[Spireite Phil]

sophocles, on Oct 1 2008, 10:02 PM, said:

Well that just about sums up the whinging " SUPPORTERS " doesn't it? I'd suggest that kind of "support" is our biggest problem.

For your information I have supported this club for over thirty years. With all due respect you need to look deeper and realise why people like me are no longer going.

I hope the penny drops for you soon.

[SHAUN]

Die hard fan ?

Sorry but some people just cant take time of here and there, i for one cant just plan my leave around town away games. I'm lucky i can pay to go to every game but some fans arnt able to they have other commitments like providing for there family.

If someone cant go to a game mid week sorry in my eyes it dosent make them a lesser fan than someone who has the luxery or still lives with there mum and dad and can goto every game

We all care about are team the people who choose to stay away because they feel the management arnt up to scractch still care and are showing this by staying away and missing something they love.

[lesleycfc]

SHAUN, on Oct 2 2008, 01:50 PM, said:

Die hard fan ?

Sorry but some people just cant take time of here and there, i for one cant just plan my leave around town away games. I'm lucky i can pay to go to every game but some fans arnt able to they have other commitments like providing for there family.

If someone cant go to a game mid week sorry in my eyes it dosent make them a lesser fan than someone who has the luxery or still lives with there mum and dad and can goto every game

We all care about are team the people who choose to stay away because they feel the management arnt up to scractch still care and are showing this by staying away and missing something they love.

Of course i can accept that. But for me a die hard fan will find the money. Like smokers do for fags.

Maybe thats just me. Nothing comes before chesterfield in my eyes.

[Andy Spireite]

koreandude, on Oct 2 2008, 01:13 PM, said:

If it was a restaurant that I loved, and the restaurant needed it's patrons to stay in business, then yes, I'd still eat their tripe and trotters.
So if all the fans stayed away and the club got liquidated, who's fault is that? Indirectly, the board and the manager. Directly, the fans.

Honestly I cannot believe you are saying this, it is complete madness. Lets face a few cold hard facts.

Firstly, the business side:

CFC is a commercial business and any business knows that it is important to run that business profitably to survive, ths involves (amongst other things) having goods that are attractive to customers, attracting those customers to purchase your goods and maintaining your cost base so that you ultimately make a return on the investment.

In order to maximise income you need to ensure that you listen to customers and provide goods that they are willing to buy, at the right price, and that you have the correct management structure and strategy in place to achieve this. You have no god given right to keep those customers as there will, in most cases, be substitute goods that those customers can switch to should you not provide what they are looking for (in the case of town this could be other football teams or just other activities that require monetary funding).

It is the boards job to make sure that they take the necessary actions to achieve that stated above. You will always have some people who stay loyal to your particular good but you cannot rely on these for a sustainable business model in lieu of any other actions.

Secondly, the emotional side:

We are all fans of CFC, we all want CFC to do as well as possible and none of us want CFC to get liquidated or relegated out of the football league (both very much worst case scenarios).

The general feeling of the fans regarding our current plight is that they are not listened to when they have concerns and are not informed of strategies, plans and direction. Were there more proactive communications during these times I dare say the 'stay away' numbers would be lower as we would all be aware where the goal posts were (excuse the pun) and when action would know to expect action if those goals were not met.

The fact that we, as fans, care so much has driven many people to stay away, they will not keep putting money into the club when they believe that the board are not acting in the best interests of the fans who, I'll say it again, are the ones who really want the club to succeed and will outlast any chairmen, manager or board member.

To say that everyone should blindly support a board, who do not share information, clearly communicate goals and expectations is quite frankly ludicrous, the club means more to all of us than to allow that, or at least it should

[lesleycfc]

AndySpireite, on Oct 2 2008, 02:05 PM, said:

Honestly I cannot believe you are saying this, it is complete madness. Lets face a few cold hard facts.

Firstly, the business side:

CFC is a commercial business and any business knows that it is important to run that business profitably to survive, ths involves (amongst other things) having goods that are attractive to customers, attracting those customers to purchase your goods and maintaining your cost base so that you ultimately make a return on the investment.

In order to maximise income you need to ensure that you listen to customers and provide goods that they are willing to buy, at the right price, and that you have the correct management structure and strategy in place to achieve this. You have no god given right to keep those customers as there will, in most cases, be substitute goods that those customers can switch to should you not provide what they are looking for (in the case of town this could be other football teams or just other activities that require monetary funding).

