Club in Tatters?

[RedRebel32]

what would be the scope of a sub-committee?

Well that can be developed at a meeting rovers1 it was a preliminary idea. Perhaps organising a group of the younger fans into say a sub-committee of ten.They learn about the running of the club which will stand the club in good stead for the future.
They will also ease the burden of work for the MC.The MC can allocate the projects for example player sponsership.they hand the sub-committee this project to develop for 2 months in teh lead up to the new season and when the 2 months have passed a few representatives meet each other and discuss progress aswell as a written report.that is just an example,whether it be other things like helping keith voluntarily or whatever it could be looked into.

officials often question whether us fans put our money where our mouth is and just mud-sling at the MC,well im sure many fans i know would be more than happy to step up to the plate.the club should be more organised and run properly.the sub-committe can also bridge the gap between MC and the average fan and fans can approach the committee with their thoughts.

i first stepped foot in the showgies at about the age of 5 for a pre-season friendly,and in all the time i've been there i can honestly say i have never had a convo with an MC member.is this not a community club?
perhaps the club should come out of the stone age organisationally speaking

[Only1Rovers]

A meeting for all club members (shareholders) has been called for this Monday evening in the Southern Hotel at 8pm.

This meeting is to discuss the immediate and long term future of the club.

[Rovers Maniac]

Does not sound good at all, is it open to season ticket holders.

[Only1Rovers]

Does not sound good at all, is it open to season ticket holders.

Members only, if your names not on the door your, not coming in.

[Rovers Maniac]

Deffo tonight? Nothing on the website.

[Redzer]

A meeting for all club members (shareholders) has been called for this Monday evening in the Southern Hotel at 8pm.

This meeting is to discuss the immediate and long term future of the club.

I'm a shareholder and I haven't heard anything about a meeting this evening.

[D Brannigan]

I'm a shareholder and I haven't heard anything about a meeting this evening.

Meeting is next Monday 14th July.

[Knappagh Red]

Will it all be bad news Dermot?

[oldrover]

Lets keep things in perspective.

Rovers have always struggled financially except for short periods where we experienced success on the field and even then the financial gains did not last for a variety of reasons.

we still have more fans coming in the gates than many clubs,consider the small gate at the last Pats game or the number of Shams supporters at the cup game. Relative to population our fan numbers are very good. The reality is that financial benefactors are keeping other clubs afloat.

Our team is/was not far off the mark this year, but for one or two self inflicted mistakes in the cup we would be looking forward to a big gate against Cork city in the next round

Sligo Rovers represents the only realistic hope Sligo has of achieving any success in the area of team sports.The club has along and proud tradition and has built a reputation for Sligo extending beyond the sports field as having a never say die attitude.

Now once again we need to apply the same attitude Johnny Chadda for so many years displayed. We must not let despair creep in or limit our ambition. At all costs we have to avoid falling back into the doldrums of the first division again. We all need to get behind the club and help in whatever way possible to drive the club on to success again. We need to get as much community/business backing as possible. We will not get this backing without a positive approach.

[red arrow]

fair play to you old rover well said. what is ahead of us is a huge challenge to keep the club afloat. i would make a guess and say the club is about k300 in the red. we have a number of immediate problems. priority is cash flow to hold onto the players that we already have . in my opinion we have a very good squod as good as we have had in a long long time. we are in a catch 22 situation here big time. if we let go more players our squod is weakened substantially and more than likely we will have enough points to stay in the premier league but cooke is likely to leave at end of season because of loss of players. so come 2009 (if club does not fold in the meantime due to financial crisis) we will still be in the premier league but have no manager and few players. this would be a huge catastrophy. the only way we can stay afloat is to gather at least k100 immediately. i would suggest that the club
seek out 500 people who are willing to give 200 euro to gererate an immediate
k100 or 200 people who are willing to cough up e500 each. if the proper approach was made to the right people this is feasable. of course the right overtures would have to be made to the manager to keep him along with the players. i also think once and for all the whole matter of the trust be opened up so that the ground can gererate revenue flow for the club. this particular situation is a huge bee in peoples bonnet. i rest my case

[Rovers fan]

How do you become a member and how much does it cost?

