kaid mohamed

[Gulliball]

Not really. I mean, we have, but there are a few hundred better examples. We've never been able to compete with the richest teams, which is what motivates 99% of players to sign up. Eastleigh right now are doing what Crawley and Fleetwood did before them, and what others will do soon (probably Whitehawk) and there's not much the other teams can do about it until the money man dries up the investment.

[gullintwoplaces]

Not really. I mean, we have, but there are a few hundred better examples. We've never been able to compete with the richest teams, which is what motivates 99% of players to sign up. Eastleigh right now are doing what Crawley and Fleetwood did before them, and what others will do soon (probably Whitehawk) and there's not much the other teams can do about it until the money man dries up the investment.

Yes indeed, but it still makes me very sad.

[Southampton Gull]

Eastleigh are in no way following Fleetwood and Crawley. I keep telling you all, theyve been building up to this for the last 25 years.
We won the Wessex League and since then season upon season Eastleigh have improved facilities off the pitch to keep up with success on it. They have a totally sustainable model that has been carefully constructed by a large group of people over a long period of time. If the current chairman pulled the plug there are half a dozen ready to jump into his seat. It's a shame people can't see past their budget which isn't even in the top 3 anyway.

They deserve a lot more credit than they get on here and we should be looking at them to see how they've developed support from the local community.

Added in 5 minutes 32 seconds:
Just to add, they once had a bit of rivalry with Histon on their way up the ladder. It took them longer to get towards the top of non league but they've built a proper stadium along the way. When they get to the football league they'll stay there for a considerable time. Histon's way was unsustainable , Eastleigh 's isn't.

[Gulliball]

If the money man jumped ship, then someone else would have to take his place, or else the wage bill would soon present a real problem. I don't think that could be classed as sustainable. Eastleigh might be doing some very good things off the pitch, but in terms of owner investment there's only Forest Green that are outspending them in the non-league right now. FGR also have ambitious plans, but without the outside money coming in, none of them would be possible, nor would the wage bill they are able to maintain.

That's why Torquay will never be able to compete with any club with a money man, and you can hardly blame fans for only thinking of the money at Eastleigh when you see the signings they make and the wages they're paying, compared to the size of the club (no matter how much they're trying to grow).

[Southampton Gull]

Their crowds are comparable to ours, their clubhouse sinks profits straight back into the club, the stadium facilities generate plenty of income too, their merchandising is all run by the club, they simply bring in far more money than we do. They aren't paying as much as you would think either, and their sponsorship deals are also helping with that side of things. It won't be long and their crowds will dwarf ours. Like I said, their playing budget isn't in the top 3. They've bought their ground, developed gradually and aren't too far away from completing it. The next phase will see them build a smaller version of Bristows Bench, improving their ground in line with their playing achievements, it's sustainable growth, this has been no fly by night rise through the leagues.

Forest Green are a totally different example to Eastleigh, a club in the middle of nowhere and a club with a catchment area of half a million people?

We had a wealthy benefactor backing the club, when she left how well did we do? I guarantee Eastleigh would handle the transition a lot better than we have.

[Scott Brehaut]

Last time I was in Eastleigh, Dave and I checked out the ground in the morning before we played in the afternoon.

It was heaving with kids, and (mainly) dads, with the kids pretty much all wearing Eastleigh tops. On the several occasions I have been to Plainmoor, I've rarely seen that sort of thing. The odd kid playing in the grass area next to the ground and, on the odd occasion, a Torquay shirt. I've seen more kids wearing Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal shirts when I've been in Torquay.

I know that's nothing new, and you get the same in most places, but it just seemed to me that Eastleigh were doing something right when I was there, and getting the kids involved from a young age. Making money from merchandise at a young age too and, I guess they hope, keeping them interested for life.

It's certainly a model that I'd like to see us looking at implementing as and when we start to pull ourselves out of this current mess we are in.

[SBP]

I was just thinking about local kids and TUFC shirts. I coach a local U11 team and at training last night(first one back since xmas) i could nt see one TUFC shirt. There must have been over 100 boys attending! 3-4 years ago there were TUFC shirts everywhere. Even my son who is a big fan wont wear his TUFC shirt training at the moment!!

[Bloggy]

My youngest has the same problem when he goes training. Okay, we're in Wiltshire but all the shirts are either Prem or European. He still wears his TUFC kit despite the negative remarks. He'll be sporting his TUFC training top (Christmas pressie) tonight for the first time too.

