What will Appleton achieve now? | Page 2 | Vital Football

What will Appleton achieve now?

mikeosullivan said:
Personally I think the pressure will be on MA to keep us in the top ten all season, purely to keep attendances up.

Yes, we are a well run club - but a club, like many others, who have incurred huge losses so far in 2020. We still have some high earners under contract that we are basically stuck with for another year - players who are not really part of MA's plans (Payne and Coker for example). The first few home games will be behind closed doors and it could be December at the very earliest before we are allowed decent attendance levels. Unlike EPL clubs with TV money, a very large percentage of our income comes from gate receipts. So the losses will continue unfortunately.

Once we are allowed full capacity, MA will have to provide winning football, otherwise crowds will decrease. A season of mid to lower table mediocrity would therefore be disastrous for the finances, and would not help either with the strategy of MA developing players who might command a decent transfer fee.

So, while Covid has levelled the playing field as regards competitor's budgets, MA will still have to produce the goods. Clive and Co do not have bottomless pockets, and some of the new directors that came on board the past two years were inevitably attracted by success. If its not forthcoming and we are lower table and back to 4-5k per game, they may well not stay around.
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I don't think you can rule this scenario out. with the initial capacity constraints and the general economic situation,you could certainly see an average crowd in the region of 4,500. Mid table mediocrity is certainly possible and will not help. There has to be some uncertainty over the level of commercial income £m 1.21 in 2019-how well will this hold up ? And how robust are the central distributions, £m 1.47 in 2019 ?

Cashflow wise my take on the situation,I would say all the season ticket money received earlier,has been spent. And we may have to pay some of this back in respect of partial season ticket refunds. And it is difficult to see much more matchday income in the short term.Certainly there will be no meaningful revenue from pre-season friendlies.

I do think the cost cutting has got a lot further to go.

I sincerely hope Clive and Co do stick around, but the situation is challenging to say the least.
 
Oxford's record is extraordinary and is set to continue:

"Football has changed because of coronavirus and there will be a lot of good players out there trying to find a club. We will look at all our options and don’t forget we also have our Academy where a lot of very good young players will be coming through over the next few years. Karl will have a good budget and we will bring in the right players. Potential is a good word for who we want to attract but we have to balance that. You also need older more experienced players around."

Oxford chairman Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth, 22 July 2020
 
Of course the situation is challenging but we got involved in 2015/16 when the club hadn't exactly been shooting the lights out.

The club, football and the UK in general are not out of the woods yet but there are so many things at the club to be optimistic about, areas that have never been better in the four/five years we have been involved.

I am totally committed to progressing the club further and everything I hear from my friends and the rest of the board are the same. I certainly don't share the doom and gloom I read from some on this site.
 
SAToffeeImp said:
Of course the situation is challenging but we got involved in 2015/16 when the club hadn't exactly been shooting the lights out.

The club, football and the UK in general are not out of the woods yet but there are so many things at the club to be optimistic about, areas that have never been better in the four/five years we have been involved.

I am totally committed to progressing the club further and everything I hear from my friends and the rest of the board are the same. I certainly don't share the doom and gloom I read from some on this site.
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There will always be a few negative types and some that seem to be happy when things don’t always go to plan Clive. It’s one of those unfortunate facts of life. However I am sure the vast majority of us fans are very happy and extremely grateful with how things have turned out since you and the rest of the board came in and started us on this upward trajectory. I am happy to hear you and everyone else concerned is committed to carrying on this great journey, we (or a huge percentage of us at least) are fully behind MA and the way forward this club is hopefully going.
 
"3) Are you seriously suggesting that a failure to achieve top ten will result in Directors leaving en masse and 4k attendances? "

No, I'm saying that might happen.

I've followed the club for 50 years. I have seen several years of nearly full stadiums during championship/promotion years being followed by a half full ground 2-3 years later following a change of manager and a less successful team.

As regards directors, the new directors came on board because we were a high profile (for our level) successful club. That was down to our performances on the field and the media friendliness of the Cowleys. If we are not so successful, and if the directors' personal finances change (as will happen to millions following this disastrous year), they might not want to stay around - and equally may not want to inject extra funds to cover what will be a huge loss in this current financial year.

I have every hope that MA will produce a decent young team playing attractive football and have us challenging for the play offs. If by next February/March he hasn't and we are bottom half, then we could be in serious trouble financially.

That is what I meant about the pressure MA is under for this new season. Because of Covid, the time he would normally have had to build an attractive side has been seriously shortened sadly.
 
SAToffeeImp said:
Of course the situation is challenging but we got involved in 2015/16 when the club hadn't exactly been shooting the lights out.

The club, football and the UK in general are not out of the woods yet but there are so many things at the club to be optimistic about, areas that have never been better in the four/five years we have been involved.

I am totally committed to progressing the club further and everything I hear from my friends and the rest of the board are the same. I certainly don't share the doom and gloom I read from some on this site.
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This was entirely the point of my post, it was to try and make people move on from DC and NC (hence the reference to the Cowleys sacked thread). It was to try and show that we DO have the right man for the job, to kick us on, and to try and get those who haven't yet got on board, at least step up to the footplate.
I would also like to say many, many thanks for your continued support Mr. Nates, you are a credit to the club.
 
