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Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:14 pm
by Robbie Painter
Picked this up from the club website, MG video interview post receiving award at NE Football writers awards night.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dgoln2le7c3l1 ... d.mp4?dl=0

What's interesting is that MG says "we're a promotion away from hopefully going full time".

I won't go over the figures because even this season with the return to Darlo, the increase in attendances & improvement in sponsorship I'm sure we are a million miles away from being able to finance a full time squad. Comparable clubs like Chester in the division above with vastly better infrastructure can't afford to go full time.

What concerns me is the mismatch between MG's ambition of going full time & the club's financial capabilities. Surely MG must be aware that it'll be a long road to that point?

We'll need significant infrastructure investment, an improvement in the terms of the deal with the rugby club & stronger / deeper relations with both the business community & fans. Unless that is we change our business model & return to being privately owned with a benefactor funding substantial losses.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:37 pm
by Darlo_Pete
There is nothing wrong with MG wanting the club to go full-time, it's only natural for him to expect the club to progress. The reality as we all know is somewhat different and I'm sure deep down MG realises that. If things can be turned round on the pitch, I can see us making the play-offs and even winning them. Then we will have to make difficult decisions. Also remember that a good few sides in the National Conference are run successfully on a part-time basis.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:40 pm
by Comfortably_numb
unless MG and co stuck a good few grand on us being in the conference within x number of years at the bookies!

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:44 pm
by loan_star
Darlo_Pete wrote:There is nothing wrong with MG wanting the club to go full-time, it's only natural for him to expect the club to progress. The reality as we all know is somewhat different and I'm sure deep down MG realises that. If things can be turned round on the pitch, I can see us making the play-offs and even winning them. Then we will have to make difficult decisions. Also remember that a good few sides in the National Conference are run successfully on a part-time basis.
If we were to be promoted we would need another big fundraising drive to pay for the necessary improvements to the ground, a place where we increasingly look like being viewed as an unwanted nuisance. Whos going to put more money into that?

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:56 pm
by BaronsCourtQuaker
I just took it as positive spin and looking to be progressive same way he spoke of crowds increasing since the return to Darlo (yes up from HP, but down game on game at Darlo).

What else can he say, we have hit our limit. Granted he could have spoken about his wedding more :)

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 1:01 pm
by Spyman
Robbie Painter wrote:Picked this up from the club website, MG video interview post receiving award at NE Football writers awards night.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dgoln2le7c3l1 ... d.mp4?dl=0

What's interesting is that MG says "we're a promotion away from hopefully going full time".

I won't go over the figures because even this season with the return to Darlo, the increase in attendances & improvement in sponsorship I'm sure we are a million miles away from being able to finance a full time squad. Comparable clubs like Chester in the division above with vastly better infrastructure can't afford to go full time.

What concerns me is the mismatch between MG's ambition of going full time & the club's financial capabilities. Surely MG must be aware that it'll be a long road to that point?

We'll need significant infrastructure investment, an improvement in the terms of the deal with the rugby club & stronger / deeper relations with both the business community & fans. Unless that is we change our business model & return to being privately owned with a benefactor funding substantial losses.
Well we are a promotion away from going full time, in as much as we are not going to go full time while playing in the conference north.

He doesn't say we will go full time as soon as we are promoted, does he?

It might take 3 seasons to be promoted.
It might take 1 season and a further 2 or 3 seasons to be in a financial position to go full time.

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Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:56 pm
by TDS
At a fans forum a while ago, MG said he wants us back in League 2, where we belong. Now for all that might be posturing and ambition, we need to be very careful.

Managing MG's ambition is now very important, the board cannot get over excited and we need a small fortune already to ensure the ground is up to standard, and up to standard for viewing football, not necessarily the league's imposed standards.

I assumed the recent press article in regards to signing somebody new was a good indication MG has been told no more money, but then Ferguson came in. So I'm not sure!

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:18 pm
by Neil Johnson
A possible scenario....

If a promotion is achieved this season, or next season, then some new or existing players may be employed full time, training with the rest on evenings.

The whole of the squad going full time and all training on day times together may be a few years away, bearing in mind immediate funds being earmarked for pitch, drainage & potential seating capacity improvements. (I wouldn't expect any contribution from DRFC for these).

The MG academy youth set-up may be considered full time, with their daily training in between studies, and potentially some senior full time players may be added to day time sessions.

Regardless of promotions, reaching the play-offs would help the finances of the club and boost optimism in the area.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:57 pm
by darlo reborn
As would a good cup run next season

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:26 am
by Darlo_Pete
darlo reborn wrote:As would a good cup run next season
Yes but we are talking of Darlo, that just doesn't happen does it?

