Apologies for the non-appearance of the Bristol Rovers v County match report. I did not go and no less than 6 of my usual suspects’ gave the game a miss as well.
None of the these six one-time stalwarts of the County away day scene cited money as the reason. No, plain and simple their reason to a man was lack of enthusiasm.
Anyway, this article was sent in by ‘Chumpy’. Please, by all means mail me at stockport @ vitalfootball.co.uk, especially if you have something upbeat to say!
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So, last weeks administration was averted. So where are we now?
Have you lost your enthusiasm for County at the moment?
We won’t get to the play-offs, we won’t lose ten points and go down. Our form has fallen to bits. Players are leaving and the manager looks as though he too has lost the drive to continue. The season has all but ended.
Apparently County have received accelerated payments due from players sold (Ash Williams, Dicko, Pilks etc) in exchange for a lower final amount. Thanks then to Derby, Brighton, Swansea and Huddersfield. Good old Woodley Sports have also apparently given County more time to pay their cut of the Liam Dickenson sale.
OK, as I write this today we are solvent, but if the underlying balance of cash flow is still negative how long before the next crisis? How long before we have to sell Raynes, Fon Williams, Tunnicluffe etc to balance the books?
How long before Jim Gannon quits? Four weeks?
County Chairman Martin Reid now puts the club into phase 1b (if you remember Mr Reid outlined three phases to salvation) which is to make County a more attractive proposition (for investment or takeover?)
HMRC come knocking again on 19th April but it is unclear whether we have funds to stave off more Administration threats or whether we can get to May 31st (another HMRC deadline).
I cannot help thinking there will be a fire sale (Tunnicliffe, Fon Williams, Rowe, Raynes) in the close season without substantial investment and Jim Gannon will leave.
Substantial investment will surely not be forthcoming without a renegotiation of the awful noose around our neck that is the deal with Cheshire Sports.
In the interim we can all get down to Edgeley Park for the games with Yeovil, Walsall and the Friday nighter against Crewe.
We can also stump up £1000 for a four year season ticket (see here)
How many of us are going to bother with this until the future of the club is known?
Will we ever get an announcement from the clubs ‘owners’?
All in all despite Martin Reids comment that ‘Hopefully by the end of the season we will be in a healthier position with a stronger balance sheet to allow the Supporters Trust to look at other bids to help decide the clubs future.’ – I can find nothing upbeat at the moment to make me want to renew my season ticket.
In 30 years of supporting my home town club I cannot ever remember feeling so fed up with it all.
Time to get myself an allotment?
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Thanks again to ‘Chumpy’ for sending this in.
Yeovil on Saturday. Surely we are due 3 points then and something to cheer about?
Ol’ Pop
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This has got to be sorted … it is having an effect on the players and the fans.
We have given money away by agreeing to the “discounts”. It is only a few weeks ago that the Chairman was telling us that Swansea, Derby had no money and could not afford to pay us our just dues. I accept that the monies were not due for payment until some future date.
The Ticket scheme is very much a short term measure and to be successful we need to have in place a scheme to replace these tickets sales over the next four years.
In my view I cannot understand the lack of emphasis in the public demain on fun raising initiatives. There does not appear to be any one person driving the money raising forward. Where is the general? I get the impression that there are a lot of individuals and groups fund raising and many thanks to them for their sterling work.
For my part unless I have missed something I cannot recall the Trust being heavily involved and “singing from the house tops”. The Council also appear to be silent.
So come on and help. Give whatever you can at the last three home games, wouldn’t it be nice if we had a full house for all the games. Now that would make an appreciable difference. Buy a half time draw ticket and a match programme. At the end of the day every little helps.
I pray that this mess is sorted out very quickly as the longer it goes on the worse the effect.
Three points and a full house is all I want from Saturday.
Stockport must maintain their league status, if they slip away, then it could all end up in disaster. Taking a points deduction now and going into administration makes sense and that would wipe the slate clean hopefully and build on a new season with better infrastructure and channel the income into where it is more needed.
Hey Buzz, I think we need our own Council house just like you have. Stockport MBC need to step up to the plate and ear-make land now to attract a developer partner. I think we will have to move away from EP now given Brian Kennedy’s choking hold on us..
Hi Buzz. Go into administration an option!!! What would be the effect? Where would we go? Do the Players become Free Agents? Contract with Cheshire Sports for EP would cease? Need to negotiate with BK – Could be a problem? I see BK and/or Cheshire Sports being the key to our problems.
Fundamentally we need new and regular streams of Income. Cannot survive on Gate Receipts alone. If we are able to pay our creditors without incuring more debt then this has to be a realistic answer. The Club is also very concerned about the effect Adminstration would have on the local community and businesses. I think it is fair to say that these people are owed money by the Club. Getting rid of HMRC is the number one priority. According to the Chairman “Administration” is not an option.
On the income side of the equation how much are we still owed for transfer fees and when will this money be forthcoming? We still have more questions than answers.
I was surprised by Sean Connolly’s appointment and still think he has a vital role to play in solving our problems.
Have faith and see what the next few weeks bring. In the meantime get to EP and support the team. They need us nore than ever.
Well said SS, I think Buzz is from up the road at Vital City. That said, we need every last man, woman and child through the turnstiles for these last three home games. Not filled with much enthusiasm about tomorrows game with Yeovil but I will be there!
Other clubs will always take advantage of someone else’s misfortune.
At least its helped you initially in the short term.