Floodlights

[spirit of 1990]

Why would Paul Casson fork out anything when he's got a dedicated team of volunteers doing what's needed, when it's needed? Totally respect the folk doing all this work, I know they are Barrow through and through but it does make the owners job a lot easier. Again, i reiterate i'm not having a go at the maintainance crew but i do wonder what would happen if they said NO, we ain't doing it, it's up to you, you own it, you deal with it.

That seems a rather far fetched thought Mike. What we do is basic stuff, last week we were asked to look at the pop side turnstiles as they had started to jam, some new Vanarama signage needed putting up so IRVJ popped down to sort that, making the big pop side gate safe and adding new locks etc etc.....its nothing but small maintenance jobs & I doubt very much if Paul even knows about them, they certainly don't make his job any easier - although I'd agree it probably helps Austin out as he'd be the one chasing local tradespeople to otherwise do them.

[mickmike wilson]

but it all depends on what PC's plans are for our sustainability & what realistic level of football we could survive in.

Sustainability is a myth for a team like us and again PC was talking rubbish at the Forum when he said we could be sustainable. We lost 827K the season before last when we won Conf North. How on earth do you create that sort of cash on gates of circa 1300 in the National League? Another 200 on the gate per game would generate 50-60K what about the other 770K?

Agreed not many clubs are independently sustainable, But BAFC Pre Casson was a club hemorrhaging cash with ZERO signs off being able to change anything all honesty, With PC in charge at least we have a chance of huge changes & therefore generating more income to help better balance the books.

You have raised those huge losses several times now which can look bad if taken out of context but it was not a usual season was it, It was a season of speculating to accumulate, same for this season in all honestly as he's building the club up from nothing & those losses will shrink once all the emergency repairs dry up & the Cup success money rolls in etc.

A brand new stadium or a fully refurbished ground will produce several times the amounts that come in on game days now, Imagine having 2 or 3 Bars & Restaurants serving a carvery or 3 course meals that the other clubs offer, Modern surroundings with multiple big screens & other interactive games etc offering food & drink promotions until say 1.45pm on Saturday's or 6.30pm midweek games encouraging people to use the facilities from 11, 12 or 1pm & from 5 or 6pm midweek they could put a Comedian or a band on in 1 bar for those who like that type of entertainment & or have kids entertainers in a family lounge & or Ex-Players/Managers or Ex top flight players giving talks in the other bars etc *Basically* There is sooooo much scope for improvements & providing things are advertised/organised properly should draw the punters in early & they will stay longer.

Like it or not, In today's instant gratification society Food & Drink offer enormous profits due to the cost to make & mark up on prices, You could even have mobile sellers walking the terraces/stands tempting those who went straight into the ground who are peckish/thirsty like they do in the States & elsewhere.

Things can be very different if PC chooses to go down that avenue but he must employ more FT staff to do what's required day by day.

The club would get all profits from every food & beverage stands etc

[John Very Little]

We lost 827K the season before last when we won Conf North. How on earth do you create that sort of cash on gates of circa 1300 in the National League? Another 200 on the gate per game would generate 50-60K what about the other 770K?

Assuming there was decent investment in the ground, and more importantly the corporate facilities do you really think that it would only add 200 to the average attendance? I'm asking a question rather than suggesting you are wrong.
Barrow has a realistic catchment population of an immediate 50,000 and a wider 70,000 why is the attendance averaging 1,300, is it mainly the match day experience? Do people stay away because of the stadium? I honestly believe the potential is there and adding a 1000 to the average attendance realistic and more importantly tripling the season ticket sales but only after major investment in the facilities. Just as an example an eight seat corporate box sells for anywhere between £5,000 to £8,000 per season, what if you have twenty boxes, would they all be taken up?
What do folk think the Crossbar earns for the club? I don't just mean on match days but all week. What could a bigger, better more, modern venue earn?

I was just using the 200 figure to show how far away we were from being sustainable, adding 1000 to the gate would mean we are still nowhere near to breaking even.
If we did improve the ground and things like had extra meal facilities and hospitality boxes you would also need more staff which is further expense.
In addition the higher up the leagues we go the higher the wage bill would be and in our present league I don't believe we could be sustainable irrespective of how good the ground is as I can't see us generating the crowd levels or other business required to break even, especially as the last announcement from PC said there would be no roof going on the Holker St end.
Another issue is the football itself - the present style of football doesn't exactly lend itself to encouraging floating supporters to come and watch.

[DIXIE]

Ah, you're back onto the money again Pedro! it must be Saturday Perhaps more things should've/could've been done on the ground but its very very inaccurate to say "he bought an asset and done little" Its been mentioned time & time again on here what has been done, but FWIW...
Boiler system, Main stand shot blasted/sprayed, pitch work, X Bar refurbished, windows replaced, roof above the X Bar made watertight, new corporate room, massive water butt, floodlights, player investment - going FT, a good sized budget for recruitment, keeping hold of two players that bids came in for where previously we would have had to cash in straight away, a FT commercial manager, a manager who we could NEVER have afforded three years ago, a scouting network, a promotion and into the play-offs of the National league beating teams like Lincoln, Tranmere, Eastleigh & D&R along the way. Then there's the smaller things like new stewards cabin, new first aid cabin, rental of porta-loo's.
Looking at that lot there's about 75% of it that we wouldn't have bothered with previously through lack of money - the rest would simply have sent us under.
Like I say, there's things that I would consider that need doing straight away, proper toilets being one, but overall and looking back to where we were three years ago...it's not too bad is it?

