After You've Bought BFC...

...What then?

Following on from @arpete's thread. Let's imagine you've won Euromillions and you're daft enough to buy the club. You manage to buy out the 80%ers and now you're in charge. What next?

What's your preferred style of play?
Head coach?
CEO?
Player recruitment strategy?
Player loans?
Youth player development?
Plan for the academy?
Season ticket pricing?
Match day ticket pricing?
Catering?
Ideas for merchandising?
Stadium improvement?
Increased sponsorship?
Are you going with a sustainable model?
Will you be taking any money out of the club?
Do you have a plan to boost attendances?
How to draw in the next generation of supporters?
Increased support for local charities?
Any other initiatives?

And crucially, what tier do you expect to be operating at?

On your marks, set, go!

 

So, basically you're asking for a business plan?

I'll get back to you

 

First job would be to ban you for insinuating I was daft.

 

Determining and implementing a strategy takes time... and buy in. First steps would be to assess everything within, the key people, get their views on what works well and what doesn't, what they need, what could assist them to be more effective and work from there. Understand better why there has been huge turnover in people and for those left, what could mitigate such a disastrous thing happening again.

I'd also canvas the fans directly, What they want and what the club do for them. I'd also canvas sponsors and local businesses and see what collaborative approach could be mutually beneficial.

It would take a lot of work just to understand, but that would be the starting point. But I'd want a much more open style of relationship with fan groups and supporters. Be more accessible and frankly tell it like it is.

But fundamentally I'd want the club to be about the fans, local companies and developing something where the emphasis is on getting the best product on the pitch and to play the highest level possible.

 

I think that's what the current mob are relying on. That level of realisation when you try and answer those questions and it dawn's on you haven't a cat in hells chance of making a fist of it.

 

It's simply a small business. It's really not that hard.

 

You've nowt to do tonight. I'll expect it on my desk first thing in the morning.

 

Ground share with Wakefield Trinity then flog the land on the basis that there's gold, diamonds, cobalt, tin and lithium under there.

 

I agree. No doubt there are aspects that are complicated, but that's why the club employs professionals in it's various departments.

My OP was slightly tongue in cheek, and I'm not really expecting chapter and verse, but I'm interested in how people might seek to change and improve the club, if they had the power to do so.

 

I'd buy the neighbouring school and brewery sites - the school for potential future use and the brewery site to provide the emergency services point that is apparently a problem. I'd pump money into refurbishing the stadium and training facilities. I'd either do a big restoration of the west stand or replace it.

As far as running the club goes, I'm not qualified to be hands on. I'd seek advice to get a good set of directors on board - trying to include the Cryne family if they're still interested.

I'd pump in a modest amount for the playing budget - maybe a couple of million a year. Why not. But with the focus still on developing young talent.

 

As a newly wealthy benefactor of the club I will answer your question below:

What's your preferred style of play? None of my business, it's up to the head coach to get the best out his players.
Head coach? The person who interviews best and fits into wage structure of the club and who will work within our financial contraints.
CEO? Don't need one as an independent owner. I'd likely just have an operations manager and a sporting director.
Player recruitment strategy? Buy young talented footballers who will increase in value.
Player loans? Plug holes in the squad with older experienced players.
Youth player development? Scout the academies of smaller clubs than us and pinch them.
Plan for the academy? Hoover up young talent released by other clubs at 16-18.
Season ticket pricing? To be announced for the next 5 years and adjustable by the level we are playing at. Option to buy multi-game flexi tickets at a discounted rate.
Match day ticket pricing? Slight increase for adults, slight discount for kids.
Catering? Offer individual units on the concourses out to different businesses to try and get a street market feel. Cost for rent will be a profit percentage rather than a fixed rate.
Ideas for merchandising? Sponsor local events, support local grassroots teams, switch to two season home shirts and just change the away/third every year. Sell match specific collectible souvenirs at each home game at about £2 (to encourage kids to buy them every game). Create a BFC football app that allows kids to trade cards like MadFut/Futdraft games.
Stadium improvement? Apply for the west stand lower to be safe standing. Refurb the upper West Stand. Move media centre to unused floor in East Stand.
Increased sponsorship? Use the publicity of my lottery win to get the National Lottery to sponsor us.
Are you going with a sustainable model? Yes. My money won't last very long otherwise.
Will you be taking any money out of the club? The purchase of the club will be paid for in full. Investment to the infrastructure of the club will be interest free loans which may be recalled if the club is sold to investors. I will not be splurging cash on players/subsidising wages.
Do you have a plan to boost attendances? Have a section of the ground that is solely for school children being fetched in class groups free of charge. One ticket per child per season. Also offer one off initiatives, such as if we win two in a row, make the third game 30% off. If we have a midweek game away, say that prices on the concourse at the next home game will be reduced by a percentage determined by how many goals we win by i.e. if we win by 1 goal, 10% off, 2 goals 20% off etc.
How to draw in the next generation of supporters? Cheap child season tickets and as above.
Increased support for local charities? Half time draw tickets doubled in price. Half goes to a different local charity every game.
Any other initiatives? Build a proper social club at the bottom of the car park near Pontefract Road.

And crucially, what tier do you expect to be operating at? I don't think one man with a personal fortune of around 100m can compete financially with the mighty conglomerate entities of the Premier League or top half of the Championship. I'd be looking to try and stay in the Championship, have decent cup runs and hope that we drop on another season like last, make it to the Premier League and then I'd be selling a majority share in the club to someone with the monetary wherewithal to compete there.

 

If you want a half-arsed one, sure...

 

Answers on a post card

 

Make sure the scoreboard works and the TVs are on

That will wipe out half the threads on here in one swoop ,

 

No matter what I did the usual suspects on here would find summat to bitch at...

 

I'd do what should have been done years ago. 'Hound for a Pound.' Sorted

 

Forget all that. After buying BFC, I'm buying Chelsea off Abramovich, selling all their players, staff, kit washer and tea ladies and getting them relegated to Southern conference Division 22.

 

I'd do a full assessment of the Academy - and that would determine the overall strategy which would be:

1) commitment to the Academy - require 2-3 players a year to come through who can play for the first team, selectively fill with other young players and a few seasoned pros. If the academy isn't performing as expected - replace the people in charge and revamp the scouting system.
2) abandon the academy - have scouts pick up rejects from premier academies and fill the U23's - expectation to have 2-3 signings a year within 12 months to make it to the first team, but look for more experienced first team using the money saved from scrapping the academy.

Limit loans to players who are ready for first team football at whatever level we're at now - I see no point in signing someone else's academy players who aren't ready for first team football - we have plenty of them ourselves. So maybe look to loan more experienced players not getting game time with their clubs.
and be looking to fill their places with permanent signings at the earliest opportunity.

My overall requirement for a head coach would be someone who is not interested in being nice or liked or playing fair, no one plays nice in the english football league accept it seems us. Make Oakwell a horrible place to play on a Tuesday night whatever style they bring or want, first order of the day is for the opposition not to look forward to coming to Oakwell - I don't mind diving, chatting to the ref, cynical fouls and dirty tricks, time wasting, the lot - everyone does it to us, so fk 'em.

 

Buy the club
Realise the expenditure far outweighs the income
That making a profit is a myth
Give it away to the muppets on Facebook and Twitter who don’t realise it yet
Go out and get pissed