Post by yooessus on Feb 4, 2008 2:37:45 GMT
I've been over here now since Dec 91 and have watched the decline of SUFC run parallel with what has happened in the pro game. While this is more than a game to the fans, consuming your passion and your waking moments, Footbal at all levels is now just a business. Like all commercial enterprises, some work and many more fail. There is a lot to be learned from what happens here, even if we find it often unpalatable.
Sports management as a commercial enterprise is wholly an american phenomenon. The team itself is immaterial to the franchise or brand. Marketing is the key. There is a reason why so many American owners are attracted to English football clubs , albeit mainly premier. Unlike their own sports, they see proper football as truly a global game with global marketing opportunity.
Over here, a team can move from Houston to Tennesse because the city they move to will build them a stadium and provide tax incentves for the owners, the local TV station will provide game day coverage. The fans don't matter. In fact, in many cases they just won't be fans until, as in the Houston case, they get a new "franchise" and then they'll start again. Note, they don't even call them teams. Those 'die hard ' fans who won't switch aliegence never number enough to make a significant impact so they make a bit of noise, hold a few rallies and that's about it. Once it gets to the point that TV and League money outweighs fan money then the fans that buy tickets have no voice. American football does not need to rely on its fanbase for revenues. Something close is occurring in the UK domestic leagues.
So how does this affect SUFC, well, a lot of the potential new fans are already being wooed by the "glamour clubs" Watching your new team win something shiny from the comfort of your living room trumps standing in the shoebox in the rain. Sadly, customers (are they really Fans?) who complain about not being able to afford the premiership are seemingly not inclined to spend a tenner getting wet and cold. Better to save that tenner and a few more to buy the shirt of some overpaid tosser who'll not be with whoever you support now in a season or two.
Now, you can not go blaming the Yanks as they are just seeing an opportunity and fully exploiting it but I think the knock on is that many clubs like ours are faced with some unpleasant decisions. Based on how we operate now, we can only expect to drop lower and lower down the pecking order until ultimate obscurity. There will be no sentiment from anyone but the core 300 or so fans. Realistically, we are never going to be able to compete on a budget built around 300 or 400 core suporters. Good non league players or on the way down pro's will still command top dollar and we are not going to be able to ffer that . Interestingly enough, it is worth noting some of the more sucessful, as in stable/strong, non league teams are a combination of mergers between local teams (for the fan base) together with local benifactors. (for the money)
That brings me back to a point made a decade ago (as US U's) the first step to recovery is to look at combining with the local rivals. Immediately this would be Carshalton, but nowadays might also include Kingstonian and AFC wimbledon at a later date (this did not hurt Walthamstow/Dagenham/Redbridge) to become the 'super club' in your area. Think of the potential, one club in a London Borough meaning the Borough not only can sponser the club but also any ground issues become easier .
Remember, the fans you lose becaues they wont go with the merged proposal may be 10% -15% of the total. However, the local interest/media buzz around the new team will well exceed that and could be sustainable if the product (Americanism) on the pitch is decent.
Just some thoughts to get the old grey matter woking.
I will be back in March so anyone who knows me (and there are a few of you) can collar me at GGL
Sports management as a commercial enterprise is wholly an american phenomenon. The team itself is immaterial to the franchise or brand. Marketing is the key. There is a reason why so many American owners are attracted to English football clubs , albeit mainly premier. Unlike their own sports, they see proper football as truly a global game with global marketing opportunity.
Over here, a team can move from Houston to Tennesse because the city they move to will build them a stadium and provide tax incentves for the owners, the local TV station will provide game day coverage. The fans don't matter. In fact, in many cases they just won't be fans until, as in the Houston case, they get a new "franchise" and then they'll start again. Note, they don't even call them teams. Those 'die hard ' fans who won't switch aliegence never number enough to make a significant impact so they make a bit of noise, hold a few rallies and that's about it. Once it gets to the point that TV and League money outweighs fan money then the fans that buy tickets have no voice. American football does not need to rely on its fanbase for revenues. Something close is occurring in the UK domestic leagues.
So how does this affect SUFC, well, a lot of the potential new fans are already being wooed by the "glamour clubs" Watching your new team win something shiny from the comfort of your living room trumps standing in the shoebox in the rain. Sadly, customers (are they really Fans?) who complain about not being able to afford the premiership are seemingly not inclined to spend a tenner getting wet and cold. Better to save that tenner and a few more to buy the shirt of some overpaid tosser who'll not be with whoever you support now in a season or two.
Now, you can not go blaming the Yanks as they are just seeing an opportunity and fully exploiting it but I think the knock on is that many clubs like ours are faced with some unpleasant decisions. Based on how we operate now, we can only expect to drop lower and lower down the pecking order until ultimate obscurity. There will be no sentiment from anyone but the core 300 or so fans. Realistically, we are never going to be able to compete on a budget built around 300 or 400 core suporters. Good non league players or on the way down pro's will still command top dollar and we are not going to be able to ffer that . Interestingly enough, it is worth noting some of the more sucessful, as in stable/strong, non league teams are a combination of mergers between local teams (for the fan base) together with local benifactors. (for the money)
That brings me back to a point made a decade ago (as US U's) the first step to recovery is to look at combining with the local rivals. Immediately this would be Carshalton, but nowadays might also include Kingstonian and AFC wimbledon at a later date (this did not hurt Walthamstow/Dagenham/Redbridge) to become the 'super club' in your area. Think of the potential, one club in a London Borough meaning the Borough not only can sponser the club but also any ground issues become easier .
Remember, the fans you lose becaues they wont go with the merged proposal may be 10% -15% of the total. However, the local interest/media buzz around the new team will well exceed that and could be sustainable if the product (Americanism) on the pitch is decent.
Just some thoughts to get the old grey matter woking.
I will be back in March so anyone who knows me (and there are a few of you) can collar me at GGL