In true Monty Python style, Yeah but besides all that Investment in just 2 short years at the helm Ian :What has he done for us:

Kept us alive.

[DIXIE]

Assuming there was decent investment in the ground, and more importantly the corporate facilities do you really think that it would only add 200 to the average attendance? I'm asking a question rather than suggesting you are wrong.
Barrow has a realistic catchment population of an immediate 50,000 and a wider 70,000 why is the attendance averaging 1,300, is it mainly the match day experience? Do people stay away because of the stadium? I honestly believe the potential is there and adding a 1000 to the average attendance realistic and more importantly tripling the season ticket sales but only after major investment in the facilities. Just as an example an eight seat corporate box sells for anywhere between £5,000 to £8,000 per season, what if you have twenty boxes, would they all be taken up?
What do folk think the Crossbar earns for the club? I don't just mean on match days but all week. What could a bigger, better more, modern venue earn?

I was just using the 200 figure to show how far away we were from being sustainable, adding 1000 to the gate would mean we are still nowhere near to breaking even.
If we did improve the ground and things like had extra meal facilities and hospitality boxes you would also need more staff which is further expense.
In addition the higher up the leagues we go the higher the wage bill would be and in our present league I don't believe we could be sustainable irrespective of how good the ground is as I can't see us generating the crowd levels or other business required to break even, especially as the last announcement from PC said there would be no roof going on the Holker St end.
Another issue is the football itself - the present style of football doesn't exactly lend itself to encouraging floating supporters to come and watch.

maybe the public of Barrow should force the issue and turn out in huge numbers. Sometimes you can make things happen and not wait for it.
I have long thought if we want a good football team in Barrow then we need to be there in numbers and make it happen. Paul Casson has given Barrow that chance if we don't take it, we will regret it forever.

[Pedro]

Meanwhile I shall await with interest the explanation from Pedro of how impending Brexit will have reduced costs by 20%.

Far be it for me to speak for Pedro but my guess is that the devaluation in the pound vis a vis the USD means his dollars can buy proportionately more pounds sterling.

[glasgow_blue]

Why would Paul Casson fork out anything when he's got a dedicated team of volunteers doing what's needed, when it's needed? Totally respect the folk doing all this work, I know they are Barrow through and through but it does make the owners job a lot easier. Again, i reiterate i'm not having a go at the maintainance crew but i do wonder what would happen if they said NO, we ain't doing it, it's up to you, you own it, you deal with it.

That seems a rather far fetched thought Mike. What we do is basic stuff, last week we were asked to look at the pop side turnstiles as they had started to jam, some new Vanarama signage needed putting up so IRVJ popped down to sort that, making the big pop side gate safe and adding new locks etc etc.....its nothing but small maintenance jobs & I doubt very much if Paul even knows about them, they certainly don't make his job any easier - although I'd agree it probably helps Austin out as he'd be the one chasing local tradespeople to otherwise do them.

Ian, again i'm not having a go at you guys but do you not think the owner should know what's needed to keep the ground in a condition which is suitable for use? Paul Casson bought the club and he should know what's needed, it's his perogative, it's his business to know what's required. Again i say, full credit to the volunteers. I think it's just a case of thinking we would have at least half of a redeveloped ground at least by now and not still wading in [SwearFilter] after going to pop side hovel

[Pedro]

The ground is a dump.Not having a go at PC .
But it's years of neglect.Previous Board members have alot to answer for

[Steelworks End]

The ground is a dump.Not having a go at PC .
But it's years of neglect.Previous Board members have alot to answer for

It's years - nay, decades - of not having any money for ground improvements.

[Wintergreen]

Have you ever known a family run business who like others telling them what they should be doing?

[John_Bucks]

The ground is a dump.Not having a go at PC .
But it's years of neglect.Previous Board members have alot to answer for

Vaughn has a lot to answer for.

Everyone else had/has nothing but the best for Barrow AFC at heart. Mistakes can and will be made but this is all moaning for moanings sake. Fill your glass half full, it's fun.

[Big E]

The ground is a dump.Not having a go at PC .
But it's years of neglect.Previous Board members have alot to answer for

Bit unfair, many previous board members sunk their own money into the club just to keep it functioning never mind make major alterations.

[spirit of 1990]

The ground is a dump.Not having a go at PC .
But it's years of neglect.Previous Board members have alot to answer for

Vaughn has a lot to answer for.

Everyone else had/has nothing but the best for Barrow AFC at heart. Mistakes can and will be made but this is all moaning for moanings sake. Fill your glass half full, it's fun.

Not a chance is there.......?

If its not PC's fault it now appears its the previous Boards, both have kept us afloat but that fact has escaped Pedro.

[John Very Little]

maybe the public of Barrow should force the issue and turn out in huge numbers. Sometimes you can make things happen and not wait for it.
I have long thought if we want a good football team in Barrow then we need to be there in numbers and make it happen. Paul Casson has given Barrow that chance if we don't take it, we will regret it forever.

I agree but its difficult to persuade people at present due to the state of the ground and the poor football on show.
Some lads I know that don't watch many games went in the hospitality on Saturday and whilst they enjoyed the hospitality the match was awful and they won't come back to watch that type of football any time soon.
Improving the conditions for fans must also be a priority as I think its too easy an excuse for some fans not to go, especially if the weather isn't great.
Another consideration might be that we don't spend quite as much on the team and put some of it towards improving the ground and facilities instead, some of which may generate a little income?

[blue nige]

You are bang on the money there John, it wouldn`t be so bad if at least we had some plans, Fleetwood FC Utd , Fylde Salford they all got on with it