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:00 am
by MikeinBlack2
I'm sure at a past Fans Forum it was suggested that to go full time we would need circa £1,000,000.00 a year. Not being too much of a pessimist but realistically we're a million miles away from that at the moment and into the foreseeable future I'd say.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:04 am
by princes town
Robbie Painter wrote:Picked this up from the club website, MG video interview post receiving award at NE Football writers awards night.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dgoln2le7c3l1 ... d.mp4?dl=0

What's interesting is that MG says "we're a promotion away from hopefully going full time".

I won't go over the figures because even this season with the return to Darlo, the increase in attendances & improvement in sponsorship I'm sure we are a million miles away from being able to finance a full time squad. Comparable clubs like Chester in the division above with vastly better infrastructure can't afford to go full time.

What concerns me is the mismatch between MG's ambition of going full time & the club's financial capabilities. Surely MG must be aware that it'll be a long road to that point?

We'll need significant infrastructure investment, an improvement in the terms of the deal with the rugby club & stronger / deeper relations with both the business community & fans. Unless that is we change our business model & return to being privately owned with a benefactor funding substantial losses.
. Bang on. You have to have a solid organisation before you can sustain growth to full time football. There is so much to resolve as your last paragraph indicates.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 10:17 am
by spen666
Are people reading too much into theses remarks. They were at an awards ceremony and were not a statement of policy

I am sure what MG was doing was bigging up the club and how far it has come back towards regaining league status. I am sure it was said more to try to make potential sponsors see the club as a "big time" club rather than another non league outfit.

It is possible to over analyse remarks

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:30 pm
by Nigel Batches Beard
cant believe this - I agree with Spen :wtf:
whats MG supposed to say at an awards bash - that were goosed for the next x years because of our finances? - we know it, he knows it - but "full time"in some shape or form is where the next step takes us?

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 2:24 pm
by Neil Johnson
The million pound comment may have been designed to rein down some of the more fanciful expectations with some fans and the local public.

He may also have been casting around for major sponsor interest, but realistically the club may manage with far less by not being 100% full-time initially and there may be many relatively cheap youngsters within the 1st team squad.

The figure may have included some sizable money that should already be getting budgeted for priority improvements (pitch, drainage, potential 3rd stand)

If we are promoted there could be a huge willingness from the local public to help with a new appeal for fundraising. More fans may be facilitating to gather small donations, rather than only forking out themselves.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:01 pm
by spen666
A figure of £1m per annum would be easily reached. If you want full time players, you need to pay them a sufficiently high salary to encourage them to give up their "day jobs". Realistically, it is unlikely that the average player wages at the club would be less than £30k.

With players, manager, coaching staff etc that is likely to total at least 25 full time playing staff. Therefore you would already by at expenses of £750,000 per annum without any backroom staff, eg physio, club secretaries, groundsmen etc.

Home match days require stewarding and other staff.There will be policing costs for some games.

Playing kit and training kit to purchase.

Travel to away games, including overnight stays.

A £1m per annum would easily be reached

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:22 pm
by LoidLucan
No problem. Just do a Lincoln every season and it's job done, loadsamoney. Granted the first qualifying round might be the biggest obstacle ;)

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:57 pm
by Neil Johnson
[quote="spen666"]A figure of £1m per annum would be easily reached. If you want full time players, you need to pay them a sufficiently high salary to encourage them to give up their "day jobs". Realistically, it is unlikely that the average player wages at the club would be less than £30k.

With players, manager, coaching staff etc that is likely to total at least 25 full time playing staff. Therefore you would already by at expenses of £750,000 per annum without any backroom staff, eg physio, club secretaries, groundsmen etc.

Home match days require stewarding and other staff.There will be policing costs for some games.

Playing kit and training kit to purchase.

Travel to away games, including overnight stays.

Initially there may no need for 25 fully employed on the payroll, as we tend to have a smaller number in the playing squad and volunteers.

I would expect some part-time management & players to be retained.

An initial "average" of £30,000 p.a. seems too high. There are other calls on DFC income like Ground Upgrades, VAT & rent, so numbers on the payroll and wages may be lower, as a consequence.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:15 pm
by jjljks
Just hope the award doesn't go the same way as FIFA's Coach of the Year Ranieri. What a sad indictment against Foxes' owners who are panicking about their profits. Absolutely disgraceful.

Re: Martin Gray award speech

Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 5:50 pm
by Darlogramps
Darlo sacked Mark Cooper 5 months after winning the FA Trophy.

Granted, with hindsight there were clearly things going on in the background with Raj Singh, but nevertheless, not many of our fans complained at the decision at the time. (Obviously there are differences between us sacking Cooper and Leicester sacking Ranieri, but you understand the point I'm making).

And while the emotional argument is that Ranieri should have been kept, pragmatically Leicester's form is so dire, they were heading for the Championship. If the new boss keeps Leicester up, then clearly it's a decision that's worked.

It should also be said that the current Leicester squad is not much different to the one which won the title (minus Kante). Undoubtedly the players have a lot to answer for, but the Ranieri love-in over the last 24 hours masks that he's got a lot wrong in the last 9 months.

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