What is going on?

[Jonty]

We dont want anything amazing, just the odd update of whats going on would be nice

Just from curiosity- I checked out Tranmere Rovers and their official site includes no less than 20 club news items that have all been uploaded within the last 48 hours. They have a "Tranmere wall" which is a standard feature on many club sites and links in with all the official twitter feeds so news is consistent.

something like this would be great.

[Lancaster Branch]

But if you linked to our twitter feed you'd see stuff exhorting folk to vote in Miss Cumbria and whatnot. We shouldn't be tweeting stuff like that, not while we've still got hospitality packages for the Gloucester game to shift.

[Rob]

It is all a bit hopeless. Frankly they could employ a couple of smart sixth-formers to keep this updated on minimum wage and do a better job than the club has done over the last few years.

Just look how far down the league we are for Twitter followers:

Cheltenham Town 28.1k
Tranmere Rovers 25.7k
Wrexham 24.3k
Chester 18.3k
Grimsby Town 17.8k
Lincoln City 16.1k
Torquay Utd 17.5k
Gateshead 17.4k
Aldershot Town 14.7k
Halifax 12.2k
Macclesfield 9.8k
Eastleigh 9.2k
Southport 9.2k
Kidderminster Harriers 9.1k
Altrincham 9k
Forest Green Rovers 8.8k
Guiseley 8.8k
Dover 8.5k
Welling United 7.9k
Barrow 7.5k
Braintree Town 6.5k
Woking FC 6.5k
Bromley 5.9k
Boreham Wood 4k

It's crap. It's all a big missed opportunity and it's hardly a new story.

[Harold]

We dont want anything amazing, just the odd update of whats going on would be nice

Just from curiosity- I checked out Tranmere Rovers and their official site includes no less than 20 club news items that have all been uploaded within the last 48 hours. They have a "Tranmere wall" which is a standard feature on many club sites and links in with all the official twitter feeds so news is consistent.

something like this would be great.

The difference being Tranmere are not a tinpot outfit

[Bingo]

It would take a day to sort out the websites - I'm convinced someone has forgotten the password to the commercial site other wise why no updates for what 9 months

In terms of commercial activity I am sure someone would love the get their teeth into a job like that

People aren't having a go for the sake of it - we all want to the club to be a success

I know we don't have the manpower or structures of some clubs but some of these things are simple and easy to put right

[John_Bucks]

Can I be Commercial Manager. I bet it's a really interesting job! I have no qualifications whatsoever mind...

As someone admitted earlier I too am very much in the category of a staunch defender of the club, even in it's darkest days, but this is starting to snowball into something ridiculous. The old regime made mistakes time and time again and were rightly ctiticised on here for that. When the new owners came in I have no doubt that everyone expected things to change and on the pitch they have but everything off the pitch is still a shambles and getting more and more frustrating by the day. There's no excuse for this with the calibre of businessman we have running the club now.

The website not being updated is a very basic fix surely. Either devote a few hours a week to keeping it up to date or outsource it to someone who will and just drip feed them the information as and when it's needed, a simple email once a day with what's new would do and then let them run with it.
The hospitality package should've been worked out ages ago and put in place. It only needs working out once then it's set and whoever wants it buys it. Less than a month to go before the season opener and still very little sorted - shite really.
As for the kits this debacle has been going on for years and what has changed? Nothing as far as I can see. If we are to be with Player Layer next season, get the order in now and have them ready for the last game of the season maybe to show them off and then start selling them to keep the revenue coming in over the closed season.
I don't care if Paul Casson has all the money in the world, the club still needs to be run in the right way with the right people in place. There must be successful local-ish commercial people who could come in and at the very least advise Steve Casson and his team (if he has a team) on how to get this stuff done. Most businesses at some point draught in consultants or whatever to maximise the potential and streamline the business to make it as successful and profitable as possible. We aren't Manchester United but if things are done right we could easily have a steady stream of good income, be it advertising or merchandise sales as well as the 'matchday experience'.
The team are very much going in the right direction, let's clean house off the pitch and get thing running smoothly for once.

[jonnytranter]

I have been keeping an eye on the commercial side of the club with interest over the last 12 months.
I am a Barrow expat now living in Sussex - and also happen to have experience of working as a football agent/consultant for clubs from Ryman Prem to the Football League during my time down here.
Interestingly enough, I made contact with the club over a month a go (as a fan) welcoming a call with the club to pick my brains for free - no business interest or anything like that - purely as a fan with knowledge/experience of working in this area.
So far I have received zero response from the club.
The club are doing some GREAT work on the field - but yet again we are so far behind others off the field.
I really love this club and the way the commerical side is being dealt with is not up to par in contrast to the high standards we have set on the pitch recently.
I cannot wait for the new season to start. PC has been true to his word in regards to investment - and the manager and the players have delivered on the pitch.
Perhaps the club don't want help - that is absolutely fine. - but an email saying 'thanks for the offer - but we are not interested' would have been nice.

[SKIPPER]

I happened to pop into Tesco Extra in Widnes earlier today.Within the store there is a Widnes Vikings Superstore selling a massive range of goods.I was told by the person with me that this is part of Tesco's community programme. Wonder if its an area anyone has explored particularly given the footfall these stores must have.

[Si_Nichols]

I happened to pop into Tesco Extra in Widnes earlier today.Within the store there is a Widnes Vikings Superstore selling a massive range of goods.I was told by the person with me that this is part of Tesco's community programme. Wonder if its an area anyone has explored particularly given the footfall these stores must have.

We would have to have something to sell first

[HenneysKnee]

Vote Miss England

[Nigel Bamford]

Surely now that Austin Straker is taking over he will start looking at these things?

How can he, John? He lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire if I recall correctly and thinks he can run the club using 'electronic communications'. The interview with him that I read in, I think, the NWEM, was full of empty, vacuous rhetoric. The only action I picked out of it was "We've set up a meeting".

[Bigfathoss]

Did I just have a post removed?

edit: Maybe I didn't. I'll just ask the question again. Does anybody have any idea of how much a Commercial Manager's salary might be at a club at this level?

[Roadrunner]

Did I just have a post removed?

edit: Maybe I didn't. I'll just ask the question again. Does anybody have any idea of how much a Commercial Manager's salary might be at a club at this level?

I don't really think anybody has the right to know, it's a private company that employs private individuals,
I wouldn't like every man and his dog knowing my salary

[Holkerbird]

Surely now that Austin Straker is taking over he will start looking at these things?

How can he, John? He lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire if I recall correctly and thinks he can run the club using 'electronic communications'. The interview with him that I read in, I think, the NWEM, was full of empty, vacuous rhetoric. The only action I picked out of it was "We've set up a meeting".

When I was at the club the other day Austin was there in his "work clothes" so he certainly is not doing everything electronically from Yorkshire.

[Alley_Cat]

Standard defence of the club again.

I suggest you have a deekins at barrowafccommercial.com Ralph

I don't need to have a look at the commercial website, I was being sarcastic here, and through the HSN have raised the matter of the commercial website being out of date for well over six months now.

Here here, Ralph!