Now...we know we have had a budget cut and I can also safely assume that we dont have the lowest budget in the league (although of course I cannot back that up BUT my instinct is to say that we are probably one of 10 clubs with similar budgets)
Other teams can do it on that kind of budget....HOW???
Well my view is you do it by having a settled side that wants to work and play for each other....strives to succeed and doesnt always wonder where they can get that extra elusive £10
Everything can be blamed on the budget BUT it is not the be all and end all....yes we had a budget cut BUT it certainly wasnt a 50% cut or anything like that
It is a little bit of a smoke screen I am afraid
there will always be teams with more money......my Prem team Arsenal dont have anything like the budget of Man U, Chelsea and now Man City
We have to live with that fact of life and get on with it......
Interestingly no matter how disappointing saturday was I have been more disappointed with results against Bishop S and Braintree than I was against Dover (after I had calmed down)
We CAN compete in this league as we showed last year and we WILL again
Yes we are in the bottom 4 BUT there are plenty of games to go to get ourselves out of the mire
It is also no use moaning about sponsorship........it just aint gonna happen easily in an economic market where these type of expense budgets are being slashed just to keep people in jobs
Yes i think Andy made some mistakes with some players from last year...Cobbs (which would i think have brought Gargan) is a prime example...for me he would have been one of the first i would have signed
But we are where we are and we have to see what a managerial change would bring....there will be plenty of applicants as there always are...remember we are in the second tier of non league football
We also HAVE to get behind the players - personally I was VERY disappointed to hear some of the comments shouted Saturday at some of our players....we have always lived by the rules we support whoever pulls on the Red Shirt DURING the game
My thoughts....probably will be slagged for them but there you are
I agree with most of what you say, Mark. But I disagree with your argument about sponsorship. I think it is extremely important to have a shirt either without a non-sponsor's name on it or with a sponsor's name on it. I don't think our players should wear shirts bearing the name of a company which does not sponsor the club.
If it is a question of economy, then perhaps WSU should help fund new shirts - perhaps they should bear the letters WSU? In the meantime, is there any mileage in running a sponsorship raffle say £50 to £100 a go with the winner getting the shirt sponsorships and the rest getting some form of advertising? Probably too late to do this and get the required response.
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Oh, a mighty god is the god of gold, His empire never decays; In every age, in every clime, The hearts of men he sways.
i suggested a raffle last season Bertie. Perhaps if ewe aint got a sponsor put Wings Suppoerters United, they did give Andy loads last season. and then organise a raffle for next year.
I agree get the blank shirts on the players. and dump coomes.
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
I was thinking exactly the same thing - if you could get 50-100 local businesses to cough up £75 for a chance to become our sponsors (you'd probably get some individuals who would enter it as well) with a programme page mentioning those who did not win the surely the loss of revenue to the Club would be minimal - £5-£7k would be better than nothing. Mailshot local busineses and get the friendly local press to give it a plug. You could even get the mayor or someone along to do the draw. I don't think it is too late for this season - or make it for this season and next. Its got to be worth a go. I need my new Welling shirt as my Christmas present otherwise its socks again.
I think you have come up with some good points, the one i in some cases disagree with is the moaning about players there are times when i fill things needed to be said and these men are grown up regardless of what we said to and i take it FINN is the main guy, he could only get better as he was that bad.
I am hoping that on Sat we can manage to get a result but Chelmsford will be busing after beating Dover - to any players who do come on if you want to know how much people care come over before of after the game and have a chat with some of us.
I've never agreed with slagging off players or the team. I just don't see how it is likely to lead to an improvement in their performance. Deep down its just supporters letting off steam, which is up to them I guess.
I dont like doing it but some times it is neccesary. Players dont go out to lose that is for sure but when there is a distinct lack of effort and enthusiam that is when I draw the line. If I have taken the time and effort to support the players (especillay away from home) then I expect 100% effort off them, if that is not good enough then so be it but at least they gave the team everything they got.
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"Passion for the game.......is Passion for the game" 'Have you got the Spills to pay the bills?'
Great post Mark and I agree with most of what you have said.
We don't know what the budget situation but what we are aware of is the lack of investment/sponsorship which is an integral part of any Club's budget.
We are all aware that there are other lower league clubs where sponsorship/investment mean that they have more cash avilable for players and they manage this because they have commercial activity - we don't.
It is unlikely that investors will come to a non league club unless they live locally and have a keen interest in grassroots football. It is also likely that any such an investor would want to have a significant input into how the club is run and the 'family' football club would disappear.
Finding sponsors requires a dedicated person prepared to do the hard slog of going and getting them and we don't appear to have anyone doing that. Given our present situation and the econnomic climate that is indeed a hard slog. Barrie does his best but with all the other things he has to do there is little or no time for pursuing the commercial side of things.
