Brad on Radio Kent today

[inCanndescent]

Listened to his interview on the drive home to Hampshire.

Brief summary of what I can remember:

Few signings but not wholesale, midfield and up top the focus points.

Stadium and Rainham End sponsorship deals are in place.

Some work in the summer to improve the ground but not areas fans will notice. Network upgrades for media. Work in changing rooms, and other areas for players, something else I can't remember.

 

[Solent Knight]

Listened to his interview on the drive home to Hampshire.

Brief summary of what I can remember:

Few signings but not wholesale, midfield and up top the focus points.

Stadium and Rainham End sponsorship deals are in place.

Some work in the summer to improve the ground but not areas fans will notice. Network upgrades for media. Work in changing rooms, and other areas for players, something else I can't remember.

Much to look forward to there then.

 

[Sturdy Gill]

Much to look forward to there then.

Fuck me your posts are such a joy to read

NOT - FFS man get a life

 

[Solent Knight]

A lighten up mate as only kinda having a joke, I dont really take most posts on here that serious. Next time I'll try and add a smiley at the end of my post if that helps.

 

[inCanndescent]

Someone in twitter says he mentioned Hurtado possibly returning but I don't recall that. I think I heard a version that was rather than the earlier live version.

 

[Archiepoptart]

Sounds very sensible. You don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

[Trashbat]

Sounds like Brad is a little calmer than our over-emotional fanbase - which is pleasing to hear.

Fix the issues up front and get some midfields who are more offensive then we’ll be good next season.

 

[Gills 58]

Wonderful news. For the first time in 3 years we didn't finish as the lowest scorers in our league. We outscored bottom of the table FGR by a whole two goals, to finish a creditable 23rd, largely thanks to scoring a total of 5 goals at home in our last two matches, each time v 10 men.

With 46 goals we were only 11 behind next worst Grimsby.

Now that's progress.

 

[Archiepoptart]

Wonderful news. For the first time in 3 years we didn't finish as the lowest scorers in our league. We outscored bottom of the table FGR by a whole two goals, to finish a creditable 23rd, largely thanks to scoring a total of 5 goals at home in our last two matches, each time v 10 men.

With 46 goals we were only 11 behind next worst Grimsby.

Now that's progress.

Finishing 5 places higher than last season is progress

 

[Cuxton Blues]

Someone in twitter says he mentioned Hurtado possibly returning but I don't recall that. I think I heard a version that was rather than the earlier live version.

He mentioned a loan player returning from injury but didnt give a name. I took It as Hurtado.

 

[Lovelovell]

Someone in twitter says he mentioned Hurtado possibly returning but I don't recall that. I think I heard a version that was rather than the earlier live version.

Probably the Fred Perry, Graham Perry or what ever he calls himself, or gills in the blood or me7 boys that the later 2 are firmly in the fold, which I get is free advertising, but the lot of them really are annoying (sorry). To be honest I would get rid of the lot of these characters as I think Brad taps in too much to these and needs on social media. But as a newbie this season it’s a better place on here then toxic fb and Twitter, see you next season

 

[Lark]

Listened to his interview on the drive home to Hampshire.

Brief summary of what I can remember:

Few signings but not wholesale, midfield and up top the focus points.

Stadium and Rainham End sponsorship deals are in place.

Some work in the summer to improve the ground but not areas fans will notice. Network upgrades for media. Work in changing rooms, and other areas for players, something else I can't remember.

Players’ lounge improvements, “football department” office upgrades I think, I heard it in the car too. But yes not really anything for the fans specifically.
Cant see the town end being done until we are in League 1 as not worth the cost otherwise.

He made the point that we have one of the lowest chance conversion rates in the league which is quite a difficult stat to “achieve” and that recruitment would be focused on finding “finishers” to convert those chances into goals.
Acknowledged they are the hardest players to get as every team wants them and they cost the most.

He did sound like he knew what he was talking about on the football side which is a big change from when he first came.
He Had expected to storm the league and win promotion this season; it has been more challenging than he expected but he enjoys it as more interesting than his day to day work which is based on spreadsheets.

 

[Gills77]

It should not matter if Brad didn't realise how difficult strikers are to find. Our recruitment team, or Scally, should have told him this.

 

[Archiepoptart]

I've got a strange feeling that the signing of Joe Comper might prove to be the most significant of the season.

 

[OneSirKeefy]

Cant see the town end being done until we are in League 1 as not worth the cost otherwise.

This is the bit that’s a conundrum in my eyes.

I think even just getting a nice shiny new covered stand at that end would initially bring in some more fans. Having our stadium finally “complete” especially if it’s to the standard of the Medway or RE, and marketed correctly would raise our home crowds.

It would also, if designed right, allow more flexibility in accomodating both home and/or away fans depending on the game and away following expected. Having part of it (or fully) “safe standing” might also entice a few more.

But the biggest motivation I can see for getting the BMS done “early” is the lost ££ if we don’t.

