Can we afford to be promoted?

[luke97]

Just chucking this out there to see any views, of course everyone wants to go up, but would it be any good for the long term future of the club?

Here are just a few of my observations on the subject

1. 3rd place 'prize money' for the auto promotion spot is 5K, thats right 5k, hardly going to help towards next seasons budget.

2. Last 2 seasons we have posted big losses at the club, going up will only increase costs without any guarantee of increased revenue - especially if work on the new grandstand reduces capacity to around 4,000 for most of next season.

3. Players will quite rightly expect bigger contracts, more outlay.

4. We seemingly can't afford to travel the day before a match and stay over, it's obvious the PB would have wanted to travel, but did
budget constraints overrule that decision?

My worry is that given what happened last time we went up, the club will over stretch itsself trying to be competitive, and we could end up crashing back down through the leagues.

It's up to the support within the bay and the surrounding area to get down to plainmoor, if they don't then we simply can't afford to go up in my opinion, no matter how much I would love to see it (especially at Old Trafford in the play off final)

[bixieupnorth]

i guess the management would rather we went up thru playoffs?? maybe pb was told to concede that late goal and put the players so we dont end up in 2nd or 3rd??

[AlexGulls]

League One would bring bigger attendances though. And if we only have a 4,000 capacity most weeks would be close to a sell out which would mean more revenue. Teams like Sheffield United (if they go down),Sheffield Wednesday,Southampton (if they stay down),Bournemouth (If they stay down),The scum,Whoever stays up out of Swindon/Plymouth/Yeovil would all sell out the away end easily weather were at full capacity or not at the time...

Your also forgetting that the Playoffs is our most likely chance which would mean a full house in the Home leg for us and IF we get to the final the split of ticket sales etc from Old Trafford.

[doogull]

yes

[luke97]

Last time we were in league 1 are average attendance at home was 3,300. Interestingly are last home game that 2004/2005 season was against Blackpool, didn't those 2 teams go in opposite directions from there

[Fletch]

Alex, as I pointed out on another thread, our last visit to L1/Div2 resulted in a whole 50 increase in the average crowd over the previous season. From that point of view, unless the bay population get their arses up to plainmoor this time then no, we (or rather the board) cant afford it (in my opinion). Whilst we might get a few sell-outs, there is a Hartlepool or Rochdale for each Southampton or Charlton.

[yellowmonkey]

To be honest I think staying in League 2 will benefit us greatly if the teams in the relegation zone of league 1 stay similar, alot more closer ties so hopefully more away fans. We wont get many more to Plainmoor as the bay is made up more now of how can I say this foreigners(people from outside the county). The club doesnt seem to target the new breed of supporters who are currently in school now alllowing them to lured to the bright lights of the premiershite. To be honest with budgets in household getting tighter I doubt the crowd will increase but more than likely fall.

[doogull]

no monkey, the attendance will rise as we will be playing in a higher league and the away support will be higher and with playing in a higher league we will have a better chance of signing players that have been released from pedigree clubs got to remember when we went up last time clubs were still buying players at inflated prices from the lower tier, now players of a very good standard are being released because of finance not because they are s$$t but having the allure of L1 is a bigger draw than L2 so giving us a better chance of sighning players capable of playing and competing at the said level pf L1 also we are now playing football the in the manner that will also attract players I have every confidence in getting promoted and every confidence in staying there.

[Fletch]

Dream on doogull. Apart from a few clubs, away support will not be higher. How many do you think the likes of Rochdale, Hartlepool, Carlisle etc will bring down here?
As for signing players from "pedigree" clubs, how do you expect the club to afford the increased wages?
As yellowmonkey says, household budgets are starting to get tighter and, sad as it is to say, going to see the Gulls probably wont be uppermost in most peoples priority list.

[royalgull]

Torquay can afford it if they do it the Dagenham way and just accept we're going to be fighting the bottom 4 all season, and there is no disgrace in that. We'd need to keep some of the loan nees, make one or two additions and get them right. The standard of football is better but not great still so i'd think we'd compete.

