Less than 2,000

[London Exile]

Cheers for that RCS.
I find the whole thing about the ground very frustrating, it seems whenever the question of a new main stand gets raised, it quickly gets laughed off 'because we can't afford it. '
A new main stand and improved PRE terrace would provide the home fans with 3 great viewing options and also improve our off-field activity.
I'm not advocating lumping large debt on the club but surely there are a few things we can look at to help raise revenue -
1) Sell off some of the car park to help fund a new stand
2) Partner with social housing or student union to build accommodation into any new stand
3) Ask CBC for help, perhaps sell off Parklands for housing and incorporate a new community facility in a new main stand

A lot obviously revolves around CBC and whether they are willing to help, but are we asking the question?
If we are and the council are rebuffing our ask for assistance, them I feel as a supporter and resident we deserve to know if they are not willing to help.
There was an article in the Echo last April ('13) about a potential land swap near the M5, nothing more has been said?
It just fans the flames that little tit bits get revealed to entice supporters at crucial times but then very little happens

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

what money we pay rent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah yes so we do. In which case it will be very tough to emulate Burton without council support as London Exile states above.

[mattyboi]

I notice there was a car boot at the ground today, Is this a club fundraising idea? With the racecourse now not operating a car boot every week, could CTFC run 1 every week? £5 a car £10 for traders 50p for buyers. All profit hoes straight into playing budget.

[51/84]

I think it was a cancer charity car boot
Pity there were no flyers given out on Saturday

[horlickfanclub]

Some away fans were disgusted with the "premier " match tag so stood behind the prestbury road end to save a few pounds and kept quiet.The extra charge has a real negative feel about it.

[Benctfc]

Just speaking for myself and its only my own personnel feeling.After following the club for many many years well over 1000+ games watched, l believe the club plateaued maybe three or four seasons ago.It seems to have gone pretty stale over the past few seasons we just don't seem to be progressing just treading water.The excitement just isn't there for me anymore.l never attended yesterday not through the racing but due to the fact we had been on a poor run and to be honest the game just didn't appeal to me.
Last season or maybe it was the season before there was all this talk about moving that was just a pipe dream,l can see the club still plodding along with the old main stand in place long after my time is up we are just not moving with the times.To attract new customers we have to offer something better its all to out dated the whole package we have to offer. We this season have a bar facility behind the Bristol Street Motors Stand surly the club could have done better than just plonk a table out in the open very amature it makes the club look

This sums it up perfectly for me. As you say when you have such poor facilities as we do you don't get that match day buzz and your not prepared to pay 20+ pounds. Until we look to develop a stand or two or move to a new modern ground with better facilties the crowds will continue to drop. You can't just rely on results to draw the crowds in. The question is do we have any ambition of moving or looking to try and develop the main stand? Seems to me like were happy to keep plodding along until crowds drop to under 2,000 regularly.

[Robin]

While a new main stand is desperately needed that alone will not bring the crowds back, we need a proper football atmosphere to go with it in my opinion.

[London Exile]

I think the two go hand in hand robin.
I believe that a new stand and much improved PRE would encourage a few more people through the gate, primarily because we'd have better facilities and fans would be intrigued to try them out.
From there we have a chance to sell the club and recapture the interest.

You only have to look at how popular new grounds or new stands are with supporters, in the case of new stadiums most clubs have seen a good rise in attendances. Granted a new ground of us is highly unlikely but much improved facilities will show the people of Cheltenham and Gloucestershire that this club is ambitious

[Robin]

Good points Exile, I also feel the club is perceived as unambitious and we need to rid ourselves of that stigma.

[taxidave]

Good points Exile, I also feel the club is perceived as unambitious and we need to rid ourselves of that stigma.

With our present Boardroom set up we are never going to be ambitious.

[Malabus]

With our present Boardroom set up we are never going to be ambitious. [/quote]

That's half the problem, Dave.

[C.V]

Only half

[leohoenig]

ANyone hear waiting with baited breath for the new Malabus/Dave proposals as to how the club should be run

[C.V]

ANyone hear waiting with baited breath for the new Malabus/Dave proposals as to how the club should be run

Why should they it seems like the 2000 are happy enough







For the time being

[taxidave]

ANyone hear waiting with baited breath for the new Malabus/Dave proposals as to how the club should be run

Or perhaps you would like to share your views on how the club can move forward.

[leohoenig]

I think you will find I have already posted my ideas.

