The Derry City thread - Derry sign first four players

**total hoofball** · 01/12/2009, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by Buile Shuibhne

http://www.derryjournal.com/derry-sp...ed.5872873.jp?

"We're also hoping for an increase in numbers attending games or at least hoping there will be no real difference in attendance numbers from last year. We want to give Stephen (Kenny) a budget to work with within the next few days.

Scary, looks like a big shock is in store for the honchos in charge of Derry mk2 of the realities of the graveyard

A new franchise evolved from a club with a disasterous ending, a lower league that is horrible to watch, recession and hopes there will be no change in average attendances (2,436 in 2009) or even an increase!

Ok two home matches against Finn Harps should bring out a decent crowd but they will be lucky if they get 1,500 punters in for the remaining 15 matches of lumping the ball into the corner flag that is the First Division

**Dillonman** · 01/12/2009, 10:52 PM

A winning team will attract people through the gates, its always the case, if ye get off to a bad start then expect to see less coming through the gates but if ye can keep a few of the current squad aswell as adding some decent lower league standard players then ye should be alright

**dcfcsteve** · 02/12/2009, 2:04 AM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

A new franchise evolved from a club with a disasterous ending, a lower league that is horrible to watch, recession and hopes there will be no change in average attendances (2,436 in 2009) or even an increase!

Ok two home matches against Finn Harps should bring out a decent crowd but they will be lucky if they get 1,500 punters in for the remaining 15 matches of lumping the ball into the corner flag that is the First Division

Was it not stated that a 50% drop in attendances was expected - to a figure of about 1,300 ?

**MariborKev** · 02/12/2009, 8:33 AM

Steve

Remember we have over 300 season tickets already sold, which is a massive hit in revenue as well.

The more digging goes on under what happened under the last regime, the worse it gets.

**Mr_Parker** · 02/12/2009, 9:36 AM

Originally Posted by MariborKev

Steve

Remember we have over 300 season tickets already sold, which is a massive hit in revenue as well.

The more digging goes on under what happened under the last regime, the worse it gets.

Are you saying that those tickets will have to be honored?

**MariborKev** · 02/12/2009, 10:08 AM

No,

I am not saying that at all

I am saying that if they are honoured, either partially or fully(legal issues notwithstanding)
- It will be huge revenue hole

If they are not honoured, most of those people will walk away from the club
- It will be a huge hole in revenue

**Flexy** · 02/12/2009, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by MariborKev

No,

I am not saying that at all

I am saying that if they are honoured, either partially or fully(legal issues notwithstanding)
- It will be huge revenue hole

If they are not honoured, most of those people will walk away from the club
- It will be a huge hole in revenue

Kev wot would you do in the situation if you were the chairman. If I was Paul Diamond Id refund the fans for the loyality they have shown to the club, it will risk them walking away from the club for good. Small price to pay for future season ticket sales.

**marinobohs** · 02/12/2009, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Flexy

Kev wot would you do in the situation if you were the chairman. If I was Paul Diamond Id refund the fans for the loyality they have shown to the club, it will risk them walking away from the club for good. Small price to pay for future season ticket sales.

At a time where every penny will be vital this may be luxury not open to the club (otherwise 300 potential paying customers disappear for the season).Hopefully they will be able to come to some sort of deal with these fans to reflect the loyalty shown - heavily discounted rate or some similar arrangement.
Surprised if wages budget will be even 50% of last season to be honest. Most Prem sides are cutting by amounts not far off 50% and Dery have the added handicap of 1st Division football.

garyderry · 02/12/2009, 1:05 PM

Originally Posted by Flexy

Kev wot would you do in the situation if you were the chairman. If I was Paul Diamond Id refund the fans for the loyality they have shown to the club, it will risk them walking away from the club for good. Small price to pay for future season ticket sales.

It may not be a choice, there are legalities in the whole mess
And there was a mention of the possibility of the likes of McGinn moving to wolves,
the old company getting a percentage of that money, which would go towards the debts (including those season ticket sales)

**Schumi** · 02/12/2009, 1:23 PM

Surely all that money would be swallowed up long before it got to paying off people who bought season tickets. Would there be an issue with the new company honouring some old debts but not others?

**dcfcsteve** · 02/12/2009, 3:41 PM

Originally Posted by Flexy

Kev wot would you do in the situation if you were the chairman. If I was Paul Diamond Id refund the fans for the loyality they have shown to the club, it will risk them walking away from the club for good. Small price to pay for future season ticket sales.

Kev has a much better inside ear than me, but here's the type of solution I'd look at.