[redtildead]

600 euro I think? Can be payed to any MC members

[Rovers fan]

600 euro I think? Can be payed to any MC members

Ah crap,thought it was under 100

[clubman]

fair play to you old rover well said. what is ahead of us is a huge challenge to keep the club afloat. i would make a guess and say the club is about k300 in the red. we have a number of immediate problems. priority is cash flow to hold onto the players that we already have . in my opinion we have a very good squod as good as we have had in a long long time. we are in a catch 22 situation here big time. if we let go more players our squod is weakened substantially and more than likely we will have enough points to stay in the premier league but cooke is likely to leave at end of season because of loss of players. so come 2009 (if club does not fold in the meantime due to financial crisis) we will still be in the premier league but have no manager and few players. this would be a huge catastrophy. the only way we can stay afloat is to gather at least k100 immediately. i would suggest that the club
seek out 500 people who are willing to give 200 euro to gererate an immediate
k100 or 200 people who are willing to cough up e500 each. if the proper approach was made to the right people this is feasable. of course the right overtures would have to be made to the manager to keep him along with the players. i also think once and for all the whole matter of the trust be opened up so that the ground can gererate revenue flow for the club. this particular situation is a huge bee in peoples bonnet. i rest my case

Getting 500/200 people to put x amount of money in is only a short term solution. 100K will just about cover the running costs for one month - what then? Go back to the same people and ask them to give again - I don't think so. Presently the club is run on a wing and a prayer. Get through this week and next week will look after itself. This has always been the way the club has operated. No matter what way one looks at the situation the only thing that's certain is that it's impossible to make a profit in football at this level. You say the club is about 300K in the red - that's not a huge amount of money and it certainly is manageable. So what can be done?
At the moment the operational costs are 50K every fortnight during which time we have one home game. The attendance against Derry by league of ireland standards was a good one yet it only generated something in the region of 16K which leaves us shy of 34K until our next home game. So now we know what we need to generate in the region of 40K off the pitch in order for the club to survive. We will not now nor never will be in a position to generate enough income through attendances alone to function so other avenues have to be sough out. Sponsorship is the biggest earner for every club and this is where the community, businesses and the likes have to be approached on a very professional basis. The way the club is structured doesn't allow for professionalism off the pitch. It's not feasiable for voluntary workers to carry the workload of professionals which is akin to comparing a professional club to part-timers. The part-timers can dishout the odd up-set but realistically the pros will shine through in the end.
The structure of the club has to be addressed. This is top priority. Sligo Rovers have a fantastic fan base with people in all types of professions. These people need to be tapped into for direction/advice on how the club should move forward. Voluntary committees/workers worked down through the years and people devoted their lives to the Rovers but times/people have changed.
Our club maybe 300K in the red but one thing we can be proud of and others are very envious of and it's this - we own our ground and if it was to be utilised to it's potential we'd realise we are sitting on a goldmine.
As I say we have the supporters of all professions it's way past the time that these people were approached collectively for their advice.

[Only1Rovers]

Deffo tonight? Nothing on the website.

If it was tonight I would have said it's tonight!

[D Brannigan]

How do you become a member and how much does it cost?

The cost is 635euro in one payment or you can pay by direct debt over 3years which costs a little bit more.You must have one third payed to attend an A.G.M. and have a vote.

[D Brannigan]

Will it all be bad news Dermot?

Not if we can get a lot of people to do a little rather than a few doing a lot.

[sligoman]

A meeting for all club members (shareholders) has been called for this Monday evening in the Southern Hotel at 8pm.

If it was tonight I would have said it's tonight!

Posting 'this Monday evening' at 6pm on a Monday implies tonight.

[akearins]

A meeting of just shareholders to me is just wrong.I know more fans who go to every home and away game, are season ticket holders, 400 club members and lottery buyers but not shareholders so they are not entitled to atend but will be the same people who will be approached to provide financial assiatance. At every AGM 30-40 shareholders turn up and only a handful have anything to say.
At the last AGM it was suggested and agreed that a public meeting must be held, but no sign of it Now is the ideal time for this and get tell teh fans exactly the position we are in and what we can do to ride this out.
I mean its not 40 or so shareholders who keep the club afloat its the masses who now need to be feel included.
Id say open this meeting up to anyone who wants to come, make all feel welcome and part of the club, for this has been a grievence with supporters in the past.Just look at Hughie Blain who organised Poker classics and is constalntly tryiong to raise funds for the club, is someone like him not entitled to listen to what has to be said at this meeting and maybe sugegst some solutions or do we let loyal fans hear it second hand.

Id say open up to the public,set out a frameowrk for the meeting and limit speakers from the floor to a set and agreed time to allow everyone have their say.

If it really is a community club as we are told then open it up to the entire Sligo Rovers community

[dublinred]

600 euro I think? Can be payed to any MC members

Is share money ringfenced for development work?