General Tim Davies - 5 minute fans forum

[holdsteady]

Most important, actually only important thing, about the new kit is that’s the shorts return to the eighties style from the current pantaloon monstrosity’s.

 

[OX14]

There are a number of supporters that have never renewed ST’s after supporters (customers) were fleeced after the Covid ‘refund’ never happened.

It’ll be hard to get those supporters back to ST levels of commitment.

The club might need to wait to see what league we're playing in next season. I'm not paying this season's price for league 2 football.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

The club might need to wait to see what league we're playing in next season. I'm not paying this season's price for league 2 football.

I think if we go down the ST would be the same, they certainly wouldn’t be cheaper.
On a side note I went to watch Wrexham vs Southend a few weeks ago and asked one of their fans how much a ST was…it is over £400!!

As for the Covid refund, that was a joke to say the least but unfortunately you have fans like myself who will get a ST just incase we become good! Having said that, if they put the prices up this coming season and we don’t have Reading or Swindon to play I will be thinking twice about getting a ST.

 

[OX14]

I think if we go down the ST would be the same, they certainly wouldn’t be cheaper.
On a side note I went to watch Wrexham vs Southend a few weeks ago and asked one of their fans how much a ST was…it is over £400!!

£400 for a season ticket in the national league is daylight robbery. Oxford city could be playing in that league next season and their season tickets are currently £207 for an adult and free for u18's/students. Pricing out fans is not the way to go.

 

[holdsteady]

£400 for a season ticket in the national league is daylight robbery. Oxford city could be playing in that league next season and their season tickets are currently £207 for an adult and free for u18's/students. Pricing out fans is not the way to go.

I doubt many Wrexham fans are moaning this season.

 

[Scotchegg]

And yet we ended up with a grotesque slapdash foot length "BG" emblazoned on the front (of a really nice design shirt, granted). You can't believe that was intended and sorted in October '21?

Maybe the design was sorted and ordered but then the lack of sponsor delayed it - that's still failing to complete the process. Fully functioning commercial departments get sh*t done. I'm not content with 'many came after us too' - you wouldn't argue that about the sh*tty looking League table 'many finished below us too'.

Sorry, but the 'global issues' line doesn't wash any more than the 'World Cup year - can't do transfers' one.

I'm not prepared to have another Summer of lame excuses. You should perhaps be careful you don't once again become a mouthpiece for one.

It's such a shame that you often look to attack anything I post rather than reading them. Had you done so you would see that I was critical of the club and its marketing earlier in this thread, and did exactly the same last summer. I was equally critical of the diabolical kit issue and the time it took to get everything into the club shop.

However, I took these concerns directly to the club and have posted what I know of the process and the supply issues that have not only been spoken about by OUFC but numerous other clubs. It was also reported in The Athletic amongst others.

In regard to the sponsor issue, that had no bearing on the supply. Due to the uncertain nature of commercial deals, especially a year ahead, sponsors are rarely added to shirts in the production stage. They are added after the event in the same way that players names and numbers are added. I agree that we should have done better than to have Bangkok Glass as a shirt sponsor, and equally dislike the style and size of the BG on the shirts, but that has nothing to do with when they arrived.

And finally, I really don't need you to tell me what to be careful of. I post what I do and people can read it, like it, hate it or simply ignore it.

 

[OX14]

I doubt many Wrexham fans are moaning this season.

Yes they might have Hollywood owners paying silly money now but let's not forget how many years they've been down there. Having rich owners using the club as their toy doesn't normally last very long and can leave the club in a bad place financially for the next owner.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

It's such a shame that you often look to attack anything I post rather than reading them. Had you done so you would see that I was critical of the club and its marketing earlier in this thread, and did exactly the same last summer. I was equally critical of the diabolical kit issue and the time it took to get everything into the club shop.

However, I took these concerns directly to the club and have posted what I know of the process and the supply issues that have not only been spoken about by OUFC but numerous other clubs. It was also reported in The Athletic amongst others.

In regard to the sponsor issue, that had no bearing on the supply. Due to the uncertain nature of commercial deals, especially a year ahead, sponsors are rarely added to shirts in the production stage. They are added after the event in the same way that players names and numbers are added. I agree that we should have done better than to have Bangkok Glass as a shirt sponsor, and equally dislike the style and size of the BG on the shirts, but that has nothing to do with when they arrived.

And finally, I really don't need you to tell me what to be careful of. I post what I do and people can read it, like it, hate it or simply ignore it.