[taxidave]

I think you will find I have already posted my ideas.

Oh yes, a bit like the Board's, not very ambitious.
When was the last time our Directors dipped their hands in their pockets and made a major investment.

[Malabus]

ANyone hear waiting with baited breath for the new Malabus/Dave proposals as to how the club should be run

We are too static at the club. People get bored.

[51/84]

How many of the last 4 directors put money in, but dont worry the club is sustainable - the chairman said so
Didnt say at what level , we go with what we got
Rely on getting to the 3rd FA cup and getting Chelski

[Shade]

Oh look, it's the usual band of moaning, ungrateful bastards, telling other people to stick their hands in their pockets for our amusement.

Maybe they're busy sticking their hands in their pockets to keep the club in the league so that you have a local league football team to watch. If you wanted to watch them.

[51/84]

I suspect Shade that the posters are shareholders, volunter, 500 club and 50/50 players along with the trust membership
Have sponsored players matches and other initiatives which is why I find it difficult that certain of the board shuffle in why others are prevented. similarly people who have put money in when times are hard have been ignored until the next financial need

We dont need the money, one of them was told by a board member, there was a change of heart but the money had gone elsewhere by the time the collection bag came round

[taxidave]

Oh look, it's the usual band of moaning, ungrateful bastards, telling other people to stick their hands in their pockets for our amusement.

And how many of our present Board have put up the £100k that PB insists is the minimum for a place on the Board ?
I do not understand how I can be considered an "ungrateful bast@rd" as I have not seen a single match this season therefore have nothing to be ungrateful for.

[51/84]

taxidave you need to see the latest JP video of our chairman where the tune seems to have changed a bit
I still think some without the money get in while some with will not

But he owns a big chunk of the club so he calls the shots

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Board membership is also about expertise. Just because someone has some cash doesn't mean they are useful in the long run if they just turn up to meetings for free food and can't understand anything or contribute much. Whereas someone who is an expert in a relevant field with lots of professional contacts may be able to spend a day a week contributing to ctfc pro bono even if they don't have anything to invest. You could even argue that say someone has a day rate of £800 in their day job then they only need to give 125 days of time working in their field of expertise for ctfc to have given the equivalent of £100,000

[Ralph]

taxidave you need to see the latest JP video of our chairman where the tune seems to have changed a bit
I still think some without the money get in while some with will not

But he owns a big chunk of the club so he calls the shots

and we should all be thankful for that

[Robin]

Yes the board do a good job but we need extra investment and like it or loathe it someone who can help fund a new 4000 seater main stand with decent non-match day revenue opportunities.

[CheltRobin]

Agree with an earlier post about the apathy of our fans - it does seems much worse at Chelt than at other clubs. It's a vicious circle - apathy of fans leads to less cash coming into the club, leads to smaller and less experienced squads, leads to less exciting seaaons, leads to more apathy from fans........

A new main stand would make a lot of difference - are CBC supporting us as much as they could? I think this question needs to be raised at the Fans Forum - I would raise it, but will be on holiday. If anyone on here is going, be grateful if you could ask the question.

[CheltRobin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-29565797" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's what York council are doing to help their league club.

[London Exile]

I don't think any new stand particularly needs to be all seated (unless funding states)
A 4,000 capacity with 2,000 seats and 2,000 standing with all the improved facilities bolted on. I'd love to see a community centre, gym or coffee shop included to be used all week where the local people (young and old) can utilise it and raise that sense of feeling and belonging to the club.
I hope to get to the forum and ask about CBC's support

[CheltRobin]

Cheers LE. Agree the stand should be a mixture of seats/terrace. As the seasons move on, this matter becomes more pressing.

[Malabus]

Chop out the awful seats in the away end and make it a home standing terrace. You would improve the atmosphere especially if admission charges reflected a working man income and affordability.

[CheltRobin]

Wouldn't that make it the wrong ratio for seats/terracing?

[Malabus]

Take down the PRE and add addition temp seating like they used to do at Bournemouth. Wouldn't be a costly venture.

[Robin]

I prefer standing at football but economically any new stand should be seated to maximise revenue streams.

[London Exile]

Mal you might have hit on something there. Would it not be great if we could construct something similar to Bournemouth or Wimbledon at the PRE and move away fans in there particularly if access can be sorted and then give home fans the Hazelwood stand?
Not sure whether it could be converted to a terrace or not though if grants were obtained in funding the build?