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" I don't think we are going to have a player signed this week, but we are speaking to a few players and we are confident of getting a couple more additions to the squad in the next few weeks, it's just an ongoing process. I don't want to compromise what Neil (McDonald) is doing but we have got a pretty firm idea of how many more players we need to get us to the start of the season. I think Neil still wants the option of loan players because he has got some very promising prospects who might come.
" I think we are approaching it in a way that says we've got a team that is going to compete and compete effectively that are on the books. The loan players, if we do get any, are just the icing on the cake if you like. We've got to have a competitive effective team that is our team and that is what we are trying to achieve by the start of the season.
" Obviously the whole football side is down to Neil and Greg (Abbott) and his team, as well as Colin (Suggett). Effectively John (Nixon) and I just wait until they say 'right, there is the player we want to speak to, get speaking to his agent, and get speaking to the club if we need permission to speak to the club.' Prior to that process of course we have a strategy of identifying which players and positions we need to fill.
" All the options that we have so that we are satisfied that we are getting those players who have been watched, and we know about their background thoroughly so we are making hopefully a sensible investment in the players. Every signing is a risk as you know, you just hope that you make the right decisions. Once Neil gives the go-ahead to say 'right, I want that player', we'll discuss what he thinks he is worth in the wage scale and what he thinks we should pay as far as any transfer fee is concerned. Then it's just down to us to try to negotiate as good a deal as we can with the player's agent.
" We don't want to go into the season dependent on loan players, we want to have a full eleven plus some competition for places without loan players. Then when they come in they add competition and they hopefully add a bit of dazzle. We're looking at them as the icing on the cake rather than the meat and two veg of the team. "
" I think season ticket sales are going OK, I think we've sold about 1,000 to date which is on par with last year when we ended up with about 2,500. There are those that rush at the end of the month when everyone gets paid. I think people were a little bit subdued at the start because we had tried to bring the prices in line with the league we are in, even though we are at the cheap end of that league as far as prices are concerned.
" I think people were concerned as well, that wait a minute, eight players have left and are we going to have a team to watch next year. I think as we've signed players, and hopefully people believe that we are going to continue to sign players, they have got faith that we are going to have an exciting season next year. It's horse and cart but it's up to us to be the horse and pull the cart I suppose.
" In the first three years we've gone and invested in the ground, it needed investment, we've taken money that was outside planned income to reduce the debt. I think we are in a position now where we have got the debt in a stable position that I am comfortable with. We have got the ground in a condition that we are comfortable with, although we are doing the training pitch this summer which is going to eat up the profits from last year, but again that is really ploughing it in.
" As we go into this season the whole aim is to strengthen the team. We are trying to build a team that makes a serious challenge for promotion and it is costing the club more money. To the extent that we've made profit for the last two years but we probably won't make profit this year because we are spending that money on the squad. So we are spending more money on the squad this year then we ever have, obviously with inflation than we ever have in the past.
" All of the resources and everything is being aimed at having as strong a team as possible. The proof of the pudding is in the eating though. When you talk about season ticket sales I'm a little bit relaxed about season ticket sales because I think that come the season when people see the team we are going to turn out. Obviously I'm being very confident about that, and how well we are going to do - I'm confident about that, they'll want to come in any case and they might regret not buying a season ticket.
" I think everyone has enjoyed and appreciated the new pitch, hopefully the training pitch will be of a similar standard. Our training facilities, the club has stood still for a hell of a long time as far as facilities is concerned, other than the development of the East Stand. We've been playing catch up for three years and hopefully the work we are doing on the new training pitch, it's a much bigger pitch and a much better drained pitch. It's going to be a surface that the players want to train on, we see that as an investment on the football side, it's crucial that we are a club that is attractive for players to come to. "
" I think the change of mind on seats in the Paddock was due to feedback, we can look at the decision that we made in that we looked at it as forward thinking. Saying that 'right, we do want to go to the Championship, let's look at this as the next step.' I think we made a mistake, it's the same in business, I don't mind if people make mistakes as long as they acknowledge them and put them right.
" It was obvious from feedback from the fans that they didn't want to be seated in the Paddock, as we thought about it more we could understand exactly where they were coming from. That's why we changed our mind, I don't think it's a loss of face, if you can't listen to your customers then there is something wrong.
" Filling the Waterworks is so few and far between, to justify going and spending that money we've got to look at when it comes to the ground we feel that we've brought it up to standard so it's comfortable. There are still things that we want to improve of course, but it's so rare that we are going to get more than 15,000 in the ground, with the Waterworks capacity being something like 1,500 or 1,600 we've got a 17,000 capacity. I think it's a bit daft going and spending money on upgrading facilities for that last 2,000 because we so rarely get above 15,000.
" It's a little bit of an embarrassment that we have got an open terrace but so what, I think the players quite honestly are a lot more interested in the standard of coaching and how their career is going to develop. The success of the team, the pitch they are playing on and the training facilities, as well as the fans and the atmosphere that is generated. I don't think it will change a player's mind whether or not there is a roof over the Waterworks to be honest.
" We've all got to trot out that the fans are fantastic, but I genuinely do think that Carlisle fans are fantastic. The way they give support home and away, it's a great atmosphere at Brunton Park and they have stuck with their team through thick and thin. Fortunately they have got some winning games to watch now, that obviously does increase the gate because people like to see people winning but we have got excellent fans and I think the players are sincere when they say that as well.
" I am more excited about this season than I have been in the previous three seasons, we've come from underachievers in the first two years. Last year was a consolidation time of feeling our way into this league and I think Neil and the team did much better than we really expected. That's given us the confidence to have a go this season, to say 'crikey, we nearly got there with that squad and here we are in a position where we can really strengthen the squad.' I really do think we are going to have a damn good go at promotion this year. "