Club statement

[DaveP]

CLUB STATEMENT:

Before we begin looking ahead, I would like to thank you for your tremendous support during last season, particularly in the final stretch. There is no doubt in my mind that the support at the matches at Guiseley, Aldershot and Bromley made the difference in securing those 5 points and ultimately our survival in the National League.

As we enter our fifth season, I believe it is important to reflect on what has worked and what has not worked so far during our tenure of ownership. By taking stock of lessons learned, we can make adjustments to how we run the club.

When my father took over the club, his intent was to reinvest his success back into his hometown. Almost £4m have been ‘invested’ in the club and the return on that has been one promotion, a new boiler system, new floodlights and a nice 3rd round FA Cup tie. While we are proud of these accomplishments, we know we have to do things differently if we want to leave a legacy beyond these. There needs to be a renewed focus on putting money on projects and people that will benefit the town and the club for more than just the short term.

The second key takeaway is that, currently, Barrow is not capable of sustainably competing for promotion in the National League with its current level of support. The club cannot continue to operate outside its means on the back of crowds around 1000. The club is also limited by not having an academy and having no external facility such as proper training facilities in the town for the first team and youth teams, which can also be used as a revenue stream.

The third takeaway is that the team needs to represent the town, through its players, its identity and its work ethic. Year over year, the team has seemed to become more and more distant from the town and has turned into a team from elsewhere that occasionally played a home match in Barrow. I think this is why our home record was so poor this past season. I also believe this has had an effect on the commitment and size of our support in the last couple of years.

The fourth takeaway is that football is changing. The business model we have followed thus far is broken and clubs cannot continue to leverage their future betting on promotion. We saw this nearly broke several teams at our level and below. Money is consolidated at the top and the financial benefits of getting promoted are not what they once were. However, clubs like Accrington and Macclesfield show that a team built on a budget and characterized by team spirit and toughness can experience success.

All of this means that next season will mark a dramatic transformation in the way the club does business from the first four years. Barrow AFC will go from a club that exists off external investment, to one that runs off the revenue it generates while having an owner who can and will put money in towards projects that generate a return.



Key changes:

• The structure and cost for the first team will be closely analysed and brought in line with club revenues. While the scope of the changes required is still being determined, we enter the summer season with a much different ambition for the next year or two. We will be more realistic with our expectations for every season, with our primary aim being to put together a team that works hard, plays good football, and plays with pride for the badge on their shirts.

• My focus in the next 18 months will be on controlling costs and pushing forward plans to develop both an academy and a secondary facility that can support the football club. These will be crucial to develop local talent and funnel it into the first team. This isn’t a marketing exercise. It is absolutely necessary for the club’s long-term success and viability.

• In terms of the ground, the idea that we will be redeveloping it or building a new stadium is well and truly laid to rest. In the short term, I have a list of ground improvements that I would like to see implemented over the summer, and we will need volunteer support to complete them. The goal for future investment would be for Paul Casson to then set aside a sum of money at the start of every season to be used for investment. Projects will be selected based on fan feedback and an analysis of their potential revenue return.

• I will be looking for more contributions from the various Supporter’s groups. We have some of the best supporters in the country, both in terms of vocal support and in terms of volunteer support. However, these need to continue to do their part and will be integral to mobilizing the town to support the club.

• The Community group will be a continued focus, as it is crucial not only to developing and retaining talented local footballers, but to also help people throughout the town develop a positive relationship with the club. Craig and the team have done a great job setting an exciting new foundation for the Community, and I look forward to helping them take it even further forward.



In my brief time working in football, I have learned that a club that is reliant on a single shareholder cannot achieve lasting success. This is because we all work a little less hard than we should because we think the money will bring success and I have fallen into this thought process as well. Barrow is capable of having a Football League team, but only if everyone pulls together and works hard to make that dream a reality.

We need a team of players that want to make a legacy for themselves in Barrow and lay it on the line for the badge. We need volunteers who come down and help make the ground a nice place to come on a match day. We need supporters who convince their friends and co-workers to come down to a match on a Tuesday or Saturday so that we have crowds of 2,000 and not 1,000. All of these things are possible, and the next 12 months will decide what kind of club we want Barrow AFC to be.

[DaveP]

Bye Bye National League.

[mightywhite]

Probably the right way to build, but can see us struggling in the short term as a result!

[DaveP]

This should have been the way to go at the beginning!!

[boyliegladbach]

Going down.

Who is the manager next season?

[Middleton Nick]

Going off that statement we will be unable to compete in this league in the forthcoming season. Relegation beckons but I'll still go.

[Kieran]

That'll be Pennock gone.

All of that stuff should've been done alongside the initial investment on the playing side. But it wasn't, and its possibly too late now.

It'll be the beginning of the end for the Casson era I think, and he'll go down as somebody who sold a dream with big promises then failed to deliver.

[Steeley]

"The structure and cost for the first team will be closely analysed and brought in line with club revenues."

What revenues do the club have in place? Genuine question, gate money, shirt and other sponsors, corporate....?

[McMark]

On first reading it sounds like our sandcastle is being washed away with the tide and King Canute is drowning.
We have done things arse about face from the start in my opinion, but hindsight eh!!! Think a lot of burnt bridges will have to be repaired if they are going to get the help they crave, but you never know the supporters have pulled together in worse situations.

[Lowtower]

*Placeholder for Pedros Casson Gardens post*

[whitty1969]

You can't keep throwing millions in the hope of getting promoted whilst nothing changes off the field.
Trouble is we are not good at raising cash off the field.

[spongebobsquarepants]

I've said it before....non-league Mike Ashley.

[HenneysKnee]

Imagine if Paul Casson had appointed an actual CEO and an actual board from the start to sort all this instead of realising now it costs a fortune to run a football club.
Even something as simple as budgeting for 2000 crowds to run a team in the top half of the table is ludicrous, never going to happen every week
Part time manager incoming with a remit to find part time players who will play in the national league for a season?

[Tommylad]

So basically...
-no new ground or development of this one
-no money being put in by Casson
-one year left before they [SwearFilter] off?

At least we've got a new boiler system in place.

Can't see pennock being hear for much longer ( that's if he still is) feeling optimistic about this season

[McMark]

On second reading , it's not a good situation really, is it!!
We have done things arse about face from the off!! Not bringing the right people in and not investing off the field, basically we haven't speculated to accumulate when the chance was there!
Now we are deciding to cut our cloth accordingly. Miffed a lot of people off along the way and expect help at a drop of a hat. The arrogance of the owners never fails to amaze me and frustrates me more and more!!