Should also be noted that Bangkok glass was a last minute sponsor due to the the old sponsor pulling out last minute. That’s why I hope the club has given pro contracts to the right youth team players…

 

[holdsteady]

Yes they might have Hollywood owners paying silly money now but let's not forget how many years they've been down there. Having rich owners using the club as their toy doesn't normally last very long and can leave the club in a bad place financially for the next owner.

I think they have struck gold with those owners, the club was dying and now they sell out every week and are top of the league, have had a huge increase in profile and are getting their ground done up as well.

We have rich owners, we are massively in debt and have spent silly money, we have just been s**t at it.

 

[Scotchegg]

I think they have struck gold with those owners, the club was dying and now they sell out every week and are top of the league, have had a huge increase in profile and are getting their ground done up as well.

We have rich owners, we are massively in debt and have spent silly money, we have just been s**t at it.

In fairness its much easier to buy yourself out of the National League and do up your existing ground than it is to get out of League One and build a brand new ground. I'd rather judge our owners in 3 years when hopefully everything comes to fruition.

 

[holdsteady]

In fairness its much easier to buy yourself out of the National League and do up your existing ground than it is to get out of League One and build a brand new ground. I'd rather judge our owners in 3 years when hopefully everything comes to fruition.

Fair points, still don’t think we should be facing a possible relegation after what we have spent and I realise that our owners don’t have the Hollywood power that Wrexhams do but you can’t fault the way Wrexham use it and the way they interact with the fans.

Our owners are richer and have spent more, but Wrexham have been clever alongside the spending, don’t think we have this season.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

In fairness it’s much easier to buy yourself out of the National League and do up your existing ground than it is to get out of League One and build a brand new ground.

We might still get out of League One this season tbf.

 

[Scotchegg]

We might still get out of League One this season tbf.

Rule no.1 - make targets more specific!

 

[Foley]

I think they have struck gold with those owners, the club was dying and now they sell out every week and are top of the league, have had a huge increase in profile and are getting their ground done up as well.

We have rich owners, we are massively in debt and have spent silly money, we have just been s**t at it.

Mmm. Not sure that is a fair comparison.
If our new owners manage to get the new ground finally built, they will have saved the club, and hopefully have provided it with a fantastic new home.
Wrexham at least owned their ground.
Wrexham have by far the biggest budget in the NL (L1 sides couldn't compete with them.for Mullen)
Sure we have massively underachieving on the pitch, but that has not been through lack of investment in the team

 

[MJB]

I doubt many Wrexham fans are moaning this season.

Perhaps their partners should try a bit more foreplay. Maybe a bit or role-playing?

 

[Swaby39]

Mmm. Not sure that is a fair comparison.
If our new owners manage to get the new ground finally built, they will have saved the club, and hopefully have provided it with a fantastic new home.
Wrexham at least owned their ground.
Wrexham have by far the biggest budget in the NL (L1 sides couldn't compete with them.for Mullen)
Sure we have massively underachieving on the pitch, but that has not been through lack of investment in the team

I do agree with you but it’s also a bit embarrassing that a group of billionaires and experienced C-level execs boasting extensive football CVs with spells at Manchester United & Inter Milan are being schooled in how to run a football club by a pair of American Hollywood actors.

The new stadium is their saving grace. Without that story running in the background (which they’ve leaned on regularly as a smokescreen for their failure to lead the club properly to date), their tenure has been nothing shy of an embarrassment so far and they are either invisible or talk complete shite in unchallenged environments. I do cut some slack to Thohir and Bakrie because they are what we thought they were - money men. I don’t care what their motives are, they’ve invested in us in places it’s needed all the same and we’re reliant on them. They’ve stood up to that. The problem is they’ve asked the clangers to run it for them. Manning is going to have to prove to be much more than a coach for us because the people above him will not get him any further. They are still the same people who felt Karl Robinson was the future of OUFC until he crashed them in to rock bottom and for that reason alone I still feel a proper football person in there as a DOF would do us the world of good. They will hopefully have learned an awful lot and we’ll be better for it but they have a huge amount of ground to make up with the fan base. Wrexham fans, by comparison, will pay whatever the asking price is for their ST’s because there’s a trust there, an enjoyment and a fear of missing out.

 

[Scotchegg]

I do agree with you but it’s also a bit embarrassing that a group of billionaires and experienced C-level execs boasting extensive football CVs with spells at Manchester United & Inter Milan are being schooled in how to run a football club by a pair of American Hollywood actors.

