. A lot of the other clubs in that league charge about £8, but have much worse facilities than we do. I'm hoping we price at around £10 and if possible allow drinking on the terraces.
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Roytonmike, how much does it cost at the grounds you mentioned in order to set expectations?
It's £10 in at Hurst Cross, which is about the high end of Evo Stik pricing. A lot of the other clubs in that league charge about £8, but have much worse facilities than we do. I'm hoping we price at around £10 and if possible allow drinking on the terraces.
I'd allow drinking on the pitch for our players if it would ensure that we escape from that godforsaken league at the first time of asking.
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Roytonmike, how much does it cost at the grounds you mentioned in order to set expectations?
It's £10 in at Hurst Cross, which is about the high end of Evo Stik pricing. A lot of the other clubs in that league charge about £8, but have much worse facilities than we do. I'm hoping we price at around £10 and if possible allow drinking on the terraces.
Whether it's allowed or not, it seems like they've been taking some sort of intoxicating substance on the pitch this season.
I'd allow drinking on the pitch for our players if it would ensure that we escape from that godforsaken league at the first time of asking.
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So as a proposal, £200 for a Standing Season ticket and £235 for a Seat ticket would be acceptable... plus of course drinking outside :)
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So as a proposal, £200 for a Standing Season ticket and £235 for a Seat ticket would be acceptable... plus of course drinking outside :)
No.
Because you would have to charge over a tenner for people who don't have season tickets, and that would be an abomination.
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Roytonmike, how much does it cost at the grounds you mentioned in order to set expectations?
According to the websites I was able to access (all the current EvoStik Prem clubs except Buxton, Mickleover & Skem, though info for Grantham, Marine, Sutton Coldfield & Workington related to 15/16, so a total of 17 refer to 16/17, which seems to me a reasonable sample!) only Corby (£12), Hednesford (£11 standing, £12 seated) & Workington (£11) charge adults more than £10 to stand - Rushall charge £9. Only Blyth, Hednesford & Stafford charge extra to sit down. Season tickets are offered in a number of cases at a considerable discount. Ashton United's charges are £10 for adults (any part of the ground), £6 concessions. Season tickets respectively £150 & £95; they are unusual in that they don't appear to have a lower rate for under-16s. Hope that info helps. As a further point of comparison, the most expensive season ticket appears to be at Stafford (£200 standing (matchday £10), £240 seated (matchday £12), concessions £180 seated, £140 standing (matchday £9/£7)).
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
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A tenner in and drinking out of plastics on the ground has to be the way forward.
I'm sure they'll be all sorts of Trafford Council licenising things to get round but no ones going to want to watch 90 minutes of glue League without a beer. Having said that I can see a lot of long term fans only bothering with away games next season unless the Chairman reconsiders his position.
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If we are going to have a side that is better than the rest of the glue league we've got to be able to fund one and make sure it's capable of sitting mid-table at least the season after.
Allowing beer sales during the game is an interesting compromise that would at least claw back some of the lost gate receipts.
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So much negativity, it's depressing. Has anyone anything positive to say about the future of Altrincham Football Club?
That could be because there's precious little to be positive about at the moment.
Having a meeting about the strategic review which I presume also had the intention of clearing the air between supporters and the board seemed like a good idea. Didn't work out that way though did it?
You can hardly have a clear the air style meeting, build bridges, etc and then set ground rules for what can and can't be discussed. The minute anyone dared to ask a question that might have been deemed too 'close to the bone' they were shut down. From the outside looking in it appeared as a circling of the wagons around GR, only serving to reinforce the feeling of 'us and them'. You can hardly say we are all in this together and have to push in the same direction and then stage manage a meeting like that.
PR???? What's that?
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
I'd guess you speculate wrong. The majority of over 60s I know that watch the club certainly aren't wealthy!
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
I'd guess you speculate wrong. The majority of over 60s I know that watch the club certainly aren't wealthy!
agreed, most of the wealthy footy fans in the area watch mcfc and mufc
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
1. The club policy is that concessions apply over the age of 65, not 60.
2. Speaking as one who is in the twilight zone between 60-65 & on a fixed income, though I live 15 miles from Alty & may therefore not be typical, £240 for a season ticket is a bit of a struggle & has meant me not being a Patron this year, for example.
3. It's better to have bodies in the ground at a lower price than have them absent themselves because of over-pricing.
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I watched it online and I can only echo the previous points - 3 managers, 50-odd players, 2 wins all season... it's pretty obvious where the problems are and it never got as much as a mention. Yes the club is debt free and has some solid foundations, but two most important things are the supporters and what happens on the pitch. No-one ever started following a club because of the quality of a sports hall nor how the 2nd U-15s are doing. I was inspired by the 86 trophy as a kid, what do new followers have now? It's not being a snob but everyone club needs something to inspire and aspire to. The CSH was a good idea but the eye has been taken off the ball in the meantime and we've gone from plucky Conf national to Northern Prem in that space of time.
