Open thread to Paul Baker

Talk about anything to do with Cheltenham Town, CTFC 500 Club, League 1, ex players & Managers

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51/84
Posts: 3576
Joined: 24 Nov 2009, 10:20
Paul in your programme notes you say and I quote ' I note that some fans are questioning the Boards ambition which I find disappointing and frustrating' He then goes onto to say that trying to run a club sustainably is ambitious

Firstly I thought you were describing our home form disappointing and frustrating

The reason I am writing this is that the club is not sustainable if we are budgeting for a loss of £150K, we will use our nest egg in less than 4 years. Sure you are reducing bank debt and thats no bad thing. However as the players wages etc continue to rise all the profits from the last 2 seasons seems to have disappeared to pay off the debts can you explain how that is running a club sustainably. Where has the Pack transfer money gone this season.
I am well aware that the club owe you close to £500K and without that we would be without a club.
It appears to many that the club is now penny pinching and instead of building on the last 2 years we have gone into defensive mode and pulled everything in and the result is we are where we are and bleeding money.
To an outsider that smell of lack of ambition and failure to build on success.
I know you read the board and would be interested in hearing a more detailed explanation of exactly how the club is sustainable
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CS85
Posts: 1145
Joined: 21 Feb 2010, 10:04
I just want to see a game of football that has some playing football involved! It's bloody dire to watch. Prices go up,quality has gone down and so has the crowds,how's that going to make the club sustainable?.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29809
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Do we want financial sustainability or promotion quality? We can't have both with current crowds and facilities.

Get some cheap exciting youth in who are prepared to pass run and have a go.
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Robin
Posts: 15990
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 11:19
I want a promotion push, this league is awful.
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Uppy
Posts: 2542
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 12:48
Agree, Robin. How many good teams have we played this season? So many games that we've lost to teams who are either just as bad as us or slightly better because of how bad we have looked.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29809
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Robin wrote:I want a promotion push, this league is awful.
How much financial loss per season would you be prepared to suffer to secure promotion?
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51/84
Posts: 3576
Joined: 24 Nov 2009, 10:20
The point I am trying to make Baker is frustrated by the fans by trying to say the club is being run sustainably yet it is bleeding £150K /annum
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Joey
Posts: 2928
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 11:45
Location: League One
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:
Robin wrote:I want a promotion push, this league is awful.
How much financial loss per season would you be prepared to suffer to secure promotion?
Almost achieved it in 2011/2 and we made plenty of money that season.
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vcinthestand
Posts: 734
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 21:46
Nail hit on head
Promotion brings in money, the cost is trying to stay in the league above
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mattyboi
Posts: 606
Joined: 05 Dec 2011, 22:39
Joey wrote:
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:
Robin wrote:I want a promotion push, this league is awful.
How much financial loss per season would you be prepared to suffer to secure promotion?
Almost achieved it in 2011/2 and we made plenty of money that season.
We did make plenty of money that season and last season, but also had huge debts that needed reducing and paying off.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29809
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Joey wrote:
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:
Robin wrote:I want a promotion push, this league is awful.
How much financial loss per season would you be prepared to suffer to secure promotion?
Almost achieved it in 2011/2 and we made plenty of money that season.
Only due to the luck of the cup draw. Just as likely that we challenge for promotion but go out the cup in round one away at Carlisle.

Never rely on cup income to keep head above water.
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Robin
Posts: 15990
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 11:19
I'm a fan RCS, I don't really care about losses I want promotion and exciting football!
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C.V
If you want to keep the few fans we have you have got to give us something decent to watch
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I-Love-CTFC
Posts: 1538
Joined: 09 Jul 2011, 15:55
Cancel those contracts talks with Yates.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
Posts: 29809
Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Robin wrote:I'm a fan RCS, I don't really care about losses I want promotion and exciting football!
I'm a fan and want a club still functioning in fifty years. Exciting football yes I want that, but promotion a bonus.