Without making a judgement one way or the other as to the pros and cons of a 'family' football club my view is that in the modern climate they will struggle and I can only forsee the situation getting worse.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
Mark I agree with most of what you said. would love to see Cobbs back at P.V.R. However im with Bertie on the sponor side, i did come here before to say would it be worth someone e,mailing Andy Townsend at Talksort, as a ex Welling player he may help with contacts, i/e Talksport go on abt grass roots football etc. they can only say one of two things. however was laugh at by others on here !...... on a brighter note look at Weymouth, we dont want to end up like them. Oh Mark ...Arsenal ?????????
We also HAVE to get behind the players - personally I was VERY disappointed to hear some of the comments shouted Saturday at some of our players....we have always lived by the rules we support whoever pulls on the Red Shirt DURING the game
I have to say that some people need to take a look at themselves over their whole verbal conduct. There is some sh*t being shouted which goes beyond what is acceptable even by the somewhat aggressive standards that have been set over the years. I get the feeling we are probably in the top 5 of the foulest mouthed supporters (certainly away from home) in this league.
If you were the person deciding to shout from behind me in the second half on Saturday 'Ref, you're a paedo' have a think about whether you find that acceptable now or whether it helped us at the time. And if you still have any doubts, try discussing the subject with Dave Jones of Cardiff City and see if you can still excuse it as 'heat of the moment'.
I must agree with Stafford on this. I heard things shouted at the referee and players both on Saturday and earlier in the season at Staines that brought no credit to the club at all and I was some distance away in the seats. No one expects the fans to behave like choir boys but there are a few individuals who need to tone it down a bit.
I'm not sure how the club is trying to atract a shirt sponsor at the moment?
If i were them i would send out 100 decent looking A4 printed leaflets to businesses in the area and also headquarters of some larger companies.
It only takes someone to design something (there's probably a few fans who could do this), some printer ink, stamps, glossy paper and away you go - less than £100.
It could outline the sponsorship package, brief history of the club, include a couple of free tickets and a couple of facts, i.e. did you know Welling played in front of over 3,000 fans at AFC Wimbledon last year, Welling enter a competition soon with the final played at Wembley and live on Sky Sports, thousands of people will see your company name across Southern England from Dorset to Worcestershire - most companies would not know this?
The club needs to think about local companies first - how about Aye Gees Motorcycles (think it's spelt like that?) - specialist local company with a long history?
I think you will find the club have been active in approaching local businesses but with no success. I agree with above posting - get rid of the Coomes shirts and get some replica shirts in the shop. Christmas is approachihng and we need to have some gear in the shop or we are losing another revenue stream
At the moment we are giving free space to Coombs, despite the long association this aint the time for sentimentality as Christmas approaches we could be missing out
Not COULD be missing out WILL miss out and not just at Christmas though I'm not sure that profit margins on a few shirts is the most important factor.
Merchandising even with little profit is a very important link with supporters particularly at our level of football giving a sense of being part of something. Its not like ManU, Chelsea or Arsenal where any Tom Dick or Harry will be strolling down the High Street wearing the latest shirt and the nearest they have been to Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, or The Emirates is the flat screen in the living room. Someone wearing a Welling shirt down the High Street is going to be someone who actually regularly watches the team play and wants people to know that they support Welling United.
Shirts = Supporters identifying with the Club they support and the Club gets regular free promotion locally.
-- Edited by bruno on Wednesday 14th of October 2009 11:04:33 AM
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
I must agree with Stafford on this. I heard things shouted at the referee and players both on Saturday and earlier in the season at Staines that brought no credit to the club at all and I was some distance away in the seats. No one expects the fans to behave like choir boys but there are a few individuals who need to tone it down a bit.
ok lets turn welling into charlton where their fans make complaints and they have to put out articles in the program asking fans not to sing songs
chanting and shouting is a part of football - i know in the modern game the authorities are trying to neuter it and make it like going to the theatre but i will continue shouting if i feel it is neccessary
chanting and shouting is a part of football - i know in the modern game the authorities are trying to neuter it and make it like going to the theatre but i will continue shouting if i feel it is neccessary
now fck off
(joke btw incase sense of humour lapse happens)
Ahh, the old 'I pay £10 at the gate therefore I can say anything' argument.
In the end, does it help get the result you want?
Would you say the same to player eferee face to face without the anonymity of the crowd?
If you were sat/stood 5 feet away doing your paid job, would it help you do it or make you any better disposed towards me if I subjected you 90 minutes of non-stop abuse?
chanting and shouting is a part of football - i know in the modern game the authorities are trying to neuter it and make it like going to the theatre but i will continue shouting if i feel it is neccessary
now fck off
(joke btw incase sense of humour lapse happens)
Ahh, the old 'I pay £10 at the gate therefore I can say anything' argument.