A promotion season and the season after would see us selling out a lot of games imho. And possibly for the only time if we don’t progress afterwards. But we’d be restricted to just 9k if we have a promotion season with the current BMS. And then spend a first season back in L1 rebuilding it with even less capacity. Can you imagine us back in L1, only 3 stands, playing say, Charlton, Oxford, Reading, Birmingham or similar. And probably having to give them 1/2 the GRS or more?

Get it built before it’s needed every week while away followings are mostly small. The only reason not to is if we/they think we are stuck in L2 for a few more years. And if that’s the case, probably not worth building at all.

 

[Trashbat]

I think even just getting a nice shiny new covered stand at that end would initially bring in some more fans. Having our stadium finally “complete” especially if it’s to the standard of the Medway or RE, and marketed correctly would raise our home crowds.

It just isn’t true.

When I go to away games, I don’t avoid the grounds that have poor facilities. I simply choose the grounds that are closest to where I live; and I might have a higher propensity to travel if we’re in the top end of the table.

1,500 Doncaster fans didn’t decide to avoid travelling to Priestfield yesterday.

The way to increase away attendances is to move Priestfield stadium to the north of England.

 

[OneSirKeefy]

It just isn’t true.

When I go to away games, I don’t avoid the grounds that have poor facilities. I simply choose the grounds that are closest to where I live; and I might have a higher propensity to travel if we’re in the top end of the table.

1,500 Doncaster fans didn’t decide to avoid travelling to Priestfield yesterday.

The way to increase away attendances is to move Priestfield stadium to the north of England.

I didn’t say away fans. I said -

Having our stadium finally “complete” especially if it’s to the standard of the Medway or RE, and marketed correctly would raise our home crowds.

I may or may not be right there, but I do think there will be some certain amount of local fans that would be more enticed to come along. Especially if it were a standing option, or a cheaper option.

As for away fans, agree they don’t come or not because of the BMS and we don’t need the BMS right now. But when we do (1st season back in L1, with home ends full) we don’t want to be turning away large followings (or limiting the home crowd number) because we only have 3 sides open and the BMS a building site.

And if/when we are in a position where we are selling out the home ends it would be good to be able to apportion the away section accordingly.

Anyway, all academic because it sounds like we aren’t doing anything about the BMS, not until it’s already needed. Horse and bolt is coming to mind.

 

[Captainreblue]

This is the bit that’s a conundrum in my eyes.

I think even just getting a nice shiny new covered stand at that end would initially bring in some more fans. Having our stadium finally “complete” especially if it’s to the standard of the Medway or RE, and marketed correctly would raise our home crowds.

It would also, if designed right, allow more flexibility in accomodating both home and/or away fans depending on the game and away following expected. Having part of it (or fully) “safe standing” might also entice a few more.

But the biggest motivation I can see for getting the BMS done “early” is the lost ££ if we don’t.

A promotion season and the season after would see us selling out a lot of games imho. And possibly for the only time if we don’t progress afterwards. But we’d be restricted to just 9k if we have a promotion season with the current BMS. And then spend a first season back in L1 rebuilding it with even less capacity. Can you imagine us back in L1, only 3 stands, playing say, Charlton, Oxford, Reading, Birmingham or similar. And probably having to give them 1/2 the GRS or more?

Get it built before it’s needed every week while away followings are mostly small. The only reason not to is if we/they think we are stuck in L2 for a few more years. And if that’s the case, probably not worth building at all.

I'm amazed we haven't had something designed and submitted for planning permission at the very least. That whole process normally takes a fair while. If we only start that process once we get promoted it could take a year or more (plus presumably it would only be built during the summer) by which time we could be back in league two.

 

[GillsBluenose]

I'm amazed we haven't had something designed and submitted for planning permission at the very least. That whole process normally takes a fair while. If we only start that process once we get promoted it could take a year or more (plus presumably it would only be built during the summer) by which time we could be back in league two.

We may have had something designed but then costed and perhaps put on the back burner.

Does anyone on here have ANY idea how much a full permanent covered stand with seating will cost to build?

The Medway Stand cost seven figures 20 years ago although I appreciate that was bigger and contains more facilities, but wasn't really completed to "shiny" standards.

If 90% of the teams are from the north next season and the Medway public stays as ambivalent as normal, how many potential sell outs will we forgo, even of we top the table all season?

 

[Captainreblue]

We may have had something designed but then costed and perhaps put on the back burner.

Does anyone on here have ANY idea how much a full permanent covered stand with seating will cost to build?

The Medway Stand cost seven figures 20 years ago although I appreciate that was bigger and contains more facilities, but wasn't really completed to "shiny" standards.

If 90% of the teams are from the north next season and the Medway public stays as ambivalent as normal, how many potential sell outs will we forgo, even of we top the table all season?

IIRC the Medway stand was costed at £3m and came in at something like £5m.

There was a programme on a while back that reckoned a guide figure was £1-1.5m per thousand seats.