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Post by cheshire on Apr 21, 2011 9:51:06 GMT
Was listening to PD interview on the Non League show podcast today (sorry bit behind!) and was interested in the way he described that BSS was a “good level for a club like Sutton”. Now we all know about those clubs that have aimed to buy success at the top of the Pyramid and faced the dire consequences that come from living beyond your means and I know that this is not the Sutton way. PD seemed to suggest that he could not imagine managing at the next level up as it would involve a move to full time contracted manager and not suit him personally.
Given that it has taken 3 years to reach the BSS (which may be a good thing) and that the club has developed both strongly on the field and has built a more solid off field / revenue infrastructure to ensure our upward progress is sustainable, should the club now aim to stabilize and stick at this level or push on with a further 3/4/5 year plan (football and commercial) and seek to progress further to the BS Premier. As a northern exile it would be great to have the opportunity to see the U’s play at this end of the country but are our crowds and budgets appropriate for a further step up the pyramid or is this high risk strategy and an approach that could end in tears? By how much would revenues increase (from higher gates or more sponsorship for example) if we reached the BS Premier? Is it simply about ensuring the revenue streams are there to support the club and then the sky’s the limit?
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Post by Amber Aleman on Apr 21, 2011 12:23:53 GMT
Let's not get ahead of ourselves! I think Step 2 of the non-League pyramid is the right level for Sutton Utd. Assuming there are no more changes to the upper structure of the pyramid, I'd expect Sutton to stick in BSS for most of the foreseeable future, with the occasional spell at one level above or below.
The BS Premier is mostly full-time these days, and if Sutton were to go up then, with our relatively modest support, we'd almost certainly have to stay part-time. There are currently a lot of BSP clubs in far-flung locations (Barrow, Fleetwood, Wrexham, Gateshead, Darlington, Grimsby) so the travelling would be very expensive and place a big strain on part-time players. I think we'd come down again pretty sharpish. But if the geographical bias shifts southwards a bit, I wouldn't mind us having another crack at it.
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Post by Del on Apr 21, 2011 18:59:27 GMT
I don't believe you can stick anywhere.You have to aim to get promoted and hope to get a good cup run to support it.Crowds increase with success and drift away with failure.There are more full time teams in the conference national at present and travelling is more expensive.We have done it before and can do it again.
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DaveF
1st team Player
Posts: 1,726
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Post by DaveF on Apr 21, 2011 19:56:34 GMT
Sorry to hijack a thread but the relevance should be fairly obvious. Money is important at any level of football, Ryman Prem and BSS are no different. Just check out various message boards to see how many clubs are - allegedly - deep in the mire.
The recession is still having a massive effect, it is more difficult than ever to find sponsors. So, I'd like to set a challenge :-) I'd like to ask every U's fan to try and find at least one new sponsor for next season, either 1k to join the Super Sponsors' Club or 500 pounds to sponsor a match. If you can convince a company to sponsor us, great, but if that's not your forte just get them interested and provide me or Graham Baker with a name and contact details. We will put every fan who helps secure a sponsor into a draw and I'm sure we can come up with a really great prize.
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Post by baboonfish on Apr 22, 2011 8:15:31 GMT
If you look at the average attendances of the BSP www.footballwebpages.co.uk/attendances.jsp?comp=5there are two teams with less than ours (which is 695) and two attainable (750 and 910), and of these 4 teams only histon look set to go down this season. Our average attendance would already make us the 7th best supported team in the BSS stats.checkyourodds.co.uk/Conference-South-Attendances-Home.php , and with all the work being done by the club/ST, coupled with the ever-rising balloon of prem ticket prices, i could see our attendances continuing to swell. whether it would be enough to sustain a full-time team is unlikely, but i still reckon we could become a bottom-half BSP team. Just out of interest, what average attendance do people feel is the minimum to sustain a viable full-time club. Obviously no-one would want us to do a grays/canvey/weymouth....insert your example here.... but it would be nice to aim for the BSP.
