Non-League Football 2009/2010 Thread

[Lowerdeck]

I'm still in MyFC (token Fleet fan, whatever) ... I get e-mails at least every other day begging for donations and trying to boost the playing budget. Right now it's only at 4500 a week, and much of that is between Lance Cronin, Darius Charles, and Michael Gash.

It'll probably be an ugly year, and we'll probably be in South next year. Unless we get better offers. We got Charles for 20k last year, then York (IIRC) offered 10k - which we didn't like. Then for Gash, we got him for 25k last year and we'd have to give 30% over 25k to Cambridge if we sold him. So we were hoping for a little more than 30-40k out of him.

I really wish they gave Daish a little more room to make personnel decisions.

[hugobomb]

I still say it could work, but on a smaller scale. I'm not happy that out of a £35 payment something like £12ish is taken for 'admin'. I think you could do it quite well if you started a club from near stratch (maybe take over a very low level side with their own stadium set up, like Level 8 of the Pyramid, Northern Premier League Division One etc ). Only charge £10 for membership, in today's economic climate, people aren't going to be willing to chuck £35 on something like MFC, only charging a tenner would still raise enough money for running a club at that level (with some put aside for the future transfers, so that the following year you don't have to rely on the exact same number of people signing up)

[Lowerdeck]

I'm not terribly surprised with the bad economy and loss of initial interest that membership plummeted. Right now it's floating around 9400 IIRC. It was around 33,000 as recently as February. I put in £35 a year and donate a little to watch games online. But I really can't afford to keep pumping money, and I'm sure many others are in the same predicament.

At the time a club at BSP or BS North/South would have worked, but now... not so much. We'll definitely be paying for shooting too high, in one way or another. Either in wallets or relegation.

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

I'm not sure we're willing to pay any more than our first offer for Gash, so I think you've ridden that wave. I heard that we are still looking at signing a few more BSP experienced players, is it Mangan or something from Forest Green I beleive was an option.

[Adam]

Mangan was the division's top scorer last season I believe, so that'd definitely be a good season.

[cmb211087]

I'll come on board as the token Wrexham follower, someone has to don't they

Not the only one following Wrexham...

Anyway, last I checked Matt Jansen was mulling over some contract offers he was getting after playing like... 2-3 games for Wrexham. Might sign for us. Whoever he goes to though will gain a player who will spend 90% of the season injured and probably depressed.

he signed for leigh this week, as I stated on the first page. Obviously him and flitty played together at rovers so that should help him alot. It also is not like he has not been doing anything, he spent the latter half of 2008 training with us (blackburn) so i really think, if he has got his head right mentally, then he will be very very good for them

[Fire Storm]

I just read about it now, it hadn't been reported in the local paper so I assumed he was still thinking it over. Seems a big step in the wrong direction for him considering Wrexham's facilities, players and staff who could easily get the best out of him again. Nothing against Leigh, just feel it was a strange decision beyond playing for a former teammate. Apparently he's looking to do some coaching, he'll likely turn to management in the future then.

Anyway, we have Gareth Taylor and I think having Jansen would have been pushing out our up and coming young strikers in Marc Williams and Obi... something...

[Adam]

Taylor won't score you goals though. If you've got a good goalscorer alongside him, he'll be very effective and will create lots of chances, but he won't be weighing in with too many goals I should think. He got one for us in 18 months, his strengths are his height and his ability to hold up the ball, and he will be quality in the BSP, but not as a goalscorer.

[Fire Storm]

Pretty much like Neil Roberts used to do, excellent player and I've no doubt Taylor will help our young guys out. Marc Williams will probably benefit from playing alongside him, he was a legend last season scoring around 15 goals for us in just a few games until he went out with a broken foot.

I'm just worried about our backline now, we've been shaky for the past... 2-3 years at least in defence, and it doesn't help when we keep losing any possible solutions to the problem, plus a young goalkeeper wouldn't hurt to have, we like our veterans in goal too much

All in all, unless Saunders pulls out a few amazing coups in the market, we aren't heading up the league anytime soon.

[Adam]

Oh, I loved Neil Roberts, he was a terrific little player. For a time it looked like him and Heffernan were gonna be a beastly pairing up front for us, but then Roberts got injured and he didn't do a lot after that. He is very similar to Taylor in the respect of roles on the field, yes.

[Lowerdeck]

£80,000 offer for Michael Gash and Darius Charles

A football club, which wishes to remain anonymous, has made an offer of £80,000 for both Michael Gash and Darius Charles.

Should members accept this offer, £40,000 would be paid immediately on completion and a further £40,000 on 1 January 2010. In addition:

- Ebbsfleet United would receive 20% of any transfer fee received by the football club for either player.

- Ebbsfleet United would receive a further £5,000 for each player if the Football Club are promoted as long the player is contracted to the football club in the season of the said promotion.

The view of Liam Daish, the EUFC Board and club accountant

Liam Daish, the EUFC Board and club accountant recommend that the club's owners accept this £80,000 offer.

Following the club's request to raise additional funding, Liam Daish and the EUFC would like to sincerely thank the several hundred members who have given additional funds towards the playing budget - their names are listed here: http://members.myfootballclub.co.uk/fotf.php This money will be used to help build a competitive squad.

However, we are still some way short of, and look extremely unlikely to hit, the required £7,000 a week target (it currently stands at approximately £4,500). Retaining Gash and Charles would mean that the rest of the squad has to be built with around £3,000 per week.

Following the club's recommendation to sell the players would mean the weekly playing budget increases to around £6,250, giving Liam Daish a fighting chance of building a squad capable of surviving in the Blue Square Premier League next season.

So there you have it, Gash and Charles are going somewhere most likely. Question is who.

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

Is Charles any good? Where does he play?

[Lowerdeck]

Defense, and he's the best on our club. Usually plays center back.

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

Hope it's us that's made the bid then!

[hugobomb]

The thing is, if Ebbsfleet go down this year, I can see more members choosing not to renew their membership, making the propect of a quick return a very unlikly one

[Lowerdeck]

I think whatever remains will be content on trying to run a club and doing what it takes to survive, regardless of level.

Which will probably suck to be those who are Gravesend and Northfleet, but well... they should blame whoever sold the club to us in the first place.

[Lowerdeck]

Double post time, but update:

Looking like no votes are prevailing, as many want to hold on and somehow try and raise money. Or perhaps sell for 90k, 100k.

Whoever is saying yes is doing so very reluctantly.

This is a mess.

[Adam]

Seriously? Are these people not smart enough to even listen to the MANAGER now?

I've never, ever liked this idea and I fully expect Ebbsfleet to get relegated sooner rather than later.

[Darloboy]

So the manager, the board and the accountant are recommending it, but they're voting no anyway? Why?

What a joke way to run a football club. I feel sorry for the proper fans who have had their club ruined by this.

[MGW]

It's no way to run a football club. You need one person with sole responsibility. It seems a right mess, and like people are saying, its relegation unless things change rapidish