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Player Fund


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The club has opened a Player Fund for fans to make contributions for the purchase of new players. Personally, I already buy a season ticket and contribute to the Centenary Fund as well as taking part in things like the wonderful Bowenboys pitch fundraising appeal, so I'm not sure about giving any more. However, this seems like a step in the right direction. I really liked Maxie's comment, he said: “I asked people what they would want back and all they said was ‘a better team on the park’. Giving out strips, balls and hospitality doesn’t matter to them and clubs in general are guilty of thinking ‘we need to give them something’. The main driver is what happens out there on the park." At last, somebody gets it. We're not looking for freebies and giveaways, we want to see a better team....

 

(Maybe I could reallocate money from the Centenary Fund to the Player Fund?...)

 

 

 

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Seems to me it would really need something along the lines of the old 600 club (I think that was what it was called, memory is blurred) - I think you'd need to have something where you would have to donate maybe £100 on a regular (monthly/quarterly) basis and should be advertised as something that is really expected only from the better off Jags fan. They'd need to direct it towards those with small business interests and maybe sponsors too. Otherwise all it will do is split the donations currently being given to other things like Centenary Fund.

Edited by Mr Bunny
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I have to say, when I started the pitch fundraising, I was in the 'we need to give them something' camp. With so much money already given to player sponsorship I thought incentives would be needed to get more money from the pitch scheme (I also greatly underestimated the response to a direct appeal for help with a specific cause). It became clear that people just wanted to help and weren't responding to the possibility of winning a hospitality package. Having said that, I'm sure those that got the hospitality were delighted and are looking forward to a wee treat next season.

 

I wasn't at the meeting last night. I hope it was positive and that the club are genuinely keen to involve the fans. From that involvement the club will find out how best to proceed with schemes such as a player fund. It seems, though, that they have put the cart before the horse.

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According to Maxie there is already a fan driven demand for such a fund. I sense the Club see it as a way fans who can't attend regularly can contribute. It'll be ring-fenced to such a degree that it'll go direct to the manager (incremental income to bolster his budget) and in theory should be tangible in respect to the performance/result of a player we couldn't otherwise have afforded. I'm not sure whether that'll be perceived rather than specific. It's believed that with the safety of the Club in a secure position these days the top priority of fans is success on the park. Something not many will disagree with I'm sure.

 

On the presumption that there's fans out there who want to donate I don't believe anyone can knock this initiative. Like previous posters I'll continue to contribute thru purchasing a season ticket and thru the Centenary Fund plus the odd ad hoc initiative such as Bowenboys recent contributions. Others tho', maybe for reasons of distance or work commitments etc, will hopefully find a Player Fund a more appropriate vehicle to contribute to.

Edited by lady-isobel-barnett
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It's ideal for me. I'm living abroad at the moment and I'm planning to do so for a good few years yet. When I was at home I had a season ticket and would drink in the Aitken Suite, buy half-time draw tickets etc..... I can't do that at the moment, maybe 4 times a season max., so this is another way I can put my money up and support the club.

 

I don't want to be entered into any draws, win any prizes, or be placed in a tier which dictates what level of contribution you make and what you get for it.

 

I'd much rather just set up a payment I can make every month, and that's it. Money goes to the club.

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Sorry, but no.

 

The club tried this before and it didn't work.

 

I'm at a loss as to why anyone would want to hand over money for absolutely nothing in return. I'm sure David Beattie wouldn't have invested in the club had he not gotten shares and a seat on the board in return. Why are the rest of us not entitled to the same?

 

I'd be looking for shares in the club if I handed over any more money than I already do.

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Sorry, but no.

 

The club tried this before and it didn't work.

 

I'm at a loss as to why anyone would want to hand over money for absolutely nothing in return. I'm sure David Beattie wouldn't have invested in the club had he not gotten shares and a seat on the board in return. Why are the rest of us not entitled to the same?

 

I'd be looking for shares in the club if I handed over any more money than I already do.

 

And this I think is the key to meaningful fan investment. If the club allocated blocks of shares in eg £1k blocks I'd be unable to chip in but a share save scheme that I could build towards monthly at £25 a month would get my support.

 

However I can't justify making a monthly donation with nothing in return to anything other than a charity

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I follow a charity "Trees for Life" that will specifically asked for funds from supporters for tangible things such as a new bus, bothy improvements, ring fencing for new trees etc. The fact that you know that appeal garners something real makes it easy to donate. You see an end game and your money going to something. That is why Bowenboys fundraising for the pitch was so successful.

 

I asked for money for a flag for the Nomads and they were throwing at me. The result a massive flag. I also joked that we should fix the broken "N" on the Jackie Husband sign with a donation.

 

If such a player fund had been in place I wonder how we would have responded if "Archie" had appealed for the extra funds needed to bring Lyle Taylor on board. He would have been a Jags man for sure. So as well as asking for weekly/monthly donation they also need to keep us informed that they have a target and make periodic appeals.