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DaveF
1st team Player
Posts: 1,726
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Post by DaveF on Apr 22, 2011 8:59:10 GMT
I haven't done any sums about the BSP but even back in the late 1980s Dave Hermitage used to say that we needed an average gate of 1500 to feel comfortable about staying in the Conference without being totally reliant on sponsorship. In rough terms, adding 1000 paying spectators to the gate would allow the wage bill to be increased by around 3k per week, (all other things being equal): so that still wouldn't support a f/t squad.
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Post by garethl on Apr 22, 2011 10:11:47 GMT
I think it's important to point out that whilst a lot of sides in the Conference are full time now it doesn't necessarily mean that this will continue.
Our aim should be to do the best we can. Continue to develop our off field revenue streams and put the best possible side out on the pitch. Then just see where it takes us. If we continue to develop and go forward our future should not necessarily be restricted to BSS. Having said that for now let's just be happy we are a league up, try and enjoy next season and see if we can be there for the season after. IMO that would represent a good year.
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Post by Del on Apr 22, 2011 10:34:13 GMT
I think it's important to point out that whilst a lot of sides in the Conference are full time now it doesn't necessarily mean that this will continue. Our aim should be to do the best we can. Continue to develop our off field revenue streams and put the best possible side out on the pitch. Then just see where it takes us. If we continue to develop and go forward our future should not necessarily be restricted to BSS. Having said that for now let's just be happy we are a league up, try and enjoy next season and see if we can be there for the season after. IMO that would represent a good year. Well said.Totally agree.
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DaveF
1st team Player
Posts: 1,726
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Post by DaveF on Apr 22, 2011 10:39:49 GMT
Which is exactly what our strategy is. Be nice to find the odd million suffed down the back of the sofa though ;D
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Post by The Editor on Apr 22, 2011 13:34:02 GMT
Which is exactly what our strategy is. Be nice to find the odd million suffed down the back of the sofa though ;D Isn't it a huge Euro rollover tonight...
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Post by maw on Apr 22, 2011 14:02:19 GMT
Maybe we could borrow the magic wand that has promoted AFC Wimbledon four times in nine seasons.....
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Post by manchesteru on Apr 22, 2011 14:16:56 GMT
Maybe we could borrow the magic wand that has promoted AFC Wimbledon four times in nine seasons..... What get 2500 people through the gates, a massive sponsership deal and a far larger budget than the rest of the league combined? Might work
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taz
Top Performer
Posts: 3,760
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Post by taz on Apr 22, 2011 14:42:33 GMT
To sustain FT football, you need a good 2000 through the gate every week. And even then it's not guaranteed.
GarethL summed it up best though. Whilst I agree with the club that BSS is about our level, there's nothing wrong with moving up & having a couple of seasons in the national as and when the opportunity arises.
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Post by Andy K on Apr 22, 2011 16:05:42 GMT
Maybe we could borrow the magic wand that has promoted AFC Wimbledon four times in nine seasons..... Oddly enough since the formation of the BSS level us and AFC have both spent 3 years in the RL before getting promoted - and both of us were involved in play off defeats in the first 2 seasons. AFC did get promoted in the 3rd year by beating Staines (by all accounts harshly). Of course we won the title in our 3rd year. So most recent RL record between the two of us is slightly in our favour!
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Post by os on Apr 22, 2011 17:22:25 GMT
Our ambition like any player should be to play at the highest possible level, the day I don't believe that to be the goal is the day I stop going.
Having said that its one thing having that ambition and another making it happen, attendances, infrastructure, players, management, the board, sponsors all play a massive part in the level a club finds itself. You cannot aim to stop still you always got to look to improve every aspect of a club and most importantly you have to believe you can make the next level up.
I see no reason why we cannot continue to push attendances up, why through the FDP we cannot improve our facilities. On the pitch become a good BSS side and then an even better one until we are knocking on the door of the conference.
Reality is only bound by the extent of our dreams and aspirations!!!
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