With Chris Billy signed and others being lined up, our squad is going to remain in place and should be strengthened by the time we kick off. With Swansea and York amongst others releasing a stack of players it's nice to be able to report that we appear to be heading forwards and not backwards. Of course, all talk of squad strengthening will count for little if we repeat last season's disappointing form but all you can do at this stage is keep your better players on the books and bring in what you can from outside. With a pre-season tour of Ireland and a full programme of friendlies being arranged, plus the return of the reserve side we look to be doing things right this time and getting the on-field preparations spot on will help us get off to the flying start that has eluded us in recent years. Off-field, last month's meeting of creditors gave us three extra months to pay off the outstanding debts of the Knighton regime. It has not been an easy 12 months for John Courtenay but it has to be stressed that we've paid a much greater proportion of our debt than any other club that has gone through administration in recent times. It seems only fair and just that we have been given a bit more time to find the remaining cash. Contrast our position with that of Leicester City who managed to make a large chunk of their £20 million debt vanish. Now they are lining up a £15m bonus for reaching the Premiership. Nice work if you can get it. Then there's Wimbledon, aka Franchise FC. English football's pariahs have gone into administration themselves this week owing over £3.5m. It's hardly surprising given that their gates shrank to barely 2,000 last season and even that paltry figure was composed of mostly away supporters. In season 2001-02 the Dons spent 187% of their turnover on staff wages, which was the highest proportion in the English leagues. That of course was BEFORE they made the decision to move to Milton Keynes and lost about 90% of their fans in the process. Charles Koppel now faces the distinct possibility of overseeing the total collapse of the once-proud club who lifted the FA Cup in 1988. It would have been a tragedy for this to have happened a few years ago, but since the unforgivable decision by an FA-appointed "independent" committee just over 12 months ago to allow Wimbledon to up sticks and play in Milton Keynes, a move that infuriated football fans all over the country, there has been little warmth shown towards the club. Genuine fans of the team that became known as the "Crazy Gang" in the 80s because of their unconventional approach to team-bonding, decided to form a new club that would continue to play in South West London. A year on AFC Wimbledon has been a rip-roaring success with average gates of over 3,000 in the little-heralded Seagrave Haulage Combined Counties League, a full five rungs below where the old club are currently placed. A true community club, AFC Wimbledon are 100% owned by their fans under the guise of the Dons Trust.
The one thing that CCUIST has over most of the rest, and there are now more than 80 Supporters' Trusts in operation, is that we have a very supportive owner and a plan in place to gradually purchase blocks of shares until a controlling stake is made available. Thus, with the immediate threat of liquidation now passed, we are in a position to establish the fans place on the Board through elected representative Alan Steel and win more people over to the £3 a week share fund scheme that has so far raised over £120,000. The aim is to show people that gate money and commercial income alone isn't enough to run a successful football club - we need extra funding and that funding has traditionally come from rich businessmen who come in and run the club their way. That way has been challenged successfully at Brunton Park in the past year and also at so many other clubs that time is ripe for a change in emphasis whereby fans chip in their three quid a week and together as a strong force can match any individual contribution that someone like John Courtenay can make, and - more importantly - sustain over the decades. It's an indisputable fact that 600 supporters (a mere fraction of our total fanbase) earn far more in a year that Mr Courtenay and he can hardly be expected to fund the club out of his own pocket for ever. The way would still be open for investors to come in and take their place in the boardroom but the balance of power would always remain with supporters. The model can work but we are going to be pioneers in trying to prove it. The next four or five years should be an interesting time. They'll be even more interesting if the Cumbrians can climb back up the divisions and reclaim that First Division place (Second Division as was) that was virtually ours by right back in the 60s and 70s. It's a shame that we slid so rapidly during the late 80s and have yet to fully recover. Years of under-funding, mismanagement, empty promises and neglect has seen to that, but we can and I believe will bounce back, with the climb proper starting next season. As JC has said so often, it's going to be a rollercoaster ride, so hold on tight! Al |