[haz316]

I don't think half of the players really want to wear it

[Yorkieandy]

Scott raises some vital points. Sadly though, most clubs are thick as pig shit when it comes to securing the future of their very existence. Kids getting into the habit of going now are more likely to 'get in the groove' as it were gaining interest in all aspects of the football club and remain a regular attendee for at least the foreseeable. At York for example, it would cost you £12 if you wanted to take a 1 year old / 5 year old/ 10 year old. I did take my kid to a few games but i'd have gone to a lot more if she got in free. Add the adult price of £19 minimum and that's £31 for a dad to take their kid to watch permanent tripe in dilapidated surroundings with no atmosphere because three quarters of the ground is empty. I don't go to footy anymore at any professional level because they've all got their heads in their arses and it's so beyond belief the way some operate it's actually quite funny.

Meanwhile at Chesterfield it's £26 for the league above and at many other clubs in the Championship and some in the Prem kids under 10 are free. At Stoke a kid is a tenner. Twelve at York. Crazy.

The key point though is that owners of clubs don't have to oversee years of nurturing the next generation of support because they probably won't even be around then. Why would an owner of a club care about little 2 year old tot Johnny still continuing to go to Plainmoor/ Boundary Park / a.n.other ground in 10 years time when they won't even be around to reap the benefits? So long as they can make short term inroads and keep the status quo whilst as owners then they are perfectly happy with that it seems hence the total disregard clubs have for encouraging younger fans even allowing for the odd token effort of kids for a quid and the like. The whole football club can then just 'tick over' and it becomes sterile and unappealing but functional for the most part, relying on the hardcore and not bothering to make the effort or see the benefit to the football club longer term.

They're happy to sell you an vastly overpriced replica shirt for your 4 year old at about £30, key rings, pencil cases and allsorts of child focussed club gifts but not happy to let your kid in the ground for free when it's over half empty to help you as a dedicated fan actively willing your offspring to become a future paying patron and at the same time encouraging him / her to get more involved so perhaps they can grow up to buy one of their own for about £40 one day.

Of course clubs don't HAVE to let kids in for free. They can do what the hell they like but again IMO it comes down to this lack of empathy and connection from club to fan. They don't HAVE to let kids in free but it sure helps everyone. It helps parents with the cost, it helps the kids enjoy another experience they previously may have not been able to, it helps them grow up to be future fans and it helps the club because they might very well get things bought for them in the club shop or catering (both outlets it is my understanding are not run by TUFC and franchised out and so the club get minimal income from them regardless of sales - another massive **** up from whoever was making the decisions back in the day). But that said, if the club were run properly they would reap the benefits of these sales even if the kid was free to get in. Plus such a generous and helpful scheme is good PR, it's feelgood and it promotes a family atmosphere and a sense of community.

Football is insane, or maybe it's the fans.

Or maybe it's just probably me. :~D

[Gulliball]

We had a wealthy benefactor backing the club, when she left how well did we do? I guarantee Eastleigh would handle the transition a lot better than we have.

I don't think you can really say this. If anything we should be a pretty good example of what it's like to live on gates of 1800 and no investment. If having to pay wages committed to Chris Hargreaves affects us so much then I dread to think what Eastleigh would do with their wage commitments in relation to gate receipts.

When the club is rising and there's investment, exciting signings and good football to watch then attendances will rise. If they did lose all the investment, lost their high earners and have struggled as we have recently then would they still get 1800 after three years of misery and suffering? Until that happens then it's not a fair comparison, nor can you really see how much Eastleigh have grown that's sustainable once the shine and excitement has come off.

[citizengull]

Just to add to the Eastleigh debate they have just secured a new six figure a year shirt sponsor with a company from winchester which will go a long way to helping them go self sufficient, although I agree with the attendance issue could they survive on the crowds they get especially as they give out hundreds off free tickets weekly which I believe at the moment doesn't give a true reflection on the real support they have.

[Southampton Gull]

Give them a few years and they will be averaging over 5000, will you still be saying they can't sustain a viable professional club then?

Citizen, they do have offers for certain groups and on occasion have given free entry to all so you're correct, the real point though is they are building a fanbase and they have been for 20 years. They also, as you mention, concluded a lucrative shirt sponsorship deal, I alluded to that previously. Crawley/Fleetwood/FGR they are not. They aren't just sitting on their arses letting some poor bloke pay for everything, they are working hard to build a solid professional club. Scores of dedicated people working their socks off for the club and all singing from the same hymnsheet.
What's not to like about that?

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Yes,and all this in the face of Southampton doing so well in recent years.Hats off to them I say.

[Southampton Gull]

Yes,and all this in the face of Southampton doing so well in recent years.Hats off to them I say.

I think that's actually helped. It's cheaper and easier for a lot of fans to get to see Eastleigh now all the fair weather Saints have come flooding back.