It is the boards job to make sure that they take the necessary actions to achieve that stated above. You will always have some people who stay loyal to your particular good but you cannot rely on these for a sustainable business model in lieu of any other actions.

Secondly, the emotional side:

We are all fans of CFC, we all want CFC to do as well as possible and none of us want CFC to get liquidated or relegated out of the football league (both very much worst case scenarios).

The general feeling of the fans regarding our current plight is that they are not listened to when they have concerns and are not informed of strategies, plans and direction. Were there more proactive communications during these times I dare say the 'stay away' numbers would be lower as we would all be aware where the goal posts were (excuse the pun) and when action would know to expect action if those goals were not met.

The fact that we, as fans, care so much has driven many people to stay away, they will not keep putting money into the club when they believe that the board are not acting in the best interests of the fans who, I'll say it again, are the ones who really want the club to succeed and will outlast any chairmen, manager or board member.

To say that everyone should blindly support a board, who do not share information, clearly communicate goals and expectations is quite frankly ludicrous, the club means more to all of us than to allow that, or at least it should

I have to agree with you to some extent however. I dont see how paying money to watch them is supporting the board.

You are SUPPOSED to be supporting the 11men and subs. And i am afraid that for the short term future they are the only ones suffering.

[Balearic Mac]

lesleycfc, on Oct 2 2008, 02:02 PM, said:

Of course i can accept that. But for me a die hard fan will find the money. Like smokers do for fags.

Maybe thats just me. Nothing comes before chesterfield in my eyes.

I personally believe that such unswerving loyalty has been taken for granted by the club. But we have to accept that consumer attitudes have changed. Sadly not so the attitude of persons at the helm of the club....

[Spireite Phil]

koreandude, on Oct 2 2008, 01:13 PM, said:

If it was a restaurant that I loved, and the restaurant needed it's patrons to stay in business, then yes, I'd still eat their tripe and trotters.
So if all the fans stayed away and the club got liquidated, who's fault is that? Indirectly, the board and the manager. Directly, the fans.

What a load of tripe !

[SHAUN]

lesleycfc, on Oct 2 2008, 02:02 PM, said:

Of course i can accept that. But for me a die hard fan will find the money. Like smokers do for fags.

Maybe thats just me. Nothing comes before chesterfield in my eyes.

Well i can fault your attitude when i was in my early twenties i was the same and loved going away and watching town.

But once you have responsibilities like a mortgage and house bills then just because you dont go to every game doesnt make you any less a die hard fan than yourself.

Sorry but wages in chesterfield for the normal person cant strech to taking time of and going to Exeter to a mid-week game

Fags and beer or little different to paying for your children to eat

[Andy Spireite]

lesleycfc, on Oct 2 2008, 02:13 PM, said:

I have to agree with you to some extent however. I dont see how paying money to watch them is supporting the board.

You are SUPPOSED to be supporting the 11men and subs. And i am afraid that for the short term future they are the only ones suffering.

We are not supporting the board explicitly but if they are oblivious to the failings of their management team, and we have no data to suggest they believe otherwise, and crowd numbers did not fall with people making a stand then they really would have no incentive to make any changes as monetary return for them would be unaffected.

Now, lets say that happened over the course of the season and our form over the last 30 odd games continued and we WERE relegated then who would be affected the most? The fans (who love the club) or the board (who would cut their losses and move on)?

I'm being purposefully extreme here because I genuinely feel like some people have a very blinkered view of this situation and just to say people should turn up "regardless" really is missing the point.

[lesleycfc]

SHAUN, on Oct 2 2008, 02:27 PM, said:

Well i can fault your attitude when i was in my early twenties i was the same and loved going away and watching town.

But once you have responsibilities like a mortgage and house bills then just because you dont go to every game doesnt make you any less a die hard fan than yourself.

Sorry but wages in chesterfield for the normal person cant strech to taking time of and going to Exeter to a mid-week game

Fags and beer or little different to paying for your children to eat

I have a 700pound mortgage! and of course bills! I dont drink or smoke. I get 20days holidays a year and 4 bank holidays paid. I use 10 ten days for my summer holiday abroad and the other 10 i use for football!

[lesleycfc]

So where as protests and missing games got us before?