Ask Stockport, Darlington, Portsmouth fans etc how they enjoy football right now. That must not happen to CTFC.
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London Exile
Posts: 3194
Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 15:48
Could the club look at appointing a director of football possibly?
We need someone experienced tactically to help bring out some of the raw talent Yates has. IMO I'm not sure if Howarth really brings much to the party other than putting out the cones and collecting the bibs.
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Robin
Posts: 15990
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 11:19
I'm just being honest RCS, I bet the overwhelming majority of fans want success (promotion back to league one and some good cup runs). I want the board to find the finances to do that, by running a tight ship they will always be criticised for lack of ambition I'm afraid.

By the way in the main I think the board are doing a good job and have freed up good funds for Yates.
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Joey
Posts: 2928
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Location: League One
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:
Robin wrote:I'm a fan RCS, I don't really care about losses I want promotion and exciting football!
I'm a fan and want a club still functioning in fifty years. Exciting football yes I want that, but promotion a bonus.

Ask Stockport, Darlington, Portsmouth fans etc how they enjoy football right now. That must not happen to CTFC.
If we get this standard of football for the next 50 years there will be nobody left to watch it.
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Piro Teknix
Posts: 167
Joined: 05 Nov 2013, 22:25
Joey wrote: If we get this standard of football for the next 50 years there will be nobody left to watch it.
There weren't many there today just 2707 with 350 of those from Northampton.
So with roughly 2350 home fans, half of which would have been season ticket holders and kids getting in free, plus complementaries it must be ringing alarm bells for Mr Baker.
He really is going to have to do some clever marketing with the early bird offer to convince fans that it is worth investing in another season ticket because without their loyalty next season's playing budget will be greatly decreased and we all know that once fans stop buying a season ticket they start to pick and choose which games to attend and there have definitely not many games you would have chosen to go to this season !
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Malabus
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Location: The Death Star.
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Carthorse Ted
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Location: Taylor's Skinyard
I did not come under starter's orders, due to a recent heavy fall. (really).

In the past, I would have moved hell and high water (oops) to have got there...but I thought, why bother and aggravate the poor old fetlock, to watch, and it grieves me to say it, a headless bunch of inept characters masquerading as an apparently woefully led football team.

I never thought I would ever countenance this but things will have to change mighty drastically on the playing field, the management team and Board to tempt me to renew my season ticket of many, many years.
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Nesty
Posts: 6657
Joined: 18 Jun 2011, 09:17
Piro Teknix wrote:
Joey wrote: If we get this standard of football for the next 50 years there will be nobody left to watch it.
There weren't many there today just 2707 with 350 of those from Northampton.
So with roughly 2350 home fans, half of which would have been season ticket holders and kids getting in free, plus complementaries it must be ringing alarm bells for Mr Baker.
He really is going to have to do some clever marketing with the early bird offer to convince fans that it is worth investing in another season ticket because without their loyalty next season's playing budget will be greatly decreased and we all know that once fans stop buying a season ticket they start to pick and choose which games to attend and there have definitely not many games you would have chosen to go to this season !

There will be no clearer indication of the boards lack of ambition than if the board offer these clowns new contracts.
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Nesty
Posts: 6657
Joined: 18 Jun 2011, 09:17
Carthorse Ted wrote:I did not come under starter's orders, due to a recent heavy fall. (really).

In the past, I would have moved hell and high water (oops) to have got there...but I thought, why bother and aggravate the poor old fetlock, to watch, and it grieves me to say it, a headless bunch of inept characters masquerading as an apparently woefully led football team.

I never thought I would ever countenance this but things will have to change mighty drastically on the playing field, the management team and Board to tempt me to renew my season ticket of many, many years.
Good post, if this does not sound alarm bells then what will?
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RobinHood
Posts: 86
Joined: 29 May 2012, 23:23
Best case scenario for PB is that we lose in the play off final every year, a League 1 budget is expensive and our crowds aren't really good enough to sustain it.

