FAO Steve and Liam Beasant

[Mad Dog]

I saw what Liam said in the match programme and also heard what Kev announced over the tannoy at half time. I also read the piece from Steve in Friday's ET and on the official site.

It's a good start, but you guys need to keep it up and carry on communicating as you've done in the last day or so. We need a big interview in the ET, a bit more on the Official site, an interview on Monday Night Sport as well.

You said that the rumours are no where near as bad as is being made out, we need you guys to prove it by being open and honest. That's not a criticism but having gone from a transfer embargo being lifted within days at the forum, the club's finances being ok according to Steve to rampant rumours of administration has really wrecked things.

If it is stuff you weren't made aware of at the time that has caused, then we will not think less of you if that is the case. I was planning on buying my season ticket prior to this time last week, the money is sitting there waiting, but since I can’t bring myself to buy that season ticket, despite really, really wanting to. Give me the assurances and I will buy it.

Maybe another forum soon is the answer to alleviating fears, I don’t know, but I will say that a good flow of honest communication (within reason sure) will bring a lot of faith back to people and get those season ticket sales going.

Under the Trust and Keith Cousins, a lack of communication alienated the fans and put people off coming. If you guys can succeed in that area where they failed then you guys and us the fans can look to putting this club back on the road to recovery and we can put this season behind us and look forward to next season.

[Formic]

Why don't you send this to the club "as is" and then leave a version on here for others to give their views (hopefully without another valuable thread being diluted with discussions on grammar or how a fans team might look).

The contact details for Andy Shutlar and Gill Wignall are in the usual place on the OWS - either of them will pass your email on to their fellow directors - http://www.thediamondsfc.com/page/Feedb ... 84,00.html

(Sorry to ignore your instruction BTW)

[Mad Dog]

Go on then. I just don't want the message to get derailed like other messages.

If you guys want to post in this, go ahead, just keep posts constructive and sensible. Vent any frustrations elsewhere on the forum or go and post in the Northampton Relegation topic (I find that helps. ;) )

[Three of Diamonds]

I completely agree with Mad Dog, the messages coming out of NP are a bit confusing. IF we do have to make some really tough decisions, then I can understand the Board's current dilemma. Seems to me that they're trying to hold onto the hope that we can make it past the AGM date (I think we would have to exit admin before that date to retain our BSP place?), OR face the truth that we cannot survive at present on home attendances of 900 (and hope a lot of away fans show up), and start next season in a lower division.

[BartonRaz]

What the club should have done IMO regarding season tickets is offer a significant discount for buying season tickets in advance. The fact that only £30 separates now and the day before the first game means that people are reluctant to buy in the current predicament. If there was a £100 discount then i'm sure people would be buying, i certainly would.

Bit late now, but I was thinking about it after hearing the message on the tannoy yesterday. The discounts are next to pointless.

[Three of Diamonds]

I disagree Barton Raz, I think what the current owners have done have looked at the pricing policy put in by previous people (the huge gulf between those getting huge discounts and those on the gate), and evened it up. To me it's a fairer system for everyone, rather than having those with huge discounts and those without. It's still a discount. Lets face it the current pricing system hasn't worked, only time will tell if the new one does.

[BartonRaz]

I disagree Barton Raz, I think what the current owners have done have looked at the pricing policy put in by previous people (the huge gulf between those getting huge discounts and those on the gate), and evened it up. To me it's a fairer system for everyone, rather than having those with huge discounts and those without. It's still a discount. Lets face it the current pricing system hasn't worked, only time will tell if the new one does.

I'm not disputing the fact that the system is 'fairer', i'm just saying that if the discount was significant for those buying earlier then people would be buying now rather than later. I don't think that's even debatable. The benefit of buying now compared to August 1st is so insignificant that most people, like myself, are going to sit it out.

If there is a club next season then i'll buy one but i'm not going to buy one now unless i get some serious assurances.

[Biggles]

What do most of you care about, the Football Club or Success ?

My message to the Beasents would be go part time, sod paying over the top wages for just average players with above average ego,s, lets just admit we are a Non League Team with no real finance or support from the local people or local business owners to keep tring to get back to the Football league.

In fact the whole of Northamptonshire has no real interest in Football for local teams, we have a major town in fact one of the largest towns in the whole of the UK 'Northampton' which cannot attract more than around 4000 folk, Kettrin which is hardly a small town only attracts roughly the same numbers as us which is pitiful.

No lets admit the reality, we are just a small team out of its depth try to be something that only major and i mean major investment can bring.

[Mad Dog]

What do most of you care about, the Football Club or Success ?

My message to the Beasents would be go part time, sod paying over the top wages for just average players with above average ego,s, lets just admit we are a Non League Team with no real finance or support from the local people or local business owners to keep tring to get back to the Football league.

In fact the whole of Northamptonshire has no real interest in Football for local teams, we have a major town in fact one of the largest towns in the whole of the UK 'Northampton' which cannot attract more than around 4000 folk, Kettrin which is hardly a small town only attracts roughly the same numbers as us which is pitiful.

No lets admit the reality, we are just a small team out of its depth try to be something that only major and i mean major investment can bring.

Whatever the next twelve months hold, going part time will kill the club in the long term. The reason there are increasingly more full time sides at this level is to be able to compete. Go down that route and all that will happen is we’ll be sucked into a relegation fight and attendances will plummet. The players are paid normal wages like you and me and to suggest they’ve got above average egos is a disgrace.

I believe that given a bit of time and working at it, we can encourage more people down. I think getting the kids down is the answer as you guys highlighted and a feel good factor. Combine that with good football and I believe people will begin to come back.

Season tickets, yes a bigger discount may have been advisable, but you got it spot on with the entry fee.

[Formic]

I agree with BartonRaz that the discount isn't sufficient to temp "early birds" in sufficient numbers - at Posh an early bird can get a season ticket that equates to under £12 - whereas ours are over £13 already.

The new owners clearly don't think much of the Trust, but KCs approach meant that fans could get good discounts on their season tickets, and then the club would see the monies fans had invested in the Trust coming their way during the season, as the Trust donates to club funds based on membership fees and fund raising. The lack of any news from the Trust regarding renewals with just a single home game left suggests it is being mothballed.

Regarding Biggles' points about us being out of our depth, I think it's more a case of the Conference being out of its depth. When we first reached the conference most of the teams were part-time, and were mostly typical "non-league" teams. In those days, if a League club dropped to the Conference they would usually get straight back into the league the following season, as there was such a difference with the non-league teams. Now we have a league where a third of the teams are clubs with a significant Football League pedigree, and a fanbase that reflects that tradition.

This situation was also made worse with the introduction of Conference North and South, particularly for Midlands based teams, so that clubs and their fans face huge travel costs - I'd suggest that if we played in Conference North we'd have a very similar season mileage to what we have now.

The whole system needs shaking up, with sensible wage caps and regionalisation to allow clubs to live within their means.