Oh yes thats right demonstrating against Norton Lea got us who? Oh thats right Darren Brown!

[SHAUN]

lesleycfc, on Oct 2 2008, 02:34 PM, said:

I have a 700pound mortgage! and of course bills! I dont drink or smoke. I get 20days holidays a year and 4 bank holidays paid. I use 10 ten days for my summer holiday abroad and the other 10 i use for football!

Dont disagree with your commitment to town you are very committed which town need more people like you

My point was that not every fan has the luxery of spare cash for mid - week games in the south west, not because they dont want to, just cant.

[Town_Fan]

lesleycfc, on Oct 2 2008, 02:34 PM, said:

I have a 700pound mortgage! and of course bills! I dont drink or smoke. I get 20days holidays a year and 4 bank holidays paid. I use 10 ten days for my summer holiday abroad and the other 10 i use for football!

Good for you! The problem is though at the minute many cant see the point of wasting their holidays on something that only makes them frustrated. Only a masochist would continue to do something like that.

I personally dont believe the stayaways are doing it to make any political point, I think they just dont believe they are getting value for money any more. The silence from the club is deafening, its almost like many fans are thinking well the board dont seem to care so why should I. Once again its all about perception.

This post has been edited by Town_Fan: 02 October 2008 - 01:41 PM

[SHAUN]

Town_Fan, on Oct 2 2008, 02:39 PM, said:

Good for you! The problem is though at the minute many cant see the point of wasting their holidays on something that only makes them frustrated. Only a masochist would continue to do something like that.

I personally dont believe the stayaways are doing it to make any political point, I think they just dont believe they are getting value for money any more. The silence from the club is deafening its almost like many fans are thinking well the board dont seem to care why should I. Once again its all about perception.

I Can make the game at Exeter and have watched town there three times before, but i will listen to the game on SW as i cant face watching the team l love slipping further down the table.

[lesleycfc]

I dont disagree with people staying away. You have the right to do so and good luck to you.

My main concern is that we will push Hubbard before he his ready into a Knee Jerk reaction where we end up with two scenarios:

He withdraws all his money and we are fcuked

or

He does like Norton Lea did and set us up with the Scum of the earth to be chairman.

In summary Hubbard as us over a barrell, and i for one wouldnt like to see him drop us right in it.

Alex Green, on Oct 2 2008, 02:39 PM, said:

so your saying im not a die hard then??

Yes

[Balearic Mac]

Town_Fan, on Oct 2 2008, 02:39 PM, said:

I personally dont believe the stayaways are doing it to make any political point, I think they just dont believe they are getting value for money any more.

Not sure about that.

Poor performances = poor value for money = remedial action needed.

Many of us realise who should shoulder the blame for why the product is sub-standard. And that sacking the manager would only solve part of the problem....

[Town_Fan]

lesleycfc, on Oct 2 2008, 02:44 PM, said:

I dont disagree with people staying away. You have the right to do so and good luck to you.

My main concern is that we will push Hubbard before he his ready into a Knee Jerk reaction where we end up with two scenarios:

He withdraws all his money and we are fcuked

or

He does like Norton Lea did and set us up with the Scum of the earth to be chairman.

In summary Hubbard as us over a barrell, and i for one wouldnt like to see him drop us right in it.

You dont seem to have a very high opinion of the chairman if you think he would do something like that.

The fans wont be blackmailed, all they want are results and entertainment. As things stand they are getting neither despite the club spending heavily. The fact the club refuse to acknowledge there are serious problems smacks of an arrogance towards the fans and that further puts them off coming.

Ironically if Hubbard did something like what you suggest, then the blame would lie with all those that accepted mediocrity while fans drifted away and we fell down the league. In short people like you Lesley. You think you are such great fans by blindly accepting any old crap but all you do is give legitimacy to poor decisions from the board. I SUGGEST IT IS YOU THAT IS THE CANCER.

[lesleycfc]

Alex Green, on Oct 2 2008, 02:51 PM, said:

thats a bad judgement then, i had a season ticket last season and went to all but 3 away games. this season im having to spend my money wisely (as your aware) doesn't make me any less a die hard fan. i will be there through the thick and thin of it. i've managed to get all the home games except the first one as i was on holiday i wont be going to the away games as much. but when i can i will. i.e. lincoln week saturday. im no less a die hard than you

A die hard fan wouldnt go on holiday during the season!!!!