Personally the main problem I have is that it doesn't seem to me that everything was attempted to save the club. Fair enough local creditors were not burned but extra financial pressure has been heaped on the other Premier clubs and, in turn, their local creditors. From the outside looking in it seems that Mons gave up too easily, that they looked at the problems, deemed them insurmountable and gave up. I get no impression that every effort, no matter how ridiculous, was made to save the club.
For example, off the top of my head:
Cost Cutting Taken as a given, players allowed to leave, amateurs brought in on expenses or whatever.
Fund Raising 1. There have been collections for other clubs in Turners' Cross in the past and I'm sure in other grounds too. I've bought a Harps prize draw ticket before, were efforts made to fundraise from opposition fans? Granted it wouldn't raise much but it'd be something
2. Assuming they could convince Roddy to stay on, a "Relegate Roddy" fundraiser could have been launched for everyone who'd like to see him go down with the ship for once. A shamefaced gimmick but I'd say it'd get a few bob.
Crowds Not getting them in Monaghan so ... get them elsewhere. Turners' Cross, Tallaght Stadium, The Brandywell are stadia that are not owned by the clubs playing in them. Therefore it may have been possible to cede home advantage against the relevant teams and get much higher gate receipts. Hell, Tallaght could have become a "home" ground against the other Dublin clubs when available. Not an easy thing to organize but many a goalpost could have been shifted in a crisis situation.
Sponsor Less than two thirds of a season to go and with reduced bills a desperate play for a few grand to see them through should have yielded something. 1. Obviously no business saw enough value to a sponsorship deal so Mons would have needed to add value, e.g. With no budget and amateur/youth players Mon's would have done a Galway on it. In fact they'd be a sure bet to go down, fans all over the league may have been interested in betting on how much their team would have beaten Mons by. A quirky ready made advertising campaign for bookies I would have thought.
2. Auction it on eBay (with a reasonable reserve price). Quirky auctions can make it to the national and international media. "'We don't care what logo is on our shirts as long as it is Family Friendly", said a club spokesperson, " it could be a business, a romantic gesture to a loved one or even opposition fans telling us we're rubbish.'"
Yes I know that some of these ideas are crazy and some wouldn't work. Some might have worked but not raised/saved enough. But they represent the last ditch that Mons seem to have refused to even look into.
Bookmarks