In the end, does it help get the result you want?
Would you say the same to player eferee face to face without the anonymity of the crowd?
If you were sat/stood 5 feet away doing your paid job, would it help you do it or make you any better disposed towards me if I subjected you 90 minutes of non-stop abuse?
Go forth and divide (also a joke)
yes i would and have done to players across the barrier at pvr
and if i annoyed at a bad decision and the game isnt going well for us im usually not best pleased so therefore shout at the ref - i make no apologies for it
and anyone who says they dont abuse the ref/oppositon players at any time are either lying or just a zombie who sits/stands staring at the game
I agree with above posting - get rid of the Coomes shirts and get some replica shirts in the shop. Christmas is approaching and we need to have some gear in the shop or we are losing another revenue stream
I've been wanting to buy a Welling shirt for a long time now, but no one sells them, not even in the club shop. If they started selling them at the ground, I'd buy one straight away for £40-£50. Times that by several hundred, as I'm sure lots of people would want to buy them to, then it'll be a nice little earner for the club. In the club shop they need to put the Welling badge on EVERYTHING they can think of.
I know, how about approaching PCUK in the highstreet to sponsor the club? They're doing well business wise despite the recession, and it's also a family run shop/business. Maybe, you could have a deal where, if you're a season ticket holder, you can have a discount on some computer equipment.
I agree with above posting - get rid of the Coomes shirts and get some replica shirts in the shop. Christmas is approaching and we need to have some gear in the shop or we are losing another revenue stream
I've been wanting to buy a Welling shirt for a long time now, but no one sells them, not even in the club shop. If they started selling them at the ground, I'd buy one straight away for £40-£50. Times that by several hundred, as I'm sure lots of people would want to buy them to, then it'll be a nice little earner for the club. In the club shop they need to put the Welling badge on EVERYTHING they can think of.
I know, how about approaching PCUK in the highstreet to sponsor the club? They're doing well business wise despite the recession, and it's also a family run shop/business. Maybe, you could have a deal where, if you're a season ticket holder, you can have a discount on some computer equipment.
i agree - ive wanted to buy a new shirt for a while but i left it too late last year as they ran out of my size and obviously they havent got any new ones in yet
but the reason im guessing why we arent going for the blank shirt option is because if we do get a sponsor then we will have to have a new batch of shirts printed and made so the club will probably lose money on it
but at this point id go for anyone to sponsor us but i have to say i doubt we will find anyone in time for this season
yes i would and have done to players across the barrier at pvr
and if i annoyed at a bad decision and the game isnt going well for us im usually not best pleased so therefore shout at the ref - i make no apologies for it
and anyone who says they dont abuse the ref/oppositon players at any time are either lying or just a zombie who sits/stands staring at the game
Yes, across the barrier, knowing full well that you are not at liberty to cross on their side or they onto yours, although a dangerous assumption to make if the player concerned was Roy McDonagh.
And any content of that shouting will do?
And at what point has anyone made the assertion that they never abuse anyone. I have certainly abused several, but with justifiable content.
yes i would and have done to players across the barrier at pvr
and if i annoyed at a bad decision and the game isnt going well for us im usually not best pleased so therefore shout at the ref - i make no apologies for it
and anyone who says they dont abuse the ref/oppositon players at any time are either lying or just a zombie who sits/stands staring at the game
Yes, across the barrier, knowing full well that you are not at liberty to cross on their side or they onto yours, although a dangerous assumption to make if the player concerned was Roy McDonagh.
And any content of that shouting will do?
And at what point has anyone made the assertion that they never abuse anyone. I have certainly abused several, but with justifiable content.
im not going to go into the pathetic "hard-man" routine (the blokes who met me on saturday know im only a little bloke!) but when the red mist decends there have been times when i want to get over the other side of the barrier - one example off the top of my head is the newport brawl in the goalmouth a couple of years ago and those pr@tts were baiting us or even the woking fools after the game this year when on my way out i came over to bump up the Welling numbers and had a fat bloke in my face starting on me
and what exactly is "justifiable" content? ive heard far worse shouted at England games for example than what ive heard at any Welling game and no offence but you sound like a typical Charlton or Wembley fan who complains about anyone making noise or standing up for more than 2 seconds
-- Edited by J on Wednesday 14th of October 2009 02:07:00 PM
J wrote:and what exactly is "justifiable" content? ive heard far worse shouted at England games for example than what ive heard at any Welling game and no offence but you sound like a typical Charlton or Wembley fan who complains about anyone making noise or standing up for more than 2 seconds
-- Edited by J on Wednesday 14th of October 2009 02:07:00 PM
Always handy to excuse our excesses by claiming someone else is worse.