We're going to lose out from the League 1 relegation situation IF we did go up, we are almost certainly going to lose Argyle (guaranteed sellout) Swindon (4000 easily) and Bristol Rovers (same as Swindon) + 1 other. Whilst 'gaining' Scunthorpe and Preston and possibly Sheff Utd which would be a decent crowd. Southampton and Brighton are going up for me, which is another 2 big gates gone and we could see Bournemouth or Huddersfield go up, which again 2 big away supports gone.

So whilst promotion should be welcomed of course, in a funny way we'll probably lose out on gates being in League 1!!

If it's there we simply have to go for it we can't do anything about anyone else, it is there for us and I just hope we could do it. I'm not sure we'll get another chance as good as this one for a while.

[ferrarilover]

Just chucking this out there to see any views, of course everyone wants to go up, but would it be any good for the long term future of the club?

Here are just a few of my observations on the subject

1. 3rd place 'prize money' for the auto promotion spot is 5K, thats right 5k, hardly going to help towards next seasons budget.

2. Last 2 seasons we have posted big losses at the club, going up will only increase costs without any guarantee of increased revenue - especially if work on the new grandstand reduces capacity to around 4,000 for most of next season.

3. Players will quite rightly expect bigger contracts, more outlay.

4. We seemingly can't afford to travel the day before a match and stay over, it's obvious the PB would have wanted to travel, but did
budget constraints overrule that decision?

My worry is that given what happened last time we went up, the club will over stretch itsself trying to be competitive, and we could end up crashing back down through the leagues.

It's up to the support within the bay and the surrounding area to get down to plainmoor, if they don't then we simply can't afford to go up in my opinion, no matter how much I would love to see it (especially at Old Trafford in the play off final)

I tried to find this out a couple of months ago with no luck, where did you get this information? I'm not doubting it, I'd just quite like to know for future reference.

Also, for comparison, in 09/10, Arsenal finished third in the greedy bastard division and were awarded £14,400,000. Or, approximately fourteen times the value of our whole club.
I wouldn't mind, but for coming bottom, yes BOTTOM, of the division, a feat which could be achieved by failing to fulfil a single fixture, score a single goal or even have a single shot all bloody season, Pompey were given £800,000. Add to this the simply staggering sum of £48,000,000 awarded to relegated clubs over a four year period following the drop and it does begin to look rather as if the FA might be taking the piss.

Matt.

[Burnhamgull]

Where's the ambition gone?

If you get promoted, you raise the profile of the club, get more income potentially and have a "bigger" club to be proud of. If we all worry about whether we can afford to go up, we might as well pack up and choose a premiership team to follow.

Do you think Blackpool fans had the same dilema last May? Football, and life, is all about improving yourself and pushing the boundaries. Yea we could get smashed every week but I'd sooner go to away games at Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Yeovil and Sheffield Wednesday than Northampton, Crawley, Lincoln et al

Can we afford to go up? Who cares, let's just do it and worry about it when we get there.

[gullsflyinghigh]

i guess the management would rather we went up thru playoffs?? maybe pb was told to concede that late goal and put the players so we dont end up in 2nd or 3rd??

Beggars can't be choosers. I'd be delighted with any form of promotion.
Also, I highly doubt that PB was told to drop 2 points, that's ridiculous. If he was I'm sure he wouldn't be sticking around at this club. I don't think the board lacks ambition, they want to win every game just like us, the fans, do.

Also, 100% agree with Burnhamgull's post above.

[Fletch]

I wouldn't mind, but for coming bottom, yes BOTTOM, of the division, a feat which could be achieved by failing to fulfil a single fixture, score a single goal or even have a single shot all bloody season, Pompey were given £800,000. Add to this the simply staggering sum of £48,000,000 awarded to relegated clubs over a four year period following the drop and it does begin to look rather as if the FA might be taking the piss.
Matt.

Did you forget the tv rights money that has kicked in? Champions get £50 mill, 2nd £49 mill and so on down to 20th place ??? Disgraceful really

[yellowmonkey]

I am sure one of our Directors stated that they wanted to consolidate League 2 status this season then push for promotion next season.