It's far too easy to do "something else" now, especially in Manchester with the like of Salford and FC Utd not to mention the whole money-driven premier league. Our rep as a traditionally strong non-league club is fast fading and things like the CSH could very much be a white elephant.
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No doubt the board did have a preconceived plan as to how to manage the meeting but the opportunity was there to make the situation uncomfortable if the dissenters were passionate enough to turn up in numbers and press their case.
Instead there was two guys who asked questions about the comments Graham Rowley made and some sniping and at times odious comments being placed on facebook but that was the limit of it.
I'm looking forward to next season. It will be great to walk to the pub to celebrate for a change.
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I'm looking forward to next season. It will be great to walk to the pub to celebrate for a change.
The trouble is, a lot of people were thinking along the same lines when we were relegated last year....
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
I'm 70 this year and I can't afford to retire. If I had to start paying £10+ per game I'd have to offset it somehow. 20 games at £6 per match or 10 at £10 per match ? The maths is simple. Such a reduction wouldn't benefit the club.
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No doubt the board did have a preconceived plan as to how to manage the meeting but the opportunity was there to make the situation uncomfortable if the dissenters were passionate enough to turn up in numbers and press their case.
Instead there was two guys who asked questions about the comments Graham Rowley made and some sniping and at times odious comments being placed on facebook but that was the limit of it.
I'm looking forward to next season. It will be great to walk to the pub to celebrate for a change.
They won't listen, skin thicker than a rhino.
If you think I'm going to travel all that way to hear the same sh1t then you've got another thing comin.
UNTENABLE
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No doubt the board did have a preconceived plan as to how to manage the meeting but the opportunity was there to make the situation uncomfortable if the dissenters were passionate enough to turn up in numbers and press their case.
Instead there was two guys who asked questions about the comments Graham Rowley made and some sniping and at times odious comments being placed on facebook but that was the limit of it.
I'm looking forward to next season. It will be great to walk to the pub to celebrate for a change.
I think many supporters didn't buy into this review process. They saw it for what it was. Very much a process for the Rowley clan to backslap with family friends, how right they were.
Ian Watmore was an absolute disgrace, he has only deepend divisions in this once great club
You had your say, off goes the mic. Sickening
The club could unite, but only under another figurehead. Bill big ask but your club needs you, act now with the support you have or forever be tainted by the Rowley clique
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I have to say that I was surprised by Ian Watmore. Didn't like the way he cut off the point being made by a fan at all. The Community stuff is obviously going well and the finances are in order which is good, but (as has been mentioned earlier in this thread) we desperately need a new Chairman that will unite a fractious fan base and inject some much needed optimism into the football side. Mr Rowley simply doesn't have the personality or charisma to do this. His mood presenting yesterday was downbeat, he looked hurt. For the good of the club, GR needs to step aside (stay on the board if he wants) and allow somebody else to lead the club forward. Unfortunately all I see happening is Graham Heathcote appointed in some sort of Director of Football role and the mood to remain pretty awful at the club.
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Bill mentioned attracting investment, increasing revenue in other areas and increased sponsorship to be able to offer lower prices on the gate.
Bill, is there a plan on how to do this this?
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
1. The club policy is that concessions apply over the age of 65, not 60.
I'm afraid sexual discrimination applies :-
"The concessionary ages are currently, for females 60 and over, for males 65 and over."
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Sorry GHM, trying to get some reality in terms of what people are willing to pay. There are 23 league games I understand hence my calculations.
Being realistic, £10 on the gate seems sensible if not only for a seat and £9 standing, hence my pricing! Sub £200 season tickets might also be viable, over to the members of the board, any views Gents?
I'd like to see less of a differential, if at all, for OAP concession - we keep looking for rich benefactors to bankroll the club but I'd speculate our over 60's in this area are reasonably wealthy and I see little logic in them having a high discount, even as it stands now they get a 35% discount to watch the same game.
1. The club policy is that concessions apply over the age of 65, not 60.
I'm afraid sexual discrimination applies :-
"The concessionary ages are currently, for females 60 and over, for males 65 and over
Is this legal? If not what's the betting it becomes 65 for all.
Come on Dinosaurs, join the 21st century ffs
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It is quite confusing. Under the Equality Act 2010, you are allowed to offer concessions on the grounds of age (either young or old), but you can't discriminate on the basis of sex, as I understand it.
You are probably right and it will end up being 65 for all, sooner or later, if not older as the pension age advances.
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I'm afraid sexual discrimination applies :-
"The concessionary ages are currently, for females 60 and over, for males 65 and over."
[/quote] I do hope you're making this up. If you're not then this is utterly unacceptable.
Genital shape cannot dictate ticket prices.
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This point was clearly made at the Club's AGM 2 years ago. There should be equality in case of potential legal issue.