EVERY club is looking for that manager who can get you into the play offs on a budget, and good football is an added bonus. Even in 11-12 which everyone looks back on fondly on we only really played good stuff until Christmas, then it got very stodgy as we suffered the annual post festive decline.

In my opinion we have to start finding players like Pack, young, hungry and most importantly, cheap. I don't think going for players like Cureton which hoover up all the budget is the answer, even if he does bring in a few goals.
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solihullkev
Posts: 1178
Joined: 24 Aug 2013, 19:53
I was excited by the signing of Cureton in the summer, but I suspect the vast majority have been underwhelmed by his contribution. I don't criticise anyone for the signing, but it just didn't work as well as we all hoped. There we are.
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Uppy
Posts: 2542
Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 12:48
We can't provide chances for strikers. That's the issue. There's no way that Benson, Harrad, Cureton, etc. all forgot how to play when they came to us.
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Malabus
Posts: 13348
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Location: The Death Star.
Uppy wrote:We can't provide chances for strikers. That's the issue. There's no way that Benson, Harrad, Cureton, etc. all forgot how to play when they came to us.
Agree.


I would hate to be a striker at Cheltenham. We don't even play with wingers.
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Alf
Posts: 2183
Joined: 17 Apr 2011, 08:24
Malabus wrote:
Uppy wrote:We can't provide chances for strikers. That's the issue. There's no way that Benson, Harrad, Cureton, etc. all forgot how to play when they came to us.
Agree.


I would hate to be a striker at Cheltenham. We don't even play with wingers.
Also agree. If you're not not feeding convertible chances for your strikers, you are not going to score many goals and we dont score many goa ls. Strikers at this level are not magicians.
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Benctfc
Posts: 1354
Joined: 29 Dec 2011, 16:54
Location: Whaddon road
Agree rarely do you find a striker at this level that can score goals on their own e.g. Wes Thomas. It's all about the service and when you play with no wingers you wont get the best out of your strikers. How often have other teams scored from crosses into the box against us yet we never seem to score goals like this.
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CheltRobin
Posts: 1995
Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 15:36
51/84 - ur right, PB does indeed read this forum- but only to while away a lunch break. I dont think he takes what is said on here that seriously - after all, only a small number of us are regular posters on here, prob only 10% (if that) of the regular home support?
How serious were you being about PB responding to this thread?? Sorry, but he wont be.
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51/84
Posts: 3576
Joined: 24 Nov 2009, 10:20
I am 100% serious about the chairman responding to this thread

If he is disappointed and frustrated with the support he needs to either explain that comment or hear the reasons

I have seen the accounts, I have heard the manager and the chairman having their say but.
The chairman says the club is sustainable and I say it is not when he and the board are penny pinching
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Ralph
Posts: 4841
Joined: 23 Dec 2009, 01:56
51/84 wrote:I am 100% serious about the chairman responding to this thread
well thats not going to happen
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CheltRobin
Posts: 1995
Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 15:36
51/84 - Very valid point on the financial situation thou, we seriously do need some fresh injection of cash onto the board before the money set aside runs out. Not only do we need to finance a squad capable of getting peomoted and then staying up in L1 , but we need the new main stand in the next couple of seasons too. Everything feels like a pipe dream at the mo.
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London Exile
Posts: 3194
Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 15:48
I don't think you'll get a reply 51/84, I've not had one to my email I sent a few weeks ago.

As for investment and a new stand, I wouldn't hold your breath CheltRobin, why would anyone invest with things as they are at the minute?
We've seen numerous players paid off that the current management have signed and then not been able to work with. On top of that we've got declining gates (as have most L2 teams in fairness) and we've got a tired ground that needs work to two stands/sides.
There are much more attractive options for would be investors when it comes to football clubs
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Alf
Posts: 2183
Joined: 17 Apr 2011, 08:24
Fair point but after saying that there a plenty of Conference clubs who have decent backers ploughing money into them.
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