SAToffeeImp said:
Of course the situation is challenging but we got involved in 2015/16 when the club hadn't exactly been shooting the lights out.

The club, football and the UK in general are not out of the woods yet but there are so many things at the club to be optimistic about, areas that have never been better in the four/five years we have been involved.

I am totally committed to progressing the club further and everything I hear from my friends and the rest of the board are the same. I certainly don't share the doom and gloom I read from some on this site.
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To all the doom mongers and naysayers there you have it straight from the horses mouth our Chairman and board of directors are totally committed what more could we ask as fans.

I for one (along with majority I suspect) have every confidence in the future under the leadership we have. Despite all the trials and tribulations the world has thrown at us I think the last 4 years and many years to come will be a great time to be an Imp. I also believe MA will be here for a good few years and lead us into The Championship under a more sustainable model rather than boom and bust.

Totally agree with Impish there are always some who will always be negative about everything as they say "You can't please everyone" but crikey I think most are absolutely on board.
 
Doom and gloom? It's nearly August and invariably I think we are going to win the League at this time of year. In spite of the challenges it is no different for this coming season.

Hope MApp starts well and, having regard to any fixture congestion, picks a side capable of winning each game. So long as we are in the top half of the table when the crowds are allowed to return in full numbers we should be ok. God forbid another season where ppg is used to decide places.
 
mikeosullivan said:
"3)

I've followed the club for 50 years. I have seen several years of nearly full stadiums during championship/promotion years being followed by a half full ground 2-3 years later following a change of manager and a less successful team.
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We haven't had this level of full stadium and crowd for this length of time since the 1950's when we were in the Second Division/Championship.

In fact it's the consistency of attendance in the last 3 seasons that is most startling we haven't dipped below 7,000 for a home league match for over 3 seasons prior this unprecedented recent attendance boom the last season where we didn't have a home league attendance under 7,000 was the 1958/59 season so that was 61 years ago. Whilst I appreciate the Pandemic will have and effect I just don't see attendances going off a cliff like that once full crowds are allowed back and there is a vaccine etc.

Lincoln and the surrounds are much bigger now and we are playing some pretty big clubs on a regular basis.
 
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Interestingly Surrey and Warwickshire are allowed to have crowds of up to 2500k in the first round of the Bob Willis trophy this weekend.

Does anyone know what will the protocol be for EFL 1 from the start of the season will all clubs players and staff have to be continually Covid tested ? If so will it have to be paid for by each club ?
 
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With regard to our speculation about of the clubs finances and the possible difficulties the club face right now, and in the knowledge that SAToffeeImp might well read this, may I suggest this as an idea to help ease the immediate issue.

*Offer all of 19-20 season ticket holders the option of not only renewing for 20-21 (some have already of course) but buy S/T for 21-22 season also at the same price. A 2 season ‘season ticket’. I know that wont be to everyone’s taste but I’m guessing some will gladly buy well ahead to guarantee their seat.

*Yes there is also the potential problem of supporters not being admitted for a while when season 20-21 starts but rather that offering refunds, roll the season ticket forward. I mean for example, if you are forced to miss the first 5 games due to Covid, then allow entry for the first 5 games the following season. Sort of keeping credit. Make that a condition of buying a season ticket.

I would ask for constructive comment about these thoughts rather than pure criticism. I’m just ‘thinking aloud‘ to possibly assist our Club, something we call all agree on.
 
The above is what we should be doing - putting ideas out there. Every one could potentially help after all.

Might I suggest the option of having your new Imps shirt signed by the squad for a little extra moolah, as was done pre-season in 16/17? (I paid the extra for that but didn't actually have it signed. What a numpty I am!)
 
bbh 11 said:
Interestingly Surrey and Warwickshire are allowed to have crowds of up to 2500k in the first round of the Bob Willis trophy this weekend.
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I think them and Goodwood races are the small spectator testers the government outlined. Actually inside the ground is probably slightly easier to co-ordinate than outside, and there will be an expectation that clubs address that issue. So for us that might mean the closure of certain access points like the glorious 'dog-shit' alley part of Sincil Drain as distancing there is virtually impossible
 
brisimp said:
I think not only for Lincoln but every other club staying up and still having a club at the bend of the season will be deemed a success. Michael will produce a few diamonds to sell on but wont happen over night. give him time
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This depends on there being other clubs with money and willing to spend.
 
There are also people like me who didn't renew in the early window as I wasn't in the financial position to do so. Due to my circumstances I knew I would be able to do so in the summer and I still am now.

I understand that they already have too many season tickets sold for the capacity they're likely to be allowed anytime soon. I would be prepared to do something along the lines of buying my 21/22 ticket now and pay a retainer to put me on a list of people who could come back when/if the capacity restrictions are lifted this season.

I'm sure many of the other 2000 who didn't renew early would be willing and able to do something similar.
 
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