 

I plod along with the Centenary Fund out of loyality but it doesn,t inspire.

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http://ptfc.co.uk/news/2015-2016/may_2016/partick_thistle_player_fund

 

I personally like this idea and will be contributing but I can appreciate why others won't. What was made clear at the meeting last evening was that there is no expectation for people to contribute - if people do then Archie gets extra funds but if people don't then he gets what the club can give him from the other income streams. It is not a begging bowl and I hope we don't see that being used.

 

People are commenting on this and the Centenary Fund being the same but there are differences - the CF was set up to raise money for the club & player pool plus you can win things through it whilst this fund is simply for players and is really a donation.

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Sorry, but no.

 

The club tried this before and it didn't work.

 

I'm at a loss as to why anyone would want to hand over money for absolutely nothing in return. I'm sure David Beattie wouldn't have invested in the club had he not gotten shares and a seat on the board in return. Why are the rest of us not entitled to the same?

 

I'd be looking for shares in the club if I handed over any more money than I already do.

 

 

Have to agree with this. I reckon with ALL things taken into account,over a season I probably give the club well over a Jo Brand for me and my son to attend matches at Firhill. Ranges from 2 ground entries, HT draw tickets, programmes, food, a few drinks in the Aiken and other sundries. Fans are not bottomless pits. If my lottery jackpot comes up at some point, the club will be well provided for, that is guaranteed!

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Sorry, but no.

 

The club tried this before and it didn't work.

 

I'm at a loss as to why anyone would want to hand over money for absolutely nothing in return. I'm sure David Beattie wouldn't have invested in the club had he not gotten shares and a seat on the board in return. Why are the rest of us not entitled to the same?

 

I'd be looking for shares in the club if I handed over any more money than I already do.

 

I'd be surprised if any moderately sized club in Scotland isn't the recipient of random supporter donation. All the Club is doing is firstly providing a vehicle for such input, secondly promoting this vehicle and thirdly relating to this promotion guaranteeing any donation is ring-fenced towards Archie's player budget.

The once bitten, once shy response is completely valid but I can't for the life of me see why someone simply wishing to donate to the Club wouldn't or shouldn't use this fund.

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According to Maxie there is already a fan driven demand for such a fund. I sense the Club see it as a way fans who can't attend regularly can contribute. It'll be ring-fenced to such a degree that it'll go direct to the manager (incremental income to bolster his budget) and in theory should be tangible in respect to the performance/result of a player we couldn't otherwise have afforded. I'm not sure whether that'll be perceived rather than specific. It's believed that with the safety of the Club in a secure position these days the top priority of fans is success on the park. Something not many will disagree with I'm sure.

 

On the presumption that there's fans out there who want to donate I don't believe anyone can knock this initiative. Like previous posters I'll continue to contribute thru purchasing a season ticket and thru the Centenary Fund plus the odd ad hoc initiative such as Bowenboys recent contributions. Others tho', maybe for reasons of distance or work commitments etc, will hopefully find a Player Fund a more appropriate vehicle to contribute to.

 

It was put to Maxie and the board nearly a year ago about fans wanting to be able to contribute more, but what was put was the likes of a Nomad season ticket with streaming etc that we would be willing to pay for. We had mentioned the difficulty of joining the CF from a foreign bank account, and none of this has came to fruition. The players fund also cannot be contributed to by foreign based fans (Shuggie has a couple of 100 of us Nomads listed) so again rules us out.

 

Aside from the Nomad issue, what we have here is effectively fan ownership without the ownership, we pay the ST's, gate money, sponsor tops (Thanks to Phil), fund the pitch relaying, and now will also be adding to the player budget via this contribution. The youth team is funded outwith the board, and now the top team will be funded by the fans, as well as part of the pitch being fixed. If the board were to state for every £ raised we will match it, then that would be better and maybe a winner, as were all in the same boat then.

Currently we pay in various ways and see a match and maybe a win as a reward, where as the board (and I stand to be corrected) use the fans and Weirs money in return, see a match for free in comfy seats with free away trips and get to meet and greet other business men within the respective boardrooms

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Many fans already contribute to the Club in many different ways. If an additional income stream is to be effective, it has to offer incentives or something different.

 

I suspect there are many of us who would gladly be part of a sharesave type of scheme; donate X per month, get Y shares back at the end of the year. That type of approach cements our loyalty to the Club.

 

An open-ended donation scheme is arguably going to generate less income.

 

With a bit of thought, this new scheme could be improved.

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Many fans already contribute to the Club in many different ways. If an additional income stream is to be effective, it has to offer incentives or something different.

 

The starting point, as understood from last night, was the Club were approached by fans wishing to help the Club. They didn't want incentives in terms of hospitality, signed strips, balls etc. They solely wanted to see that whatever they donated would go straight into Archie's coffers. I suppose the only incentive they want to see is success on the park.