The new stadium is their saving grace. Without that story running in the background (which they’ve leaned on regularly as a smokescreen for their failure to run the club properly to date), their tenure has been nothing shy of an embarrassment so far and they are either invisible or talk complete shite in unchallenged environments. I do cut some slack to Thohir and Bakrie because they are what we thought they were - money men. I don’t care what their motives are, they’ve invested in us. The problem is they’ve asked the clangers to run it for them. Manning is going have to prove to be much more than a coach for us because the people above him will not get him any further. They are still the same people who felt Karl Robinson was the future OUFC until he crashed them in to rock bottom.

These people who are an embarrassment as you describe, have just covered our losses to the tune of £5m, and this is on top of all the other losses to date. The investment in the training ground will be upwards of £3m with more work to come this summer. They have also invested a few million quid just to get us to where we are today in regard to the stadium with the commitment to invest tens of millions more in the build.

They didn't get the Karl Robinson situation right, and we've had a bad 12 months on the pitch. There is also more work needed behind the scenes to sort out marketing, communication and commercial development.

But to speak as you do about the very people keeping our club alive is shortsighted, disrespectful and a little petulant.

 

[Berliner]

I do agree with you but it’s also a bit embarrassing that a group of billionaires and experienced C-level execs boasting extensive football CVs with spells at Manchester United & Inter Milan are being schooled in how to run a football club by a pair of American Hollywood actors.

The new stadium is their saving grace. Without that story running in the background (which they’ve leaned on regularly as a smokescreen for their failure to lead the club properly to date), their tenure has been nothing shy of an embarrassment so far and they are either invisible or talk complete shite in unchallenged environments. I do cut some slack to Thohir and Bakrie because they are what we thought they were - money men. I don’t care what their motives are, they’ve invested in us in places it’s needed all the same and we’re reliant on them. They’ve stood up to that. The problem is they’ve asked the clangers to run it for them. Manning is going to have to prove to be much more than a coach for us because the people above him will not get him any further. They are still the same people who felt Karl Robinson was the future of OUFC until he crashed them in to rock bottom and for that reason alone I still feel a proper football person in there as a DOF would do us the world of good. They will hopefully have learned an awful lot and we’ll be better for it but they have a huge amount of ground to make up with the fan base. Wrexham fans, by comparison, will pay whatever the asking price is for their ST’s because there’s a trust there, an enjoyment and a fear of missing out.

Ryan and Rob are the figureheads, the Hollywood stars that get the sponsorship and the buzz going. However behind the scenes are the CEO and the other woman who was on the documentary for two minutes as she wanted to stay in the background. They are the ones that keep the club running day to day, the ones who really "get it" from a football perspective.

They both come from impressive football backgrounds too, much like Pinky and Perky at OUFC...not that you'd ever suspect it.

 

[Swaby39]

These people who are an embarrassment as you describe, have just covered our losses to the tune of £5m, and this is on top of all the other losses to date. The investment in the training ground will be upwards of £3m with more work to come this summer. They have also invested a few million quid just to get us to where we are today in regard to the stadium with the commitment to invest tens of millions more in the build.

They didn't get the Karl Robinson situation right, and we've had a bad 12 months on the pitch. There is also more work needed behind the scenes to sort out marketing, communication and commercial development.

But to speak as you do about the very people keeping our club alive is shortsighted, disrespectful and a little petulant.

I think you’ve misunderstood me here so no need for the moral hiatus!

The owners funded those projects and nowhere have I criticised their commitment and willingness to spend. I’ve even stressed the point that it’s not them I blame for the mess we’re in so I’m not sure what you don’t like of what I’ve said? I completely agree that without them, there’s even less to be positive about.

It’s those based at the £3m training ground that I am critical of. They have been much, much too passive on football matters. It’s easy to brush all things Karl Robinson under the carpet but that decision to stick with him took us to the brink of L2 and we’re now doggy paddling back to the surface. I make no apologies for holding them to that until we are out of trouble. The point is they have massively, massively underachieved with the support and resource provided to them by the owners.

 

[Swaby39]

Ryan and Rob are the figureheads, the Hollywood stars that get the sponsorship and the buzz going. However behind the scenes are the CEO and the other woman who was on the documentary for two minutes as she wanted to stay in the background. They are the ones that keep the club running day to day, the ones who really "get it" from a football perspective.

They both come from impressive football backgrounds too, much like Pinky and Perky at OUFC...not that you'd ever suspect it.

Even better - in the absence of first hand knowledge, surround yourselves with people who do know. That in itself is good running of a football club and one better than us.