If you don't want to look at yourself, that's fine. Anyone who has been going for the last 20 years knows what I will or won't tolerate and that particular comment on Saturday was one of them.
J wrote:and what exactly is "justifiable" content? ive heard far worse shouted at England games for example than what ive heard at any Welling game and no offence but you sound like a typical Charlton or Wembley fan who complains about anyone making noise or standing up for more than 2 seconds
-- Edited by J on Wednesday 14th of October 2009 02:07:00 PM
Always handy to excuse our excesses by claiming someone else is worse.
If you don't want to look at yourself, that's fine. Anyone who has been going for the last 20 years knows what I will or won't tolerate and that particular comment on Saturday was one of them.
im not excusing anything - we'll have to agree to disagree on this one although youve changed from moaning about abuse in general to focusing on one particular comment
anyway id be more than happy to meet up and discuss it over a beer at a future game as ive never been too happy arguing/talking over forums
im not excusing anything - we'll have to agree to disagree on this one although youve changed from moaning about abuse in general to focusing on one particular comment
anyway id be more than happy to meet up and discuss it over a beer at a future game as ive never been too happy arguing/talking over forums
I was very particular about what I disagreed with in the very first posting although it is a particular example of a potentially wider issue.
I'm easy to miss at 6'1", 18 stone, with a long hair, black leather jacket and cowboy boots....
I am aware kids are a lot less innocent these days but couple this with the thread about kids for free and how many parents would want to explain some of the language used to primary school children.
-- Edited by stafford on Wednesday 14th of October 2009 04:24:29 PM
Must have my say on the last few posts - Kids for free you lot are joking i have been coaching for seven years and kids are becoming very aware at a young age RE - league position etc if we gave out 100 tickets the best you would get down is 10 kids are not stupid we should be targeting the students 16+ maket people looking for a cheap game of footy and a day out, and what with Dartford and Charlton doing so well we are not going to get any new fans now are we?
And regarding shouting abuse calling the ref a perv didnt hear that i must say and there is a fine line - but i have a passion for the game and a passion for Welling and sometimes i do go over the top but if you are having a Tony Blair and continue to do so i will encourage but after the tenth mistake i get a little bit annoyed and vent my anger - some of the effort at times is disgusting - and for those who didnt see i shouted out to Stefan very nicely on Sat your fu**** tell Fordy you wana come off, to which he gave me the thumbs up and five minutes later he was walking off not clapping at the bunch of tunas behind the goal of course that dont happen at Welling and then re hydrated.
Must have my say on the last few posts - Kids for free you lot are joking i have been coaching for seven years and kids are becoming very aware at a young age RE - league position etc if we gave out 100 tickets the best you would get down is 10 kids are not stupid we should be targeting the students 16+ maket people looking for a cheap game of footy and a day out, and what with Dartford and Charlton doing so well we are not going to get any new fans now are we?
And regarding shouting abuse calling the ref a perv didnt hear that i must say and there is a fine line - but i have a passion for the game and a passion for Welling and sometimes i do go over the top but if you are having a Tony Blair and continue to do so i will encourage but after the tenth mistake i get a little bit annoyed and vent my anger - some of the effort at times is disgusting - and for those who didnt see i shouted out to Stefan very nicely on Sat your fu**** tell Fordy you wana come off, to which he gave me the thumbs up and five minutes later he was walking off not clapping at the bunch of tunas behind the goal of course that dont happen at Welling and then re hydrated.
Trigger i sense a bit of sarcasim in the brillant lol, as i said the 16 + uni students and sixth formers.
I know and this is just the way kids are when i started following wings in 98/99 i got ripped for it because the league we were in etc its just like what kids are like, i go and coach in Eltham and Kidbrooke and some kids didnt even know Welling have a team and they rip me for it and then i go and cry when they arenot looking because since i have been there we have really gone nowhere and chance we can change are name to Welling ' same as fulham' United?
Trigger i sense a bit of sarcasim in the brillant lol, as i said the 16 + uni students and sixth formers.
I know and this is just the way kids are when i started following wings in 98/99 i got ripped for it because the league we were in etc its just like what kids are like, i go and coach in Eltham and Kidbrooke and some kids didnt even know Welling have a team and they rip me for it and then i go and cry when they arenot looking because since i have been there we have really gone nowhere and chance we can change are name to Welling ' same as fulham' United?
i get the pi$$ taken out of me now when i say i support welling now
Yep, I know how you feel. OK, so I may be 156 years old and be only 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide. And then there's the 10 fingers, ok you say say but not when they're all on the same hand. I know I have only one eye situated just underneath my left ear but even with a third foot growing from my rear end I don't get the micky taken out off me. That is until I say who I support. Life's tough.