I'm surmising, tho' it may have been mentioned, that the Club are anticipating that those who came forward are by no means alone. This is just my reading into what I took from last night. I'm neither playing Devil's Advocate or indeed expressing my own opinion tho' if pressed I'd probably come down on a nothing ventured, nothing gained ticket.

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It's the same old milking the current fans for everything they can get rather than

 

A delivering more customers

B improving the product range to increase revenue from existing sources

C bring in new streams of revenue from sponsors etc

 

The only thing that has changed from previous attempts is that the influence of someone with some pr savvy has not made the usual mess they make when attempting to milk further dosh out of the fans.

 

This board have done many many good things but they ought to be surely telling us what else they are doing to increase net revenues to give Archie more dosh (other than the windfall of being debt free).

 

I hate when things like this are done as it always seems to me, the fans are being set up to take the fall for not raising enough money. In actual fact it's the boards responsibility to maximise revenue from all sources. Not ours. If they want our help, as others have said I would be more inclined to support a fan ownership programme. Same outcome, perhaps better, no cost to club (other than some admin time). I would also be more inclined if they were able to say that as a board through non fan based initiatives, they are boosting other revenue by x% through some commercial deals, etc.

 

If you pool the money the supporters have put into the club as "donations" (counting things done just to support the club even if they are not pure donations) over the years will be considerably more than some directors put in to get involved I am sure.

 

All this said, I do maintain this is a good board but if they want teamwork with the fans they need to mean it and it goes two ways.

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I wonder what this means for Archie's budget as is. Certainly when the season ended, there was talk from Beattie and the rest of the board that "Archie would have the resources to mount a Top-6 challenge" etc. Then Maxy is quoted as saying “if nobody puts money in, we go with what we have got. There is no guarantee it will take us to the top six or help us win a cup next season, but it is an ongoing thing and we can build on it.” I may be reading far too much into it, but it does seem a little defeatist and even slightly contradictory to what Beattie is saying.

It is a really good initiative to launch should you have the money. But without patting ourselves on the back too hard, the club does well from its supporters. A healthy uptake on the Centenary Fund, and a really good amount raised to relay the pitch. It is a lot to ask to contribute even more.

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Can we be clear about this please - if you can't afford to contribute or just don't want do that is fine. Nobody is being forced to do so and that was made perfectly clear at the meeting last night. Again at the meeting last evening it was made clear that the club are looking to do all they can to maximise other income streams and I got the impression that anything raised through this is a bonus.

 

I do get slightly annoyed by people implying that the directors are simply here to watch games in the comfy seats and they get a whole lot of benefits by being directors of PTFC. If being a director of this club is so great for people why don't we have a line of people the length of Maryhill Road wanting to get in to the Firhill Boardroom?

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I guess I'm on the cynical side of the fence when it comes to the club and fan involvement. I think the timing of the Player Fund is odd, the first public meeting to discuss the fans trust. The club announce that the parameters of the Player Fund have been decided following a meeting with 'a group of fans' 'a couple of months ago'. Oh well, I guess it's fan involvement.

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Can we be clear about this please - if you can't afford to contribute or just don't want do that is fine. Nobody is being forced to do so and that was made perfectly clear at the meeting last night. Again at the meeting last evening it was made clear that the club are looking to do all they can to maximise other income streams and I got the impression that anything raised through this is a bonus.

 

I do get slightly annoyed by people implying that the directors are simply here to watch games in the comfy seats and they get a whole lot of benefits by being directors of PTFC. If being a director of this club is so great for people why don't we have a line of people the length of Maryhill Road wanting to get in to the Firhill Boardroom?

 

Do you think isolating 600 (?) Jags trust members being told, thanks for all your efforts during Save The Jags, your shares are now worthless, you have no representation, and you won't be part of this new Trust.

 

Is a good way of improving income streams?

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Do you think isolating 600 (?) Jags trust members being told, thanks for all your efforts during Save The Jags, your shares are now worthless, you have no representation, and you won't be part of this new Trust.

 

Is a good way of improving income streams?

 

Who said they won't be part of this trust? The issue about a supporter being someone with 3 years of season tickets was touched upon but in reality they want to involve everyone - the Jags Trust can't get enough people to form a quorum at their AGM!. Also the fact you have to put a ? beside what you think the Jags Trust membership is and the fact that I, a former member of the Jags Trust Board, could not say if that figure is anywhere near accurate says a lot. The shares are not worthless either - with the Jags Trust and the new trust there is approximately 25% of the shares that are owned by the supporters (this figure was discussed at the meeting last evening).

 

As I have stated in another thread we really need to move on in my humble (yet accurate)* opinion from all the politics and grievances of so many years. I have nailed my colours to the mast and I don't intend to let the past dictate what the future is going to be for our club. Other people need to make their own decision on that but the sense I got last night from those who attended was that they want to move forward as well.

 

* That was a lit bit of humour for the avoidance of doubt.

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