The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

HiHoRushden&Diamonds wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, you probably know more than me in regards to the situation, but, I thought that because RDFC is no more, the money that the supporters pledged/raised in order to save RDFC would be invested into the new club instead of trying to save the old one, as the money has no use for RDFC. If this is the case, how much money are we looking at and would it be enough to get the new club up and running?

No. You are wrong. The Trust has no mandate to automatically re-direct the money that fans pledged for season ticket and/or donated to save R&DFC to help the phoenix club. I understood that it was the Trust's intention to contact every person who donated to ask what they wished to do with the money that they donated.
Therefore any talk about the total money raised by the Trust is premature at this stage.

HiHoRushden&Diamonds wrote:

BartonRaz wrote:The club will need initial backing and funding from fans and local businesses in order to attract and pay their players. Once the season kicks off I imagine that money will be recouped fairly rapidly through strong gate receipts but until then we need to find backing from somewhere.

These players won't pay for free. Not even at that level.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you probably know more than me in regards to the situation, but, I thought that because RDFC is no more, the money that the supporters pledged/raised in order to save RDFC would be invested into the new club instead of trying to save the old one, as the money has no use for RDFC. If this is the case, how much money are we looking at and would it be enough to get the new club up and running?

I was under the illusion that supporters would be contacted to be asked what they wanted done with the money (except bucket collections for obvious reasons). However I don't think very much was raised on that front, perhaps enough to pay for a year or two's stadium hire and transport for the U18's this season? I'm guessing though as I don't actually know how much was raised.

Trek wrote:

HiHoRushden&Diamonds wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, you probably know more than me in regards to the situation, but, I thought that because RDFC is no more, the money that the supporters pledged/raised in order to save RDFC would be invested into the new club instead of trying to save the old one, as the money has no use for RDFC. If this is the case, how much money are we looking at and would it be enough to get the new club up and running?

No. You are wrong. The Trust has no mandate to automatically re-direct the money that fans pledged for season ticket and/or donated to save R&DFC to help the phoenix club. I understood that it was the Trust's intention to contact every person who donated to ask what they wished to do with the money that they donated.
Therefore any talk about the total money raised by the Trust is premature at this stage.

Yes this is correct - the Trust are in the process of putting together a mailing to all fans that made donations/pledges that are currently held by the trust to find out their preference (I don't exactly when this will be done, but it is in progress, and should be done fairly shortly).

Will see if I can get an update on that today.

First new manager of the senior side, Chris Hope. He's been at all the meetings and trials so far. An excellent example/ professional and I'll never forget the game against the Weymouth kids when he spent the game encouraging them on even though they were getting a battering.

Don't mean to go over old ground, but just spoke to one of my Uni mates who recently signed for Ringwood Town, and he's on £20 a week plus goal, appearence and win bonuses. Thats Wessex League Div 1 which is the equivalent of UCL Div 1.

As far as I am concerned all the money raised for the save rdfc can go towards the new afc rd and lord knows from what has been said on here the setting up costs are far more than I anticipated, paying players at that level £150 per week is ludicrous and in the long term will lead to a situation similar if not on the same scale as the one facing rdfc at the present moment. But that is only my opinion and without having any idea of the projected budget can't be proven. However I think that it may be foolish to take the money raised thus far for one cause as being available to go to this new venture as there may be legal restrictions preventing collecting for something only to give the money to something else, tread carefully on this one.

coltrane wrote:However I think that it may be foolish to take the money raised thus far for one cause as being available to go to this new venture as there may be legal restrictions preventing collecting for something only to give the money to something else, tread carefully on this one.

That's obviously been recognised by the Trust hence the need to contact every person who donated.

Just to update anyone who wasn't at the meeting yesterday, Warren confirmed that all cheques and credit card pledges will be destroyed, as because they were made out to the Trust they cannot simply be passed onto AFC R&D. Anyone who made recorded cash donations (which obviously don't include bucket collections) will be contacted soon to sort out what happens with this money.

A meeting of the Trust membership will be called in the coming weeks to vote on what happens to the funds currently in the Trust bank account (around £15k I believe). AFC R&D doesn't yet exist as a legal entity or have a bank account (these should be set up this coming week) so the Trust can't release any funds until this is sorted.