Norgethistle

Jim if hospitality suites can be used more than twice a month as they stated they are looking into then that could double or treble the hospitality revenue. Gaining or retaining fans is of course where we all want to get to, results on the park help more than anything else on that matter hence not butchering the budget completely. Season ticket means guaranteed income, not hoping we get those extra 300 walk up fans, they have already paid and hopefully they bring friends. Im not disagreeing with fixing toilets, they are overdue, but the other initiatives pay for these if done right

Jim you were at the AGM I believe they also mentioned season ticket numbers are up over 10% this year compared to last so that shows better forecastable income. the point in toilets is fair, but directly does not generate more cash, better and more usage of hospitality areas (especially outside match day), does. The club had to seek external funding to plug gaps, have cash flow and to put into projects that would hopefully generate more revenue otherwise we’d go out of business or have to cut budget so much we’d be at wrong end of table which would see lower crowds, lower revenue and greater impact on cash flows. This is the start of a stability process that isn’t fixed over night. The income from investment allows to keep playing side attractive to fans without also having to decimate the operations side effectively impacting match day experience. It needs time, and if you think any of TJF are not challenging the board you couldn’t be further from the facts. We challenge when it’s needed but we also support when needed too.

Not necessarily on a monthly basis it’s not. Guaranteed a job for 17 months vs a job for 5 months That’s apparently what swung it

Not if we win playoffs. We are comfortably 3rd , 9 points off top, 6 of second and 10 points off 5th.

No one is saying that, folk are stating we are performing well / better than was expected after losing 4 key players and cutting the playing budget

As is every team in league bar Dundee United. Every club bar them are losing a goal or more per game average this season, United a goal per 2 games. Raith have conceded 6 less than us, but also scored 4 less than us. Are defences worse this season or attacks better? Only 3 teams have a positive goal difference

I’m Just glad to be back at Firhill tomorrow. Looking forward to a 2-0 Jags victory

Actually at half way stage last season we had 1.5 PPG (27points from 18 games).

None of these teams were putting out financial Armageddon statements prior to season start, we were.

Barely generated anything as it gets split between all the teams

Need to either leave work early to watch the Queens Park game or watch it in my office as we are back to work on the 2nd in Norway, before I fly in on the 4th for Arbroath game

We are in a bit of a transition season, stabilizing finances, bringing a new manager in, and been up against it on transfer window being a month later than our competitors due to playoff plus lack of cash. I think top a playoff position is a good season so we are achieving, whilst some of the signings (most were loans) may not have performed that’s probably due to us scraping together a team rather than getting who we actually wanted. United, Raith and to an extent Ayr are being cash rolled by their owners, and Queens have cash to burn but reluctant this year to overspend like last year we are probably behind these 4 and potentially Dunfermline on budgets, but hopefully we are now living within our means or getting closer to it, so being 3rd (2 places higher than this time last season) is above my expectations for this year. Weve played great at times and poor at times, but won more than lost so generally happy with progress, hopefully in summer Doolan can get a decent transfer window, as I imagine this one will all be about moving out to move in. The investment helps us secure our finances, cash reserves and cash flow, I don’t imagine it gives a £500k transfer window, that would be totally irresponsible. Overall I think the club is starting to move in right direction, fan base up, foundation members up, good young players coming through, and in my opinion a good young manager at the helm, who needs time.

He stated we were crap first half, couldn’t pass and couldn’t get a foot on the ball, but improved in second half. What went wrong he was asked “we lost 3 goals” is fair enough

Perhaps he doesn’t want to publicly throw the players under the bus, but would prefer to do that in the dressing room

Usual nonsense post by the original poster

God Jul alle sammen

An absolutely superb article, and good to see the stadiums used are still there (Bislett has been completely remade and is no longer gravel), I’ve been to 3 of them. Not only would the sea journey have taken nearly 2 days back then, but the journey from Bergen to Oslo was around 12 hours then, the team would have spent almost 2 days on the road (rail and sea) before playing their first game the next day (or that day if they took sleeper from Bergen to Oslo). I can’t imagine today’s players accepting that. Of the teams we played, both Vållernga and Brann are still top tier, Lyn are 1 league down and the others have had a decline in fortunes since the 20’s and 30’s (where they challenged for cups and titled) and are now 4th or 5th tier.

Its on BBC Sport website as a stream

Always good to see you again, was hoping mine had turned up at my Dads prior to me setting back to the frozen north yesterday, but alas it’ll need to collect them when back for Arbroath game

Has anyone received theirs through the post yet?

With our budget and squad, 3rd or 4th is probably where we should be. Dundee Utd and Raith not only have spent a lot, but have also kept together a squad, whilst we have had to rebuild massively in summer after all the financial issues came to light, also not being able to do anything till playoffs were over as we did not know what league we would be in, that applies to getting players in and retaining those he hoped to. I think making playoffs is the goal this season, going up through them or getting 2nd is a bonus

I’ve seen to often in my career knee jerk cuts due to finances which actually do more long term damage than good. Covid saw so many skilled guys laid off, now shops can’t compete as they can’t re-recruit as the skills have moved or been lost so they are now struggling to be competitive on lead time or quality or cost (as they have to poach skilled operators). Even if hospitality is merely a break even, whilst it doesn’t make club cash it generates good will towards fans and current sponsors and generates potential new sponsors. If the office doesn’t function the club can’t function and generate current or future income, a lot of these roles are volunteers. We need physios, sports science, catering etc for the team or players don’t perform to their optimal. Match day staff are required and a lot are volunteers. Kids go free season tickets generate the next generation of fans as can be seen in JLS last and this season. Players are on contracts negotiated and signed before the financial issues came to public light. Im struggling to see what could be cut mid season that wouldn’t actually cost us more money (contracts) or massively impact the ability to actually operate

Our last accounts had turnover as £2.47million with wages of £1.8 million with a playing squad of 26 that’s takes a very big % of that. And what of that could have been removed, they are contracted till May or further, can only go if you can sell or loan them out. Whilst 74 other staff, that includes staff who get a shift a fortnight (hospitality etc) . Do we lay off hospitality staff and lose that income stream? Physios and hope players don’t get injured? Players and hope we stay up after paying their contracts out? Explain what could be cut in January that would not have actually cost us more in the mid to long term (relegation). Stopping more spending and bringing extra cash in was only option available

Our biggest cost is players wages, our other staff costs will be tiny compared to playing staff. So what specific cuts would you make half way through the season as all players were on contracts?

Not paid staff members or full time staff numbers we don’t