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As a point of information, none of the other club websites I consulted in researching EvoStik prices made any reference to gender in relation to concessionary prices. Barwell, Corby & Rushall specified age 60; Frickley, Ilkeston, Stafford, Stourbridge & Sutton Coldfield specified 65; the rest did not specify an age, which usually means that 65 is the qualifying point. (All info collected 7.2.17 via websites)
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I have followed Altrincham FC for sixty years but regrettably for the last forty, I have lived 200 miles away and thus my support has been from afar. Does this make me a ‘real’ supporter…..probably not ….but am I committed to the club doing well…..absolutely! This is the motivation behind this missive which is intended to be constructive, although it may be perceived, in all quarters as critical and thus I have my tin hat ready. I just hope the forum does allow free speech, as it says it does.
From afar there appears to be three elements to the situation. Firstly, the Board, as represented by Graham Rowley; secondly a vociferous group of say 100-200 supporters as depicted on this website and thirdly the silent majority of supporters, let’s say 500-600 who attend matches and a lot more that do not.
Let us examine these groups. The Board has been divided and has certainly made mistakes in their managerial appointments but has also had some good successes. The club still exists and is on a good financial footing and one has to be perverse to criticise the Community Hall project, when one sees the financial figures. These people are voluntary and spend considerable time and effort on behalf of the Club and although they are far from ideal it is counter- productive for them to be the butt of a barrage of criticism, often from those that do very little for the club in comparison.
The vociferous 100-200 regard themselves as true supporters and some of them will be but equally some may not. They pay their entry fee and they have the right to have their say but it was quite revealing that the discussion on the Strategic Review on this website, soon deteriorated into a commentary on keeping entry fees to a minimum, so that there would be more beer money. Is this the sentiment of a ‘real supporter’? Equally what voluntary effort do many of these ‘supporters’ put into the club apart from their entry fees and their vociferous comments. Those that do are exempt from my comments but I suspect that a lot of those who are most vociferous do little or nothing on a voluntary basis but nevertheless carp on at those that do spend their own time and efforts on behalf of the club. Are you one of those and do you regard yourself as a ‘real‘ supporter?
However they and every other form of supporter, including the ‘silent’ majority’, do have genuine grievances at the way the football side of the club has been allowed to slip, to a totally unacceptable level. So what should be done?
1) The Board should immediately stop trying to appease the ‘vociferous’ 100-200 supporters, as it is an impossible task at this club, as it is at every club in the land. There is no problem in supporters expressing their views and equally if they threaten not to support the club in the future, then so be it, it is their decision. The club will not succeed or fail due to this group and efforts to appease them are a waste of time and effort and could lead to wrong decisions being made. A typical WRONG decision to achieve ‘ apparent’ appeasement would be to appoint Graham Heathcote to the Board. He is not a Board member and is best suited to help the club in his present role and that was an astute piece of management by Matt Doughty. The Board has to have the courage to do what is right for the Club as a whole and for the vast majority of the supporters, (the silent majority ) and not do tactical first aid in the mistaken view that it would appease the vociferous minority. So my message to the Board is to have the courage of your convictions rather than be swayed by who shouts loudest.
2) The Board should critically look at itself and admit it does need to make some changes, purely because things are not working as they should. Firstly, are there any viable candidates, apart from Graham Rowley, for the Chairman role? If there are not or if Graham refuses to take a lesser role, then this ceases to be something that can be immediately addressed. If there is a viable candidate then in the best interests of the club, Graham should show his ’class’ by stepping down to be vice chairman as he is clearly been ‘flawed’ with the on field performances of the last two seasons. However the club cannot afford to lose his commitment or his knowledge and this would be a worse outcome than him staying as Chairman. He has done more for the Club than anyone else I can imagine and his reward has been to be sniped at rather than applauded. However, if at all possible a new ‘era’ is needed to galvanise the club, so that the past can be secondary to the future. Come on Graham stay and be counted but be prepared to move over if there is a better solution.
3) The Board has to make the first team the major priority and promotion next year is a necessity. We need a management team that is ‘Altrincham’ just as the John King and the Graham Heathcote appointments were at the time. Deciding if the present triumvirate have the abilities to galvanise the dressing room and succeed, is the first task. If they have not, are there any others that have ‘Alty’ in their blood stream with better qualifications? As to the playing budget, the Board need to take a measurable risk in ensuring any management team have the resources and if need be they need to appeal to the silent majority for funding, by being transparent about the financial realities facing the club and the choices to be made.
My tin hat is now on, as I have tried to take a dispassionate view of what is best for Altrincham FC and this does require some change. There will always be differing views in football clubs and rifts will never be completely healed, although inevitably the best way to achieve this will be by positive results on the field and some level headed decision of it.
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Good post. I hope your tin hat is up to it.
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Why should any new manager have Alty in their blood? Why is it so important? All it does is narrow the options available to appoint and puts a rose tint on things when an objective view is needed.
Is there any other club in this country that has appointed so many insiders or old boys in the last 30 years?