The Club can't afford to go without the income from 300 paying fans. Assuming we charge �10 an adult ticket for games next year, assuming 22 home season ticket games a year, and assuming for the sake of maths that all 300 pre-sales were to adults, honouring those season tickets in full would potentially see a drop in gross gate income of �66,000. Not to be sniffed at.

At the sametime, however, it would be madness to do nothing for the 'Brandywell 300', as it would wind-up a lot of them and other fans. A substantial number of those would probably drift away from the club in anger, which would have a massive impact on future club revenues. It would also mean that the gross loss in honouring the tickets is in reality much lower than �66k.

So I would propose DCFC come up with a happy half-way point.

The club needs to try to do right by the fans here, so I'd suggest they bring out a special season ticket for those 300. That ticket would cost half of the cost of an ordinary ticket for next year.That would be justified on the grounds that the club wants to be fair to the fans, but also will struggle without the revenue. However - I'd also ensure that the ticket came loaded with extras. Not draws that one or two people may win but something potentially for everyone (in the audience), and a proper 'money can't buy' idea.

It could be a special '300 club' limited event for them and their families at some point in the season at which players would be present. It could be a Free City shirt, travel on the team bus to an away game at some pointin the season. or access to the VIP Glentoran stand for any that would be interested.

Whatever the 'extra' the principle should be to bring in some money from these fans in a way that they still got cheaper access than everyone else and were then rewarded with a 'money can't buy' initiative that would hopefully keep them happy. And ideally such inititaives would have no real or significant incremental cost to the club.

If the right offer was put together and it was explained to fans that the new club would really suffer if it didn't get a penny from the 300, then I would hope that most of them would be happy to sign-up.

It would also get round any suggestion of the new club honouring the old club's debts, as all fans will still have to pay for a ticket.

**Straightstory** · 02/12/2009, 4:11 PM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

Scary, looks like a big shock is in store for the honchos in charge of Derry mk2 of the realities of the graveyard

A new franchise evolved from a club with a disasterous ending, a lower league that is horrible to watch, recession and hopes there will be no change in average attendances (2,436 in 2009) or even an increase!

Ok two home matches against Finn Harps should bring out a decent crowd but they will be lucky if they get 1,500 punters in for the remaining 15 matches of lumping the ball into the corner flag that is the First Division

That's a ballsy post with attitude! I like your name too!

**culloty82** · 03/12/2009, 7:39 AM

When are the licences being decided?

**Celdrog** · 03/12/2009, 8:45 AM

Originally Posted by Schumi

Would there be an issue with the new company honouring some old debts but not others?

Tom Coughlan managed it quite well this season, so from an FAI position, probably not

**MariborKev** · 03/12/2009, 9:35 AM

Schumi: There would be an issue.

**Schumi** · 03/12/2009, 4:04 PM

Originally Posted by Celdrog

Tom Coughlan managed it quite well this season, so from an FAI position, probably not

If "Tom Coughlan did it" is your excuse, you're in trouble already I think!

**micls** · 06/12/2009, 9:26 PM

Derry ST had a meeting tonight. Quote from a synopsis on their forum (new chairman spoke)

We will also pending a successful license application be allowed to continue in setanta cup next season.

Seems strange to me.

**Mr A** · 06/12/2009, 9:35 PM

Incredible if true. Almost as if the FAI want to encourage the insane and unethical behaviour that has gone on at Derry City in the last few years.

**dcfcsteve** · 06/12/2009, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

Incredible if true. Almost as if the FAI want to encourage the insane and unethical behaviour that has gone on at Derry City in the last few years.

Calm down - it's merely a reference to the fact that the Setanta cup from the season just finished is spilling over into next season.

We qualified to play in the 2009 Setanta Cup as a result of our 2008 performances. It's not our fault the bloody thing is still being played in 2010, and it would cause problems for the Setanta Cup itself to lose a team half way through the series.

**tiktok** · 06/12/2009, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

We qualified to play in the 2009 Setanta Cup as a result of our 2008 performances. It's not our fault the bloody thing is still being played in 2010, and it would cause problems for the Setanta Cup itself to lose a team half way through the series.

You're completely wrong there I'm afraid and I think you're not picking up why Mr.A is rightly amazed.

The 'New Derry City' didn't qualify for anything. The club that qualified in 2008 doesn't exist today. There's no way an entirely new entity should be allowed to parachute into a competition already in progress, it's more FAI fudging and frankly, a load of ****ing toss!

Still, there are positives, when Coughlan eventually goes bang at Cork City, the FAI are setting themselves a ridiculous precedent that Cork City supporters can beat them over the heads with.