Shepherd is a cost cutter - but he won't grow the club.

I don't doubt that shepherd is a genuine fan and that BFC is in his heart - but ultimately having played his part in tightening the purse strings and cutting the unnecessary costs, there is little left for him to do (and I am grateful for what he has done in taking us our of administration). He doesn't have the marketing skills or the investment sense to push the club back into a period of growth. All we have is bottom line 'We can't afford that'. Barnsley F.C. is the worst club in the championship for marketing, promotions, PR, you name it (we are second rate)- we have set our stall out for relegation, and relegation is what we will get. The club is now adivision one outfit, and it is run like adivision one outfit, soonthe clubwill be playing division one football infront of division one crowds. The manager that has been installed is way too inexperienced to dig us out of this situation and we are now playing dull football devoid of imagination or guts. We'll be watching that next year in lower division if Davey is stillwithus (all the badges and not a fecking scooby doo). Off the pitch our club isshort of ideas and does very little to generate any extra support or revenue - other than depending on the same old fans to keep turningup, andas if this wasn't bad enough Shepherd is firing off 'people like you' letters to the fans who do actually care. I'm sick to the back teeth of Barnsley carrying on it's business like an amatuer setup, while all around us (in thechampionship) there are clubs who are trying so much harder, carrying themselves with so much more pride and professionalism. We thumb our noses up at the the prospect of league one football (and so we should) - but there are plenty of better sides down there, and plenty of clubs who are genuinely more ambitious and better organised. The best thing I can say about Shepherd is that he makes the job look hard (I'm sure it is, but he makes it look it). </p>

I don't care how much criticism this generates to be honest - I've got past caring now. </p>

 

Totally, totally agree

Yes, we needed to cut costs. But at the same time we need to grow income and generate investment in the club. This has clearly badly neglected.

Your note sums up exactly how I feel but there's one more emotion I have - anger at being taken for a fool. It might be accidental but the way the club has managed the relationship with the supporters has been disgraceful - and I fear that hundreds, if not thousands aere being alienated. That's how I feel. The club needs a massive effort to woo fans back - before they're lost forever. Seriously, I really think it's a risk. Some may never return.

 

Agree 110%...

there are clubs in the Conference whose marketing and PR would put BFC to shame.</p>

And to have to say that about the club I have loved for almost 50 years hurts more than Mr Shepherd - and Rob Knowles with his snide remarks - could ever imagine.</p>

 

Very well said

completely right.

Shepherd is a shrew businessman with little footballing knowledge. He has kept the wolf from the door but he is still thinking we are in the same position as he was in when we came. He has to realise that to stay up you need extra cash for players and staff of higher quality for a higher league, and as he seems absolutely sure the club doesn't have it he should try to generate it. But have there been any special offer tickets to get the crowds in (even Wendys do kids for a quid with a paying adult on some home games)?

No

 

Whatever it would cost the club to stay up

it will cost them a hell of a lot more when we don't.

 

RE: Very well said

...and our club shop isa joke. If you wanted to put money through the tills you'd have a hard time buying owt worth having. The club shop should be a mjor source of revenue - for every other club it is important. Not us. It makes the club look cheap and tacky.

 

That's another good point often overlooked

our club shop looks cheap as do the things in it. Bigger clubs have shops that resemble proper shops with silver and wood spread about. We have a grimy floor with cabinets of tack and a bit of Jako gear. Who honestly buys more than a shirt?


me ff - over the past couple of years I have accumulated a wallet, keyring, gloves, a hat and a mousemat. All crap that adds little to the club's funds. Should be seriously looked at and improved.

 

Yes, there is a danger that are being pushed away...

The club seems hostile to the fans right now - we're not casting the net wider for new fans, we're too busy pissing off the ones we already have. I've seen the good times and the bad times with BFC - but I've always been proud of the club, and I've always loved being a Barnsley fan. This is the first time I come to dislike the club (as to some extent I now do). I know I could never support another club, but at the moment I resent the fact that I've got BFC in me. The current set up is very poor and, as you say, I too feel alienated.

 

RE: That's another good point often overlooked

I play football for a local side (not much good I do admit) - if the club sold things like proper BFC waterproofs and training gear and the like I'd buy them. If the club shop stocked proper decent gear, I would spend money in there - I'd love to be able to. I've been in that shop in the past, and mentally gone in there thinking 'I'll spend fifty or sixty quid today', and come away with nothing. As you say, a new shirt, maybe a scarf - after that it is shocking. There is money to be made and we can't afford not to make it.

 

RE: That's another good point often overlooked

I said that to someone the other day. People want to spend money to give the club a boost but what's on offer in there means that they just can't.

 

And that's why....

I'm emotional and upset about it. Never before in my 40 years of supporting the reds have I felt that the board really don't care about the supporters. I'm not suggesting they don't but I do think they (GS) is so focused on his plan that he's just not willing to budge from it.

Unfortunately though EVERY business lives or dies by th erelationaship with its customers. The fact that we are emotionally attached shouldn't be taken for granted, in fact it should be cherished and fiercely protected by the club - unfortunately it ain't at present. My worry is that the emotion and loyalty we all feel has a limit and if it's broken the passion can trun the other way and .....as I said above people may take years to return, if they do ever.

I think this is THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE for the club at present. Results are important, maintaining our championship status is important but of greater importance imho is re-establishing the relationship with the hundreds and maybe thousands of fans for whom that relationship has gone. I've read threads on here recently about the 'stay aways', and I've started to become one. Maybe this is the real reason why .......that despite the obviously good intentions of Mr Shepherd some fans no longer feel this is 'my club' because of the way they feel they're being treated.

The business world is full of failed businesses who took customers for granted. THIS IS OUR BIGGEST ISSUE. If fans don't feel that unconscious, illogical, irrational, but oh so emotional connection to the club we'll be in League 2 in five years with crowds that will maintain nothing better.

This lightbulb moment puts things in perspective for me and mis certainly the reason I feel so upset. All of a sudden the results are quite so important - it's my relationship with 'my' club and therefore the people who arer in charge at my club that is critical.

I'm worried .............

S)

 

thats the best post i have read on here for some time.

 

Spot on mate.

Well said.

 

OK then BBS what about an "income generating suggestions thread"

Where possibly any posted suggestions that this board deem reasonable are passed to the club. Perhaps the club would then agree to award the best suggestion on a monthly basis with a voucher from the club shop.

 

Speculate to accumulate!!!!

 

Shepherd didnt get us out of administration?

 

Waste of time. They're not interested in our views and won't listen. nt

 

Marketing 'n all

One thing that was stated during our early administration days was that once John Dennis was removed, money would be flooding into the club for various sponderships. Where is it? Just another story invented, but for what purpose?
We can certainly make constructive criticism of Mr. S. but he is Patrick Cryne's 'appointed'. PC trusts him to look after the funds he has put into the club, as he knows the man. No amount of vitriol by fans is going to change PC's views. As someone has previously stated he is more likely to pull the plug.
However, should anyone out there have marketing ideas etc. I am sure that the Chairman would give it careful consideration.
In conclusion, I think we should give Simon and the board a break. All is not lost, there are worse teams in this league than ours; and I do believe by the end of February. the league will have a different shape.

 

Yes it will,with us proping the fecker up!! nt