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Posts from the ‘Football Finance’ Category

Sep 16

Football Academia s-port

Football academia

Been there, done it, worn the T shirt. I refer to the academic route that I took in earlier life before starting my career.  Though I do update every year via cpd to stay abreast of latest knowledge and tactics pertinent to my profession.  I believe that there are over 40 letters that I can use after my name if I wanted to relate to qualifications and achievements etc (BA Hons MA FCIM MISPAL Chartered Marketer MInstF…………).  Proud as I am of this collection, and would advocate everyone consider seriously further education, I bleat often that it is the “University of Life” that really matters. Most of that which I have achieved has combined that initial knowledge with on the job experience and commercial acumen.

I started this observation in that sometimes people debate the pros and cons of continuing education.  At this point I would like to say that I have recently had contact with two leading academics relating to the football world.  I shared a stage as speaker with Sean Hamil.  He is a Lecturer at Birkbeck University and has been Director of Supporters Direct, the UK Government-sponsored organisation established to assist football supporters to set up trusts (co-operatives) which invest equity in their football clubs.  He is Author to “State of the Game” and “Who Owns Football?: The Governance and Management of the Club Game Worldwide”. The second was Dr John Beech who I met through Twitter and our common use of the #footballfinance (hash tag).  He is a Senior Research Fellow at Coventry University, where he is Head of Sport & Tourism at the Applied Research Centre in Sustainable Regeneration (SURGE). He received the Football Supporters’ Federation Writer of the Year Award for season 2009/10.  From a limited collaboration to date I can reinforce a belief that the commercial business world and academia have much common ground and can work together to achieve things.

Sep 3

Stockport County Fan

Friday night

How I enjoyed last night’s football.  Plus a tipple in Ye Olde Vic and Our Lady’s as pre-match warm-up and post-match contemplation. A combination of a draw against fellow ‘Hatters’ Luton Town after trailing, and a return to Friday Night Football. 

I used to query with former marketing/commercial regimes at County whether they had undertaken any analysis to determine whether Fridays or Saturdays were best financially for the Club.  Must admit never got a reasoned response.  Naturally, there are pros and cons of the day we play, but for people like me with young children, I can enjoy my beloved County and have two full days uninterrupted for other pastimes that they might choose to pursue each weekend.  For some reason the entire family don’t necessarily want to visit EP every week.

I was brought up on a diet of Friday Night Football.  I seem to recall others like Tranmere Rovers FC and Southend United FC did similar.  I understand discussions have been held with a view to moving some Scottish Football League games to Friday evenings.  Ligue 1 in France will be scheduled in the same way under the terms of the French top flight’s television deal commencing 2012 – 13.  The Australian Football League (‘Aussie Rules’) promote matches on that night in conjunction with the Seven Network and remain convinced it is an optimum fixture for publicity and income.  Does anyone know any lower league clubs that have adopted Fridays and launched promotional tactics to entice supporters of other clubs successfully that are playing the day after?

Jul 31

Mersey Ferry Stockport

Mersey ferry

It reminds me of that old pub quiz question: “Which professional football club is closest to the Mersey?” (Obviously, asked before last season).  Punters ponder over Liverpool or Everton, or then could it be Tranmere – when the answer is in fact that it’s actually Stockport County. 

Yesterday’s pre-season friendly was a victory over Accrington Stanley, and at Edgeley Park. My elation was somewhat deflated by a wondering about the regime running ‘County’ and our future.  I’m just one supporter in a sea of blue and white that could have our fears removed by just a little more light on the facts.  You’ll recall I wrote about it before and National Media has continued pushing at that door since.

I suppose that it’s this ‘not knowing’ that means we continue to have reservations, despite the lads on the field putting it all in this fixture.  Scepticism breeds the worst accusations – and I note that of five new signings, Ryan Fraughan, John Miles, Sean McConville, John Nolan – they have come from Liverpool, Fazackerley, Liverpool and Huyton respectively.  Are we ferrying them in from Merseyside or is this just the Manager exploiting his connections?

Jul 25

Punk Finance S'PORT
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FCUM punk

Initially, I wondered why ‘punk’?  Instant perceptions hardly pertinent to trustworthy, reliable finances and professionalism – I refer to music groups, the likes of Sex Pistols, The Stranglers, Cockney Rejects, Angelic Upstarts etc.

But “Punk Finance” is a new branding allocated to the concept of community groups and societies raising funds without the need to approach traditional ‘High Street’ lenders such as banks and building societies.

Inherent in the formation of this terminology is FC United of Manchester somewhat resulting from its own successes in generating funds towards its objective of owning its own stadium.  It has raised over £1.2 Million from shares so far.  Andy Walsh, General Manager at FCUM says “The community shares model we have developed with Co-ops UK and the legal framework that we have put together with Cobbetts [solicitors] offers a route to financial stability.”

It is thought that FC United’s model can be adopted by many other smaller organisations and in partnership with Cobbetts it has produced a booklet which promotes the ‘punk finance’ model.

I have already started to look at its application in football, athletics and multi-sports capital projects that I am working on or might be commissioned towards shortly.

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